COE Pair Receives 2005 Snyder Exemplary Service Award

Two College of Education faculty members were named recipients of the 2005 Snyder Exemplary Service Award for their contributions to the study of Africa.

Jepkorir Rose Chepyator-Thomson, an associate professor in kinesiology and Norman Thomson, an associate professor in math and science education, received the award during the 13th Annual Darl Synder Lecture for the African Studies Institute at UGA.

Chepyator-Thomson founded the Kenya Program in 1999, a one-month study abroad experience that provides students with opportunities for international and multicultural experiences through immersion in Kenya 's culture and environments.

Her interests in indigenous knowledge on the people of Kenya and the environment is reflected in her research studies in this area and the quest to train students to research, document and preserve indigenous knowledge in Kenya.

Thomson serves as the associate director for the Kenya program. Having worked as a high school science teacher and researcher in Kenya , his interests are connected through a view that science is an endeavor that can best be taught, understood and appreciated within contextual learning environments.

The Snyder Exemplary Service award honors Darl Snyder for his 23 years of service to UGA before his retirement as its first director of international development. During his affiliation with UGA, Snyder offered university assistance to other countries, including Africa and Latin America. Since his retirement Snyder has remained involved with the African Studies Institute.

The speaker for this year's Snyder Lecture was Gertrude Ibengwe Mongella, the first president of the Pan-African Parliament, who spoke on the role of the African Union in resolving the Darfur and lake-region crisis.

Other recipients of the Snyder award included Gordhan Patel, the Vice President for Research in the Department of Cellular Biology and Associate Provost; Mark Lusk, Associate Provost for International Affairs; Wyatt Anderson, Alumni Foundation Distinguished Professor in the Department of Genetics and Dean of Arts and Sciences (1993-2004); Cheryl Davenport-Dozier, associate professor in the School of Social Work and the Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs at the Gwinnett University Center; Freda Scott-Giles, associate professor in the Department of Drama; and John Carroll, associate professor in the Warnell School of Forest Resources.

Monday, March 28, 2005
Writer: Nicole Richardson, 706/583-0811, nrichard@uga.edu