Last modified: Wednesday, November 26, 2008
School of HPER honors alumni
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 26, 2008
Pictured are: Top row, left to right, Kelly Powell, Mick Renneisen, Mike Huang and Robert Goodman; bottom row, left to right, Suzanne Crouch, Jan Combs, Roberta Ogletree and Thomas Feldman.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation at Indiana University Bloomington recently honored seven alumni with the school's W. W. Patty Distinguished Alumni Award, John R. Endwright Distinguished Alumni Service Award and Mobley International Distinguished Alumni Award.
The Willard W. Patty Distinguished Alumni Award is presented annually to graduates who have demonstrated outstanding personal and professional achievement. Since the award's inception in 1976, recipients have characterized the ideals set forth by IU's first dean of the School of HPER, Willard W. Patty. Under his leadership, the school rose to national stature and produced some of the finest professionals in the fields of health, physical education, and recreation.
Three alumni received this award:
Mick Renneisen
Mick Renneisen serves as the director of Bloomington Parks and Recreation, a position he has held since 1996. Before that, he worked with the Bloomington department in capacities including sports coordinator, director of sports and revenue facilities and sports division director. In 2007, the Bloomington Parks Department received the highest honor award from the National Recreation and Park Association -- the Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management.
Renneisen is considered to be one the premier leaders of the profession, not only in Indiana, but also throughout the nation. During his tenure, he has served on numerous Indiana Parks and Recreation Association and National Recreation and Parks Association committees. He served as the IPRA president in 1997. He was a member of the Board of Regents for the NRPA/Oglebay School of Sports Management from 1991-1993.
Renneisen has been a member of the Bloomington/Monroe County Convention and Visitor's Bureau Board since 1990 serving as its president in 2003-2004. Active in the Bloomington and IU communities, Renneisen has served as the internal press box announcer for IU home football games since 1983. He also also served as a NCAA statistician for Indiana University basketball games. Each November, Renneisen performs statistician work at the annual Maui Basketball Invitational in Hawaii. In addition, he has been a licensed IHSAA official for basketball, football, baseball and softball for many years. He has also been a sports analyst for local high school football and basketball radio broadcasts and served as the host of the television shows "Big Red Football" and "Big Red Sports" covering IU athletic programs. Mick earned two degrees in Recreation from IU; a Bachelor of Science in 1979, and a Master of Science in 1988.
Jan Combs
Dr. Jan Combs is currently the Chief Physician in the Hand Surgery Section of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, Texas. She has held this position since 2005. During her accomplished career, she has held medical appointments in several locations, including Ft. Bliss, Texas; the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany; and the McAfee U.S. Army Health Clinic at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. She has also held academic appointments at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, and at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. Combs is the author or co-author of many research publications, and has presented at many national and international locations. As a member of the U.S. Army Medical Corps, Combs has served at the rank of Lt. Col. since October 2003.
Combs holds memberships in many professional associations including the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (fellow); the American College of Sports Medicine (fellow), Association of Military Surgeons of the United States (life member); the Society of Military Orthopedic Surgeons, the National Athletic Trainers' Association; the Armed Forces Athletic Trainers' Association; the Wilderness Medical Society; and the American Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. She is the holder of many awards and honors, including the Bronze Star Medal. In addition to her medical degree, Combs holds three degrees from IU, including a bachelor's degree (physical education with an emphasis in sports medicine) and master's degree (sports medicine) from the School of HPER.
Roberta Ogletree
Roberta Ogletree presently serves as professor in the Department of Health Education and Recreation at Southern Illinois University, where she also serves as an adjunct faculty member in the Women's Studies Program. She has been on the faculty at SIU since 1991. Her teaching and research interests include Women's Health, Human Sexuality Education and professional preparation.
Prior to her doctoral work at IU in the late 1980's and early 1990's, Ogletree served in various teaching capacities including stints at Eastern Illinois University, Lake Land College, Bowling Green State University and LaGrove Community High School (Farina, Ill.). She is the author or co-author of dozens of articles and publications and has co-written two textbooks on health education skills and competencies and sexuality education curricula.
Examples of her service to the university and to the profession are extensive. She holds memberships in the American School Health Association; the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance; the Association for the Advancement of Health Education; Eta Sigma Gamma; the Illinois Association for Professional Preparation in Health Education; the Illinois School Health Association; and Midwest AAHPERD. In particular, she has held significant leadership roles in the American School Health Association. The recipient of several honors and awards, Ogletree regularly performs as a reviewer and consultant. She earned her H.S.D. from IU in 1991. Prior to the doctorate, she earned a master's degree from Bowling Green State University, and bachelor's degree from Eastern Illinois University.
The John R. Endwright Alumni Service Award, begun in 1986, is an annual award that recognizes outstanding service and contributions by a graduate of the School of HPER. As a measure of accomplishment in service to the school and/or the profession, the award is a reflection of former Dean Endwright's commitment to strong ties between the school and its graduates. It was Endwright, who early in his career as an assistant to Dean Willard Patty, suggested that a school's foundation would only be as strong as the relationships it established with its alumni.
Three alumni received this award:
Suzanne Crouch
Suzanne Crouch has been a physical education and health education teacher at all levels of education. During her almosst 40-year career, she has served as an administrator of health and physical education at the district level, an association executive and a state education department employee. She led two national programs, Jump Rope for Heart and Physical Best, as a director at the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.
