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Cinematic Arts Awards

The Broadcast Education Association’s (BEA) National Festival of Media Arts announced its 2019 Festival winners, which included ºÚÁÏÍø students and faculty. Cinematic arts major Nicola Pieper took second place for student scriptwriting (writing for television), while in the student narrative film competition senior Gina Dodds Ferguson claimed an “Award of Excellence” for her poignant short film, They All Fall. In addition, professor Matt Meyer’s feature-length film, Changing Time, took home an “Award of Excellence” in the Faculty Film and Video Competition.

English Professor Praised for New Book

English professor Guadalupe Garcia McCall’s book All the Stars Denied received accolades on multiple fronts. It was named one of the “2019 Best Children’s Books of the Year” in the Fourteen and Up Category by Bank Street College of Education, was a finalist for the Texas Institute of Letters’ “Best Young Adult Book” award, and landed on the “2018 Best Multicultural Children’s Books” list created by the Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature. In the book, the author tackles the hidden history of the U.S. and its first mass deportation event that swept up hundreds of thousands of Mexican American citizens during the Great Depression.

Another of Garcia McCall’s books, Shame the Stars, was chosen by the Texas Center for the Book at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission as Texas’ Great Read for 2018.

Hernandez Selected for Hispanic Impact Award

The Faith and Education Coalition of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference awarded Rebecca Hernandez, associate provost and chief diversity officer, the 2018 Hispanic Impact Award at its annual Hispanic Education Summit last fall.

Hernandez was selected based on her work nationally through the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, Commission on Diversity and Inclusion, as well as work on the ºÚÁÏÍø campus. With the assistance of Provost Linda Samek, Hernandez has led efforts to increase the hiring of more diverse faculty, staff and administrators to reflect the increasing diversity of the university’s student body.

Morse Presented with National Dallas Willard Award

The seminary’s MaryKate Morse was honored with the Dallas Willard Award, presented by the Missio Alliance at the organization’s national conference, Awakenings, this spring. The award, created by the Willard family shortly after his death in 2013, is given every other year to a leader who embodies Willard’s passion for spiritual formation and the church. The recipient of the first award was NT Wright in 2017. The inscription on the award reads, in part, “As a champion and pioneer in the field of spiritual formation, especially as it relates to Christian leadership, we recognize the unique and lasting impact Dr. Morse has made as a church planter, pastor, author, teacher, mentor, wife, and mother.”

Cuddeford Honored by Oregon Physical Therapy Association

Tyler Cuddeford, director of the university’s physical therapy program, was honored as recipient of the 2018 Mercedes Weiss Award, given annually by the Oregon Physical Therapy Association “to recognize those in our profession that have provided outstanding services to the profession of physical therapy,” according to the organization’s website. The Mercedes Weiss Service Award was established in 1976 to publicly acknowledge the outstanding contribution of members of the profession in one or more of the following areas: clinical practice, education, administration, research and practice management.

Canyon Commons, Hadlock Student Center Recognized

WoodWorks, a national wood products design council, selected the university’s dining hall, Canyon Commons, as recipient of its “Institutional Wood Design Award.” The facility was one of nine national winners in the council’s 2019 Wood Design Awards, which celebrate innovation and excellence in wood building design across the U.S. The honor recognized the work of the project’s architect (Hacker), structural engineer (KPFF Consulting Engineers) and contractor (Andersen Construction).

Another university facility, the Hadlock Student Center, was named the first-place winner in the Education – New Construction category at the DJC TopProjects Awards in May at the Oregon Convention Center. Soderstrom Architects and Todd Construction teamed up on the entry and were on hand to accept the award, which honors the best building and construction projects in Oregon and Southwest Washington.