The West Virginia Campus Compact, a coalition of 28 college and universities that encourages and supports community engagement in higher education, honored West Virginia University faculty and staff with multiple awards at its annual statewide conference.

Two WVU faculty members – Dr. Kristi Wood-Turner and Dr. Gina Baugh – were honored with Engaged Educator Awards, which honor individuals who promote service learning on their campuses.

Wood-Turner, director of the Center for Civic Engagement, won the award in the Large 4-Year Campus: Administrator category. Through her efforts, courses in every college at WVU now utilize service as a teaching methodology. She has also established the S-designation for service learning courses at WVU.

Baugh, from the WVU School of Pharmacy, won the award in the Large 4-Year Campus: Faculty category. Baugh has implemented and oversees a three-semester service learning program for all students in the WVU School of Pharmacy.

Dr. Kathryn Wittner, in the department of landscape architecture, was recognized as a finalist for the Engaged Educator Award.

WVU student Allyson Parris won the WV Campus Compact Photos of Engagement contest with her photo entry “Soldiers of the Coalfield.”

The photo gives a behind-the-scenes look at efforts to create a museum in Kimball, honoring African American World War II veterans in McDowell County who worked in the coalmines. The service learning project is undertaken by P.I. Reed School of Journalism professor Joel Beeson and his students in Kimball. For more on the photo, visit: http://www.wvcampuscompact.org/news/photos-engagement-contest-winner.

History professor Dr. Jenny Boulware was honored for her work with community members in Ritchie County with a LINK Promising Newcomer Award. The award honors new and promising community service learning partnerships that are grantees of West Virginia Campus Compact’s LINK program.

Boulware’s project, which began this academic year, connects WVU history students with North Bend State Park to study Native American rock structures for their meaning in an effort to increase tourism in the area.

In addition, WVU graphic design professor Dr. Eve Faulkes and public administration professor Dr. Margaret Stout were honored as finalists for the statewide LINK Partnership Award for courses involved in communities in West Virginia.

-WVU-

am/04/02/13

CONTACT: Alexis McMillen, Center for Civic Engagement
Alexis.McMillen@mail.wvu.edu, 304-293-8344

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