More than 1,100 graduates will receive a diploma this weekend! It’s almost time to take that final walk across the stage to get your diploma! For most of you, this is your first time graduating from Northern Kentucky University. It’s important to be prepared. We gathered a few tips to help you get through the day.
College of Arts & Sciences
Anson Turley began his college career in 2017 when he was 50 years old.Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, he attended Walnut Hills High School,where he graduated magna cum laude in 1984. In 1987, at age 20, hebecame a firefighter for the City of Cincinnati. He continues his publicservice 32 years later with the Cincinnati Fire Department as an assistantfire chief.
In 1988, he married his best friend Stephanie, who gave him two beautifulchildren–a daughter, Kirsten, and a son, Spencer. Stephanie is his truenorth, a rock and support in his life. After more than three decades inpublic service, Turley’s time with the fire department will soon end. He knew that he would need a degree to prepare for the next phase of his life. Being old-fashioned, he wanted to attend a brick and mortar school thatwas regionally accredited and catered to the adult student. NKU was theperfect choice.
Upon beginning his college career, Turley had no previous college credit. He wanted a quality education but also needed to obtain his degree inthe least possible time. He also had personal challenges in completing his degree. Turley had to balance school with a full-time career and family responsibilities that included taking care of a father with Alzheimer’s.
The PACE program (now called Adult Learner Programs & Services), alongwith the credit by examination opportunities offered at NKU made itpossible for him to obtain a 4-year degree in 2 ½ years while achievinga work-life-school balance. Turley credits NKU’s faculty and advisorswith his educational success. He will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts inOrganizational Leadership, and for this, he thanks the faculty and advisorsat NKU and the support of his family, especially his loving wife, Stephanie.
2019 Frank Sinton Milburn Outstanding Professor Award Recipient
Dr. Debra Meyers, professor of History, has been a member of the NKUfaculty since 2001 and has since had a dramatic impact on the universityand her students. Meyers ranks among the very best of NKU’s professors,with students consistently finding her courses engaging and challenging.Her classes range from American history, to gender and religion, tofeminist theology, and many others, reflecting both the breadth and depthof her experience and knowledge.
Meyers’ active encouragement and leadership prompted her departmentto adopt the university’s fledging Women’s and Gender Studies (WGS)Program in 2009. Meyers rebuilt the program, and as a result the numberof students enrolled in WGS classes burgeoned. With a commitment toexpanding educational opportunities for all students, she established anonline minor in WGS, one of the first online minors at NKU, and she led herdepartment in creating an online bachelors degree program in History–thesecond such program in the nation.
As a scholar, Meyers is a recognized expert in American women’s historyand American colonial history. She has published seven books, numerousarticles and book chapters, and given many presentations at scholarlyconferences. She is currently working on two new publication projects:Gender, Love, and Religion in the Early Chesapeake (Debra Meyers); andCrisis and Challenge in the Roman Catholic Church: Perspectives on Declineand Reformation (Debra Meyers and Mary Sue Barnett, eds.).
Meyers was recognized for her achievements with NKU’s 2019 Frank Sinton Milburn Outstanding Professor Award, which honors a faculty memberwho has demonstrated excellence in teaching, scholarship and service overthe course of her/his career. Meyers’ students also extol the ways in which she encourages each one of them to succeed. In 2017, she received the Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award, nominated by online students she hadnever met face to face, but who were still so impacted by her tireless workas a teacher, mentor and service-oriented faculty member.
College of Informatics
Tierra Baldwin was born in Orlando, Florida, and raised in Lexington,Kentucky. As a student here at NKU, Baldwin is honored and blessed to bethe first graduate of the Health Communication program in the College of Informatics with a secondary concentration in health care ethics andpolicy. Growing up, Baldwin always had a passion for helping others, butit was only a matter of time before she realized that she needed to liveout of her comfort zone and start doing things that would unleash hertrue potential. She decided to declare her major in health communication because she wanted to challenge herself, try something new, and most ofall, she wanted to invest in a career that she knew would be invaluable tothe health care industry to change lives for the better.
For her future, she hopes to inspire others to live more fulfilling, healthyand active lifestyles. She would also like to continue to work within local communities across the U.S. to help address the importance of effectivehealth communication while promoting efforts to improve health andwell-being. With an emphasis on the importance of patient and healthadvocacy, she believes there is much more that can be accomplished toreach higher standards of quality care and service.
During her time at NKU, Baldwin has been involved in variousorganizations and extracurricular activities, including: Health ProfessionsClub, NKU R.O.C.K.S, Lambda Pi Eta (honor society of the NationalCommunication Association), Ethics Bowl 2019, TRIO Student SupportServices, peer mentor for the Campbell County Drug-Free Alliance Summitat NKU and student representative for the faculty search committee for the health communication department. She has also had the wonderfulopportunity to contribute to the analysis and write-up of a research article on disability health care under Medicaid with Dr. Whittney Darnell. Thisarticle has been accepted into the National Communication AssociationConference. Her experience at NKU has allowed Baldwin to make positivechange and potentially inspire others to take a leap of faith and dare tomake a difference. She has encountered many obstacles in her life, but she believes that with faith and determination anything is possible.
