Terry Cole (com) has been elected to the Pi Kappa Delta (PKD) National Honor Society Hall of Fame, Class of 2009. As one of just two honorees selected this year, Cole was recognized for his contributions to PKD. The Hall of Fame honors PKD members for lifetime contributions to national, province, chapter or organizational forensics.

Pi Kappa Delta consists of educators, students and alumni committed to encouraging the education of articulate citizens through a three-part focus: the commitment to and promotion of ethical, humane and inclusive communication and educational practices; the commitment to and promotion of professional development of forensics educators; and the commitment to and promotion of comprehensive forensics programming.

Sunghoon Roh and Matthew Robinson (both government and justice studies) co-authored an article in the Journal of Drug Issues, Volume 38(2): 467-492.  The article, “Assessing the ‘Gateway Hypothesis’ Among Middle and High School Students in Tennessee,” found no evidence to support the argument that early marijuana use causes later “hard” drug use. The article also was co-authored with Tae Choo from Middle Tennessee State University.

Jim Winders (History) published a review of Julian Bourg’s “From Revolution to Ethics: May 1968 and Contemporary French Thought” (Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2007) in The American Historical Review 133:2 (June 2008).

Jeff Boyer (anthropology) and recent Appalachian graduate Matthew Bouchard traveled to Central America to participate in anthropology and sustainable development field work. Boyer participated in Witness for Peace (WFP) activities in Nicaragua.

While in Nicaragua, Boyer and other WFP delegates met with government officials, community leaders, union representatives, farmers and businesspeople, women’s groups and peace organizations to learn how the U.S. policies affect the country. The delegates spent time in rural and urban settings, stay in homes of Nicaraguan families and get to know the daily lives of ordinary people.

Boyer is a founding member of WFP, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.

Boyer joined Bouchard in Honduras to conduct anthropological field work and plan for future sustainable development projects that will involve students from Appalachian as well as Boone’s ecumenical community.

Boyer has studied or consulted on rural development programs and projects in Honduras since he served in the Peace Corps there from 1963-66.

In 2006, two of his students worked with Honduran government organizations to find ways to enhance the agricultural practices of the Lencas, Honduras’s largest indigenous group, while maintaining their traditions and environmentally sensitive farming practices.

Dennis Scanlin (technology) has received the Small Wind Advocate of the Year Award for the Southeast region from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Wind Powering America program. He was honored for his leadership in small-scale wind energy activities in Western North Carolina.

Scanlin is a professor and coordinator of Appalachian’s appropriate technology program.

The award was presented June 5 at the annual Wind Powering America State Summit which followed the American Wind Energy Association’s (AWEA) annual WINDPOWER Conference and Exhibition held in Houston.

Scanlin has coordinated Appalachian’s appropriate technology program for 24 years. He also directs the small wind activities as part of Appalachian’s Energy Center, including the ongoing North Carolina Small Wind Initiative, a public service program sponsored by Appalachian and the N.C. State Energy Office to raise awareness.