McKendree University Kentucky Graduates Receive Their Diplomas
Student and Faculty Awards Presented at Commencement
(RADCLIFF, Ky., June 30, 2019) — McKendree University’s Kentucky campus Class of 2019
received their diplomas and awards were presented at a commencement ceremony held
on June 1 at the First Christian Church in Elizabethtown, Ky.
Steve Morris, of Louisville, Ky., received the 2019 “Spirit of McKendree” Award, presented
since 2001 for exemplifying community mindedness, academic excellence and the drive
to overcome obstacles. Morris, an industrial engineering technical representative
supervisor at UPS in Louisville, graduated summa cum laude with a 4.0 GPA and a degree
in business Administration. He was inducted into a number of academic honor societies,
including: Sigma Alpha Pi: The National Society of Leadership and Success; Sigma Beta
Delta: The International Honor Society for Business, Management, & Administration;
and the prestigious Phi Kappa Phi.
Faculty members noted his leadership, ability to encourage and give positive reinforcement,
creative and innovative presentations, and exceptional analytical and decision-making
skills in assignments, team projects and class discussions.
The Outstanding Faculty of the Year Award was given by the Alumni Association to Deborah
Murphy, a part-time associate professor who has taught courses in business, finance,
management and marketing since 2013 to undergraduate and graduate students. It is
presented annually to an instructor who demonstrates a passion for their subject matter
and who most inspires and impresses their students, who select the recipient.
Murphy graduated from Saint Martin’s University in Washington with a bachelor’s degree
in accounting. She also earned a Master of Business Administration degree and currently
is a Ph.D. researcher at Capella University. She has more than 30 years of leadership
experience and serves as the Deputy G8 for U.S. Army Human Resources Command. A Kentucky
native, she spent the majority of her childhood through high school years in the Fort
Knox and Radcliff areas.
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