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Chat with the Chair

Dr. Doris Sikora

I am pleased to bring you greetings from the Department of Consumer and Family Sciences. I would like to personally welcome the newest group of alumni. Twenty-two students from the CFS department were conferred degrees during the Fall 2007 commencement ceremonies. Congratulations!

During the spring semester we have many reasons to celebrate:

• In spite of budget cuts, our programs are growing, classes are full, and many have waiting lists.

• We are extending our services currently by offering the Family Studies major on the Elizabethtown campus and are working to have everything in place to offer this major at the Owensboro campus by the end of the spring semester.

•Last semester we completed a major classroom renovation in the Interior Design Studio. Old drafting tables were replaced with state-of-the-art units including a computer and program specific software at each work station.

•We welcomed Dr. Devona Dixon in the Textiles and Apparel Merchandising area as she joined our faculty at the beginning of the fall semester. We are currently involved in another faculty search for that program area and hope to have the new faculty member on board for the fall semester.

•As most of you are aware, Dr. Louella Fong retired, and I was asked to serve as Interim Department Head. With a vote of confidence from the faculty at the end of the fall semester, I was offered and accepted the position as the Department Head effective Janaury 2.

We look forward to continue providing outstanding programs for our students. I would like to personally thank each one of you who have contributed monetarily and otherwise. Your generous support is very much appreciated, especially in this time of tight budgets but growing demands for our programs. I look forward to visiting with you at the upcoming activities and events.

The Phi Upsilon Omicron Founder’s Day event was held in conjunction with the CFS/HEFL Alumni Association Coming Home activities on February 2 at Cambridge Market restaurant in Bowling Green. This event was attended by current students, as well as alumni members.

The 2007 Outstanding Consumer and Family Sciences Alumni Award was presented to Nancy Davenport Hunt, a 1973 graduate of CFS. This award recognizes graduates of the department who have made outstanding contributions to the profession. Mrs. Hunt received her Master’s degree from Murray State University and has been the Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent for Crittenden County, Ky. for 28 years. Nancy’s contributions include being the current state president of the Ky. Extension Association of FCS and a past state president of the Ky. Association of Family & Consumer Sciences, as well as past president of the WKU CFS Alumni Association. She has been the recipient of the Ky. Association of FCS Leader Award and Wiley Berger Volunteer Services Award. She has received both the national Distinguished Service and continued Excellence Awards from the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. She has served as State Nutrition Chair for the Ky. Federation of Woman’s Club. She has served as President of the Crittenden County Chamber of Commerce and is the chair of Leadership Crittenden County. Congratulations from the CFS Department to such a worthy recipient!

During the business meeting, a noteworthy change was made to the distribution of the Lucile R. Stiles and Helen S. Kelley Scholarship Fund. Previously this scholarship was made available to FCS Education majors during their student teaching semester to help with their expenses. Now the funds will be made available to students in any of the CFS majors to attend professional development events or training. Guidelines for the Lucile R. Stiles and Helen S. Kelley Student Professional Development Award Fund are being finalized and will be available to students in the near future.

Dr. Devon Dixon

Dr. Devon Dixon joined the CFS department in Fall, 2007, as an Assistant Professor of Textiles and Apparel Merchandising. She received her Ph. D. from Louisiana State University in August 2007.

Dr. Dixon’s areas of specialty are Fashion Merchandising, Computer-Aided Design, Social/Psychology, and Digital Textile Printing. CFS welcomes Dr. Dixon to the WKU faculty!

Ms. Cindy Jones, Textiles and Apparel Merchandising faculty member, is the Region II Counselor for Phi Upsilon Omicron and has been elected to serve on the National Council for this national honor society.

As a council member, Ms. Jones will attend the national council meeting in Minneapolis-St. Paul, where planning will begin for the Phi Upsilon Omicron Centennial Celebration to be held in 2009.

Council members got into the centennial spirit as you can see from the photo at left.

Ms. Jones asks all Phi U members and alums to be watching for further information on this celebration.

WKU has partnered with Bowling Green’s Historic Preservation Board in a project to document historic properties along Normal Street and Regents Avenue.

Interior Design students in Sheila Flener’s Restoration of Historic Interiors class created measured drawings and interior documentation of one of these structures as a student engagement class project. This project allowed students to have real world experiences in their field. The students’ project was featured in the December 2007, “Doers and Deed” WKU publication.

     Dr. Devona Dixon and Dr. Karen Mason met with and advised prospective students and their families on CFS majors and courses at the January “Focus on Western.”

     The “Focus on Western” events allow students and their families to meet faculty advisors from across campus and find out more about what major might fit their educational and career goals. These events many times are geared toward certain student populations and are held on a Saturday, so more students and their families can participate.

     Anyone interested in attending one of these events should contact the Office of Admissions.

Consumer & Family Sciences
1906 College Heights Blvd
Bldg. #11037
Western Kentucky Univ.
Bowling Green, KY 42101
270-745-4352 phone
270-745-3999 fax
CFS@wku.edu e-mail

Editor: Lauri Warden

CFS and WKU were honored to host the Region 4 STAR events this year again after a year’s hiatus. By the date of the competition, February 2, several schools systems had been hit with illness, but a successful competition was held in spite of the illnesses.

Winners from this regional competition will move on to the State competition on April 23-25, 2008.


Chat with the Chair Dr. Doris Sikora	I am pleased to bring you greetings from the Department of Consumer and Family Sciences. I would like to personally welcome the newest group of alumni. Twenty-two students from the CFS department were conferred degrees during the Fall 2007 commencement ceremonies. Congratulations! During the spring semester we have many reasons to celebrate: • In spite of budget cuts, our programs are growing, classes are full, and many have waiting lists. • We are extending our services currently by offering the Family Studies major on the Elizabethtown campus and are working to have everything in place to offer this major at the Owensboro campus by the end of the spring semester. •Last semester we completed a major classroom renovation in the Interior Design Studio. Old drafting tables were replaced with state-of-the-art units including a computer and program specific software at each work station. •We welcomed Dr. Devona Dixon in the Textiles and Apparel Merchandising area as she joined our faculty at the beginning of the fall semester. We are currently involved in another faculty search for that program area and hope to have the new faculty member on board for the fall semester. •As most of you are aware, Dr. Louella Fong retired, and I was asked to serve as Interim Department Head. With a vote of confidence from the faculty at the end of the fall semester, I was offered and accepted the position as the Department Head effective Janaury 2. We look forward to continue providing outstanding programs for our students. I would like to personally thank each one of you who have contributed monetarily and otherwise. Your generous support is very much appreciated, especially in this time of tight budgets but growing demands for our programs. I look forward to visiting with you at the upcoming activities and events.
	The Phi Upsilon Omicron Founder’s Day event was held in conjunction with the CFS/HEFL Alumni Association Coming Home activities on February 2 at Cambridge Market restaurant in Bowling Green. This event was attended by current students, as well as alumni members. The 2007 Outstanding Consumer and Family Sciences Alumni Award was presented to Nancy Davenport Hunt, a 1973 graduate of CFS. This award recognizes graduates of the department who have made outstanding contributions to the profession. Mrs. Hunt received her Master’s degree from Murray State University and has been the Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent for Crittenden County, Ky. for 28 years. Nancy’s contributions include being the current state president of the Ky. Extension Association of FCS and a past state president of the Ky. Association of Family & Consumer Sciences, as well as past president of the WKU CFS Alumni Association. She has been the recipient of the Ky. Association of FCS Leader Award and Wiley Berger Volunteer Services Award. She has received both the national Distinguished Service and continued Excellence Awards from the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. She has served as State Nutrition Chair for the Ky. Federation of Woman’s Club. She has served as President of the Crittenden County Chamber of Commerce and is the chair of Leadership Crittenden County. Congratulations from the CFS Department to such a worthy recipient! During the business meeting, a noteworthy change was made to the distribution of the Lucile R. Stiles and Helen S. Kelley Scholarship Fund. Previously this scholarship was made available to FCS Education majors during their student teaching semester to help with their expenses. Now the funds will be made available to students in any of the CFS majors to attend professional development events or training. Guidelines for the Lucile R. Stiles and Helen S. Kelley Student Professional Development Award Fund are being finalized and will be available to students in the near future.
Dr. Devon Dixon	Dr. Devon Dixon joined the CFS department in Fall, 2007, as an Assistant Professor of Textiles and Apparel Merchandising. She received her Ph. D. from Louisiana State University in August 2007. Dr. Dixon’s areas of specialty are Fashion Merchandising, Computer-Aided Design, Social/Psychology, and Digital Textile Printing. CFS welcomes Dr. Dixon to the WKU faculty!
	Ms. Cindy Jones, Textiles and Apparel Merchandising faculty member, is the Region II Counselor for Phi Upsilon Omicron and has been elected to serve on the National Council for this national honor society. As a council member, Ms. Jones will attend the national council meeting in Minneapolis-St. Paul, where planning will begin for the Phi Upsilon Omicron Centennial Celebration to be held in 2009. Council members got into the centennial spirit as you can see from the photo at left. Ms. Jones asks all Phi U members and alums to be watching for further information on this celebration.
	WKU has partnered with Bowling Green’s Historic Preservation Board in a project to document historic properties along Normal Street and Regents Avenue. Interior Design students in Sheila Flener’s Restoration of Historic Interiors class created measured drawings and interior documentation of one of these structures as a student engagement class project. This project allowed students to have real world experiences in their field. The students’ project was featured in the December 2007, “Doers and Deed” WKU publication.
	Dr. Devona Dixon and Dr. Karen Mason met with and advised prospective students and their families on CFS majors and courses at the January “Focus on Western.” The “Focus on Western” events allow students and their families to meet faculty advisors from across campus and find out more about what major might fit their educational and career goals. These events many times are geared toward certain student populations and are held on a Saturday, so more students and their families can participate. Anyone interested in attending one of these events should contact the Office of Admissions.
Consumer & Family Sciences 1906 College Heights Blvd Bldg. #11037 Western Kentucky Univ. Bowling Green, KY 42101 270-745-4352 phone 270-745-3999 fax CFS@wku.edu e-mail Editor: Lauri Warden	CFS and WKU were honored to host the Region 4 STAR events this year again after a year’s hiatus. By the date of the competition, February 2, several schools systems had been hit with illness, but a successful competition was held in spite of the illnesses. Winners from this regional competition will move on to the State competition on April 23-25, 2008.