Contact: Kenneth Billings
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Three Mississippi State professionals and two graduate students are winners of major honors given recently by the 2008 Southern Association for College Student Affairs.
Ann Bailey, the university's director of housing and residence life, was recognized with the H. Howard Davis Sr. Award in recognition of "performance of duty above the expected." The MSU doctoral graduate has served as president and vice president, as well as on numerous committees, during more than two decades with the 58-year-old organization.
SACSA represents some 700 professionals and others at institutions of higher learning in 15 states and the District of Columbia. Members work to promote professional development and research in campus areas that support students' personal and academic maturation.
Others from MSU recognized at the annual meeting included:
--Ryan Akers, a School of Human Sciences research associate, winner of the best doctoral-degree dissertation titled "Evolution of Emergency Operations Strategies: Structure and Process of Crisis Response in College Student Affairs." A 2000 MSU master's degree graduate in education, Akers also received a SACSA Research Grant for continued research in the area of crisis preparation strategies within college student affairs.
--Akers and April Heiselt, an assistant professor in the counseling and educational psychology department, winners of the Faculty/Case Study Competition for a collaborative report titled "When It Rains It Pours: Crises at Oakmont University."
--Counselor education master's degree students Jason T. Bertrand of Marinette, Wisc., and Andrea M. Perkins of Auburn, Mich., winners of the Graduate Student Case Study competition.
This year's SACSA convention was held in Hilton Head, S.C.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.