Students, alumni, faculty, staff invited to submit letters by April 13
OXFORD,
Miss. – The University of Mississippi is seeking nominations of faculty
and staff who deserve special recognition for rendering outstanding
service to students.
Students, alumni, faculty, staff and
friends have until April 13 to submit nominations for the 15th annual
Thomas Frist Student Service Awards.
The awards recognize one
faculty member and one staff member for going the extra mile in
unwavering dedication to students. Any full-time faculty or staff
member except previous winners is eligible for the award, which
includes a $1,000 prize and a plaque.
Written, signed and
submitted by individuals, the nomination narratives should
differentiate between obligation and service by citing specific
examples in which the person being nominated has gone beyond the call
of duty to help a student or group of students.
“We have many faculty and staff who go beyond the norm with acts of kindness that often become pivotal in helping a young person determine place and purpose in life,” Chancellor Robert Khayat said. “Nominations will help us identify those individuals who are often the ones mentioned most fondly by students when they reflect on their time at the university.”
Nomination forms are available at key campus locations, including the Chancellor’s Office, Dean of Students and J.D. Williams Library. They also are available on UM’s satellite campuses. Letters of nomination also will be accepted. The mailing address is Office of the Chancellor, Frist Award, 123 Lyceum Circle, University, MS 38677. In addition, nomination forms are available at http://www.olemiss.edu/news/frist.html.
All nominees are notified that they have been so honored, and a campus committee appointed by the Chancellor chooses the two winners. Awards are to be presented May 9 at UM’s spring commencement ceremony.
Past winners of the Frist Award include faculty members Aileen Ajootian, Don Cole, John Juergens, Pamela Lawhead, Terry Panhorst, William Staton, Ken Sufka, Patricia Treloar, John Winkle and David Willson; and staff members the late Billy Barrios, Sue Hodge, Barbara Leeton, Max Miller, Ginger Patterson, Melinda Pullen, Thomas J. Reardon, Marc Showalter and Linda Spargo.
The Frist Student Service Awards were established with a $50,000 gift from the late Dr. Thomas F. Frist of Nashville, a 1930 UM graduate.
“The generosity of this outstanding graduate has given us this opportunity to recognize dedicated service to students on our campus,” Khayat said. “The cornerstone of Dr. Frist’s enormous success was his emphasis on service, whether as a physician, as a company CEO or as a volunteer in so many worthwhile projects. It is truly an appropriate gift, which exemplifies his remarkable life.”