Ballard, an EKU alumnus, has been a member of the Alliance since 1991. He has served as past president of the Kentucky Association for School Health and is finishing a three-year term on the national board of directors for the American Association for Health Educators. At the university level, Ballard recently chaired the Smoke-Free Zone Task Force and continues to teach courses in personal health.

“I think it’s not only important to provide a quality classroom experience for your students, but I think it’s also important to be involved in the profession and give back on all levels of community, state and national,” said Ballard.

Ballard was nominated for the Dodson Award last fall. He will receive the award in March at the Southern District’s annual conference in Virginia.

“I was surprised but very appreciative of the fact that someone would nominate me,” said Ballard. “I truly appreciate the recognition and I attribute a lot of my success to the educational preparation that I received here at EKU and many of the faculty who served as my mentors. I would hope to say that when my career is over I’ve been able to influence someone in that same capacity.”

Ballard earned his bachelor’s degree in health education and master’s in secondary education from Eastern. At the University of Tennessee, he earned a doctorate in health education and a specialist in education degree in safety education and service.

AAHPERD was founded in 1885 to “promote and support creative and healthy lifestyles through high quality programs in health, physical education, recreation, dance and sport.” The organization is divided into six districts and has 25,000 members.

Davis, known for her activism in the areas of racial and gender equality during the 1960s and '70s, is a former member of the U.S. Communist Party and ran for vice president twice representing the party. The Birmingham, Ala., native grew up in a place and time where she was directly affected by the “humiliations of racial segregation.” She is associated with the Black Panther Party, which was formed in 1966 “to protect local communities from police brutality and racism.”

In 1970, she appeared on the FBI’s Most Wanted List “after a gun legally registered to her was used in an attempted courtroom escape in which a judge and three others were killed.” After running from police for two months, she was captured, tried and acquitted of all charges of conspiracy, kidnapping and homicide.

Davis was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize in 1979 and is the co-founder of the National Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression. She is also the author of several books, including an upcoming publication, “Punishment and Democracy: Essays on the Prison Industrial Complex.”

Davis is presidential chair and professor in the History of Consciousness Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She now focuses her activism on the state of U.S. prisons and the death penalty.

“She’s a voice that students should hear because she will say things that they will not be accustomed to hearing,” said Dr. Bruce MacLaren, program director of the Chautauqua series. “She represents the theme of the series of lectures this year because she’s questing for social justice, prison reform, equality of treatment of all people and to create a world that is kinder and gentler.”

Nelson, a faculty member in the Science and Religion graduate program at Biola University in La Mirada, Calif., is a fellow at the Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture. He also is a fellow of the International Society for Complexity, Information and Design. He received a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Chicago in 1998.

He has been published in journals such as Biology and Philosophy, Zygon, Touchstone and Rhetoric and Public Affairs. His upcoming book, “On Common Descent,” will evaluate the theory of common descent.

“Nelson was recommended to me as one of the most intelligent and effective speakers on the idea of design,” MacLaren said. “I’m anxious for the students to hear him because a lot of social issues are going to be brought up.”

For more information about the Chautauqua series, call MacLaren at 622-1503.

“In recent years, it had evolved to a point where there was no distinct EKU ring,” said Skip Daugherty, University Special Events Coordinator and co-chair of the official ring committee. “The committee wanted to have a ring design with an 'EKU' identity. It was thought that the ring would have more significance if the rings offered were all part of the new design. We wanted to return to the tradition of having an easily identifiable EKU class ring and modernize the look at the same time.”

The committee members appointed by President Glasser began working on the class ring project in the fall of 2004 and made their recommendations in June, 2005. Rings from the new collection can be seen at the EKU Bookstore, in the EKU Alumni House and online at EKU Class Rings.

In addition to Daugherty, committee members are co-chair Claire Good, Mario Anderson, Theresa Botts, Erin Coombs, Janet Creech, Laura Fedders, Jey Marks, Lora Snider and Felicia Szorad.

“The celebration of the EKU’s Centennial offered a perfect time to present the new class ring series,” Daugherty said. “It gave us the opportunity to use the Centennial logo as one the ring choices.”

Anyone who purchased a class ring within the past year can exchange that ring for one from the new collection at no charge. An EKU class ring purchased prior to that can can be exchanged for $50. Jostens Warranty Department (148 East Broadway, Owatonna, Minn. 55060, 1-800-854-7464) will handle the exchange.

