The Michigan Athletic Trainers' Society (MATS) has named Hope College senior Molly Smith of Urbana, Illinois one of only two students who are attending Michigan colleges or universities to participate in the student leadership program of the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA). Smith and Kent Games of Grand Valley State University were selected to participate in the iLead ("I... Lead, Engage, Activate, Develop") program, which will take place in Washington, D.C. on Saturday-Monday, Feb. 21-23. The program is designed for a maximum of 150 students nationwide - up to three per state. The program will present a series of interactive sessions designed to help the students develop leadership skills. Presented in conjunction with the 2009 Hill Day Campaign and Athletic Training Educators' Conference, the program will also prepare students for future participation in NATA's StarTRACK program, which is designed to develop future leaders in the athletic training profession. Smith is an athletic training major. Her clinical experience has included working with the College's football, men's basketball, swimming, volleyball, women's soccer and women's tennis teams, as well as with a local high school and summer sports camps at the University of Illinois. Her activities at Hope have also included the Relay for Life fundraiser on behalf of the American Cancer Society, Acting on AIDS and the Mortar Board honor society. She is the daughter of James and Betsy Smith of Urbana, and a 2005 graduate of University High School.
Two Education Department Faculty Honored For Service
Professors Nancy Cook and John Yelding of the Education Department were honored at the College's faculty recognition luncheon for their service to the academic program. The Provost's Award for Service to the Academic Program is
presented to individuals who have provided special contributions to the academic program through student academic support, general education, assessment work, implementation of programs that support/enhance the curriculum, and any activity outside of formal teaching that contributes to the overall excellence of the academic program. As director of the College's student teaching program, Nancy Cook is involved in student placements locally as well as through off-campus programs in other cities in the United States and abroad. Some 150 Hope students are involved in student teaching each year. Her teaching focus is in special education. Her professional involvement beyond campus has included serving as part of the team involved in revising the state's test for those seeking certification to teach students with learning disabilities. She has taught at Hope since 1987. John Yelding's teaching specializations are secondary education, multiculturalism and rural education. He is director of the college's "Encounter with Cultures" course, which reaches more than 200 students each semester, and team teaches the First-Year Seminar for students participating in the Phelps Scholars Program, a residential program for students interested in exploring issues related to diversity. His involvement at Hope has included serving on the advisory boards of the Phelps Scholars Program as well as Hope College Upward Bound and Project TEACH. He has taught at Hope since 1994.
Sociologist Debra Swanson Honored
Professor Debra Swanson of the Sociology and Social Work Department has been named the recipient of the College's Ruth and John Reed Faculty Achievement Award. The award recognizes members of the Hope faculty who are superior teachers and have also contributed significantly in some other area of professional life. The award was established in memory of Dr. Ruth Yzenbaard Reed, a 1965 Hope graduate who was Associate Dean of Macomb Community College. Reed died in August 1999 at age 55. Dr. Debra Swanson is director of the College's Teaching Enhancement Workshop Committee, which plans and conducts workshops in teaching for members of the faculty. She has made several presentations on teaching during meetings of the North Central Sociological Association, which in March 2008 presented her with its "John F. Schnabel Distinguished Contributions to Teaching Award." She teaches a First-Year Seminar in addition to a range of courses in her department. She joined the faculty in 1989.
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