College of Communications and Information Studies Holds Awards Dinner
LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 6, 2012) — The University of Kentucky's College of Communications and Information Studies held its 12th annual recognition and awards dinner Friday, March 30, at the Hilary J. Boone Center to honor outstanding faculty, staff, students and alumni.
The college recognized student scholarship and fellowship recipients, in addition to the following staff, faculty, alumni and friends:
Jeffrey T. Huber, director of the School of Library and Information Science, received this year's award for Excellence in Faculty Teaching. He received his MSLS degree from UK in 1987. Huber began his full-time academic career in the School of Library and Information Studies at Texas Woman’s University in 1993. Under Huber's direction, the health librarianship program at Texas Woman’s University was ranked fifth in the country in 2006 by US News & World Report. Huber joined UK in 2008. He is the author or editor of numerous publications and presentations, including nine books, three book chapters, and more than 30 peer-reviewed journal articles.
Jami Warren, faculty lecturer in Division of Instructional Communication, received this year's award for Faculty Community Service. Warren earned her Ph.D. in communication from UK in 2011. Her work focuses primarily on instructional communication and, more specifically, on service learning and student learning outcomes. She recently co-authored a chapter on service-learning in "The Sage Handbook of Communication and Instruction." In addition, her work has been presented at several annual conferences.
Bobi Ivanov, assistant professor in integrated strategic communication at the UK School of Journalism & Telecommunications, received this year's award for Faculty Excellence in Research. Ivanov (Ph.D., University of Oklahoma) studies social influence (persuasion and resistance) and message design, processing, and retention. His theoretical work focuses on the study of inoculation theory, images, and attitudes and their composition, hierarchical structure, and function as applied in various contexts including commercial, health, intercultural, instructional, interpersonal, political, and crisis/risk management. His scholarly work has appeared in nearly 30 convention presentations (five top paper awards), two books, a book chapter, and numerous journal publications.
Pat Dalbey, general manager and president of WLEX-TV, the Lexington NBC affiliate, was named this year's Friend of the College. Throughout his career, Dalbey has been highly involved in community and volunteer organizations, including The United Way as board chairman and campaign chairman, president of Meals on Wheels, board member of various chambers of commerce, and board member of the American Heart Association, Rotary, and many others. As a member of the College’s National Advisory Board, he has been instrumental in the development of ideas to raise scholarship money to help students, including the creation of the recent Urban Mountain Challenge. His station has also accepted CCIS students for select internships.
Elizabeth L. Petrun, a second-year doctoral student studying risk and crisis and organizational communication, received this year's award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching. Petrun graduated magna cum laude from UK in 2008 with a B.A. in integrated strategic communication and sociology, and again in 2010 with an M.A. emphasizing risk and crisis communication. Her research has been accepted for presentation at numerous conferences, contributed to a chapter in "Effective Risk Communication: A Message Centered Approach," and has been published in The Northwest Journal of Communication and Management Communication Quarterly. In addition to her research, Petrun also teaches mass media and mass culture and interpersonal communication.
W. James Host, a 1961 alumnus of the School of Journalism and Telecommunications, was named Outstanding Alumnus. Host received one of UK's first baseball scholarships, and he went on to play professional baseball. Well known for establishing Host Communications, Host was a pioneer in collegiate sports marketing, implementing the NCAA's first collegiate corporate marketing program in 1984. Today, Host serves as the chairman and CEO of iHigh.com, a Lexington-based high school Internet company. His contributions to the Commonwealth and beyond cross the fields of government, business and civic leadership. Host was unable to attend the dinner because of previous commitments at the NCAA Tournament in New Orleans and will be recognized at a college event on May 12.
Charlene Monaghan, executive assistant to the dean, was recognized as this year's Outstanding Staff member. She has been with the university for 10 years, and spent the last three with the college’s Office of the Dean. She is the recipient of several university awards including the “Outstanding Administrative Support” Award for the Department of Surgery as well as the UK “Make a Difference!” Award.
Among student recognitions were the Outstanding Junior and Senior from the Department of Communication, Catherine Rembrandt and Sarah Jones, respectively. The School of Journalism and Telecommunications recognized Kelsey Caudill, Martha Groppo, and Abby Shields. Emily Aldridge, Jama Watts and Kristen Shive were recognized from the School of Library and Information Science. In addition, several students were honored from the Graduate Program in Communication including Kathryn Anthony, Katharine Head, Joshua Hillyer, Nicholas Iannarino, Adam Parrish, Elizabeth Petrun, Jenna Reno, Stephanie Van Stee and Morgan Wickline.