10/24/02
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
James O'Connor, University Marketing & Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
Note to editors/news directors: 300 dpi JPEG images of Cynthia Goatley, Richard Allen Hays, Karen Mitchell and Clare Struck are available on the Web at
http://www.uni.edu/pubrel/newsroom/photos/goatley.JPG
http://www.uni.edu/pubrel/newsroom/photos/Hays.jpg
http://www.uni.edu/pubrel/newsroom/photos/Mitchel.jpg
http://www.uni.edu/pubrel/newsroom/photos/Struck.jpg
Four University of Northern Iowa faculty members receive Regents Faculty Excellence Awards
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Four faculty members from the University of Northern Iowa recently received Faculty Excellence Awards from the Board of Regents, state of Iowa. They were among 14 regents institution faculty so honored.
The recipients are: Cynthia Goatley, associate professor of theatre; Richard Allen Hays, professor of public policy; Karen Mitchell, associate professor in communication studies; and Clare Struck, elementary guidance counselor at Malcolm Price Laboratory School.
A UNI faculty member since 1991, Goatley received her undergraduate and master's degrees in speech and drama at the University of Arkansas. She received her doctorate in speech communication from Bowling Green State University. She attended a Holocaust conference in Krakow Poland in 2001, received a grant from the Iowa Humanities Board to produce "Sir Patient Fancy," and is a twice-awarded Fulbright Program scholar.
Hays has been with UNI since 1979. He received his bachelor's degree from Johns Hopkins University, and his master's and doctorate degrees from the University of North Carolina. He is the UNI representative to the Waterloo Housing Partnership Advisory Board. He is a member of the American Political Science Association, the National Low Income Housing Coalition, and Iowa Coalition for Housing and the Homeless.
Mitchell received her bachelors and master's degrees from Southern Illinois University, and her doctorate from Louisiana State University, before coming to UNI in 1991. She directed "Extra-Curricular: A Novel of Rape on Campus," and the "Vagina Monologues". She participates in the U.S. Department of Justice grant program to combat violent crimes against women on campus and in the HIV education program sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Struck has been with UNI's Price Laboratory School since 1983. She received both her bachelor's and master's degrees from UNI. She received a certification for advanced training in conflict resolution in education from the National Association for Mediation in Education (NAME), and a certificate for conflict management training from the Iowa Peace Institute.
###
10/24/02
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Leah White, assistant professor of communication studies, (319) 273-7200
Melissa Barber, University Marketing & Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
UNI speech team wins regional tournament
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The University of Northern Iowa Speech Team recently placed first at the 35th annual Sugar Loaf Invitational at Winona State University. A total of 15 schools attended the tournament.
All four UNI students who competed received awards. Danielle Dick, a junior from Dayton, placed first in after-dinner speaking and third in prose interpretation. Sara Gronstal, a junior from Council Bluffs, placed second in poetry interpretation, second in informative speaking and fourth in extemporaneous interpretation. Amy Larsen, a senior from Ankeny, placed first in informative speaking, second in communication analysis, third in extemporaneous interpretation and fifth in impromptu speaking. Larsen also placed second in the overall quadrathon individual sweepstakes competition. Phil Rippke, a junior from Moville, placed third in informative speaking and fourth in impromptu speaking.
Will Major, instructor of communication studies, is the director of individual events. Leah White, assistant professor of communication studies, is the director of forensics. Lucas Messer, communication studies graduate assistant, also is a coach for the team. All three were awarded the Collie Coaches award as coaches of the championship team.
For more information, contact Leah White (319) 273-7200.
###
10/24/02
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Donna Thompson, director, National Program for Playground Safety, (319) 273-2416
Gwenne Culpepper, Office of Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
National Program for Playground Safety, based at UNI, refunded
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The National Program for Playground Safety (NPPS), based at the University of Northern Iowa, has received a two-year federal grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. This is the eighth consecutive year the funding has been renewed.
Donna Thompson, project director and a UNI professor of physical education, said the grant will provide $550,000 to educate children and adults.
"Each year some 211,000 preschool and elementary children receive emergency treatment for injuries that occurred on playground equipment. We have identified three goals for this year that the grant will allow us to pursue."
Thompson said the program has the following goals:
· Educate the public about the importance of playground safety and injury prevention.
· Assess the impact of environmental modifications of known risk factors on public playgrounds.
· Promote compliance with the Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) guidelines and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards at state and local levels.
NPPS was established at UNI in 1995 by a grant from the CDC. Through its efforts, parents, educators, childcare professionals, city leaders and park officials have been given access to current information about playground safety and appropriate playground equipment.
The program maintains a toll-free hotline, 1-800-554-PLAY, to respond to playground safety issues. The program's Web site at www.uni.edu/playground has received more than 1.5 million visits.
Among ongoing services of the program are inter-library loan services of publications and documents from UNI's Rod Library; resource materials for use by organizations and agencies; in-depth educational opportunities through the NPPS Safety School and playground supervision workshops; and a network of professionals who can provide specific information to local communities around the country.
###
10/24/02
News Brief
Following is a story lead and the University of Northern Iowa sources who can best address this topic. Feel free to contact the sources directly.
UNI professor urges public to keep playgrounds safe this Halloween
Halloween, long a holiday for high jinks and hilarity, can become a dangerous celebration when proper safety precautions are ignored, particularly on playgrounds. In Des Moines earlier this year, authorities found sharp metal shards placed strategically at the bottom of a playground slide.
Donna Thompson, director of the National Program for Playground Safety, based at UNI, says there are simple ways for parents and other concerned citizens to ensure safety on playgrounds. She recommends adults assess playgrounds for hazards prior to allowing children to use the play environment. Other supervision tips are available in the Playground Supervision Kit, which consists of a supervision manual, video and safety fannypack.
The kit is available via the Web, at www.playgroundsupervision.org.
Contact:
Donna Thompson, director, National Program for Playground Safety, (319) 273-2416
Gwenne Culpepper, University Marketing & Public Relations, (319) 273-2761