Thursday, April 24, 2008

Four individuals and one corporation were recently recognized by the University of North Carolina Wilmington for their service to North Carolina's children and youth. Since 1993, the Watson School of Education has presented Razor Walker Awards to dedicated leaders throughout the state that have stepped forward to meet the needs and improve the lives of young people. The 2008 awards were announced during a campus ceremony in April.

The awards recognize exceptional contributions toward the welfare of children and youth in the areas of: art/literature, business, educational administration, law, medicine, philanthropy, public service/policy and teaching/research. It is considered one of the more prestigious and unique service awards designed to honor North Carolina citizens.

The honorees for the 2008 Razor Walker Awards are:

Byron "Barry" Bey of Southport, Teaching/Research -- Bey started the aquaculture program at South Brunswick High School in 1987, raising fish in a ditch on the school grounds. The program now has 18 aquariums, four ponds, a reservoir and a designated classroom. In 2006, Bey and his students worked with state agencies to help re-stock over fished southern flounder in North Carolina waters.

After much research and intensive work, they released 841 flounder into Oak Island's Davis Canal, becoming a state model for flounder stock enhancement. Through these hands-on experiences, Bey teaches his students the importance of science, environmental awareness, responsibility, citizenship and service to the community.

Elizabeth H. Miars of Wilmington, Educational Administration -- Rachel Freeman School of Engineering is in the midst a predominantly impoverished neighborhood. Principal Elizabeth Miars and her staff strive to give their students the academic background, creative thinking skills and vision to build dreams for the future.

Miars has built relationships with parents, community groups, social services and law enforcement to provide additional resources and support to families. She has a strong relationship with GE engineers, who serve as mentors and role models at the school. Through these efforts, she is establishing a high expectation, high achievement learning environment for an underserved population.

African American Cultural Complex, honoring Elliott B. Palmer and Juanita B. Palmer of Raleigh, Public Service/Policy -- In 1984, retired educators Elliott and Juanita Palmer founded the African American Cultural Complex, a unique collection of artifacts, documents and displays of the outstanding contributions made by African Americans. These items are housed in several buildings along a picturesque nature trail near Raleigh.

Through structured educational programs, the center creates awareness of African American history, offering tours to groups from schools, churches and community organizations. The center's latest project is to build a reproduction of the Amistad slave ship to complement its outdoor drama that portrays the trial of the Amistad mutineers, the earliest civil rights case in America.

Eleanor B. Wright of Wilmington, Teaching/Research -- An emeritus faculty member in the Watson School of Education, Wright has served special education students and teachers in the region since she joined UNCW in 1973. A founding member of the special education faculty, she was instrumental in developing the curriculum for both the bachelor's and master's programs in that discipline.

Throughout her career, Wright has been an advocate for students with special needs in the state, writing and directing grant programs to provide special education teachers with effective instructional techniques and appropriate curricula. Her work has been recognized nationally by the American Association for Mental Retardation, the Council for Exceptional Children and the National Education Association.

Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation, Corporate Award -- Brunswick EMC originated the Bright Ideas program in 1993, when an employee witnessed a local teacher buying school supplies with her own money. Bright Ideas provides grants of $1,000 to $2,000 for innovative, classroom-based projects in grades K-12 that otherwise would not be funded.

The program quickly grew, and today all 27 North Carolina electric co-ops participate, helping teachers provide high-quality instruction. In its own service areas of Brunswick and Columbus counties, BEMC awarded $32,200 in grants for the 2007-08 school year, and it has awarded nearly $300,000 since the program's inception.

Media contact:

Dana Fischetti, manager of news and media relations, 910.962.7259 or fischettid@uncw.edu