She was responsible for the Indiana Department of Education through her development of the Coordinated School Health Program (with a grant from the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). She provided guidance to the Indiana General Assembly as they crafted legislation that required Coordinated School Health Advisory Councils in each school district. In her current capacity, Crouch is teaching in the Physical Education Teacher Education Program at Ball State University. A recipient of the Indiana AHPERD and the Midwest District Honor Award, Crouch is president of the Society of State Directors of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. Crouch earned three degrees for IU; a bachelor's degree in physical education; a master's degree in physical education and coaching; and a P.E. Directorate in athletic administration.
Thomas Feldman
Since 2003, Thomas Feldman has served as Service Line Director, Physician Service at Methodist Medical Center of Illinois (MMCI) in Peoria, Ill. His responsibilities have included but have not been limited to physician contracting, development and maintenance of compensation plans. His position, which reports directly to the CEO of MMCI, is accountable for an annual operating budget of over $60 million and approximately 400 full-time equivalents. MMCI is a multi-specialty hospital-owned provider group working from 30 locations in Central Illinois. Specialties include, but are not limited to; Cardiology, Psychiatry, Urgent Care, Pediatrics, Family Practice, Rheumatology, ENT and Internal Medicine.
Prior to his most recent leadership position, Feldman performed in the role as director, of Ambulatory Services and Practice Management at MMCI, where he was responsible for operations at 10 locations that offered radiology, pathology, same-day surgery, and routine office visits. These locationswere staffed by more than 30 physicians of varying specialties on time-share arrangements. Feldman has also served as a consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Chicago, and as an administrator for Program Development at Chicago Children's Memorial Medical Center. In 1995, he earned his Master of Public Health from IU. He also earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
Kelly Powell
Kelly Powell serves as the director of U. S. Navy Sports and Fitness for all Morale, Welfare, and Recreation bases around the world and head of the MWR Mission Essential branch. His position establishes and implements sport and fitness policies, programs and facilities at all U.S. Navy installations that include both afloat and ashore sport and fitness programs. Prior to his current position, he served as MWR Director in Adak, Alaska from 1993 to1995, and MWR Director in Yokosuka, Japan from 1991 to 1993. Powell essentially is charged with helping to make things better for all sailors and members of the Navy Team.
He possesses a vast understanding of operational excellence. He is acknowledged for conceiving and executing unique strategies to make life in deployed environments better, while streamlining and enhancing program delivery and expanding program horizons. He is a passionate and strong patron advocate focused on understanding and meeting sailors' needs, identifying problems and resolving issues by rapid implementation of workable solutions. He strives to build collaborative relationships and works across functional boundaries to achieve shared goals based on mutual benefits. Colleagues regard him as an articulate, tactful and diplomatic communicator. While completing his graduate studies at IU, he served as the Intramural Sports Coordinator in the Division of Recreational Sports from 1986 to 1991. Powell earned his bachelor's of science degree in recreation from the School of HPER in 1984 and his master's degree in recreation in 1986.
The Mobley International Distinguished Alumni Award, established in 2000, is presented annually to international graduates of the School of HPER who have demonstrated outstanding personal and professional achievement. It was named for Tony Mobley upon his retirement in 2002 after serving 26 years as dean of the School of HPER, the longest-serving school dean in the history of IU. Recipients demonstrate the ideals, leadership, and professionalism that helped to raise the school to international prominence under Mobley's leadership. This award reflects the growing stature of the school as a global leader.
Chi-Huang "Mike" Huang
Chi-Huang "Mike" Huang serves as professor at the Institute of Athletic Training and Health Science and director of the Institute of Coaching Science at National Taiwan Sport University. He joined the NTSU (previously known as National College of Physical Education and Sports) faculty in 1994, and his primary teaching responsibilities are in the athletic training curriculum program and clinical applications to almost all competitive athletes in Taiwan. His scholarly interests include neuromuscular performance due to injury, and strength and conditioning. Prior to arriving at NTSU, he taught at San Jose State University in the graduate athletic training curriculum program, and was a full-time athletic trainer for IU Athletic Department. Other professional experiences have included serving as the chair for the Education Committee for World Federation of Athletic Training & Therapy.
Huang has published more than 40 manuscripts in professional journals, proceedings and books. He has made approximately 100 professional presentations, including eight international presentations in the United States, Japan, Korea, China, and Hong Kong. Besides academic life, Huang also has been very active in public service. He was invited to work as the deputy minister of sports in Taiwan from 2004 to 2007. His main responsibilities included supervising three major divisions within the sports council, competitive athletics, international affairs and sports facilities. He was also named the director of the Taiwan National Olympic training Center. Taiwan won its first Olympic gold medals in 2004, ending Taiwan's 72-year gold medal drought in the Olympic Games. Huang has been instrumental to the athletic training profession in Taiwan. He started the game coverage by athletic trainers with his students and installed full time athletic trainers to almost all national teams. He is also active in tennis and golf.
Huang earned his master's degree in athletic training and doctorate in administration, curriculum and instruction from IU in 1989 and 1993 respectively. Previously, he earned his first master's degree in athletic administration from Springfield College in 1987, and his bachelor's degree at Fu-Jen Catholic University in Taiwan in 1984.
For more information, contact Debra Kent at 812-855-3686 and dskent@indiana.edu.
