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SSU English professor honored with distinguished service award Three must be Kathleen Simon’s lucky number. The professor of English at Shawnee State University (SSU) who earned her doctorate at Ohio University has taught at SSU for 33 years now and was recently the third person who received the SSU Women’s Forum’s Distinguished Service Award. Luck, however, really had nothing to do with Simon, receiving the honor. She deserved it, according to Justin Wheeler, an SSU English and humanities senior who nominated Simon for the award. Her commitment to education and her dedication to her students are just some of her outstanding traits that made her more than deserving of the honor, said Wheeler, of Minford. “Dr. Simon, while raising a child and working at Shawnee State, also commuted to Ohio University to earn her doctorate,” said Wheeler. “Let no one ever question Dr. Simon’s commitment to education. Her doctoral dissertation was on the inclusion of women’s studies into college curriculum, and it is because of the dedication exhibited by Dr. Simon and women like her that students of my generation really had no idea about the exclusion of women from the literary canon.” Simon agrees that she has witnessed many changes in education and is optimistic about future progress. “From the very beginning, I believed very strongly that women’s studies should be included in our classrooms,” said Simon, a native of Scioto County who is married to Gary Gemmer, physics professor at SSU. “I have taught women’s literature classes here since the early 1970s. It is very refreshing to open our literature textbooks today and see a variety of women authors listed in the table of contents.” While much of Simon’s work has addressed women in academe and the integration of women writers into college curriculum, she also has taken an active role in faculty members’ interests, having served as secretary of the University Faculty Assembly and as an active member in the Shawnee Education Association. She also has served as president of the Notre Dame High School board of education. In addition, she is highly esteemed by her colleagues, according to Timothy Scheurer, Ph.D., chair, department of English and humanities. “Kathleen has achieved the many fine things she has because of her deep commitment to enhancing Women’s Studies and the role of women in academia, her love of literature, and her great sense of humor--a very necessary virtue to possess as a college professor,” said Scheurer. James Flavin, Ph.D., professor of English at SSU, shares the same sentiment. “Dr. Simon has long worked to improve the quality of the academic life we enjoy here at SSU,” said Flavin. “This award is well deserved.” Simon has one stepson, Michael, of Columbus; and one son, Edward, who graduated from The Ohio State University School of Law. # # # FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:
Ron LeMaster Insurance donates to Shawnee State University Local businessman Ron LeMaster of Ron LeMaster Insurance, Inc., South Shore, Ky., presented a $1,000 check to the Shawnee State University (SSU) Development Foundation/Ron LeMaster Scholarship Fund in June. State Auto Insurance donated the money to SSU on behalf of LeMaster, who chose SSU as the charity to receive the donation, after being named to State Auto Insurance Company’s Inner Circle, an elite group recognized by the regional insurer. The achievement honors successful agencies that demonstrate outstanding sales, service, and business management. The generosity shown by LeMaster, a former SSU development board president and member, is very much appreciated by SSU President Rita Rice Morris, Ph.D. “Ron has always been very generous to Shawnee State University and his kindness has made a real difference at this institution,” said Morris. “When one gives to higher education, one is giving to not only the enhancement of individuals, but to the enrichment of the community as education opens doors to progress.” With more than 80 bachelor’s and associate degree programs offered in areas that include the arts, English and humanities, mathematical sciences, natural sciences, social sciences, teacher education, business administration, industrial and engineering technologies, and health sciences, SSU has over $2 million available to students in scholarships. For more information on how make donations to SSU, call the SSU office of development at (740) 351-3284. # # # FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: SSU hosting Portsmouth City Schools Summer Program
