Phi Kappa Phi Presents Annual Awards, Inducts 61 New Members

May. 04, 2011

Michelle Eubanks, UNA, at media@una.edu, 256.765.4392 or 256.606.2033

FLORENCE, Ala. - The University of North Alabama chapter of the Phi Kappa Phi national honors society recently recognized several members with special awards and inducted 61 new members from among the university student body, faculty, staff and alumni.

The annual Eleanor Gaunder Teaching Excellence Award was presented to Dr. Nicholas Mauriello, an assistant professor of English. The UNA chapter also nominated senior professional biology major Michelle Sheehy for the Phi Kappa Phi national fellowship award. Sheehy, of Harvest, will graduate next month with a 4.0 GPA and has been accepted to the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in Grafton, Mass. She was initiated into Phi Kappa Phi as a junior in 2009. Fourteen students were recognized through the Phi Kappa Phi Student Scholars Forum Writing Competition, which included categories for graduate students, undergraduate single authors and undergraduate collaborative authors. The writing competition winners included: GRADUATE First place - Catherine James, of Lawrenceburg, Tenn., for "Bogus or Bona Fide: The Legitimacy of the Tudor Dynasty at the Accession of Henry VIII," sponsored by Dr. Jeffrey Bibbee Second place - Kerrie Holloway, of Huntsville, for "Operation Babylift: Humanitarian Effort or Publicity Stunt?" sponsored by Dr. Christopher Maynard UNDERGRADUATE First place, single author - David MacMillan, of Florence, for "Determining Lasing Thresholds in Fluorescent Microspheres," sponsored by Dr. Brian Thompson Second place, single author - Lauren Schifano, of Florence, for "Paolo Farinati's The Jewish Forces Vanquishing the Supporters of the Haman: An Allegory of Jesuit Pursuits," sponsored by Dr. Lisa Kirch First place, collaborative authors - Leslie Gaither, of Houston; Alisha Mitchell, of Ardmore; Callie Morris, of Florence; Anna Pierce, of Spruce Pine; and Ashton Puckett, of Iuka, Miss.; for "A Systemic Review of the Benefits of Self-Monitoring Compared to Clinic-Based Monitoring of Oral Anticoagulant Therapy (OAT)," sponsored by Dr. Alyce Brown Second place, collaborative authors - Karen Billingham, of Russellville; Erin Dean, of Lester; Keesha Jones, of Red Bay; Suzanne King, of Jasper; and Candace Painter, of Union Grove; for "Hand Hygiene Compliance: Does Education Help?" sponsored by Dr. Alyce Brown Sixty-one students, faculty, staff and alumni of UNA were inducted into Phi Kappa Phi. In accordance with national standards for membership in Phi Kappa Phi, student candidates must have completed 72 total semester hours, including at least 24 semester hours at UNA. To be eligible for membership, juniors must be in the upper 7.5 percent of their class. For juniors in the spring 2011 semester, that meant a GPA of at least 3.803 on a 4.0 scale. Seniors selected for membership must be in the top 10 percent of the senior class, which, in the spring 2011 semester, meant a GPA of at least 3.641 on a 4.0 scale. To be eligible as graduate students, candidates must have completed at least 18 semester hours of graduate work at UNA and be in the top 10 percent of all graduate students. In the spring 2011 semester, that meant having a 4.0 GPA. The following students met these requirements:

GRADUATE STUDENTS

Amber M. Bishop, of Lawrenceburg, Tenn. - Secondary education/biology 6-12 Danyelle J. Brooks, of Florence - Community counseling Julie Brannon Brown, of Elkmont - Nursing Susan K. Browning, of Jena - Nursing Jessica Ann Gamble, of Decatur - Collaborative special education Martha Frances Graham, of Florence - Professional management Corey M. Hatton, of Hatton - Management K. Paige Hicks, of Athens - Secondary education/history Brianna Lane Jeffrey, of Florence - Community counseling Robert Andrew Jones, of Lexington - Secondary education/general science Pamela Shae Kirby, of Athens - Business administration Jo Anna Larson, of Florence - History Nina Rae Long, of Haleyville - Elementary education Wyndy Carlin Looney, of Tuscaloosa - Nursing Stacey Kaye Nelson, of Iuka, Miss. - Elementary education Leah Parker, of Russellville - Community counseling Alicia Dawn Phillips, of Muscle Shoals - Elementary education Stephanie Brooke Vickers, of Danville - Elementary special education

SENIORS

Brooke Compton, of Hamilton - Mathematics Emily Dunlap, of Decatur - Elementary education Mindy Brady Forsman, of Saltillo, Miss. - Nursing Kelli A. Gray, of Florence - English Addie Katherine Grissom, of Phil Campbell - Accounting Mary Catherine Heflin, of Tuscumbia - Nursing Andrea Kelli Holt, of Collinwood, Tenn. - Social work Emily Lauren Payne, of Decatur - Exercise science Nichola A. Pearson, of Florence - Nursing Thomas Lance Smith Jr., of Tuscumbia - Communication arts Cody Lee Taylor, of Pulaski, Tenn. - Physical education Nicole A. Wilde, of Ann Arbor, Mich. - Nursing

JUNIORS

Daniel Hamilton Almon, of Florence - Biology Christopher Edwin Balentine Jr., of Florence - Biology Caleb Hugh Banks, of Florence - Entertainment industry Rachel Ann Bates, of Tuscumbia - Communication arts Dakota Anderson Bentley, of Killen - Elementary education Rachel DeAnna Bond, of Madison - Social work Charles Scott Boyer III, of Florence - Accounting Joy Elaine Carbine, of Florence - Accounting Christina Marie DeGrado, of Trussville - Merchandising Kayla Danielle Dunham, of Harvest - Elementary education Joseph Todd Elliott, of Sheffield - Secondary education/mathematics Jessica Nicole Flanagan, of Tuscumbia - Social work Whitney Nicole Hargett, of Killen - Elementary education Jordan Lindsey Harless, of Gurley - Management Melissa Lynn Howe, of Town Creek - Nursing Jessica Leigh Johnston, of Red Bay - Accounting/economics Jordan Daphne Ann Jones, of Athens - Social work Sarah Ann Jones, of Florence - Elementary education Hillary Paige King, of Florence - Criminal justice Haley Miranda Medved, of Gardendale - Sociology Keri D. Metcalf, of Tuscumbia - Biology Kayla Marie Moore, of Decatur - Nursing Taylor Pickens, of Florence - Biology In addition to students, the UNA Phi Kappa Phi chapter elects a small number of outstanding faculty, professional staff and alumni each year. These individuals are chosen on the basis of academic record, professional achievements and service to higher education. They are nominated and elected by local chapter members. The following met these requirements:

ALUMNI

Dr. Jana Beaver, assistant professor of management at UNA Dr. Melvin Davis, director of library services at UNA Nancy Meeks Sanford, executive director of the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library

FACULTY/STAFF

Dr. Gregory Carnes, professor of accounting Louise H. Huddleston, archives technical assistant for the Collier Library Dr. Donna Parker Jacobs, dean of the College of Education Dr. Christopher Maynard, chair of the Department of History and Political Science Dr. Michael Pretes, associate professor of geography

About The University of North Alabama

The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: una.edu and una.edu/unaworks/.