2006 Denmark Winner's Letter of Nomination

     The Emporia State University (ESU; KS) Chapter of Psi Chi is honored to nominate its advisor, Dr. Kenneth A. Weaver, for the Psi Chi/Florence L. Denmark Faculty Advisor award. In the chapter's essay entitled "Pyramid of Success," which accompanied its portfolio for the Ruth Hubbard Cousins National Chapter Award, Susan Jobe and Amy Soyez stated the chapter "is a success because we created a strong foundation and built levels upon the foundation." The foundation upon which our chapter's success is built is leadership, both from the students and from the faculty advisor. In the essay, Dr. Weaver is described as follows: "Our faculty advisor is a part of the foundation of the leadership core. He is very dedicated and always there to provide energy, enthusiasm, and support" (published in the Fall 2005 issue of Eye on Psi Chi, p. 10).
     For 12 years, Dr. Weaver has worked with many Psi Chi members, promoting and supporting their commitment, leadership skills, and professional development through Psi Chi activities at the chapter, state, regional, and national levels. Everyday operations are handled by the students, but Dr. Weaver asks good questions about projects or tasks we undertake to make sure we have carefully thought through all of the planning steps. He is also ready to help with implementation whenever needed. Our chapter's activities span from invited speakers, fundraising, initiation ceremonies, chapter meetings, community service, and convention participation and attendance. Dr. Weaver's efforts are focused on our being successful and thus our chapter being successful as well.
     Since 1990, Dr. Weaver has helped many times to clean the two-mile stretch of road for the chapter's Adopt-A-Highway program (we pick up trash each fall and spring). Beginning with the Los Angeles American Psychological Association (APA) convention in 1994 when he became faculty advisor, Dr. Weaver takes an average of 10 Psi Chi students to the convention each year. This task takes considerable effort both to ensure funding so students can attend and have most of their plane fare, lodging, and registration expenses paid. He then works with the officers to make sure all of the logistics are set for students to have one of the most memorable experiences of their lives. He makes a special point to direct students to Psi Chi programming at the convention and encourages chapter officers and members to volunteer to staff Psi Chi hospitality suites and assist Psi Chi whenever asked. During the fall, the chapter contributed $500 to Hurricane Katrina Relief and another $500 to the local Red Cross chapter. For Dr. Weaver, Psi Chi's mission happens to be like his compass, so whether he is working as faculty advisor, department chair, professor, or colleague, he is working to promote scholarly excellence in ourselves and advance the science of psychology.
     Dr. Weaver served as faculty coadvisor of the ESU chapter of Psi Chi from 1990-93 and has been the chapter's faculty advisor since 1993. During his tenure as faculty advisor, the chapter received the Psi Chi Midwestern Regional Chapter Award (1999-2000) and the Ruth Hubbard Cousins National Chapter Award (2004-05). Dr. Weaver received the Psi Chi Regional Faculty Advisor Award in 2001. He is now Roe R. Cross Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Psychology and Special Education at Emporia State University. In the background of Dr. Weaver's official portrait as Cross Distinguished Professor is the Psi Chi symbol.
     Dr. Weaver served as president of the Southwestern Psychological Association (SWPA) in 2004 during SWPA's 50th birthday. This was the same year that Psi Chi turned 75. To honor Psi Chi's birthday, Dr. Weaver selected the colors of the SWPA convention program to be yellow and blue and included an essay in the program, which was authored by then Psi Chi Southwestern Vice-President John Davis, on the enduring partnership between Psi Chi and SWPA.
     Dr. Weaver has worked to spread Psi Chi's mission. Besides serving as SWPA president, he also served as president of the Council of Teachers of Undergraduate Psychology from 1995-97. In 1995, he founded the annual Kansas High School Psychology Teachers Workshop. He was a member of the APA's Task Force on High School Psychology Standards from 1999-2004 with the revised standards approved by APA very recently.
     For the Society for the Teaching of Psychology (Division 2 of APA), he has served on the Task Force on Defining Scholarship in Psychology, the Task Force on Uniting Scholarship and Teaching, and the selection committees for the Daniel and Moffett Teaching Excellence Awards. His participation in the 1999 National Forum on Psychology Partnerships renewed his commitment to partnering with Psi Chi members to sustain a level of chapter excellence every year.
     He has judged the American Psychological Foundation/Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools Intel Talent Search for High School Student Research Competition for three years.
He judged student research papers at the Great Plains Students Psychology Convention for 17 years. Since 1999, he has reviewed for the Journal of Psychological Inquiry, one of only three journals in the nation dedicated to publishing undergraduate research.
     In 2000, Dr. Weaver received an APA Presidential Citation for "outstanding leadership in support of teaching and learning in psychology." In 2002, he received the Robert S. Daniel Teaching Excellence Award from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology. He has been named to Who's Who Among America's Teachers in 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2005.
     It is with great pleasure that Emporia State University's Psi Chi chapter nominates such an individual for this faculty advisor award. Dr. Weaver has been a mentor, a leader, and a success in the eyes of many students on campus and has played an essential role in maintaining ESU's Psi Chi chapter excellence. Dr. Weaver's accomplishments and leadership have been an important part of our growth, and we feel that he is deserving of such an honorary award.