New SGA Officers, Senator Honored

The Student Government Association (SGA) recently hosted its awards and annual installation banquet. Newly elected officers, outstanding faculty, students and graduating seniors were honored.

Jessica Schacherer, committee chair of the event, said the banquet helps honor faculty who are mentors and go above and beyond.

“The SGA serves as the voice for students,” Schacherer said. “These are the only awards given by students who voted directly for them and it is an honor to host this for the faculty who give so much to the students.”

This year the SGA President’s Award of Excellence was established by the SGA executive council to recognize senators that have gone above and beyond in their position of providing service to the student body.

“We have many students that exceed the expectations the Student Government sets forth by sitting on additional committees, consistently advocating for the students and providing leadership to the senate and the student body,” said Dalan Gore, SGA vice president of communications.

Elected 2013-2014 officers include:

• President — Hunter Atkins, a second-year medical student from Coppell, Texas.
• Vice President of Communications — Dalan Gore, a master’s student in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences from Tulia, Texas.
• Vice President of Operations — Eric Edwards, a student in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences from White Bear Lake, Minn.
• Vice President of Finance — Morgan Rine, a student in the School of Allied Health Sciences from Mansfield, Texas.

Awards presented included:

• Outstanding organization of the year — RaiderThon
• Outstanding SGA committee of the year — Social Committee, including Jessica Schacherer, chairperson and John Jobin, Lindsey Stephens, Matt Bruton, Obie Benivides, Jessica Kirkendall, Bryce Stash, Tori Gauer, Devin Bailey, Jennifer Davidson and Jeremy Hernandez
• Outstanding senator of the year — Parker Ballew
• Outstanding faculty — School of Allied Health Sciences, Michael Taylor, MPAS, PA-C; Melinda Corwin, Ph.D., CCC-SLP; Sherry Sancibrian, M.S., CCC-SLP; Dwandra Sechrist; Candace Hicks, Ph.D., CCC-A; Lois Stickley, Ph.D., PT; Barbara Sawyer, Ph.D., MLS; Erika Hendrix, M.S., MP; Toby Brooks, Ph.D.; Robert Posteraro, M.D., MBI; Morgan House, LNHA, MBA; and Dave Schroeder, Ph.D., CRC, LPC
• Outstanding faculty — Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Luis Cuello, Ph.D.
• Outstanding faculty — School of Medicine, James Hutson, Ph.D.; Barry Lombardini, Ph.D.; Dan Galvan M.D.; Sam Campbell, M.D., Donald Crockett Jr., M.D.; Amy Trott, Ph.D., and Harry Davis, M.D.
• Outstanding faculty — School of Nursing, Lori Johnson, MSN, R.N.; Kyle Newton, R.N., MSN; Jennifer Whitker-Ware, R.N., MSN; Sandra G. Imperial, R.N., MSN, and Barbara Cherry, DNSc, R.N.
• Outstanding faculty — School of Pharmacy, Harol Miller, Ph.D., and Kenna Payne, Pharm.D.

SGA President's Award of Excellence recipients:

• Abigail Arnold
• Parker Ballew
• Matthew Byler
• Hunter Atkins
• Phillip Cofoid
• Eric Edwards
• Jessica Schacherer
• Timmi Ickert
• Kavitha Joseph
• Dhyanesh Patel
• Matt Ries