Accolades
Alumni
The excellence they achieve is noteworthy in and of itself, but the experience they gain from pursuing this excellence is a win-win: they bring it back to their classrooms, which in turn provides an even more robust and valuable education for their students.
Congratulations to the following faculty for these awards and recognitions:
Associate Professor Andrew George was given the Fitch-Platt Award for Excellence in Field Herpetology at the Kansas Herpetological Society’s 50th Anniversary meeting. The award was named for distinguished professors at the University of Kansas and Bethel College and is given to someone who has made a significant herpetological discovery in the field or conducted significant field work that contributed to scientific knowledge. George and his students have done a great deal of field research recently focused on snake ecology, mined wetlands and amphibians, and gray bat migration routes.
Associate Professor Anuradha Ghosh, a microbiologist, is part of a team of researchers based at the University of Kansas Medical Center who were awarded a $153,000 grant by the National Institutes of General Medical Sciences through the K-INBRE program. The grant will allow graduate and undergraduate students to conduct research with Ghosh as well as gain experience in the labs of the collaborators. Their research will focus on persistent abdominal pain.
Professor David Hurford, now executive director of the Center for Reading, was recognized by the City of Pittsburg at the city commission meeting on Nov. 28. On behalf of the city, Mayor Ron Seglie proclaimed Nov. 28 as Dr. David Hurford Day. The honor paid tribute to Hurford’s contributions to the prevention and remediation of reading disabilities across the nation. He created a scientific approach to help children “decode” what they are reading. Classroom teachers across the country use a curriculum written and published by Hurford to prevent reading failure and assist students in becoming competent readers.
Professor Ken Ward's series of podcasts, "Journalism History," hit 100,000 interactions in November. The podcast is an outgrowth of the scholarly quarterly journal that is the oldest peer-reviewed journal of mass media history in the U.S., having been continuously published since 1974. Ward is both the executive producer and co-host of the podcast: https://journalism-history.org/
Professor Jim Otter was presented a lifetime achievement award by the Associated General Contractors of Kansas for his 31 years of leadership as the chair/director of the construction programs at Pitt State. As the construction programs continued to grow to approximately 360 majors under his leadership, they became a department and then the School of Construction. Today, the SOC includes more than 500 majors in Construction Management, Construction Engineering Technology, Interior Design, Safety Management, and the 2-year Electrical Technology programs. Otter was also one of the original four founders of the PSU Construction Alumni Association, which since 1989 has awarded scholarships totaling over $1 million to more than 1,000 students.
Assistant Instructional Professor Shelly Grimes was recognized with Wayne Osness Honor Award — the most prestigious award given by the Kansas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance and named for an expert in exercise physiology. The award recognizes exemplary leadership, significant contributions to the discipline, participation on the board of the KAHPERD, and advocacy for healthy, active Kansans.
Assistant Professor Shelby Hutchens was recognized by the KAHPERD with the Young Professional of the Year Award — an award given to someone who conducts a comprehensive and diverse physical education program that uses best practices, who demonstrates exemplary leadership in the profession and within the school and local community, and who advocates for promoting healthy, active Kansans.
Professor and longtime Department Chair John Oppliger earned an Appreciation Award for his service as president of the KAHPERD, working tirelessly with K-12 and higher education professionals across the state to put on not only a great conference, but to set a path forward for the future of the association. Oppliger has served as the chair
Professor Amy Hite (served as a panel presenter and moderator at the NatDC Women in Leadership for Higher Education at Harvard University. Hite is the director of grant projects in the Irene Ransom School of Nursing, which includes NPR and SANE grants.
Professor Cynthia Huffman was recognized by the national mathematics honor society Kappa Mu Epsilon with their highest award, the George Mach Distinguished Service Award. Retired faculty member Harold Thomas received the award in 1997. Huffman joined the faculty in Fall 1994 and is a two-time graduate of Pitt State (‘86, ‘97).
Assistant Professor Lydia Bechtel and Adjunct Lecturer Isaac Hernandez were invited to present and perform at the national conference of the College Music Society in Miami, Florida.
Assistant Professor Ramiro Miranda performed this fall with internationally acclaimed cellist Eugene Friesen at the Woodfest Festival and on the Ruel Joyce Recital Series in Kansas City with the Paraguyan ensemble Jopara.
Assistant Instructional Professor Carol Meza-Bakke has been appointed to the Governor's Military Council. Meza-Bakke is a veteran of the Kansas Army National Guard who earned a Purple Heart in Iraq. As a member of the statewide council, she will advocate for service members. She also was chosen by the Council on Social Work Education to help revise the "Specialized Practice Curricular Guide for Military Social Work," scheduled for publication in February 2024.
