Nearly half of the 40 Montana State University educators who will
be honored as student mentors at this month's annual MSU Alumni
Association and Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce Awards for
Excellence Banquet are receiving the honor for the first time.
In the 20 years of the annual event many educators have received
multiple nominations.
"I think that this is the first year that so many of the
educators are receiving the honor for the first time," said Kerry
Hanson, assistant director of the MSU Alumni Association, and one
of the event organizers.
The Awards for Excellence Banquet, to be held on Feb. 19, is
dedicated to excellence and is designed to recognize seniors who
have outstanding records of achievement in academic, and
extracurricular activities and service to MSU and the local
community. Each honored student selects a faculty mentor for a
Faculty Excellence Award.
The Excellence Awards Banquet is a "town and gown" event in which
the Alumni Association and the Chamber work together to showcase
the stars of both communities.
Among the students receiving awards are two standout seniors,
Ryan Johnson and Kay Kirkpatrick. Johnson is a pre-physical
therapy major and a football player and Verizon Academic All
America Division 1 Football Player of the Year. This is the
highest academic honor a football player can earn in Division I.
Kay Kirkpatrick, a math major, is the winner of the prestigious
Barry Goldwater Scholarship and winner of the Alice T. Schafer
Prize. The Schafer Prize is awarded to the most outstanding
female undergraduate mathematician in the United States.
Johnson chose MSU football administrative assistant Niki Reavely
as his mentor.
"She's provided me with more guidance and support than any other
person I have been involved with at MSU," said Johnson. "Her
faith, love, and service have encouraged and inspired me day in
and day out."
Kirkpatrick chose Laurel Yost, professor of music, as her mentor.
"Myriad faculty members have inspired me at MSU, but none as
constantly or for as long as Laurel," said Kirkpatrick. "My
weekly lesson is not only the source of my slow but steady
musical progress, but also a source of fascinating and funny
conversation about music and math."
Two of the students to be honored, Brent Volf, a music education
major, and Kara Boettcher, a chemical engineering major, are
members of the Montanans singing group which will be performing
at the event.
Ann de Onis, professor of education, will receive her thirteenth
mentor nomination. This is the first year electrical engineering
professor Chris Yakymyshyn has been nominated and he is being
recognized by two students. Business professor Bill Brown has
been nominated in past years and this year he is also recognized
by two students.
Also on tap for the night is the awarding of the Torlief Aasheim
Community Service Award to the two student excellence winners who
have also contributed the most time and energy to community
service.
Two members from the Bozeman business community will be honored
for contributions to the university as well as Bozeman Chamber of
Commerce and the community at-large.
A list of student Excellence winners and their chosen faculty
mentors follows, listed by college:
College of Agriculture
Kari Berg, animal science, Mike Tess, animal/range science
Tasha Gibby, ag education-extension, Van Shelhamer,
entomology
Sarah Klingsporn, horticulture and plant biology,
Cathy Cripps, plant sciences
Arts and Architecture
Mac Allen, motion picture video, Walter Metz, media & theatre
Javan Druckenmiller, photography, Christina Anderson, media &
theatre
Jennifer Harris, graphic design, Sara Mast, art
Deborah Zartner, studio art, Joanne Noel, architecture
Brent
Volf, music education, Lowell Hickman, music
Kerry Merkel,
architecture, Maire O'Neill, architecture
College of Business
Lisa Berkram, management, Bill Brown, business management
Lee
Bouma, management, Dan Moshavi, business management
Eric
Gomke, accounting, Bonita Peterson, business accounting
Erin
Pasha, management, Bill Brown, business management
Eric
Vermulm, finance, Clark Maxam, business finance
Education, Health and Human Development
Ryan Johnson, pre-physical therapy, Niki Reavely, admin assistant
football
Heather Canterbury Lowes, community health, Suzanne
Christopher, health and human development
Ashley Morlock,
exercise physiology, Steven Holmgren, chemistry
Jenna
Shultes, elementary education, Ann de Onis, education
Joann
Rygg, elementary education, Joyce Herbeck, education
Kasha
Schultz, elementary/special ed., William Hall, education
College of Engineering
Brandon Ausk, mechanical engineering, R. Jay Conant, mechanical
engineering
Kara Boettcher, chemical engineering, Robert
Marley, engineering
Katie Dawson, chemical engineering, John
Sears, chemical engineering
Kevin Fitzgerald, mechanical
engineering, Vic Cundy, mechanical engineering
Cynthia Heath,
mechanical engineering, Rozan Pitcher, health and human
development
Casey Jackson, construction engineering
technology, Penny Knoll, construction engineering
Corey Kopp,
electrical engineering, Chris Yakymyshyn, electrical
engineering
Matthew Lowe, industrial and mgmt. engineering,
Paul Schillings, mechanical engineering
Anthony Veches,
electrical engineering, Chris Yakymyshyn, electrical engineering
Letters and Science
Whitney Phillips Atkinson, biomedical sciences, Susan Gibson,
cell biology
Kay Kirkpatrick, mathematics, Laurel Yost, music
Shane Ackerly, math/physics education, Greg Francis,
physics
Hailey Haffey, English literature, Kimberly Myers,
English
Courtney Paterson, biomedical sciences, Charles
Paden, cell biology
Margaret Thompson, modern
languages-French, Chris Pinet, modern languages
Kathleen
Kramer, English/Spanish education, Linda Semones, modern
languages
Giana Hystad Davidson, biochemistry, Larry Jackson,
chemistry
Ellana Delaney, English/secondary ed., Chris
Fisher, health and human development
College of Nursing
Tracy Staub Richman, nursing, Elizabeth Witt, nursing Great
Falls
Kindra Vincent, nursing, Carolyn Collis, nursing
Billings
By Brenda McDonald
Posted for Feb. 4, 2002
