Bryan Nichols

Brian Nichols is the new director of the Sam Rayburn Memorial Student Center. He started work on April 10 and was honored with a reception on April 14.

Nichols has served as director of the student center and student activities at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, prior to coming to

A&M-Commerce. He earned a master’s degree in higher education from George Peabody College at Vanderbilt University. For his undergraduate work, Nichols received a bachelor of arts degree in psychology and a bachelor of science degree in biology, both from the University of Cincinnati. Nichols assumed the vacant spot at the student center created with the retirement of Bill King at the end of January.

Dr. Jerry Hutton became dean of the College of Education, effective June 1. A psychology and special education faculty member, Hutton had been serving as interim dean since October 1998.

He was selected to the post after the conducting of a national search. He has been employed at A&M-Commerce since 1971.

Dr. Finnie A. Murray is the new dean in the College of Arts and Sciences. He began work at A&M-Commerce on July 1.

Previously, Murray had served as a dean at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Ark. His academic specializations are animal science, zoology, physiology, and biochemistry.

Murray, 56, is a native of North Carolina who earned two bachelor’s degrees and a master’s degree from North Carolina State University. He received his doctoral degree from the University of Florida.

Dr. Phyllis Erdman, an A&M-Commerce faculty member since 1992, has been named the head of the department of counseling. Erdman assumed the post on June 1.

Former counseling department head Richard Lampe has returned to full-time teaching. Because of increased student enrollments in the department, two additional counseling faculty will be hired effective with the fall semester.

Assuming the newly-created post of associate vice president for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management is Dr. W.S. "Bud" Smith. He began working at A&M-Commerce in June.

Smith previously was an administrator at Emporia State University in Kansas. He has been employed in higher education since 1972. Smith graduated with his bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and master’s from Our Lady of the Lake University. He earned his doctorate from Auburn University.

Bobby Francis, former music faculty and band director, conducted the Wind Symphony for his farewell concert April 30. Francis left A&M-Commerce to become head band director at

Texas Christian University. The Symphonic Band, conducted by Jeff Emge, interim director of Bands, also performed at the concert.

Valerie Finnegan, a student resident assistant for Berry Residence Hall, received the award of "RA of the Year 2000" from On Duty magazine. The magazine also recognized the staff of Berry Hall as runners-up for the "2000 Staff of the Year" award.

KETR staff members received a total of 16 awards in the Associated Press Broadcasters 2000 Contest. Scott Garner, sports director, and Jennifer Yorio, news director, both received five awards in the contest. Vicki Holloway, station manager at KETR, received two awards in the Associated Press contest.

KETR is the 100,000 watt public radio station on the A&M-Commerce campus.

Stacy Edmonson of Mount Vernon and Julia Shahid of McKinney are among only 37 doctoral students in educational administration in the world to be invited to attend the David L. Clark Graduate Student Research Seminar in Educational Administration.

The two doctoral students in educational administration at A&M-Commerce participated in the highly-competitive seminar held in New Orleans, La., at the end of April.

Several A&M-Commerce faculty members were honored at the Annual Awards Banquet held April 20. Dr. Maria Duke dos Santos, literature and languages, and Dr. James M. Reynolds, literature and languages, both won the Paul W. Barrus Distinguished Faculty Award for Teaching.

Dr. Italo Simonelli, mathematics faculty, was the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development Teaching Excellence Award winner. Dr. Ann Moseley, literature and languages, received the H.M. Lafferty Distinguished Faculty Award for Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity; and Dr. William E. McCarron, literature and languages, was honored with the Neill Humfeld Distinguished Faculty Award for Service.

Dr. Anita Pankake, educational administration, was A&M-Commerce’s representative for the Minnie Stevens Piper Professor Award. Also, her publication, "Implementation: Making Things Happen," was recognized by the Texas Staff Development Council as the 2000 Outstanding Publication in Staff Development.

Barbara Lenington, adjunct instructor for political science, recently presented the Doctor’s Creek Unit of Cooper Lake State Park, a check for $2,500 to fund the conversion of an existing shelter at the state park into a cabin. An additional $2,000 has been put into an endowment fund for future benefits to the park.

The funds were raised by Lenington and her Political Science 221 class in the spring semester. The instructor and students organized the 5th Annual March for Parks event in conjunction with Earth Day.