Bluefield University recently honored its employees with a year-end faculty and staff awards ceremony, which included the presentation of a Distinguished Staff Award to Tabitha Price, a Distinguished Faculty Award to Dr. Emily Lambert, and 35-year Service Awards to Clayton and Prapasri Wagner.
Price, an operations assistant for the Office of Enrollment Management, received the Distinguished Staff Award as a result of her “dedicated and exceptional service to Bluefield University.” An 11-year veteran of the BU family, she was also acknowledged for her “positive attitude,” “Christian character,” and “strong work ethic.” In nominating her, her co-workers also praised her “modesty” and “efficiency.”
Dr. Lambert, associate professor of biology, earned the Distinguished Faculty Award for her “personal and professional integrity” and “commitment to the mission of the college.” She was also acknowledged for her “strong Christian character” and “church and community service.” During her eight-year tenure with BU, she has been promoted to chair of the Department of Biology and this year was instrumental in developing a new master of arts in biomedical sciences program in partnership with the Via College of Osteopathic Medicine.
As part of the year-end faculty/staff awards ceremony, the college also presented Service Awards to employees with extended years of service, including the Wagners, 35-year veterans of the school’s maintenance and housekeeping staff; Dwain Harwick, instructor of math (25 years); Chris Shoemaker, director of marketing and public relations (25 years); Fred Gillespie, instructor for online programs (20 years); Betsy Summerfield, instructor for online programs (20 years); Dr. Kelly Walls, associate professor of criminal justice (20 years); Steve Kessinger, director of information systems and technology (15 years); Shirley Mutter, Business Office manager (15 years); Dr. Tracey Stout, associate professor and chair of the Department of Christian Studies (15 years); Robert Walker, instructor for online programs (15 years); Eric Wohlford, manager of network service and information securities (15 years); David Gilmore, maintenance worker (10 years); Rebecca Music, food services employee (10 years); Samantha Bales, BluefieldCentral advocate (five years); Brad Bauer, head golf coach (five years); Barbara Gillespie, director of library services (five years); Jennifer Lamb, registrar (five years); Pam Linkous, assistant professor and assistant dean of the School of Nursing (five years); Judy Pedneau, human resources director (five years); and Kelley St. Clair, director of finance and administration (five years).
Three retiring Bluefield University employees were also recognized for their loyalty to the institution, including Dr. Bob Boozer, Barbara Gillespie, and Mimi Merritt. Merritt had served the college for 22 years as an assistant professor of communication and later director of institutional effectiveness. She also served two years as interim vice president for academic affairs and was at one-time faculty president, a member of the Campus Leadership Team, director of the Student Success Committee, chair of the Faculty Committee, and faculty advisor for the student newspaper, The Rampage. In addition, she was a 2015 recipient of the school’s Distinguished Faculty Award.
Dr. Boozer spent 11 years with the college before retiring as professor and chair of the Department of Psychology. He also served as director of the General Education Program and Vocation and Calling and was named a Distinguished Faculty Award winner in 2015. Gillispie, who had served the college for five years, retired as director of library services. Before BU, she served more than 30 years as a library media specialist with Virginia Public Schools, most of that time with Tazewell County Schools at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.