Four enterprising alumni who garnered this year’s Academy of Excellence awards from McKendree University are glued to their research, active in their communities and inspire others to reach for the stars.
The alumni were selected from four fields of study at McKendree:
Mathematics, Science and Technology: Richard Miller ’73 of St. Paul, Minn., whose research with adhesives has been used in diapers, packaging and bookbinding.
Education: Jennifer May ’89 of O’Fallon, Ill., who teaches elementary school students about space.
Language, Literature and Communication: Ptosha “Rocki” Rockingham ’89 of Plantation, Fla., vice president of community relations and communications for Jarden Consumer Solutions in Boca Raton.
Humanities: Dr. Lyle C. Jensen ’66 of Ashville, N.Y., a retired university professor, who is active in youth education and at-risk services.
The honorees were inducted into McKendree’s Academy of Excellence on Oct. 27 at the Alumni Awards Dinner and Homecoming Dance. The awards were established in 2003 to recognize alumni who, through achievement, leadership and character, have made exceptional contributions to the honor and prestige of McKendree University in their various fields; alumni who demonstrate in their daily lives the values imparted through a liberal arts education.
Miller, who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology at McKendree, has had a successful career in the adhesive and chemical industry, with 22 patents and three patents pending. He is a senior chemist in research and development for adhesives at Ashland Chemical and has also worked for Essex Chemical, H.B. Fuller and Eastman Chemical. Miller’s articles have been published in international trade magazines, and he is the recipient of the R&D 100 Award given by Research & Development magazine.
May teaches third grade at Ellis Elementary School in Belleville, Ill. She has participated in space presentations throughout the United States and has also traveled to Russia to learn, as well as to teach, about space exploration. May received the 2000 World Space Week Teacher of the Year award for Grades 3-5; the 1999 Presidential Award of Excellence in Elementary Science Teaching for the state of Illinois; the 1996 and 1997 Illinois Science Teachers Association Award of Excellence; and was named the 1996 Air Force Association Regional Teacher of the Year. May earned a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education at McKendree.
As a student at McKendree, Rockingham was active in student government, played women’s basketball and worked for the McKendree Review — the student newspaper. After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in public relations and journalism at McKendree, she joined General Motors in Michigan. Since moving to Florida to work for Jarden Consumer Solutions — known for such consumer brands as Rival, Sunbeam and Mr. Coffee — Rockingham has been an active member of her community. She serves on the boards of The Cooperative Feeding Program, March of Dimes and the American Red Cross. She is also active in SOS Children’s Villages, Gilda’s Club, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Black/Hispanic Journalists, INROADS, Executive Leadership Council, National Urban League and the National Council of Negro Women.
Jensen worked for three years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Korea and continues to travel to that country which he refers to as his “second home.” After completing a Bachelor of Arts degree in English at McKendree, Jensen earned a Master of Arts degree in English literature at Eastern Illinois University and a doctorate at the State University of New York-Buffalo. From 1991-2005 he served on the faculty at Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio. Jensen serves as a tutor, Special Olympics volunteer and school board member for Panama (N.Y.) Central School. He is an advocate for animals and serves as a board member for the Cattaraugus County (N.Y.) Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Other awards include: Phi Delta Kappa Educator of the Year awards in both Ohio and New York, the President’s Award for Outstanding Program Development, Baldwin-Wallace College’s Strosacker and Bechberger Awards for teaching excellence.
-McK-