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SSU Department of Health Sciences Shawnee State University’s (SSU) Department of Health Sciences held its annual Nurse Pinning ceremony on June 11 in the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts at SSU. Sixty-two graduates from the Tri-state area graduated from SSU in 2004 with either a Bachelor of Science in Nursing or Associate Degree in Nursing. The pin each participant received originated during the time of the Crusades, when wounded soldiers were healed by a group known as the Hospitallers, who dressed in black robes with white Maltese Crosses sewn on the front. The cross evolved to become the symbol for groups who care for the ill, with the pinning practice coming in modern times as a unique symbol to the profession. For more information about the nursing program at SSU, call (740) 351-3210. Graduates receiving pins for bachelor’s degrees were: Ohio Portsmouth Wheelersburg Graduates receiving pins for associate degrees were: Ohio Beaver Chillicothe Franklin Furnace Greenfield Ironton Latham Lucasville McDermott Minford New Boston Otway Piketon Portsmouth Proctorville Sciotoville Stout Wakefield Waverly West Portsmouth West Union Wheelersburg Kentucky Ashland Catlettsburg Garrison Grayson South Shore Summitt West Virginia Huntington # # # FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:
SSU holds Orientation for Incoming Students Shawnee State University (SSU) orientation leaders Nateasia Baker, left, a senior earning a Bachelor of Arts, social sciences, legal assisting, and Cindy Leach, a senior earning a Bachelor of Science in education, adolescent to young adult, assist incoming SSU students in the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts who will begin fall quarter. Over 115 new students attended the orientation on July 1. Orientation sessions are designed to help new students become successful at SSU while encouraging them to become an active participant in their education. Other SSU orientation dates are July 13 and 15, and Aug. 10, 12, and 31. A total of over 1,000 new students and 1,200 family members are expected to visit the SSU campus and Portsmouth area this summer. For more information, call (740) 351-3594. # # # FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: (Article by Jennifer Moorhead, communications coordinator-Office of Communications)
SSU Development Foundation Welcomes New Board Members Shawnee State University’s (SSU) Office of Development has announced the appointment of two new board members to the SSU Development Foundation board. Tim Glockner, of Portsmouth, will complete the second half of a three-year term and J. William McKinley, also of Portsmouth, will serve a three-year term. “I am very pleased with the appointments of Tim Glockner and William McKinley to the Development Foundation board,” said Rita Rice Morris, Ph.D., president of SSU. “I know that their business experience and dedication to this community, as well as to the university, will serve Shawnee State well.” Glockner, who holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Xavier University and is married to Monica Glockner, is general manager and vice president of Glockner Honda Toyota. McKinley, a graduate of The Ohio State University (OSU) with a Bachelor of Science in business administration, is owner of McKinley Funeral Home, Inc. He is a member of the SSU Board of Trustees, Southern Ohio Performing Arts Association, Southern Ohio Medical Foundation Board, and Southern Ohio Light Opera. He also is a member of the SSU President’s Club, the OSU President’s Club, and the OSU Buckeye Club. Both members look forward to contributing to the university. “I have a passion to be a part of Shawnee State University because it holds one of the keys to the success of our future generation and community,” said McKinley. “I believe that the Shawnee State University Foundation board is one of the most important support groups the university has and I look forward to rejoining it with great enthusiasm.” Glockner shares McKinley’s eagerness. "Shawnee State University is the shining star of our community,” said Glockner. “I am honored to be nominated and look forward to serving the development foundation." Other board members include Cheryl Albrecht, William Burke, Gary Hairston, Jim Jividen, Carolyn Kegley, Alan Lemons, Mary Linde, Matthew McFarland, Gail Miller, Dan Mooney, Debra Morgan, Tanya Pullin, Kay Reynolds, Scott Schimdt, Sandy White, and Lani Wong. The SSU Office of Development is the major fundraising arm of the university. The Development Foundation oversees the monies donated to SSU, which support departmental programs, faculty development in the form of research and writing subsidies, academic and need-based scholarships for students, cultural and social events, visiting scholars and lecturers, and funds for capital expenditures like rooms, buildings, landscaping, art work, and equipment. For more information about development opportunities, call (740) 351-3284. # # # FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: SSU Clark Planetarium to present public show When was the last time you explored the solar system or witnessed the explosion of a star? When was the last time you journeyed inside a living cell or experienced roller-coaster-type rides under a large domed projection screen? You can when you visit Shawnee State University’s (SSU) Clark Planetarium in Portsmouth, Ohio. SSU’s Clark Planetarium will be opening to the public every Thursday and Saturday at 7 p.m. beginning July 15. Admission charge will be $2 per person, and shows will be chosen at the time of the event. The planetarium seats 66 and will sell out very quickly, according to director Tim Hamilton, Ph.D. On nights the planetarium sells out, a second show will be scheduled for 8 p.m. Directed by Hamilton, assistant professor of physics, Department of Natural Sciences, and operated by SSU students Jason Bryant and Mark Hamilton, the Clark Planetarium sports a magnificent array of shows for all ages and audiences. For more information, call (740) 351-3145 or (740) 351-3224. # # # FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:
