Athens State Business Professor Honored at U of A’s Honors Day Convocation

For Further Information

Guy McClure

256-233-8296

Guy.McClure@athens.edu

For immediate release

April 6, 2015

www.athens.edu

Athens State Business Professor Honored at U of A’s Honors Day Convocation

ATHENS, Ala. - Kim Roberts, Assistant Professor of Operations Management in Athens State’s College of Business was selected as the 2015 Outstanding Research Student in Instructional Technology at The University of Alabama.  The award was presented at the institution’s College of Education’s annual Honors Day Convocation on April 3rd.

Roberts states, “I would like to use my studies to help achieve my teaching vision mission statement of preparing students to be successful, problem-solving business professionals who value lifelong learning.” 

Roberts is a PhD candidate at the University of Alabama in Instructional Leadership with concentration in Instructional Technology program.  She completed 63 hours of doctoral coursework with a 4.0 GPA and is currently working on her dissertation on the efficacy of electronic textbooks.  

“Dr. Roberts is an exemplary faculty member and mirrors the ethos of the academic community at Athens State,” remarks Athens State President Bob Glenn.  “Her success at the University of Alabama is certainly evident in the popularity of her classes with our student body.”

Roberts was also selected as a recipient of the 2015 Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award, presented by the Office of Research on Teaching in the Disciplines in the College of Education at The University of Alabama.  The goal of this award was to recognize exemplary teachers for their outstanding efforts in making learning engaging, interactive, and memorable for students.  Its intent is also to acknowledge the impacts teachers have on students’ lives, their discipline, and the teaching profession.  

For this award, Roberts submitted a lesson plan involving application of operations management topics in a local business setting, where students collaborated with their classmates and the business owner to develop improvement opportunities in areas such as strategy, capacity management, and process analysis.  

“This is a practice many faculty members in Athens State’s College of Business use to engage students,” says Roberts.  “I’m very fortunate to be able to work with and learn from the top-notch faculty we have here at Athens State.”

-30-

Calhoun Student Named 2015 Coca-Cola Gold Scholar

April 1, 2015

CALHOUN STUDENT TAYLOR PETERS NAMED 2015 COCA-COLA COMMUNITY COLLEGE ACADEMIC TEAM GOLD SCHOLAR

Ms. Taylor Peters, a student at Calhoun Community College, has been named a 2015 Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team Gold Scholar. The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation sponsors the Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team program by recognizing 50 Gold, 50 Silver and 50 Bronze Scholars nationally and providing nearly $200,000 in scholarships annually. As a Gold Scholar, Peters will receive a $1,500 scholarship and a special medallion.

With a perfect 4.0 grade point average, Peters is very active in a number of student organizations and activities at Calhoun.  She currently serves as Huntsville campus SGA president, is a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, as well as a member of the Warhawks, Calhoun’s official student ambassadors.  She was also selected from over 11,000 students at the college to serve as a student representative on Calhoun’s Presidential Advisory Search Committee.  Peters also serves as a mentor/tutor for first-time freshmen at Calhoun and is very involved in various activities within her community.  While at Calhoun, she has been listed numerous times on the President’s List for top academic achievement and is the recipient of several academic scholarships.

“As one of the nation’s Top 150 Community Colleges, we know that many of our students at Calhoun are among the top community college students in the country.  This recent honor which Taylor has very deservedly earned is further evidence of the quality of our students,” commented Calhoun President Dr. James Klauber, Sr.

“I know that I speak for the entire Calhoun family when I say how very proud we are of Taylor’s recognition.  Her award adds to the growing list of Calhoun students who have been honored on the national level for their academic accomplishments,” Klauber said.  

Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society administers the Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team Program and recognizes Coca-Cola Community College scholars during All-State Community College Academic Team Recognition ceremonies held in 38 states. Student scholars also receive recognition locally during ceremonies held on campus and internationally for those who are able to attend Phi Theta Kappa’s Annual Convention.

Community college presidents or their designated nominators may submit no more than two nominations per campus for this award. An independent panel of judges considers outstanding academic rigor, grade point average, academic and leadership awards, and engagement in college and community service in the selection process.

“We thank the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation for their vote of confidence in community college students by investing in their futures,” said Dr. Rod Risley, Executive Director of Phi Theta Kappa. “Their support is especially welcome during this challenging economic climate, as more and more community college students need additional resources to help them complete their degrees.”

“The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation has a long history of providing financial assistance to outstanding students at community colleges,” said J. Mark Davis, President of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. “We are proud to partner with Phi Theta Kappa and make it possible for deserving students to achieve their educational goals.”

Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, headquartered in Jackson, is the largest honor society in American higher education with more than 1,285 chapters on two-year and community college campuses in all 50 of the United States, Canada, Germany, Peru, the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the British Virgin Islands, the United Arab Emirates and U.S. territorial possessions. More than 3 million students have been inducted since its founding in 1918, with approximately 134,000 students inducted annually.

###