OXFORD,
\nMiss. – Patricia Stewart, safety training specialist for the University
\nof Mississippi physical plant, has been awarded the 2008 Rex Dillow
\nAward for Outstanding Article from the Association of Physical Plant
\nAdministrators.<\/p>\n
And while nothing seems to surprise Stewart, she
\nsaid she was shocked that the article she co-wrote received the
\nprestigious award. Stewart, a 20-year UM employee, is the first black
\nwoman to win the award.
\n
Stewart, a trained biologist, said she was encouraged to write the article “Pandemic Preparation: Hoping for the Best, Preparing for the Worst” after attending a session about bird flu during a conference at Duke University.<\/p>\n
“When I attended the session on the bird flu, I found out that the majority of college campuses and other organizations around the country had no plan in the event of an outbreak,” said Stewart, a native of Macon.<\/p>\n
Stewart co-authored the article with Kate VanSant, a colleague she met at Duke.<\/p>\n
“We had never met before the conference at Duke. We communicated mainly through e-mail, but still managed to write an amazing article,” Stewart said.<\/p>\n
The article originally appeared in the November\/December 2007 issue of Facilities Manager magazine, the official publication of APPA.<\/p>\n
Stewart said the overall experience of writing the article was a challenge but very exciting. She plans to write a follow-up story by year-end.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"