RPTM Kudos and Announcements May 23, 2007
Congratulations Alums
Allison Motts ’05 (allyson.motts@athletics.utexas.edu) development assistant with The Longhorn Foundation at The University of Texas graduated from the sport management program.
Joe Hughes ’99 (jdh174@psu.edu) has been selected by the Alumni Society of the College of Health and Human Development to receive the 2007 Emerging Professional – Undergraduate Degree Award. The award honors alumni who have graduated within the past ten years, who have demonstrated professional excellence and exemplary voluntary community involvement in a health and human development field. The College will honor Joe on September 28.
The RPTM 486 students visited alumni in Philadelphia and met with therapeutic recreation specialists at ReMed Recovery Care Centers, including Joanne Finegan ’83 (jfinegan@remed.com) and Heather Langdon ’04 (gsj103@yahoo.com) and at Magee Rehabilitation Hospital the students including Jessica Rickard ’96 (jrickard@mageerehab.org).
Congratulations Students
Toni Liechty received the 2007 Juran Doctoral Award from the University of Minnesota for writing an essay about improving the quality of leisure by reducing body image related leisure constraints. The $2500 award is being matched by Penn State for a total of $5000.
Congratulations Faculty
Ralph Smith and Melissa McHugh ’77 (RoseMam@aol.com) co-authored “Comparison of Treatment Outcomes in Geropsychiatric Programs with and without Therapeutic Recreation Services” to be published in the 2007 Annual in Therapeutic Recreation.
Mac Garrett retired faculty member, celebrated his 90th birthday and he and his wife Diana, celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary in April.
In the News
Shaver’s Creek was featured on Penn State Live “Shaver’s Creek uses new academic partnerships to extend its offerings”. Read the full story at live.psu.edu/story/23641 and see the video x02.ur.psu.edu/video/in_motion/maple_syrup.html.
The Park Resource Branch of Pennsylvania Recreation & Park Society received a Presidential Citation from President Lee Bryan at the annual PRPS Conference. John Spencer ’98 (jspencer@chesco.org), President of the Branch from March 2005 to 2007accepted the award.
Notable Quotes
I was very honored and humbled to receive the first RPTM APG Outstanding Alumni Award particularly after it had been designated for Deb Kerstetter for her impressive work with both the Department and with her students. I also felt fortunate to receive the award at a time when many of the Penn State faculty and alumni who had helped me over the years were present so I could do my best to convey my thanks and appreciation to them. – Bob Griffith commenting at the 3rd Annual Recognition Banquet, ’72 (rgriffith@prps.org)
If you have accomplished something you would like to share with the RPTM crew, please notify me. Also, if you are aware of accomplishments or quotes by our alumni, students, or staff, please let me know so I can share the news. Thank you! – John Dattilo, Professor and Department Head jxd8@psu.edu