News & Announcements
2021 Health Professions Faculty and Staff Awards
June 11, 2021
On Thursday morning, Health Professions faculty and staff gathered at the school’s Inclusive Playground to celebrate and recognize the individuals whose hard work helped make the previous school year successful. Each year, the awards committee selects recipients for school-wide awards after reading the nominations. Congratulations to all the recipients! Thank you for your contributions to our school.
Lea Ann Lowery
Clinical Professor, Occupational Therapy
Faculty Fellow for Interprofessional Education
Faculty Engagement Award
“Lea Ann has seemingly never faced a challenge. Instead of seeing a roadblock, she embraces the opportunity to teach and serve. It is her commitment to overcome barriers that makes her so successful.” – Teresa Briedwell, Associate Department Chair, Physical Therapy
Kelli Canada
Associate Professor and Associate Director for Research, Social Work
Director, Integrative Behavioral Health Clinic
Excellence in Clinical Service
“Kelli is an exemplar of dedication to clinical education and services, who works tirelessly to train students each year.” – Erin Robinson, Assistant Professor, Social Work
Tommy Thomas III
Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator, Health Professions
Inclusive Excellence Award
“Tommy is dedicated to the concept of inclusive excellence and remains positive, engaging, and seemingly tireless. He diligently works to educate students, faculty and staff on what inclusive excellence means, and how we can improve upon it in our school.” – Cheri Ghan, Recruitment Coordinator
Enid Schatz
Professor and Department Chair, Public Health
Excellence in Education Award
“Enid specifically deserves this award right now because of her educational creativity, innovation, and leadership amid COVID. Her efforts have helped to ensure that students and Missourians understand COVID and that the School of Health Professions’ Department of Public Health is a leader in community education.” – Michelle Teti, Associate Professor, Public Health
Ashley Givens
Assistant Professor, Social Work
Excellence in Education – Early Career Award
“Ashley uses the most recent pedagogical and andragogical evidence to revise her approach to teaching social work students each semester, which means her teaching and her courses are always evolving. Her students leave her classroom ready to change lives as they serve their clients.” – Ginny Ramseyer-Winter, Assistant Professor, Social Work
Luke Gorham
Career Services Coordinator, Health Professions
Dean’s Service Award
“Luke helps ease the oftentimes overwhelming burden of finding and applying for a job. After his presentations, the feedback from our students is always positive, and they feel much more prepared to apply and interview for positions.” – Dana Fritz, Clinical Professor, Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences
Melissa Bedford
Program Manager, Public Health
Bridge Builder Award
“Melissa’s organization and communication skills are superb, and her attitude is relentlessly positive when it comes to adapting to change and problem solving. She thinks ahead and creatively about building public health on campus, which helps our program and ultimately, the community’s well-being.” – Michelle Teti, Associate Professor, Public Health
Adrianne Frech
Associate Professor, Health Sciences
Lewis and Clark Discovery Award
“Adrianne teaches the most demanding course in the Health Sciences Department, and still receives the highest student evaluations. Students often speak of how much they learn about the research method and how much they appreciate her teaching.” – Botswana Blackburn, Associate Chair, Health Sciences
Crystal Null
Student Support Specialist II, Social Work
Core Values Award
“It is not one action that makes her right for this honor. It is all the ways that she problem solves to make her own and others work easier, faster, and more accurate. She is an innovator, leader, amazingly brave, hardworking, loyal, and resilient. She is committed to the School of Social Work’s success and has demonstrated that repeatedly during the past year.” – Carol Snively, Program Director, Master of Social Work
Brad Willis
Associate Teaching Professor and Director of Scholarly Activity, Physical Therapy
Early Career Award
“Brad is a model of someone whose early achievements in scholarship, mentoring, teaching and service have significantly advanced the mission of the School of Health Professions at the University of Missouri. He stands out as a mentor that students turn to, he integrates original research and primary work into his teaching, and helps promote a culture of inquiry at SHP and beyond.” – Evan Prost, Associate Teaching Professor
Featured in this post
Crystal Null
MSW and PhD Program Contact
Lea Ann Lowery
Clinical Professor
Kelli Canada
Associate Director of Research and Associate Professor
Ashley Givens
BSW Program Director and Associate Professor