SSU administrator, former high school principal It was a surprise to Jerry Blanchard as he stood to the applause of nearly 1,200 people at an awards luncheon at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel in San Diego recently. Blanchard, who has been the director of the 21st Century Community Learning Center project for Scioto, Lawrence, and Pike counties for the past four years and served as teacher and administrator in the Russell (Ky.) Independent School system for many years prior to that, was nominated and awarded one of three leadership awards handed out at “Beyond School Hours VII: Viewing Challenges as Opportunities,” a national conference on extended-day programs. Blanchard was very pleased to receive the award. “I had no forewarning that I was going to receive the award,” said Blanchard. “It was the first day of the conference and we were attending the luncheon. They called me to the podium and made the presentation. I was surprised and extremely honored to receive this recognition.” The conference is an annual event designed to help educators working in extended-day programs across the United States learn from the research and experience of other individuals in related fields. Presentations regarding a variety of topics pertaining to learning, education, and students were given over a four-day period, Feb. 15 to 18. Blanchard has attended previous conferences in New Orleans, San Francisco, and Orlando, along with site coordinators from Scioto, Pike, and Lawrence county schools. Blanchard, who helps facilitate and oversee the 21st Century Community Learning Center project, popularly known as the “After School Mall” program in 39 area schools, bases the project out of his office in University Outreach Services at SSU. The program serves approximately 2,500 students. As part of the project, Blanchard has worked closely with Foundations, Inc., an organization based out of Philadelphia that evaluates after school programs and provides curriculum materials. Blanchard believes it was individuals from this organization who nominated him for the “2004 Beyond School Hours Leadership Award.” Besides the recognition he received at the conference, Blanchard has viewed his position as area “After School Mall” director as one of the most rewarding experiences of his 33 years in education. “Being in this position is a very rewarding experience,” said Blanchard. “The program has enabled these kids to do things they wouldn’t have otherwise been able to do. Helping to make this program work and see these kids receive these opportunities has been great.” Although grant monies for the 21st Century Community Learning Center project have been relegated to the state level, thus cutting the budget significantly, Blanchard intends on continuing in his current position as director. Blanchard currently resides in Flatwoods, Ky., with his wife, Pat. # # # FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: (Article by Jennifer Moorhead, communications coordinator-Office of Communications) SSU Development Foundation awards One of the goals of the Shawnee State University (SSU) Women’s Forum, formed in the fall of 2000 to promote, advocate, educate, and support the women of SSU and the community at-large, is to encourage the establishment of academic programs that provide the opportunity for concentrated study of women's issues. Now, thanks to the SSU Development Foundation and the late Mary Jane McMillan who left unrestricted funds to SSU through a bequest, that goal is being met through the awarding of a grant to aid in the establishment of a minor in women’s studies at SSU. “It is exciting to have this opportunity for our students and faculty,” said Rita Rice Morris, Ph.D., SSU president. “We are grateful to the Foundation for their support of this very important project.” Morris also appreciates donors like Mrs. McMillan who remember SSU in their will. “We feel certain that Mrs. McMillan would feel good about her role in bringing this special project to fruition,” said Morris. “The selflessness she showed by naming Shawnee State University in her bequest will be felt by countless students for years to come. The difference donors can make when they leave money in a will is extraordinary.” Eleven SSU faculty members were selected to receive a stipend to develop 10 courses pertaining to women’s studies within their areas of expertise. “This grant will help give the faculty members the support that they need to develop the courses,” said Roberta Milliken, Ph.D., associate professor, English, and 2003-04 Women’s Forum chair. “If all goes well, conceivably we could have a minor in women’s studies by spring of 2005. This was an outstanding group effort." Many Forum members were involved in this project and deserve recognition, said Milliken, including Ginnie Moore, director of university outreach services and new chair of the Women's Forum, Tess Midkiff, director of the Clark Memorial Library, Kimberly Lata, institutional research analyst, Susan Warsaw, executive