5/31/01
DEMENT HONORED BY AU EDUCATION COLLEGE AS OUTSTANDING ALUM
AUBURN -- The Auburn University College of Education has named AU Vice President for Alumni and Development Betty McLendon DeMent as the college's outstanding alumnus for 2001.
DeMent, who was appointed to her current post in 1995, earned a bachelor's degree in elementary education in 1971 and a master's degree in counselor education from the college in 1979. During her career, she has taught at Dean Road Elementary School in Auburn, helped establish two family-owned businesses and served as development officer for West Georgia Tech. She was associate director of Alumni and Development in the 1980s before leaving for the West Georgia Tech position.
DeMent returned to Auburn in 1990 and was assistant vice president for alumni affairs before her appointment as vice president. As the head of Alumni and Development, DeMent guided AU's capital campaign, "Campaign Auburn: The Next Generation," to a successful $201 million conclusion. She manages an operation that coordinates activities with more than 52,000 Auburn alumni and fund-raising that generates about $40 million per year in gifts to AU.
The award is the second one this spring for DeMent, who was also named recipient of AU's coveted Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award for 2001. The award is presented annually to an AU faculty or staff member or alumnus in recognition of exceptional service to humanity. Two other Sullivan awards are presented annually to student.
The College of Education also recognized four faculty and two staff members with outstanding achievement awards. David Pasco of Health and Human Performance received the Outstanding Faculty Award for Research and Glennelle Halpin of Educational Foundations, Leadership and Technology received the Outstanding Faculty Award for Research.
Two others from EFLT received teaching awards named in honor of College of Education graduates and retired AU administrators Emily and Gerald Leischuck. James Witte received the Leischuck Award for Undergraduate Teaching, and Cynthia Reed received the award for graduate teaching.
The college's award for Outstanding Administrative/Professional Staff Member went to Gloria O. Taylor of the Learning Resources Center, while the award for Outstanding Staff Member-Office Administration went to Sandy Davis of the college's central office.
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