Faculty member, 12 alumni win merit awards

Twelve alumni and a faculty member at Southeast Missouri State University will receive Merit awards at homecoming festivities on Oct. 19.

The awards will be presented at a 7 p.m. dinner at the Show Me Center, school officials said.

Alumni Merit awards are presented by each of Southeast's academic colleges and schools to honor distinguished alumni. The awards have been given annually since 1958.

The Faculty Merit Award is presented for excellence in teaching.

The winners by colleges are: N. Nadine Boon of St. Charles, Mo. and Gary R. Welker of St. Louis, Donald L. Harrison College of Business; Walter C. Crawford of St. Louis and Dr. Earl L. Hanebrink of Jonesboro, Ark., School of Polytechnic Studies; Noah E. Gray of St. Louis and Dr. Roy F. Keller of Columbia, Mo., College of Science and Mathematics; T. Ronald Hahs of Cape Girardeau and Dr. Mathilde E. Najjar of Nashville, Tenn., College of Liberal Arts; Mary A. Kasten of Cape Girardeau and Dr. Samuel F. McClanahan of Flagstaff, Ariz., College of Education; Michael K. Pritchard of San Rafael, Calif., and Dr. Georganne Syler of Cape Girardeau, College of Health and Human Services.

This year's faculty winner is Dr. Jai N. Dahiya, a physics professor.

Dahiya has taught at Southeast since 1984. During his 17 years at Southeast, he has established a research lab to involve undergraduate students in his research. Dahiya also works with the international programs office at Southeast to recruit international students.

Boon entered the field of economic development in 1979 when few economic developers were women. She currently is director of economic development for the city of St. Charles.

Welker graduated from Southeast in 1964. He is the vice president of distribution and logistics at Anheuser-Busch in St. Louis. Welker chairs the foundation board at St. Mary's Hospital in St. Louis.

Crawford is executive director and founder of the World Bird Sanctuary and a dedicated ornithologist. A 1971 Southeast graduate, he also has worked with the St. Louis Zoo for several years.

Hanebrink, a Cape Girardeau native and 1948 graduate of Southeast, is professor emeritus of biology at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Ark. He has been inducted into the American Pigeon Fancier's Hall of Fame.

Gray is a retired superintendent of schools at Lindbergh School District in St. Louis County. He devoted over 60 years to education working in the Zalma, Neelyville, Herculaneum, Sikeston and Lindbergh school districts. He graduated from Southeast in 1947.

Keller is professor emeritus of computer science and engineering at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. A 1950 graduate of Southeast, he received the Outstanding Educational Achievement Award from Southeast in 1979.

Hahs has spent most of his business career with Northwestern Mutual Financial Network where he currently is district director. Since 1975, he has been an adjunct professor at Southeast, teaching "principles of insurance." Hahs graduated from Southeast in 1964.

Najjar is a retired associate publisher of Evaluation Engineering magazine. A 1943 graduate of Southeast, she was involved in publishing, marketing and sales for three electronics industry publications.

Kasten is a retired state representative and founder of the Cape Girardeau Community Caring Council. She was a former member of Southeast's Board of Regents and the Cape Girardeau Board of Education. She graduated from Southeast in 1949.

McClanahan is a professor emeritus in the College of Education at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Ariz. A 1951 Southeast graduate, he was inducted into Northern Arizona's Athletics Hall of Fame in 1999.

Pritchard is a child advocate, Public Broadcasting System host and nationally acclaimed speaker and humorist. He has performed with Robin Williams and Jay Leno. He graduated from Southeast in 1973.

Syler is an associate professor of human environmental studies at Southeast and a nutrition and health expert. She received the St. Francis Medical Center Womancare Award in 1996. She graduated from Southeast in 1971.