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April 16, 2004

ULM Names 2004 Outstanding Professors

The 2004 Outstanding Professor Award winners at the University of Louisiana at Monroe have been announced. The Outstanding Professor Awards are given annually to those professors who exhibit excellence in teaching, research, and service throughout the year.

The Office of Academic Affairs will host a panel discussion with the awardees from 4:30 -5:30 p.m., followed by a reception and awards presentation from 5:30 -7:30 p.m. in the University Conference Center on the 7th floor of the ULM Library on Monday April 26th.

"Because of their outstanding overall accomplishments, these individuals were nominated for the award by their colleagues or students and were selected by a committee of their peers. This award is doubly meaningful, therefore, because it provides recognition from both the students and the faculty and staff," said Dr. Stephen Richters, ULM Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

The Outstanding Professor Award recipients for 2004 are: School of Nursing: Debra Brossett, assistant professor of nursing; Department of Curriculum and Instruction: Dr. Walter Creekmore, professor of education; Department of English: Mona Oliver, associate professor of English; Department of Chemistry: Dr. Mark Arant, associate professor of chemistry; Department of Accounting: Dr. Michelle McEacharn.

Brossett has been teaching various levels of nursing and health care education at ULM for the past seven years. Presently, she is serving as lead teacher for community health nursing. She has collaborated with other departments to develop and present needed programs for the ULM Older Workers' Program and the Incumbent Workers' Training Program through ULM Continuing Education. She also serves on several committees within the School of Nursing, and as a Faculty Senator for the College of Health Sciences.

Creekmore, has been teaching at the university level since 1978. He has been here at ULM since 1982, and from 1996 until 2002, he served as Associate Dean in the office of Graduate Studies and Research. He currently serves as Chair of the Student Research Symposium Task Force, and is a member of the College of Education, Department of Curriculum and Instruction Promotion and Tenure Committee. He has also received numerous grants for the Pocket of Excellence Research Library Project, Guilded Design and Behavior Management with Purdue University, along with many others dealing directly with the education and behavior of mentally handicapped students.

Oliver, a tenured associate professor, has taught English since 1968, and English as a second language since 1990. After receiving her BA from ULM and her MA from the University of Arkansas, Oliver returned to her alma mater as an instructor for two years before entering the Ph.D. program at U of A, leaving ABD in 1971. Over the past 35 years, she has taught composition and literature courses as well as advanced grammar. She served as Acting Director of Freshman English for two years and has been ESL Director for the last five.

Arant received his bachelor's degree in chemistry from Louisiana Tech University in 1990. His doctorate was awarded from the University of Alabama in 1994 in organic chemistry, specializing in natural product synthesis. After joining the faculty at then Northeast Louisiana University as an instructor in August of 1994, he was promoted to associate professor in 1997 and tenured the following year.

McEacharn has earned recognition for her teaching excellence by the Sound of Today, Beta Gamma Sigma, and the CBA Teaching Quality Committee. She has published nine journal articles and has presented over 20 papers at various regional and national meetings. McEacharn is currently President for the Southwest Region of the American Accounting Association, Research Trustee for the local Institute of Internal Auditors' chapter, On-Campus Champion for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and an active member of the Society of Louisiana Certified Public Accountants.

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