On Friday, September 14, MWU's Glendale Campus held its annual Faculty/Staff Recognition Dinner at the Wigwam Resort. Members of the MWU Board of Trustees were in attendance to honor faculty and staff for their service anniversaries. Dr. G also presented the prestigious Littlejohn Awards.

This annual gathering is an opportunity for the MWU Board and Administration to recognize the commitment and accomplishments of the academic community. Dr. G welcomed all the guests and shared with them her pride in the strides made by MWU over the past year, including the campus expansion, the many successful accreditation visits, the development of new programs in Clinical Psychology and Dental Medicine, and the opening of the MWU Clinic. She asked all the new employees to stand and be recognized, and then read off the list of more than 40 employees who had been promoted over the past year. Following her remarks and a heartfelt prayer by VP for Business Services Dean Malone, the more than 350 employees and their guests enjoyed a delicious dinner of prime rib, salmon, or veggie pasta, followed by a scrumptious cheesecake dessert.

The service awards were then presented, with 12 faculty/staff honored for 5 years of service; 20 faculty/staff celebrating 10 years; 1 at 15 years; and 1 at 20 years. The 20-year honoree was Dr. Ross Kosinski, Dean of Students. Dr. K, as he is affectionately called by the students, is truly liked and respected by everyone on campus--faculty, staff, and students. He started his career at the Downers Grove Campus as a member of the Anatomy faculty for 9 years before transferring to the brand-new Glendale Campus to establish the preclinical division for AZCOM. He was soon promoted to Dean of Students, and he quickly established many community service opportunities for our students. He is instrumental in TOPS (Team of Physicians for Sports) free physicals program for high school students; the ADA Diabetes Walk on campus; and the summer health science institute. He is a previous recipient of the Health Care Heroes Award from the Phoenix Business Journal. We are privileged and honored to have him as part of our MWU family.

Following the service awards, the Board, Dr. Dobbelaere (Executive VP and COO), and Dr. G recognized all of the faculty who had received promotions and tenure. Ten faculty from all colleges had been promoted; two were promoted with tenure; and one received tenure. Each Board member personally congratulated these faculty members, as their promotion and tenure was granted by the Board itself.

Dr. G then got to the highlight of the evening--the presentation of the Littlejohn Awards. In 1900, the three Littlejohn brothers (John Martin, James, and David) founded the American College of Osteopathic Medicine & Surgery, which later became the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, which is the founding college of Midwestern University. The Littlejohns then went on to found the British School of Osteopathy. On our Downers Grove Campus, we have a display of several original Littlejohn artifacts (if you are a history buff like me, you will enjoy them). So, in 2000, the University established the Littlejohn Awards to recognize an MWU staff member, faculty member, and alumnus for their service to the community, the university, and their professions.


Photo: Littlejohn winners Diane Wilkinson, John Shaff, and Erin Raney

The alumni Littlejohn winner this year was John Shaff, M.M.S., PA-C, a 2004 graduate of MWU's Glendale PA Program. Mr. Shaff survived a devastating illness and used his experience to become a compassionate health care provider. As a surgical PA, he has achieved a successful career, has earned the respect of his patients for his caring bedside manner, and has also been active in the community volunteering for sports teams and providing physicals to athletes. The faculty Littlejohn award went to Erin Raney, Pharm.D., of the College of Pharmacy-Glendale. Dr. Raney has always been active in establishing community service programs for our pharmacy students, notably the Diabetes Fair in Phoenix. She is now involved in establishing the pharmacy consulting services and rotations at the new MWU Clinic. Finally, the staff Littlejohn recipient was Diane Wilkinson, who is the Executive Assistant for Dr. Burdick (Dean of Basic Sciences and VP for Clinical Operations). Diane is always the first person to volunteer to help at special events and other campus events. She is also beloved for her friendly smile and her willingness to help students, faculty, and staff in every way. All three of these individuals are wonderful representatives for MWU and well-deserving of these Littlejohn Awards.


Photo: University Relations staff Christine, Patty, me, Shana, Karen, and Courtney

After the awards, guests were able to hit the dance floor and join their colleagues in celebration. I believe some members of my staff were doing the "twist" with some enthusiasm. The photographer took group photos of departments, and I was coerced (?!) into posing with both my admissions staff and my university relations staff. They would probably say that the photos were my idea. All in all, it was a very fun and enjoyable event for the entire MWU family. Congratulations to Christine, Shana, Karen, Patty, Courtney, and Carolyn for all their hard work in planning and executing such a well-run celebration!