Dr. Gainey Hosts Event, Receives Award

 

KENNESAW, Ga. (May 22, 2012) — Associate Professor of Communication Dr. Barbara Gainey hosted an event on Friday, March 30, to explore the possibility of adding a Crises Preparedness minor to the university curriculum, and was, much to her surprise, presented with an Award of Excellence from the U.S. Army and National Guard.

The event and award were possible because of an earlier honor. In August of 2011, Dr. Gainey was presented with a Thomas and Beth Holder Award, a KSU Foundation award which provides seed money to encourage curriculum development. Since then, she has formed a faculty study committee, which has been working throughout the year to research the possibility of the new program.

This spring the next phase of research took place as professionals from various fields, including public health, law enforcement, and public relations, gave their feedback as to the feasibility and importance of a Crises Preparedness minor. The guest experts were given four questions to consider throughout the meeting. They were to discuss what concepts and issues should be addressed within the curriculum, what resources should be utilized, the feasibility of the minor, and the importance of the program.

Colonel Bruce Chick of the Army and National Guard felt so strongly about the significance of this project that he presented Dr. Gainey with the Award of Excellence. As chair of the study committee and host of the event, Dr. Gainey was extremely impressed that Colonel Chick was able to surprise her with this honor. She believes that the award was meant in part to show his excitement and encouragement regarding the study.

The KSU study committee will continue to work with professional experts in Crises Preparedness to explore the new minor. The process of having a curriculum for such a minor approved will take at least a year. However, the event provided valuable feedback and was overall extremely successful.

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