Maxine DeBruyn of the Hope College
dance faculty has received the college's first annual Ruth
and John Reed Faculty Achievement Award.
Maxine DeBruyn of the Hope College
dance faculty has received the college's first annual Ruth
and John Reed Faculty Achievement Award.
The award was announced during the college's
annual Faculty Recognition Luncheon, held on Monday, Jan. 8.
The award recognizes a member of the Hope faculty
who is a superior teacher and has 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 of 1999 at age 55.
A member of the Hope faculty since 1965, DeBruyn
is a professor of dance and chair of the department. In
addition to playing a leadership role in developing the
college's dance program, she has been active in professional
associations and dance education locally to nationally.
During her time at the college, the dance program
has grown from a single course to a full major.
Approximately 100 students are currently majoring in dance.
Professional companies affiliated with the college and Hope
students present a number of dance concerts during each
school year. The department's major annual spring dance
concert marks its 27th year this March.
Her professional activities through the years have
ranged from serving as a U.S. representative to the
International Board of Dance and the Child International, a
member of the Conseil International de la Danse, UNESCO,
Paris; to serving as vice chair of the Michigan Council for
the Arts and Cultural Affairs; to serving as director of the
National Association of Schools of Dance. She has held a
number of leadership roles with the American Alliance for
Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD),
and is a past president of AAHPERD's Midwest District.
She received the "Honor Award" from the Midwest
District of AAHPERD in 1999; the Midwest District's
Meritorious Service Award in both 1996 and 1998; a
recognition award from the Midwest District for service and
leadership in 1988; and a service and leadership award from
AAHPERD in 1987. She received a Presidential Citation from
the National Dance Association for dance assessment in 1992.
In 1989, her work in the arts was cited in the U.S.
Congressional Record and in a Joint Concurrent Resolution
from the State of Michigan Legislature.