NSU College of Education honors outstanding faculty, staff

(Tahlequah, Okla.)Outstanding faculty and staff were recognized Aug. 26 by Northeastern State Universitys College of Education.

Dr. Renée Cambiano received the Outstanding Faculty Award in Research, Lereen Neugin was named Outstanding Staff Member, Dr. Louis White was recognized as Outstanding Faculty Member in Advising and Dr. Stephan Sargent as Outstanding Faculty Member in Service. Dr. Peggy Lisenbee received the PSA Dewberry Outstanding Faculty Award in Teaching. Dr. Kay Grant, dean, and Anita Thompson, development and grants officer for the college, made the presentations.

Serving others is an integral role of educators and a central goal of my professional career, Sargent said. Foremost, serving in the real world affords me the opportunity to enrich the lives of real people in real time. However, serving others also allows me to augment student learning by providing authentic experiences that involve them.

Neugin said she is surrounded by motivated faculty and staff who provide an optimum learning environment.

I enjoy my job because I get to work alongside the most amazing people, she said. "The College of Education has provided me with a means to make a difference. If I can touch the life of at least one person a day by giving support or lending a helping hand, I am blessed."

White said his advising award is an honor I will long treasure.

Early in my career, I learned the significance of serving as a caring and effective academic advisor and the impact this has on student success, he said. "I have learned a great deal from my peers who served as wonderful role models and I share this award with them."

The nomination and selection processes were coordinated by Thompson, the COE advisory board and faculty and staff campus-wide. Each winner received a check for $250 and a personalized clock.

I was thrilled with the people that were chosen, said Dr. Grant. "Each is outstanding in the area for which they were honored. It is difficult to choose the honorees when we have so many outstanding faculty and staff. They all deserve recognition for their accomplishments."

The Outstanding Faculty Award in Teaching is funded by an endowment from the PSA Dewberry architectural firm. Carol Henderson and Bruce Henley of PSA Dewberry were present for the presentation.

Lisenbee expressed gratitude as the Dewberry award recipient.

My success is due to my ability to reflect and collaborate with other COE faculty members," she said. They are engaging and effective teachers and we enhance and create new instructional methods to model for our teacher education candidates.

The College of Education is seeking additional donors to further endow these awards and others. Those interested in supporting the college can call Grants office at 918-444-3742 or Thompson at 918-444-3751.