March 5, 2004

Women's Center Selects Recipients Of This Year's Larry Selland Awards

The Boise State University Women’s Center has announced Janet George and Michelle Payne as recipients of this year’s Larry Selland Humanitarian Awards. Two awards are given each year during Women’s History Month, one to a student and one for a faculty or staff member. This year, awards will be presented during the Larry Selland Humanitarian Award Breakfast from 8-9 a.m. on Tuesday, March 16, in the Lookout Room in the Student Union. Janet George is an elementary education major seeking an endorsement in special education. She is described time and again by her professors as a resourceful and talented student, always bringing a fresh perspective to class meetings. She is a mother of two and a dedicated volunteer for the Salvation Army, as well as her daughters’ schools and extracurricular organizations. George has also been blind since birth; however, she does not allow herself to be dependent upon and pitied by others, according to her nominators. She has worked and overcome obstacles to lead a life of compassion and pursue a course of study founded upon service to others. Affirmed through her actions, but even more by those who know and love her, George is a most worthy student recipient of the Larry Selland Award. Michelle Payne, associate professor and director of writing at Boise State, is this year’s faculty recipient. Payne is described by her peers as bringing a strong sense of integrity to both her personal and professional life. She is supportive and dedicated to her students, well-respected by her staff and colleagues, and is of inestimable value to the English department at Boise State, organizing faculty development workshops and designing an original course on feminist literary theory. She reaches out to students, giving them hope and a voice, most notably in her book Bodily Discourses: When Students Write About Abuse and Eating Disorders. She trains future instructors to be effective and compassionate, taking into equal consideration the views of all students. Created in 1997, the Larry Selland Humanitarian Award honors men and women of Boise State who best embody the compassionate nature of the late Larry Selland, an outstanding role model and advocate for women and minorities. Selland was also very committed to educational opportunities for under-served groups. -30- Contact Melissa Wintrow Boise State Women’s Center 208 426-4259 Media Contact Sherry Squires communications and marketing 208 426-1563