CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Dads Association at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign recently presented its annual Certificate of Merit Awards - one each to an outstanding staff member, faculty member, student and student organization.
Barbara Cicone, an admissions and records officer for the department of computer science, was named the Outstanding Staff Member. Cicone was honored for her commitment to students in her role in supervising the department's academic office. Nominator Lenny Pitt, a professor in the department, noted that Cicone is "always resourceful in helping students solve a variety of problems, ranging from applying to graduate schools, to finding an adviser, to finishing a thesis."
Journalism professor Walter Harrington was honored as the Outstanding Faculty Member for his work in teaching and nurturing students. Nominator Steven Helle, also a professor of journalism, noted that Harrington "goes over every word with every student - but more to the point, he goes over all the words that are not there: what angles the student might explore, what sources they might contact, what resources they might consult."
Kory Langhofer, a senior in political science from Urbana, was named Outstanding Student. Langhofer has been heavily involved in both politics and community service through his years as a student, first at Parkland College and then at Illinois. Among his activities and roles, he has taken volunteer trips to Mexico, served as a mentor in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program, ran for the Urbana City Council, founded a College Republicans group, and co-founded a chapter of the NAACP.
The campus chapter of Habitat for Humanity was honored as the Outstanding Student Organization for its work in educating the campus community about poverty and helping to eliminate poverty housing in the area.