An unexpected honor

Last night, my wife, Lori, and I attended the Oklahoma State University Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Greek Awards, a dessert banquet put on by the Panhellenic and Interfraternity Councils. I had apple pie. She had carrot cake.

I was never a Greek. As a matter of fact, BYU (where I got my undergrad) doesn't have the Greek system, USU (where I did my graduate work) barely has it, UHCL didn't have the Greek system, and neither did BYU-Idaho. OSU is the first school I've been that had a big Greek community. As a matter of fact, the building where I teach and where my office is, Willard Hall, is right next to Theta Pond, and is across the street from the Greek neighborhoods. So I don't really know a lot about the Greeks.

Well, last night we went to the banquet because I was named the Outstanding Faculty Member for the College of Education for the 2007 calendar year.

WOW.

There are six colleges at Oklahoma State University: Agriculture and Natural Resources (Honoree: Dr. Shannon L. Ferrell); Arts and Sciences (Honoree: Dr. Ricki R. Wingate); the William Spears School of Business (Honoree: Dr. Lanny G. Chasteen); Education (Honoree: ME!); Engineering, Architecture & Technology (Honoree: Dr. AJ Johannes); and Human and Environmental Sciences (Honoree: Dr. Mona Lane).

Here's how these are awarded: each house (whether it be a fraternity or sorority) makes one nomination per college. Then, when all nominations are tallied, he (or she) who was nominated by the most different houses wins. So apparently, this year I did. Me? I'm guessing I was the only one with two nominations . . .

But I really do feel honored. You know, it's one thing to get a pat on the back from the dean or your school head, or maybe you get some sort of research award, but this one comes straight from the students. And to me, that's what makes it so cool.

I've attached a picture of the plaque I got. See it after the jump.