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KRSS Recognitions at Chancellor’s Honors Awards

Margy in Greece

 

Margy Wirtz-Henry was one of several individuals from the KRSS Department who was honored at last night’s Chancellor’s Honors Awards. She was one of four individuals selected for the 2016 Excellence in Advising Award. This award is bestowed by the Office of the Chancellor and the Teaching Council of the Faculty Senate to honor outstanding work in advising. Wirtz-Henry’s advising philosophy is that every student or potential student who reaches out to her is valuable and deserves to be treated well. As the undergraduate admissions coordinator for KRSS, she puts this philosophy into practice by combining her knowledge of UT policies and procedures with excellent customer service every time she advises a student. One of her advisees says, “From Margy, I have learned a wonderful work ethic and how to be a compassionate person.”

Alicia JohnsonHeadshot_Johnson_AKADoctoralAward (405x640), PhD student in Sport Studies, was one of three doctoral students to receive the Graduate Student Teaching Award. This award honors graduate student excellence in instruction. Johnson excels in teaching socio-cultural foundations of sport and recreation, a subject that challenges students to think critically about issues rooted in often unfamiliar aspects of history and philosophy. She shares her own experiences and fosters open dialogue in the classroom. Her background in teaching in Uganda gives her an international perspective. She received the Educator’s Hall of Honor Scholarship in 2014 and has already co-authored four peer-reviewed articles and three book chapters, with even more research in the works.

Andraya Carter, Makayla Claussen, Bhumika Patel, and Nichole Skender were four out of six recipients across the entire campus to receive the Extraordinary Community Service Award . This award honors students that exhibit the Volunteer spirit in the community.

carter (306x306)Andraya Carter is currently seeking her Master’s degree in Kinesiology with a concentration in Sport Psychology and Motor Behavior. She spent 100 hours this year volunteering with students at the Tennessee School for the Deaf and has been involved in multiple organizations, including Hoops for Hope and the Boys and Girls Club. She is also a member of the Lady Vols basketball team and the VOLeaders Academy, which is a group of Tennessee student-athletes seeking to affect social change through the platform of sport.

claussen (505x640)Makayla Claussen is an undergraduate Kinesiology major who had her college career unexpectedly suspended when she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the fall of 2012. She emerged from the life-threatening experience cancer-free and with a renewed commitment to her studies. She is a volunteer with Race for the Cure and Ronald McDonald House. On campus, she serves as a Black Cultural Programming Committee member and has founded a student organization, Be the Match on Campus, which encourages students to register for the U.S. bone marrow program.

patel (123x184)Bhumika Patel is an undergraduate Therapeutic Recreation major with a minor in Psychology. She has a strong record of service on behalf of the disabled. She has worked with disabled children as a camp counselor for three years and devoted hundreds of hours of her time volunteering for local pediatric hospitals, clinics, therapeutic recreation facilities, and nursing homes. She also helped to found UT’s first Therapeutic Recreation Student Association and currently serves as its co-president. She is fluent in five languages, including American Sign Language.

skender (207x228)Nichole Skender is also an undergraduate Therapeutic Recreation major. She worked with the Ignite program as both a team leader and the student director, helping incoming students transition into college life. She also worked in UT’s Office of Disability Services. She has been active in the Alternative Break program and Emerging Leaders. Her many hours of community service include working with the Emerald Youth Foundation, FUTURE program, and Camp Koinonia.

Additional Chancellor’s Honors Awards were given to students in KRSS in the categories of Extraordinary Professional Promise, Extraordinary Academic Achievement, Top Collegiate Scholars, and Outstanding Scholar Athletes. The winners are listed below.

Extraordinary Professional Promise

  • Joshua Anderson, Senior in Kinesiology
  • Hunter Bennett, PhD candidate in Biomechanics
  • William Crockett, Master’s candidate in Sport Management
  • Rebecca Elias, Senior in Kinesiology
  • Lucas Forstrom, Master’s candidate in Sport Management
  • Alicia Johnson, PhD candidate in Socio-Cultural Studies
  • Emily Post, Master’s candidate in Exercise Physiology
  • Christine Steffen, Master’s candidate in Sport Management

Extraordinary Academic Achievement

  • Faith Johnson, Senior in Kinesiology
  • Harper Lucas, Senior in Kinesiology
  • Derek Lance, Senior in Kinesiology
  • Abbey Morris, Senior in Sport Management
  • Cherelle Thompson, Senior in Kinesiology

Top Collegiate Scholars

  • Emily Amburn, Senior in Kinesiology
  • Amy Estep, Senior in Kinesiology
  • Jonathan Leonard, Senior in Kinesiology

Outstanding Scholar Athletes

  • Harper Lucas, Senior in Kinesiology (Rowing)
  • Derek Lance, Senior in Kinesiology (Baseball)
  • Faith Johnson, Senior in Kinesiology (Swimming)
  • Cherelle Thompson, Senior in Kinesiology (Swimming)