director, development, Elinda Boyles, director, human resources, and SSU President Rita Rice Morris, Ph.D. Courses now being developed and by whom include: “Women in Appalachia,” Mattie Burton, Ph.D., chair, Department of Nursing; “Hispanic Women in the Arts,” Julia Coll, Ph.D., professor, applied linguistics, education; “Women in Health,” Barbara Duncan, professor, dental hygiene, and Mary (Kitty) Linde, Ph.D., professor, medical laboratory technology; “Women in Government,” Stylianos Hadjiyannis, Ph.D., professor, political science; “Women In Film,” Darren Harris-Fain, Ph.D., associate professor, English; “Women and the Narrative,” Debra Knutson, Ph.D., assistant professor, English/director, composition; “Women in American History,” Barbara Kunkle, Ph.D., associate professor, English; “Feminist Rhetorical Theory,” Michael Powell, senior instructor, English; “Women in Music,” Timothy Scheurer, Ph.D., chair, Department of English and Humanities; and “Women of Color in America,” Joan Weston, Ph.D., assistant professor, social sciences. Once the courses are developed, the paperwork will be submitted to the Educational Policy and Curriculum Committee for approval. A minor in women’s studies will create a much more well-rounded student with greater critical thinking skills, said Milliken, for it enables students to study and celebrate women and their contributions to society--something that unfortunately is still not done often enough. “People think that because we have certain anti-discrimination laws on the books, the whole gender issue is moot,” said Milliken. “But traditional social structures remain that are very subtle and restrictive. This suggests that much more needs to be done to change the way we value women and their social contributions. Women’s studies, then, helps enable students to become more adept at navigating their own society as individuals." Presently, there are four courses offered at SSU that may count towards a women’s studies minor-“Introduction to Women’s Studies,” “Women in Literature,” "Gender Socialization," and "Women in Medieval Europe." Classes offered at SSU set students on a path toward attaining any one of more than 80 bachelors’ and associate degrees offered by the institution. Degree areas include the arts, English and humanities, mathematical sciences, natural sciences, social sciences, teacher education, business administration, industrial and engineering technologies, and health sciences. For more information, call (740) 351-4778, (800) 959-2SSU, visit www.shawnee.edu or www.shawnee.edu/comm/wforum <http://www.shawnee.edu/comm/wforum>. For more information on becoming a donor to SSU, call (740) 351-3284. # # # FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: (Article by Jennifer Moorhead, communications coordinator-Office of Communications) Unique student award created at SSU A unique opportunity for a student to obtain financial aid has been created at Shawnee State University (SSU) through the establishment of the Pay It Forward Award. Anonymous donors created the Pay It Forward Award as a means to allow a student who might otherwise not be able to complete an academic year because of financial difficulty to remain in school. The donors intend for the award to be a loan to be repaid by the recipient by lending it to another deserving individual, other than a family member, in the future. Thus, good begets good. The first recipient of the award-Rick Abney of Quincy, Ky.-was very appreciative of the financial support he received after he and his family lost their home to a fire in September 2003. Rick, a plastics engineering technology student, found it difficult to return to the routine of college while he and his wife, Amy, continued to raise three children and establish a new home. “I was very grateful for the support,” said Rick. “I returned full-time in spring, and that money helped me pay for school and books. It helped greatly. Applicants must exhibit financial need, be and remain in good academic standing, and pledge to repay the loan by loaning it to another individual in the future. Offering more than 80 bachelor’s and associate degree programs in areas such as fine, digital, and performing arts; English and humanities; mathematical sciences; natural sciences; social sciences; teacher education; business administration; industrial and engineering technologies; and health sciences, SSU has over $2 million available to students in both need- and academic-based scholarships. For more information about the scholarship, call (740) 351-4243. For more information about establishing scholarships and other development opportunities, call (740) 351-3284. # # # FOR
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releases president’s list for spring 2004 quarter Rita Rice Morris, Ph.D., president of Shawnee State University (SSU), has announced the president’s list for the spring 2004 quarter. To be named to the list, students must be full-time and have achieved a grade point average of 4.0. OHIO # # # FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 15, 2004 Contact: (Article by
Jennifer Moorhead, communications coordinator—Office of
Communications) SSU physical therapist assistant graduatesreceive PTA pins
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