Recent Honors and Awards
I was recently selected as a 2010 Phi Theta Kappa Faculty Scholarly. Last year I was also selected. Annually there are only 24 people nationwide selected for the honor.
Phi Theta Kappa is the international honor society for two-year colleges. I am the advisor for Lane Community College’s Sigma Zeta chapter. The chapter has won numerous awards under since I became the advisor in 2005, including the Distinguished Chapter Award in 2008, placing the chapter in the top 25. In addition, I have won a national chapter advisor award three times.
The Faculty Scholar Conference was held January 29 to February 1, 2009 at Phi Theta Kappa’s Center for Excellence in Jackson, Mississippi. The majority of the conference involved listening to speakers in preparation for our responsibilities at the International Honors Institute, which will be held June 22-26, 2009, at the University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia.
We had a tour of the Center for Excellence, and I was delighted to see the bins that are used to sort the Hallmark Awards as they arrive at headquarters.
On Thursday of the the conference we visited Oxford, Mississippi, and Rowan Oak, William Faulkner's home. The day was more fun that I would have anticipated.
On our last evening we went out for dinner. Simon was the Maître de, and he had a great accent. It was absolutely fantastic and a wonderful way to end the training. My first visit to Mississippi was the best.
In Fall 2008 I was awarded my second Faculty Recognition Award from Lane Community College. The award was presented during on week 10 of my one-credit Ten-Key Calculators course. Since most students had already completed the course, there were very few in attendance.
Sonya Christian, Vice President of Instruction, and others on the Faculty Recognition Committee presented the award. Many members of the Business Department were also in attendance. This award was particularly exciting as it was my second, and I am still a part-time instructor at Lane CC.
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In Fall 2006 I was awarded the Faculty Recognition Award from Lane Community College. Two faculty members received the award during fall term. I was listening to student presentations in my 8 a.m., Tuesday-Thursday Team Building Skills class when my boss, Mark Williams, walked into the back of the classroom. He was followed by Sonya Christian, Vice President of Instruction and Student Services, and she was followed by Patrick Lanning, Associate Vice President of Instruction. They were followed by two men I had never seen before. Mark asked if we could take a break. My only thoughts were, Boy, I hope they let me finish the term. David Leung, chair of the committee, lead the presentation by explaining about the award. Sonya then read a few of the nominations.
In the photo above are David Leung, Patrick Lanning, me, Sonya Christian, and Mark Williams.
Wow! The students wrote such wonderful things. I was presented with the certificate, and then there was the photo op. Thank you to all my students for thinking of me.
In April 2009 I received my fourth and final Paragon Award for New Advisors at the International Phi Theta Kappa Convention held in Grapevine, Texas. The chapter was again a Top 25 Chapter. The chapter received a Scholarship Hallmark and Chapter President award. Dee Lauzon was the President Pro Tempore, and she did a wonderful job.
In the photo above are Liz Pratt, me, and Megan Worman.
In April 2008 I received my third Paragon Award for New Advisors at the International Phi Theta Kappa Convention, which was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Our chapter, Sigma Zeta, was named a Distinquished Chapter, which puts it in the top 25 (out of over 1,250 chapters internationally). Our chapter received a Scholarship Hallmark, and Dee Lauzon was elected Vice President for Division IV. Dr. Mary Spilde, Lane President, and Dr. Sonya Christian, Lane Vice President of Instruction, aslo attended the convention. Dr. Spilde received the Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction, and Dr. Christian received the Administrator Award of Distinction.
In the photo above are me, Mary Spilde, Sonya Christian, and Megan Worman.
In April 2007 I received my second Paragon Award at the International Phi Theta Kappa Convention, which was held in Nashville, Tennessee. Our chapter, Sigma Zeta, was also named a Top 100 Chapter. Regional Phi Theta Kappa Coordinator, Dr. Dave Arter said receiving the Paragon Award two years in a row is in the top 2% of new advisors. He also said it is rare for a new advisor to present a workshop at the convention as they are usually those in attendance. He also said:
"Velda has taken on and accomplished more in her first two years than most advisors do in their first five. The change in the chapter since she became advisor has been substantial and positive. I'm thoroughly impressed and very grateful."
In the photo above are Dee Lauzon, me, Sonya Christian, and Megan Worman. Dee is the 2007-08 chapter president, and Megan is the 2007-08 chapter vice president. Both students are also 2007-08 regional vice presidents.
In April 2006 I received my first Paragon Award at the International Convention in Seattle, Washington. This was my first international convention,and the experience was exhiliarating. I attended the convention with Stephenie Simon, past chapter president, Morgan Moorehead, chapter president, and Liz Rosso, alumni. Stephenie had told me that her goal was to get our chapter on the main stage. Boy, was I surprised when they called my name.
In May 2009, I took the reins as the coordinator of the Rocky Mountain Cascade Region of Phi Theta Kappa. Dr. Dave Arter had been an extremely gifted coordinator, and filling his shoes was a tremendous responsibility. The regional team was elected, and we began our year. In hindsight, it was a marvelous year. They have implemented a fundraiser at every event, and someone I end up with a pie in the face. Oh well, it is for a good cause.
In May 2008, our chapter hosted the Regional Awards Conference in conjunction with the chapter's 40th Anniversary. Dr. Dale Parnell was our guest speaker, and the event was held at Camp Harlow in Eugene, Oregon.
The chapter officers decided that it was about time for me to become an honorary member of Phi Theta Kappa, and they presented the certificate to me at the conference. It was very emotional for me.
Also at the conference I was awarded the Distinguished Chapter advisor award. Both Dee and Megan presented me the certificate. As was becoming the case at the regional conferences, my award was not available, so they presented me one of Dee's award. If you look closely, you will see Dee's name on the certificate.
In May 2006 I received the Most Outstanding Advisor award for the Rocky Mountain/Cascade Region of Phi Theta Kappa. I went to this conference completely unaware that I had been nominated for the award. Just as they were getting to the award, it occured to me that I should be prepared to go to the front of the room because my co-advisor from the previous fall had been nominated. I felt she had a very good chance of winning, so I wanted to be ready to accept the award for her.
I was completely shocked when they said my name. What was even funnier was that there was a mistake, and someone else's name was on the award. They had a new plate made, and my new award is very nice.
Dr. Dave Arter, Regional Coordinator, wrote this to Dr. Mary Spilde, President, Lane Community College, after I received these two awards:
At the region's annual convention last weekend, Sigma Zeta's new advisor. Velda Arnaud, was named the region's Most Outstanding Advisor. You are probably already aware that she also won a Paragon Award for New Advisors at Phi Theta Kappa's International Convention in Seattle last month. She was one of 40 new advisors to receive that honor, which puts her roughly in the top 10 percent of new advisors nation wide.
I've also been gratified to see some long-standing challenges that the chapter has faced resolved since Velda became the chapter advisor. Please accept my congratulations on behalf of the region for her success and for that of Lane Community College's Sigma Zeta chapter.
After too many years in the Scouting program, in 2010 I was awarded the Silver Beaver award. This is the highest Council award within the program, and I was very humbled to receive it at a Board meeting.
In the photo are Jeremy Riel, me, and Christopher Otto.
In June 2006 I received the Commissioner of the Year from the Cascade District of the Oregon Trail Council of the Boy Scouts of America. The district has three "Of the Year" awards: Scouter, Scoutmaster, and Commissioner. Even though I have been in Scouting many years, and I've held all those postions, I had never received any of these awards.
To be fair, however, I did receive the district's highest honor, the District Award of Merit back in 2002, so I have received acknowledgement for my hard work and "one hour per week."
Because of the long hours I have been putting into my position as advisor and for my classes at Lane, I decided to give up most of my Scouting obligations in March of this year. The one role I have kept is the College of Commissioner Science (within which I was recently appointed Dean), and I certainly did not expect to receive an award this year. On the day of the awards banquet I was called and asked to attend. With my schedule, that was not possible. Anyway, it's a beautiful award, and I'm very honored.