KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Kerrie Jo Harvey and Dr. Sarah Summy will get Distinguished Assistance Awards during Western Michigan University’s Drop Convocation on Friday, Sept. 16.
“These individuals exemplify services management in their daily routines. They ended up nominated and chosen for this award due to the fact they stand out amongst their peers for remaining engaged, selfless and fully commited to impressive and efficient programming,” states Dr. Christopher Cheatham, interim provost and vice president for educational affairs.
Equally award recipients have touched hundreds of life in their tenure at the College. Harvey, advisor senior in Lee Honors Faculty, has held a assortment of roles associated to supporting college students around her 27 yrs at Western. Summy, professor and application coordinator in the Office of Specific Instruction and Literacy Reports and School Senate president, has taught at Western for 24 yrs.
“Their motivation to service elevates the University’s reputation over and above the campus and into the bigger group, not just regionally but nationally and globally,” Cheatham adds. “It is really an honor to figure out every of this year’s awardees.”
The Distinguished Service Awards will be offered at Fall Convocation along with 6 other prestigious campuswide honors: the Distinguished College Scholar, Rising Scholar, Distinguished Training, Excellence in Variety, Global Engagement and Make a Big difference awards. The party starts at 11:30 a.m. in the North Ballroom on the next flooring of the Bernhard Middle. A luncheon will observe at 12:15 p.m.
KERRIE JO HARVEY
Kerrie Jo Harvey
Since joining Western as occupation growth and cultural things to do coordinator for the TRIO College student Good results Plan in 1995, Harvey has produced her mark, reworking scholar life with care and objective. Her “immense contributions” span numerous corners of campus, from the Heart for Educational Help Programs and Business of Worldwide Scholar and Scholar Services to advising roles in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Faculty of Fantastic Arts.
Regardless of whether advocating for different student populations and their requirements supporting and developing the Intellectual Capabilities Growth System facilitating advisor instruction or coming up with a job-mentoring system for an at-hazard scholar populace, Harvey is “a consummate professional who focuses on the constructive results, the most effective achievable alternate options and a get-acquire for all those included,” states Marilyn Kritzman, college expert in the School of Communication.
“Her ingenuity, her determination, her breadth of awareness (and) her kindheartedness all lead to WMU’s good results,” provides Dr. Susan Pozo, director of World-wide and Global Studies and professor of economics.
Various current and previous learners supporting Harvey’s nomination observed she aided them get over worries and change their academic occupations all over. James T. Manufacturer, a pediatric audiologist who graduated from Western in 2017 with a degree in biomedical sciences, suggests Harvey place him on the path to results immediately after a rocky commence.
“I had approximately conceded (the) truth that maybe I was not intended for better training. Ms. Harvey did not permit me maintain onto that fallacy for long,” he suggests. “She went previously mentioned and beyond to aid me build the applications I wanted to be academically prosperous and the self-confidence to be happy of myself.”
It was in a area encounter program taught by Harvey, in actuality, that Brand uncovered the support he necessary to check out careers in the health care discipline and determine an space he was passionate about. He also watched many fellow Broncos blossom underneath Harvey’s steering when he worked with her in Disability Products and services for Students.
“Her assist of pupils with disabilities was nothing at all shorter of incredible. In her organization but considerate solution to problem-fixing and empowering pupils, I noticed many some others gain from her exclusive skills,” he claims. “In a environment of higher education, when we sit in conferences and brainstorm how we can support and keep traditionally underrepresented learners, Ms. Harvey is quietly performing so from her desk with a smile.”
“The very best way to explain Kerrie is this: She cares. She cares deeply about university student success, coworker good results, college achievements and the results of Western Michigan University,” provides Jan Tiderington, previous worldwide admissions officer and academic advisor.
DR. SARAH SUMMY
Dr. Sarah Summy
From influencing upcoming educators in her classes to primary Universitywide initiatives, Summy’s do the job at Western is really hard to quantify.
“It would consider several webpages to adequately describe all of her get the job done,” states Dr. Kristal Ehrhardt, interim dean of the College of Instruction and Human Progress. “1 point is apparent: It is effectively identified all over the University that if you look for a school member to take part in College service—someone who will show devotion, commitment and who will continually guarantee that do the job is done in a timely fashion—Sarah Summy need to be at the top of your listing.”
Summy joined Western’s faculty in 1998 as an assistant professor of exclusive education, centered on empowering long run educators.
“College students enjoy the enthusiasm she delivers to the classroom and the compassion and know-how with which she interacts with them as an advisor, mentor and scientific supervisor,” states Laura Ciccantell, director of instructor certification.
Summy has also performed an lively position outdoors the classroom as a member or leader of numerous committees and councils connected to assessment, expert and curriculum progress and strategic organizing. She has also been section of Western’s College Senate for nearly 20 yrs, most recently elected to serve as president from 2022-24.
Nominators issue to her huge company contributions to the University, this kind of as supporting safe thousands and thousands of pounds in funding by means of grant creating and creating “solid and extensive-long lasting relationships with important stakeholders.” She also performed a vital function in the advancement of WMU Crucial Experiments, which was highlighted in the reaffirmation of Western’s accreditation from the Increased Finding out Fee very last spring.
“The untold hours of operate she has invested in going this curriculum from thought to the implementation are not able to be overstated,” says Dr. Suzan Ayers, professor and chair of the Division of Family and Purchaser Sciences. “To say that Dr. Summy is ‘the full package’ would be an obvious understatement.”
Summy was awarded the WMU Distinguished Training Award in 2013.
“Dr. Summy carries on to impress on me the effect that provider can make,” provides Dr. Rena VanDerwall, assistant professor in the Office of Special Education and Literacy Scientific tests. “By her management and assist, she is not only generating her very own contributions but is establishing the up coming era of faculty to continue on in the very same vein.”
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