All EKU students with at least 60 hours of credit will receive an invitation to the March 7 unveiling, and faculty and staff are welcome to attend. Refreshments will be served.

The trip marked Allison’s fourth time representing EKU in this position and fifth time to the competition. Besides judging the competition, Allison also presented clinic sessions for participating performers and instructors.

“I’ve seen tremendous growth in the musical achievements of these groups over the past six or seven years,” said Allison. “I would hope that we international guests have had a small role in this development.”

Allison also said that Japanese performing groups are becoming more internationally active, with several coming to the U.S. to perform and compete.

“It is a real goal of mine to host international groups of this type on our campus and in our community,” he said.

After Allison’s last visit to the competition, his experiences were featured in the International Marching Institute Journal and the Drum Corps International Magazine.

The receptions will take place as follows:

• Thursday, March 2, 6:30 to 8 p.m., EKU Manchester Center, Manchester, Contact: Lettie.Dixon@eku.edu
• Monday, March 20, 6:30 to 8 p.m., Mountain Arts Center, Prestonsburg Contact: Lettie.Dixon@eku.edu
• Thursday, April 6, 6:30 to 8 p.m., EKU Corbin Center, Corbin, Contact: Lettie.Dixon@eku.edu
• Monday, April 10, 6 to 7:30 p.m., EKU Student Services Building, Richmond, Contact: Liz.Smith@eku.edu
• Tuesday, April 18, 6 to 7:30 p.m., Holiday Inn Downtown, Louisville, Contact: Felecia.Ballard@eku.edu
• Thursday, April 27, 6:30 p.m., Kings Island Resort and Conference Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, Contact: Kerri.Ferrell@eku.edu

University representatives will be on hand to provide information about academic programs, the admissions process, financial assistance, housing and other areas of the University. The $30 application fee will be waived for any student who completes an application for admission at the event.

What do you enjoy most about teaching at EKU?
I enjoy the interactions with the students. I prefer teaching in a laboratory setting because there are more opportunities for one-on-one contact with students than in a larger classroom setting.

What about EKU’s Biological Sciences Program would you most like the public and prospective students to know?
EKU’s Department of Biological Sciences has excellent pre-medical and pre-professional programs. We are very successful preparing our graduates for professional and graduate programs across the nation. A large percentage of our graduates who apply to post-baccalaureate programs are accepted and do quite well in these programs because of the education they received at EKU.

As a classroom educator, what do you consider success?
I want my students to be more excited about a subject AFTER they take the course than before taking it. Several years ago, one of my students told me that she hated science before she took my class and even dreaded taking my science course as a General Education requirement. Afterwards, she told me she loved science and wanted to take more science courses. I consider that a success.

Are we making progress attracting more females into the science professions?
I think we are making progress attracting women into some of the fields of science. Since I have been at EKU, the total number of females that are pre-medical science majors has increased.

A big focus in Kentucky middle schools and high schools is improved science instruction. Why is this important and what approaches work best?
There are many careers where a strong background in the sciences is critical. The earlier that students are introduced to science in the school system, the more prepared they will be when they enter college. It is essential for universities such as EKU to thoroughly train middle and high school teachers in the sciences so they can provide their students with the best science education possible.

Faculty, staff and students are needed to serve as judges. Besides providing service to the community, this is a great way to support the efforts of these future business leaders. Interested individuals should call Kathy Barr at 622-1412 or e-mail kathy.barr@eku.edu.

Barker, Tom. “One Percent Bikers Clubs: A Description,” Trends in Organized Crime, Vol. 9, No. 1 (Fall 2005), pgs. 101-112.

Blythe, Hal, and Sweet, Charlie. “Creative Writing and an Overlooked Population,” New Writing: The International Journal for the Practice and Theory of Creative Writing, Vol. 2, No. 2 (2005), pgs. 116-127.

Blythe, Hal, and Sweet, Charlie. “The Single Best Teaching Tip,” The TL Writing Consortium, Jan. 18, 2006. tlwritingconsortium-bounces@lists.wku.edu.

Engle, Allen D. Sr., and Poor, Jozsef. “Compensation in the CEE Region: Moving from Traditional to Modern,” Benefits and Compensation International, Vol. 35, No. 5 (December 2005), pgs. 3-8.