Chad Luke, associate professor, won the Tennessee Technological University (TTU) Outstanding Faculty Award in Teaching and the College of Education Research and Creative Endeavors Award. Luke is an alumnus of the Counselor Education program and has been at TTU, in the Department of Counseling and Psychology, for six years.

“I’m grateful to receive these awards in the same semester (while also being awarded tenure!), as I think it could highlight the complimentary nature of teaching and scholarship.”

 

The TTU Outstanding Faculty Award in Teaching requires both faculty and student nominations. Luke was a finalist out of 800 nominations, and a committee selected him based on his portfolio submission. Their award announcement cited his humanistic approach to challenging students.

He said, “This particular award was a career goal of mine that I had kept to myself. To be recognized for my teaching at a place that is recognized historically as a teaching institution is quite sobering.”

The College of Education Research and Creative Endeavors Award requires a demonstrated active research agenda in publishing, producing, and performing. When asked what made his nomination for this award stand out, Luke explained that he teaches 11 courses a year, on average, so to also have about 20 publications, including refereed journals, book chapters, and a book, seemed to exceed expectations.

He said, “I am proud to receive this kind of recognition in a college that has so many faculty working so hard and achieving so much!”

Jennifer Moralejo, PhD candidate in Counselor Education, has been chosen as one of ten Chi Sigma Iota (CSI) Leadership Fellows. She is currently the social chair of Upsilon Theta, the CSI chapter at UT Knoxville. Moralejo also serves on the workshop committee and strategic planning committee.

“I am honored to represent Upsilon Theta through this opportunity. I look forward to meeting and collaborating with Chi Sigma Iota leadership and other selected fellows. Overall, I am excited for this opportunity and the upcoming year.”

Chi Sigma Iota is an international honor society that focuses on promoting academic and professional excellence in counseling. CSI was established in 1985 and was created for counselors-in-training, counselor educators, and professional counselors.
The CSI Leadership Fellows Program is a yearly award designed to cultivate and support graduate counseling students by developing their skills, network, and competencies as future counseling professionals in a changing, multicultural society. When asked what the application process was like Moralejo explained, “Faculty and peers were supportive. Part of this process required that I reflect upon my leadership philosophy and how being a fellow may further develop my ideas, skills, and experiences. It was an honor to even be considered for nomination and definitely surprising and exciting to be selected for the fellowship.”

Moralejo will be attending the American Counseling Association (ACA) Annual Conference and Expo in San Francisco, CA in March 2017. As CSI Leadership Fellow, she will provide a minimum of fifty service hours on a CSI task force/committee and one hundred hours on special projects, attend the CSI Leadership Training, attend CSI activities, receive a $600 grant from CSI, receive a $100 dollar grant from her nominating CSI chapter (Upsilon Theta), and be recognized at the CSI Awards Ceremony during the ACA Annual Conference and Expo.