By Jeff Murphy,
May 3, 2019
DaVontae Hair (left) and Tricia Hansen-Horn, 2019 recipients of UCM鈥檚 Learning to
a Greater Degree Award.
WARRENSBURG, MO 鈥 Tricia Hansen-Horn, an educator who has dedicated her much of her
life to serving students in the 欧美视频鈥檚 public relations
program, and DaVontae Hair, a junior public relations student from Kansas City who
is highly engaged in many facets of campus life, are the spring 2019 recipients of
UCM鈥檚 Learning to a Greater Degree (LTAGD) Award.
LTAGD Awards were presented April 26 during a meeting of the university鈥檚 Board of
Governors.
Kelly Waldram Cramer, director of Integrated Marketing and Communications, announced
the award recipients, noting that Hansen-Horn is the faculty-staff recipient, and
Hair is the student award winner. The awards are presented annually during the fall
and spring semesters. Individuals are selected on the basis of nominations by UCM
faculty, staff and students.
Learning to a Greater Degree conveys the essence of UCM as an institution which promises
students the opportunity to experience engaged learning, future-focused academics,
a worldly perspective and a culture of service. Members of the UCM community who are
nominated for LTAGD awards support these reasons to believe and give life to these
promises, Waldram-Cramer said. Individuals recognized are honored publicly by the
governing board and have their names added to a plaque displayed in the lobby of the
Administration Building.
Waldram Cramer said Hansen-Horn, a professor of public relations, was nominated by
a student and a fellow faculty member. She demonstrates qualities that provide 鈥渁n
excellent example of engaged learning, future-focused academics, worldly perspective
and culture of service鈥 and was instrumental in helping the PR program become nationally
certified.
鈥淪he not only makes sure the program curriculum meets cutting-edge industry trends
and best practices, but she works directly with employers to provide internships for
the PR students. She also assists and mentors Innovative Public Relations (IPR), the
award-winning student-run public relations firm at UCM,鈥 Waldram-Cramer said.
Hansen-Horn has enabled her students to develop a global perspective and experience
a culture of service through opportunities such as leading a study abroad trip to
Australia that included 33 UCM students and three faculty members. She spent hundreds
of hours developing curriculum, setting up meetings with seven different Australian
organizations and more than 25 industry professionals to make the trip a quality learning
and cultural experience.
A student who nominated Hansen-Horn for the award noted that her guidance and support
over the past five years made it possible to attend and succeed in graduate school.
鈥淣o one else at UCM has had the impact on my professional career that she has,鈥 the
student added.
DaVontae Hair exhibits qualities that exemplify Learning to a Greater Degree including
鈥渁 consistent focus on service to others,鈥 Waldram-Cramer said, citing excerpts from
a nominations on Hair鈥檚 behalf.
He has been in multiple leadership roles, including serving as Residence Hall Council
President, United Student Housing Association President and Floor Leader for the Student
Government Association. While serving on the Hall Council, he planned initiatives
to benefit residents at the local veteran鈥檚 home. He also assisted in planning Green
Dot training for nine residence hall councils during Project SAFE, and during his
time with UCM鈥檚 Army ROTC program, he has had a significant role in planning the Patriot
5K Run which benefits veterans and active duty military personnel.
Waldram-Cramer said Hair鈥檚 nominator stated that he 鈥渃ommits himself to not only his
academics but to being involved on campus. He doesn鈥檛 stop at involvement, he ingrains
himself in the opportunities and creative, active ways to be a part of our commitment
to service at UCM.鈥 Hair was one of the PR students accompanying Hansen-Horn on the
study tour to Australia. He also demonstrated a commitment to gaining a worldly perspective
through his UCM education.
In nominations, Hair was described as an 鈥渋nspiring student leader鈥 who 鈥渟teps up
and sees the bigger picture and carries what he has learned with him. He is one of
UCM鈥檚 most shining examples of a commitment to service as well as what it means to
be involved as a student here at UCM.鈥