Prof. Payne is co-author of new textbook
Prof. William Payne, interim chair, Clinical Laboratory Science, is a co-author of a new textbook, "Clinical Laboratory Microbiology: A Practical Approach," published recently by Pearson Publishers (Prentice-Hall). His co-authors are Karen Kiser from St. LouisCommunity College and Teresa Taff from St. John’s Mercy Medical Center in St. Louis. Series editor Dr. Elizabeth Seibig is at St. Louis University. Payne wrote 5 chapters and co-authored 4 additional chapters in a 42-chapter text. His areas of focus dealt with processing fungal cultures, processing acid-fast bacilli cultures, processing clinical specimens for viral, chlamydial, and rickettsial cultures, final identification procedures for microbes, susceptibility testing, as well as medical mycology, medical parasitology, intracellular microorganisms, and diseases affecting the gastrointestinal system.  In addition to writing chapter content, he also provided many of the photos used as illustrations. Payne and his co-authors were also responsible for developing online resources for students and instructors which include quizzes, tests, lecture presentations, an image library, and an e-book.  Real-life case studies help students sharpen their problem-solving skills and allow them to envision themselves as members of the health care team. This textbook will serve as a valuable resource for all laboratory personnel and other health care practitioners.

Dr. Dianne Lawler is recipient of educator award
Dr. Dianne Lawler, professor and chair of Early Childhood Education in the Department of Teacher Education at Arkansas State University, was awarded the “Educator, You Make a Difference Award” at the annual banquet of Kappa Delta Pi, the teacher education honor society.  The banquet was held at Fowler Center on April 1. This award was formerly known as the Eugene W. Smith Point of Excellence award and is a prestigious award in education at ASU. Dr. Lawler received her doctoral degree from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University, and she received her MSE and BSE degrees in Early Childhood Education from ASU. Her career in education began as a public school kindergarten teacher, and she has been involved in supervising preservice teachers for 24 years.  Her accomplishments include an extensive list of publications, including three books and 38 published articles; many presentations to learned forums at the international, national, regional, and state levels; and raising nearly $2,000,000 in grant funding. She served as a faculty liaison in a professional development school (West Elementary) for 8 years, and as president of the Arkansas Early Childhood Association, 1990-91; president of the Southern Early Childhood Association, 1999-02; and secretary of the executive board of the Association for Childhood Education.  She has served on the ASU faculty for 20 years. Dr. Lawler was chosen to serve as chair of the Department of Teacher Education at ASU four years ago and has been actively engaged in the teacher education accreditation process while serving on ASU's faculty.

Dr. Dodson selected to serve on joint commission
Dr. Thomas A. Dodson, Psychology and Counseling, and School Counseling program coordinator, was selected to serve on the National Career Development Association/Association for Counselor Education and Supervision joint commission for the preparation of career counselors. Dr. Dodson was selected to the commission during the American Counseling Association's annual conference in Pittsburgh. The American Counseling Association is dedicated to the growth and development of the counseling profession and those who are served by it.

Three ASU graduates publish in state journal
Dr. Phyllis Skorga, Nursing, and director of ASU's Master of Science in Nursing program, recently directed a paper collaboration for three graduate students. Master of Science in Nursing students Samantha Anderson, RN, Jessica Tucker, RN, and Lakisha Lankford, RN, collaborated on a paper, "Clinical Nurse Specialists: One of the MVP’s of Healthcare." The article was published in the March 2010 edition of ASBN Update, the electronic newsletter of the Arkansas State Board of Nursing.

Dr. Hunt wins Lt. Col. Smith Professor of the Year award
Dr. C. Shane Hunt, Marketing, was selected as the Lieutenant Colonel Barney Smith Professor of the Year for 2009-2010. This award is sponsored by the ASU Student Government Association, and nominations were submitted anonymously to the association's office. This award is conferred to acknowledge a professor who contributed substantially to Arkansas State in the areas of service, education, and research.

Dr. Henderson directs students in service-learning project
This spring, composition students at ASU found inspiration for their writing outside the classroom. Partnering with multiple community organizations, Dr. Kate Henderson, English, helped her Composition II classes explore social issues not just through their textbooks, but through hands-on work alongside members of the Jonesboro community. In their final assignment of the semester, students were asked to identify a social problem they would like to change and a local organization that helps to address that problem. The students combine research on that social issue with service to get a fuller sense of how people in Jonesboro are affected. This service-learning project, according to Dr. Henderson, takes the topics that composition courses tend to explore as hypothetical debates and asks students to reconsider them as real-life situations. Small groups of students spent the first week of April working with several organizations in Jonesboro, including the Northeast Arkansas Humane Society, Paces, Inc., the Woman’s Discovery Center, the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Jonesboro, the March of Dimes, and Out of the Dark. Dr. Henderson was impressed by the students’ passion about their topics, noting that in using their writing skills to explain why the work they’ve done is important, they connect their words to their actions. She also notes that through the process of service and writing, the students become powerful advocates for change. For details, contact Dr. Kate Henderson, ext. 3043, or see the NewsPage release for full article and additional photographs of student volunteers/writers.

Jessica Sander is STARS award winner
Jessica Sander, Office of Admissions, was that office's February STARS Employee of the Month. The STARS program, which stands for “Service Targeted At Recruiting Students,” recognizes Admissions staff for their dedication and commitment to customer service. Sander, an Admissions counselor, was nominated as the February STARS Employee of the Month by her co-worker, Linda Wolf, and voted for by her peers. In her current role, Sander is in constant contact with prospective students, parents, and high school counselors, assisting with the admissions process, campus visits, and hard-to-answer questions. Wolf, who nominated Sander, noted Sander’s professional and positive communication skills and was impressed with Sander's helpfulness and attention to detail in assisting each individual according to his or herspecific needs via email, on the phone, or in person. Jessica Sander earned the STARS award because of her helpful attitude, positive recruiting efforts, and her continuous desire to help in any way possible.

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