Merit Awards to Honor Alumni, Faculty

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo., Sept. 24, 2009 – Nine alumni and one faculty member will receive Merit Awards presented by the Southeast Missouri State University Alumni Association Oct. 9 at the Copper Dome Society/Merit Recognition Program during Homecoming festivities.

Since 1958, Alumni Merit Awards have been presented to Southeast graduates who have brought distinction to themselves and to the University.

This year's Alumni Merit Award recipients are Dr. Nancy Blattner '78 of Caldwell, N.J., president of Caldwell (N.J.) College; Emmet Fink '40 of Union, Mo., a retired tool engineer with McDonnell Aircraft, Boeing, McDonnell-Douglas and Beech; Dr. Max Heeb '50 of Sikeston, Mo., a retired surgeon; Dr. John Heskett '69 of Chesterfield, Mo., education consultant with Education Solutions, LLC.; John Hessel '74 of Kirkwood, Mo., a St. Louis attorney with the prestigious law firm of Lewis, Rice & Fingersh; Tina Klocke '82 of St. Louis, chief operations and financial bear for Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc.; Dr. Ruby Long '56 of Farmington, Mo., retired professor from Southern Illinois University (SIU)-Edwardsville, where she taught and served as chair of the Department of Special Education, School of Education; Dr. Daniel Walsh '71 of West Lake, Ohio, president and chief executive officer of Physician Link Centers, Inc.; and Dr. Robert Lee Yowell '66 of Flagstaff, Ariz., a theatre professor at Northern Arizona University.

This year's Faculty Merit Award recipient is Dr. Sara Edgerton, professor of cello and string bass and artistic director of the Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra. The Faculty Merit Award is presented for excellence in teaching.