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Alumni Association Honors Four

Four distinguished members of the USI community were honored at the Alumni Association’s Graduation Celebration Reception and Dinner on Saturday, May 9, in the University Center.

The 2009 Alumni Association Award recipients are President H. Ray Hoops, Special Recognition Award; Dr. Ann White, Faculty Recognition Award; Stephanie S. Buchanan ’97, Alumni Recognition Award; and W. Kerry Jackson ’84, Distinguished Alumni Award.

Special Recognition Award
Dr. Hoops
Dr. H. Ray Hoops, president of the University of Southern Indiana, has overseen the dramatic growth in the University’s enrollment, facilities, and academic programs. The annual operating budget increased from $22 million to $100 million, new or expanded facilities construction totals $217 million, and student enrollment has grown by 34 percent to 10,126 students. Undergraduate programs are offered in more than 60 areas, along with 10 master’s degree programs, and the first program at the doctoral level, the Doctor of Nursing Practice. With the addition of May 2009 graduates, USI alumni number over 27,000.

In addition to his enviable record of progress, Dr. Hoops is committed to educating students for the regional workforce. In 2000 and 2007, he commissioned studies on workforce development trends to assess how USI programs serve regional employers and the regional economy. Task force recommendations implemented include development of the engineering academic programs; leadership in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) related education, continuing development of co-op and internship opportunities; increasing noncredit and workforce training offerings; developing Connect with Southern Indiana, a regional leadership program; and offering alternate delivery of programs through distance education.

Dr. Hoops will conclude his 15-year presidency when he retires in July. He is married to Linda Hoops and they have one daughter, Victoria.

Faculty Recognition Award

Dr. Ann White, assistant dean for Nursing, professor of Nursing, and director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice program, is a dedicated educator whose caring personality, combined with her expertise as an administrator and teacher, have gained her the enduring respect of her students and colleagues.

Dr. White is responsible for the leadership and management including coordination, implementation, and evaluation of the undergraduate nursing and the graduate nursing programs. She assumed the lead role in the development and implementation of USI’s first doctorate program, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). The first DNP classes began in fall 2008 continuing the College of Nursing and Health Profession's commitment to quality nursing education and responsiveness to regional and national healthcare needs.

Since joining USI in 1990, Dr. White has been instrumental in developing the excellent reputation of USI’s nursing program. A report from the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse showed that 97 percent of USI students completing the exam in 2008 passed on the first attempt. The pass rate was the second highest of the 49 nursing programs in the Indiana and it puts the program in the top 10 percent of programs nationwide.

She has been appointed the 2009-10 interim dean of the USI College of Nursing and Health Professions.

Alumni Service Award

Stephanie Buchanan personifies the Alumni Association’s mission to serve and develop a committed body of alumni dedicated to promoting and enhancing the excellence and reputation of the University.

Buchanan, a 1997 business administration and German graduate, has been an active USI Foundation Board member since 2004, serving as chair of the Alumni Annual Fund Campaign, member of Development Office selection committee, and member of the Alumni President’s Associates. Providing leadership to obtain funds for athletic scholarships, she has been a Varsity Club board member since 2007 lending assistance with the Steak Fry and Auction committee. She served as president of the USI Alumni Association 2005-06 and Alumni Council member from 2002-08. Additionally she is a past member of the following alumni committees: scholarship, travel, special events, nominating, and executive. She continues to advance USI and assist students as a career mentor and an advocate for higher education.

Buchanan is an account executive for Kentucky Data Link. She and her husband Jason have four children Katherine, Noah, Benjamin, and Alexander.

Distinguished Alumni Award

W. Kerry Jackson has distinguished himself as a corporate executive and active community volunteer. Jackson, a 1984 accounting graduate, is the executive vice president, chief financial officer, and treasurer of Shoe Carnival, Inc., headquartered in Evansville. When he joined the company in 1988, Shoe Carnival had seven stores located in Indiana and Kentucky. Today, Jackson oversees the operation of a leading retailer of name brand and private label footwear and accessories with over 300 stores in 29 states in the Midwest, South, and Southeast.

Jackson assists the USI College of Business and its students by serving as chair-elect of the USI Board of Advisors (BOA) and member of the USI Accounting Circle to ensure direct effective communication between the business world and the business classroom. He chairs the BOA’s Industry/Education Interaction and Membership committee and was the USI Alumni-in-Residence for the college in February 2009.

Jackson and his wife Teran have three children, Tara, Tyler, and Megan.

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