College of Nursing and Health Professions to honor distinguished alumni Oct. 2

September 20, 2010 -- The Arkansas State University College of Nursing and Health Professions (CNHP) will honor four outstanding alumni in a special ceremony Saturday, Oct. 2, at 2:30 p.m. the Room 222 in the Donald W. Reynolds Center for Health Sciences on the ASU campus.

The 2010 outstanding alumni award recipients are Stacey Bell Sloas, the 2010 recipient of the Department of Physical Therapy; Katrina Groves of the Department of Communication Disorders; Kandi Tarpley of the Department of Social Work; and Rose O’Neal of the School of Nursing. The recipients are selected by CNHP faculty.

Sloas graduated in 1990 from ASU with a degree in Biology Education.  After teaching in public schools for six years, she returned to ASU and graduated in the first ASU Physical Therapy class in 1998. She was recognized as the Physical Therapy Class of 1998 Program Scholar.

After graduation she worked as a physical therapist (PT) at HealthSouth in Jonesboro. While there, she was supervisor for the Day Program and a clinical instructor (CI) for ASU PT and physical therapist assistant (PTA) students. Sloas also assisted ASU PT faculty connects with HealthSouth patients willing to participate in neurological PT classes at ASU.

Sloas joined ASU’s physical therapy assistants faculty in 2005 in a full-time role and continued working clinically on a part-time and as-needed basis at HealthSouth and still works in both roles today.  She completed a master’s degree in Educational Leadership in 2008. In the summer of 2010, she began working with the Specialty Pediatric and Autism Resource Center of Arkansas (SPARC) to learn more about sensory issues and autism.  She lives Jonesboro with her daughters, Haden and Elizabeth.

Groves was unconditionally admitted to the Communication Disorders graduate program in August of 2000 and earned her Masters of Communication Disorders (MCD) degree in December of 2001.

She began her professional career with the Osceola Public Schools and transitioned to adult long-term care shortly thereafter. She is currently employed as the Rehab Director and Speech-Language Pathologist with Monette Manor, a skilled nursing facility and performs some practicing registered nurse services at the Human Development Center in Jonesboro.

Groves holds a license to practice speech-language pathology in Arkansas, a national certificate of clinical competence from the American Speech-Language-hearing Association, and is a certified provider of Vital-Stim and FEES procedures.

Katrina is married to Alan Groves and has two sons (Jacob – 5 and Devin – 13).  The family lives in Brookland, Ark.

Kandi Tarpley graduated from Arkansas State in May of 2005 with a degree in Social Work.  She had been a Title IV-E stipend student during her senior year and successfully completed her two internships at the Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS) in Craighead County.  She received high marks on her evaluations. 

Upon graduation, Tarpley was hired in Greene County at DCFS where she is still employed as a Family Service Worker working child abuse investigations.  She has been instrumental in mentoring new workers and students on how to do a quality investigation and treat families with respect.  She has also come back to ASU recently to speak to the field seminar classes about her experience as a stipend student and as an employee of DCFS. 

Tarpley shared that when she came into the Social Work program, she knew she wanted to work in child welfare.  She is still very passionate about helping families and the protection of families in a caring and ethical manner.

O’Neal, was selected by the ASU School of Nursing Faculty as the Distinguished Alumnus for 2010. She graduated with the first class of nursing students at Arkansas State University and worked as a registered nurse for 30 years and retired from full-time employment 10 years ago. The majority of her employment was with St. Bernards Regional Medical as an emergency room nurse.

The School of Nursing Faculty recognizes O’Neal for her many volunteer contributions to the community. She was a member of the first Jonesboro Church Health Clinic Board and volunteered with the Flo and Phil Jones Hospice House fundraising efforts. O’Neal also serves with a 12-step organization and Celebrate Recovery at First Baptist Church.

Although a retired nurse she maintains her license, attends nursing continuing education activities and volunteers at community health screenings and health fairs. During the flu season she will be found administering flu shots.

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