Morehead State University has announced the recipients of the 2024 Distinguished Service Awards, which recognize faculty and staff for their service to the campus community and their fields of study. The awards were presented at MSU’s fall graduation ceremony on Wednesday, August 14.

Award for Outstanding Researcher – Dr. Elizabeth Perkins

Dr. Elizabeth Perkins has conducted research on domestic terrorism, compassion fatigue, and the availability of mental health services for police officers. Before coming to MSU, she worked as a police academy director. She has led grant-funded projects in several areas, including community policing, problem-oriented policing, human trafficking, and substance abuse treatment. In addition, Perkins is a reviewer for the National Institute of Justice. Much of her research in recent years has been conducted by students, and she enjoys mentoring undergraduate and graduate students.

Employee Excellence Award – Megan Boone

Megan Boone directs MSU’s Center for Career Development & Experiential Education. Before moving into professional development, she worked in human resources. She was instrumental in the development and implementation of the SACSCOC Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), Level UP. The program offers specially designed courses with an additional focus on career skills. Boone is past president of the Kentucky Association of Colleges & Employers and is active in the National Career Development Association. She has represented MSU in the Council on Postsecondary Education’s Kentucky Graduate Profile Academy and the national Complete College America Purpose First program.

Award for Outstanding Teacher – Elizabeth Mesa-Gaido

Elizabeth “Lisa” Mesa-Gaido began working at MSU in 1992, teaching basic and visual arts. She supervises undergraduate research fellows and interns, leads field trips for students, and coordinates lectures on campus. She is co-advisor of MSU’s journal, Inscape: Literary & Visual Arts Journal, which allows students to publish their work, serve on the editorial board, and build their portfolios and resumes. Mesa-Gaido has received some of MSU’s and Kentucky’s highest honors for her artistic contributions, including the university’s Distinguished Creative Productions Award and two Al Smith Fellowships from the Kentucky Arts Council.

Faculty Excellence Award – Dr. Rebecca Davison

Dr. