WKU News

WKU President Gary Ransdell presented the annual Spirit of WKU, diversity and sustainability awards Friday morning (Aug. 23) at the opening convocation at Van Meter Hall.

12^th annual Spirit of WKU Award

WKU President Gary Ransdell presented the 12th annual Spirit of WKU Award to Jeff Younglove. (WKU photo by Clinton Lewis)

Jeff Younglove, director of Campus and Community Events, received the 12th Spirit of WKU Award, which recognizes an individual who represents enthusiasm for WKU, loyalty to the institution and principles of the WKU experience and its motto “The Spirit Makes the Master.”

Younglove earned his master’s degree in communication from WKU and has been a fixture on the Hill for nearly 30 years. Younglove’s office manages campus events such as concerts, summer camps, VIP visits, building dedications, 10K Classic, state tournaments and other sporting events, and more.

Younglove has taught public speaking classes, serves as public address announcer for WKU baseball and other sports, does play-by-play and analysis on WKU basketball broadcasts, and reads the names of graduates during Commencement ceremonies.

Younglove’s office in Van Meter Hall is the original office of WKU’s first president Henry Hardin Cherry who coined “The Spirit Makes the Master” motto.

13^th annual President’s Award for Diversity

WKU President Gary Ransdell presented the 13th annual President’s Award for Diversity to (from left) Shannah Banks, Dr. Monica Burke and Brittany Prather. (WKU photos by Clinton Lewis)

Community: Shannah Banks, director of education for the Housing Authority of Bowling Green. In addition to providing educational enrichment and development programs for youth from nine nationalities, Banks coaches youth league sports, volunteers with numerous community organizations, has developed a youth mentorship program and has worked with WKU’s Confucius Institute on a program that allows minority high school students to participate in the Chinese Summer Bridge Summer Camp.

Employee: Dr. Monica Burke, assistant professor in the Department of Counseling and Student Affairs and assistant to the Chief Diversity Officer. In addition to her current position, Dr. Burke has served WKU in several roles since 1998 with the Governor’s Minority Student College Preparation Program, Office of Diversity Programs and NAACP/NASA STEM Scholars Academy.

Student: Brittany Prather, a May 2013 graduate who is pursuing a graduate degree at WKU. She has served as a Spirit Master, has been a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Black Student Alliance and S.I.S.T.E.R.S., and has volunteered at the Housing Authority of Bowling Green.

The award recognizes recipients who represent a clear demonstration of exemplary leadership and achievement in promoting diversity at WKU and the communities it serves.

3rd annual President’s Award for Sustainability

WKU President Gary Ransdell presented the 3rd annual President’s Award for Sustainability to (from left) Dr. Jennifer Tougas and Angela Briggs. (WKU photos by Clinton Lewis)

Faculty/staff: Dr. Jennifer Tougas, director of Parking and Transportation Services. Under her leadership, Parking and Transportation has improved options for transit, bicycling, walking and carpooling, has funded innovative and ecological parking lot designs, and has supported the Big Red Bikes program. She is a member of the WKU sustainability committee and serves on several community organizations.

Student: Angela Briggs, a junior sociology major at WKU-Glasgow Campus. Briggs is one of the founders of the WKU-Glasgow Greentoppers and has participated in several sustainability events including Buy Your Own, Awaken the Dreamer symposium, Earth Day rain barrel workshop and Tour de Farm community bike ride and farm-to-table meal.

Faculty award recipients

The 2013 faculty award recipients are (from left) Dr. Andrew Wulff, Lindsay Oesterritter, Dr. Nancy Rice and Dr. Fred Gibson. (WKU photos by Clinton Lewis)

Provost Gordon Emslie formally recognized the following faculty award recipients, who were announced during May commencement ceremonies: Dr. Andrew Wulff, Department of Geography and Geology, excellence in teaching; Lindsay Oesterritter, Department of Art, excellence in research/creativity; Dr. Nancy Rice, Department of Biology, excellence in public service; and Dr. Fred Gibson, Department of Kinesiology, Recreation and Sport, excellence in student advising.

University Distinguished Professors

The newest University Distinguished Professors are (from left) Dr. Kam C. “Johnny” Chan and Dr. Claus Ernst. (WKU photos by Clinton Lewis)

Dr. Emslie also recognized Dr. Kam C. “Johnny” Chan, the Leon Page Endowed Professor in Finance, and Dr. Claus Ernst, mathematics professor, as WKU’s newest University Distinguished Professors.

More: For more about the 2013 convocation, visit http://wkunews.wordpress.com/2013/08/23/convocation-2013/ or http://www.wku.edu/convocation

Contact: Public Affairs, (270) 745-5428.