CWU College Of Arts And Humanities Honors English Chair

November 13, 2003

ELLENSBURG, Wash.-- Central Washington University presented its first College of Arts and Humanities Distinguished Chair Service Award to Patsy Callaghan, chair of the department of English.

The college established the award this year intending to honor chairs who do an outstanding job of managing their departments and programs.

"The award recognizes chairs who see the relationship between their programs and the university at large; those who are proactive in addressing issues and creative in coming up with solutions," Liahna Armstrong, dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, said. "Patsy reflects all of these qualities."

Callaghan, who lives in Yakima, has been elected chair of the English department twice, from 1995 to 1999, and again from 2001 to 2005.

"During her tenure, the English department has grown tremendously in quality and influence," Armstrong said. "The department is savvy in designing its curriculum to meet students' general education needs as well as the objectives of English education majors."

Along with her visionary qualities, Callaghan is known for being remarkably supportive of students and attentive to their needs.

Two years ago, the English department surveyed its majors to discover their needs and concerns. The survey revealed that students thought the atmosphere on the fourth floor of the Language and Literature building was drab and not conducive to studying in small groups.

Callaghan led an effort to refurbish the fourth floor and turn it into a comfortable, stimulating environment for student groups to gather and study."Patsy's leadership makes everyone feel optimistic about the department's future," Armstrong said.

The College of Arts and Humanities awarded Callaghan a certificate of recognition and a $500 honorarium, which was funded by donations to a special foundation account to honor excellence in the college.

Callaghan received the CWU Distinguished Professor for Public Service Award in 2000. She has served on numerous boards and organizations in central Washington, the northwest, and nationally including several Northwest school districts, museums, arts and humanities commissions, and multiple writing across the curriculum projects at various colleges.

Callaghan is a nationally recognized scholar in the field of rhetoric and composition. Her most recent writing textbook, "A Meeting of Minds," is now on bookshelves.