Southeastern Louisiana University opened the 2024-25 academic year Friday (Aug. 16) with its fall convocation that included presentation of the President’s Awards for Excellence, the university’s highest honor for faculty and staff.
The event also included announcement of endowed professorships and scholarships, new faculty and staff, faculty tenure and promotion, emeritus/emerita recipients, and recognition of service awards to faculty and staff who have worked at the university for 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 50 years.
Receiving the President’s Awards for Excellence were Professor of Marketing and Benjamin Jones Professor of Retail Marketing Michael Budden, excellence in research; Instructor of French and Spanish, Jerry Parker, excellence in faculty service; English Instructor and Writer in Residence, Alison Pelegrin, excellence in creative activity, and Associate Professor of Counseling June Williams, excellence in teaching.
During his 35 years at Southeastern, Budden has authored over 112 refereed journal articles, presented at numerous international and national conferences, published over 115 conference proceedings papers, and written two books. Budden was an administrator at Southeastern for 14 years and was the faculty ombudsperson for 12 years.
Throughout his career at Southeastern, Parker’s service activities have included numerous assignments and committee memberships. These have ranged from serving as an administrative advisor to serving as chair or project leader on some of the most important committees of the university.
A faculty member for 20 years, Pelegrin’s creative achievements have been many. Highlights include her appointment as 2023-2025 Louisiana Poet Laureate, recognition and support of her creative work in the form of an ATLAS Grant from the Louisiana Board of Regents, and winning a $20,000 Creative Writing Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Williams prides herself in being a lifelong learner; recognizing that instruction occurs outside as well as inside the classroom; conveying genuine interest, excitement and passion for the content, progression, and the students’ learning and growth; and treating students as active partners in the learning process.
SOUTHEASTERN FACULTY AND STAFF HONORED AT CONVOCATION – Southeastern Louisiana University opened the 2024-25 academic year Friday (Aug. 16) with its fall convocation that included presentation of the President’s Awards for Excellence, the university’s highest honor for faculty and staff. From left are award recipients June Williams, Michael Budden, Jerry Parker, and Alison Pelegrin.
