National Service Award
December 12, 2012
UT Tyler Office of Marketing and Communications
UT Tyler Assistant Professor Recognized for Volunteer Service
December 12, 2012
Media Contact: Hannah Buchanan
Editor/Writer–Strategic Communications & Media Relations
Marketing and Communications
The University of Texas at Tyler
903.539.7196 (cell)
December 12, 2012
Dr. Melinda Hermanns, assistant professor of nursing at The University of Texas at Tyler, is a recipient of the 2012 President’s Volunteer Service Award, Dr. Scott Marzilli, College of Nursing and Health Sciences interim dean, announced.
A previous recipient, she was recognized this year for 172 voluntary service hours on behalf of Parkinson’s disease advocacy, research and education.
The President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation was established in 2003 to recognize contributions volunteers make to communities and encourage more people to serve. The Council created the President’s Volunteer Service Award program as a way to thank and honor Americans who, by their demonstrated commitment and example, inspire others to engage in volunteer service. The program continues as an initiative of the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Serving UT Tyler since 1998, Hermanns is the vice president for the East Texas Chapter of the American Parkinson’s Disease Association and has been since its inception in 2006. She assists with fundraising activities to raise money for taxi vouchers as well as medication and dental assistance for East Texans with Parkinson’s disease.
Hermanns, a UT Tyler alumna, also founded the Early Onset Parkinson’s Disease Care Partner support group in Tyler.
She holds a Ph.D. from UT Health Science Center at Houston and a master of science in nursing from UT Tyler. Hermanns has been recognized for excellence in online and innovative teaching as well as her research on Parkinson’s disease. She also received the 2010 UT Tyler Distinguished Young Alumni Award and the 2004 Alpha Chi Honor Society-Texas Xi Chapter’s Outstanding Faculty Award.
Professional memberships include American Psychiatric Nurses Association, National League for Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society in Nursing and the Southern Nurses Research Society.
For more information, visit http://www.presidentialserviceawards.gov/.
One of the 15 campuses of the UT System, UT Tyler offers excellence in teaching, research, artistic performance and community service. More than 80 undergraduate and graduate degree programs are available at UT Tyler, which has an enrollment of almost 7,000 high-ability students at its campuses in Tyler, Longview and Palestine.