MSU honors its best at Awards for Excellence banquet

by Brenda McDonald
MSU-Bozeman News Service

02/08/2002 --Bozeman - 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

Send questions or comments to Brenda McDonald: bmcdonal@montana.edu. Or you can send letters to Brenda McDonald, MSU Communications Services, 416 Culbertson Hall, Bozeman, MT 59717.

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