McNicol, Perline win alumni awards
By Joe Kleinsasser and Amy Geiszler-Jones
 The Alumni Association will honor the following during its awards banquet Jan. 19: from left, John and Sher Hurst, Jeff DeGraffenreid, Dorothy "Dot" McNicol, Steve Clark, Martin "Marty" Perline, and Jacque and Sam Kouri. |
Outside the office of Ecumenical Christian Ministries, students have been heard to say, "Let’s go ask her. She has a friendly face."
That "friendly face" belongs to administrative assistant Dot McNicol, recipient of the Laura M. Cross Distinguished Service Award given by the WSU Alumni Association.
McNicol is also a familiar face, having worked in the same office at WSU for 35 1/2 years.
Actively involved with the Council of University Women, she has held nearly every office in the organization.
She also has served as president of the now-defunct organization Serving Higher Education.
She says winning the award named after Laura Cross makes it extra special because she knew her so well. Cross gave WSU 70 years of service, with long stretches in the registrar’s and admissions offices.
McNicol says that although she didn’t have to work for a living, she enjoys it. "The gratification I get of helping students who just drop in and need to talk to someone right then is hard to put into words," says McNicol.
"I’ve just met so many (students). I’ve shared all their joys and their sorrows."
She says the best part of her job is seeing struggling students turn their lives around and become successful.
McNicol is aware that many students come to her because of her cheerful and friendly attitude. "They’re not scared to ask me anything. That’s a good feeling."
| Since 1955, the WSU Alumni Association has honored educators, administrators, scientists, scholars, musicians, entrepreneurs, diplomats, soldiers, athletes, artists, physicians, philanthropists, executives, community and university volunteers and many others with its annual awards. Others who will receive awards during the banquet Friday, Jan. 19, at the Wichita Marriott are: Steve Clark, alumnus and president of Clark Investment Group, the Achievement Award; John and Sher Hurst, owners of Hurst Liquor Store and powerful Shocker spirit-raisers, Recognition Award; Wichita lawyer Jeff DeGraffenreid, Young Alumnus Award; and Dr. Sam and Jacque Kouri, longtime supporters, Honorary Alumni Award. |
Students, faculty and staff also can feel good about McNicol continuing to be a "friendly face" at WSU in the foreseeable future.
"I just love it out here," says McNicol. "I’ve never dreaded a single day coming to work. You know, not many people could say that."
One person who can is economics professor Martin Perline, the recipient of the Alumni Association’s Faculty Recognition Award.
When asked about highlights of his 36-year WSU career, he replies, "The best way to put this is WSU is a great place to be. It doesn’t feel like work because it’s been fun." He cites interacting with students and good camaraderie among the economics faculty as reasons why he’s enjoyed his job so much.
He’s made significant contributions to the department not only through teaching, but research and service as well.
Honored with numerous teaching awards, including the 1997 Academy For Effective Teaching Award, this educator focuses on principles of economics, collective bargaining, and work and pay issues.
In research, he’s published influential papers on labor economics.
In the area of service, his colleagues say he is "simply phenomenal."
In addition to his many roles in the economics department, Perline has served the wider university community on a number of committees and task forces, as well as various intercollegiate athletics boards. He’s been the faculty athletics representative to WSU’s Intercollegiate Athletics Association since 1975.
"You really need to have a certain perspective," he says of that position. "You have to understand the importance of athletics to the university, but you also have to understand the function of the university is academics, not athletics."
One testament of his ability to look out for the academic side was his election in 1999 to a three-year term on the NCAA’s Academic, Eligibility and Compliance Cabinet. He’s on the cabinet’s subcommittee for continuing eligibility, which deals with such issues as the minimum grade point average a student-athlete must maintain and other such standards.
In a way, Perline has found a way to combine athletics and academics in the classroom. He’ll be teaching a new class on sports economics this fall that will be offered to sport administration and business students.
During the recent semester break his desk was covered with a dozen or so books, such as "Baseball Economics and Public Policy" and "Unpaid Professionals," as he delves into research for the class. He says the class will cover everything from what and how players get paid and whether they’re worth that, to public financing of stadiums and if that’s economically advantageous to the public.
