March 13, 2012
School of Social Work presents 2012 awards
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The School of Social Work at Southern Illinois University Carbondale recently presented its 2012 awards to recognize outstanding students, faculty and alumni.
The Undergraduate Student of the Year is Marcus Brown, a senior from Urbana majoring in social work with a psychology minor.
Two students share Graduate Student of the Year honors. They are Sarah Dewolfe from Gurnee and Phillip Garcia from Carbondale. Both are master’s students in social work anticipating a May 2012 graduate date.
The social work Citizen of the Year is Virginia Rinella. Recently retired as director of pre-major advisement at SIU Carbondale, Rinella resides in Carbondale. She is a longtime volunteer with the federal Prisoner Visitation and Support Program.
Sharon Atchison is the Field Instructor of the Year. She has served as executive director of the Lighthouse Shelter in Marion since it opened in 2007. A Marion resident, she is a spring 2008 social work graduate from SIU Carbondale.
Dana Pribich, a senior in social work from Glen Ellyn, is the Social Work Student Alliance Student of the Year.
The Auerbach Recognition Award sent to Kristen Atchison, a senior from Mt. Vernon with a social work major and psychology minor.
Ruth Karnes, a master’s student from West Frankfort, is the Graduate Non-Traditional Student of the Year. She is due to graduate in May.
Clark Mitchell is the Undergraduate Non-Traditional Student of the Year. Mitchell, from Herrin, is a social work major with a psychology minor and plans to graduate in May.
The Alumni Achievement Award went to Carla Donoho, director of Angel’s Cove, a program of Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services. Donoho, of Mt. Vernon, earned her master’s in social work at SIU Carbondale in the summer 1999 semester.