ALUMNI, FACULTY MERIT AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED

The Southeast Missouri State University Alumni Association has selected five alumni and a Southeast professor to receive the university's annual alumni and faculty merit awards.

The six will be honored homecoming weekend during a merit award dinner at 7 p.m. Nov. 5 in the Show Me Center.

Each Alumni Merit Award is presented by an academic college at Southeast.

The recipients and the academic college presenting their awards are: Margaret Clare Griffin, College of Health and Human Services; David Scott, College of Business Administration; Lenore Bierbaum, College of Education; Gary Lucy, College of Liberal Arts; and A. Paul Vance, College of Science and Technology.

Christina Frazier, professor of biology, is this year's recipient of the Faculty Merit Award.

The awards have been given since 1958 to graduates or former students of Southeast who have brought distinction to themselves and the university. Tickets for the dinner are $13 and are available by calling the alumni office at (314) 651-2259.

Griffin, of Vanduser, earned her bachelor of science degree in education from Southeast in 1940. She majored in physical education and home economics. She taught in Missouri public schools for four years and joined the staff of Washington University Medical School in 1945.

Griffin earned a master of arts degree in physiology from Washington University in 1952 and became a professor of neurology in 1975. Her research includes studies on Parkinson's disease.

In 1955, in collaboration with Dr. William Landau, she established and directed the first clinical laboratory of electromyography (EMG) in Missouri for testing muscle and nerve disorders in patients.

Scott, of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., earned his bachelor of arts degree in political science from Southeast in 1967.

Since 1990, he has held the title of vice president of public affairs for Ford Motor Co. He is responsible for the company's worldwide public affairs, including media relations and communications; corporate, domestic and international public affairs; and employee communications.

Scott joined the company in June 1967 as a college graduate trainee after several years with the print and broadcast news media, working as a reporter for the Southeast Missourian newspaper and KGMO radio in Cape Girardeau.

Bierbaum, of Cape Girardeau, graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of science degree in elementary education from Southeast in 1957.

Bierbaum currently is dean of the College of Education at Southeast. She has announced her resignation but is continuing to serve as dean until a successor is chosen.

Bierbaum began her teaching career in 1957, serving as an elementary teacher in the Normandy Schools in St. Louis County.

Under her leadership, Southeast's teacher education program was honored in 1989 with the Christa McAuliffe Showcase for Excellence Award from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.

Vance, of Fredericktown, earned his bachelor of science degree in education from Southeast in 1943.

He is self-employed as chief executive officer and president of Aviation Fluids Services Inc., Fire Safe Products Inc., and Main Street Productions Inc.

Aviation Fluids Services Inc. of St. Louis provides special hydraulic fluids to the aircraft industry worldwide. Fire Safe Products Inc. of St. Louis provides fire resistant material for clothing and other items. Main Street Productions, Inc. of Fredericktown is the holding company for the other two businesses.

In 1989, Vance founded and currently is president of the Missouri Aviation Hall of Fame.

Lucy, of Washington, Mo., is a 1971 graduate of Southeast, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in art education. He is self-employed as a professional fine artist in the Gary R. Lucy Gallery in Washington.

Lucy pioneered his career just one year out of college in 1972.

A Caruthersville native, Lucy said his desire to pursue art jelled during his sophomore year at Southeast.

"The day I walked into that art building, the first thing I smelled was oil paint from an oil painting class," he said. "It drew me up the steps. It was the lure of that oil paint that drew me into that building, and I was intoxicated with the creative process going on in there," he recalled.

Lucy has received several honors for his work, including a first place award in 1973 by the St. Louis Art Association for a watercolor.

Frazier, winner of the Faculty Merit Award, is a professor of biology and a member of the graduate and honors faculty at Southeast. She has served at Southeast since 1979, when she was named assistant professor of biology.

In 1982, she was promoted to associate professor and in 1988 to full professor. She served as a part- time academic associate to the provost during the 1992-1993 academic year.