YOUNG ALUMNI MERIT AWARDS ANNOUNCED

The Alumni Association of Southeast Missouri State University has selected seven alumni to receive the University's 2000 Young Alumni Merit Awards.

The seven will be honored during spring commencement exercises on May 13 at 2 p.m. in the Show Me Center. Each Young Alumni Merit Award is presented by an academic college at Southeast to honor a distinguished young alumna or alumnus.

Alumni to receive the award are Carl Seyer of Tamaroa, Ill., Curtis Poore of Jackson, David Bailey of St. Peters, Deborah Kerber-Rehr of Chesterfield, Erin Reilly of Topeka, Kan., James Gleason of Sikeston and Teresa Tuschhoff of Ballwin.

The recipient of the Young Alumni Merit Award from the School of Polytechnic Studies, Seyer, is a program quality engineer at Nascote Industries Inc. in Nashville, Ill. Seyer graduated from Southeast in 1990 with a bachelor of science degree in industrial technology production. A few of his current programs involve the 1999-2000 Corvette, 1999-2000 Mercury Villager-Nissan Quest minivan and the 2000 Ford Sport Trac truck.

The recipient from the College of Liberal Arts, Poore, is an attorney with the firm of Limbaugh, Russell, Payne and Howard in Cape Girardeau. Upon graduating from Southeast in 1987 with a bachelor of science degree in political science, Poore attended the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law, where he obtained his juris doctorate degree. Poore, who handles both civil and criminal litigation, is a full partner in the firm and is a municipal judge at Jackson.

Bailey, an attorney and partner of Saale and Bailey, L.C., has been selected as Southeast's Harrison College of Business 2000 recipient of the Young Alumni Merit Award. Bailey graduated from Southeast in 1987 with a bachelor of science in business administration degree. In 1990, he obtained his juris doctorate degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law. He is active in a number of civic organizations.

Kerber-Rehr, an optometrist and owner of Resler-Kerber Optometry in Florissant, is Southeast's College of Science and Mathematics 2000 recipient of the Young Alumni Merit Award. Kerber graduated from Southeast in 1986 with a bachelor of science degree in biology. She continued her education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis School of Optometry and obtained her doctor of optometry degree in May 1992. She also is a clinical faculty member with the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Reilly, a doctor of philosophy in education candidate at the University of Kansas and an instructor at Washburn University, has been selected as Southeast's College of Education 2000 recipient of the Young Alumni Merit Award. Reilly graduated from Southeast in 1986 with a bachelor of science in secondary education. She returned to her alma mater in 1988 as an instructor in the Department of Physical Education. Reilly received her master of arts in human performance studies from the University of Alabama in 1994.

Gleason, president and chief operating officer of Galaxy Cablevision in Sikeston, has been selected as Southeast's Harrison College of Business 2000 recipient of the Young Alumni Merit Award. In 1986 Gleason graduated from Southeast with a bachelor of science in business administration with majors in both marketing and finance. Gleason has been employed by Galaxy Cablevision for 14 years and is a member of the Cable Television Marketing and Administration Society and the Board of Directors of the American Cable Association.

Tuschhoff, regional vice president of Corporate Fitness Works in St. Louis, is Southeast's College of Health and Human Services 2000 recipient of the Young Alumni Merit Award. After graduating cum laude from Southeast in 1993 with a bachelor of science in health management, Tuschhoff continued her education with Harvard University Medical School of Continuing Education and received clinical training in behavioral medicine in 1996. Currently, Tuschhoff is pursuing a master of arts in health services management at Webster University in St. Louis.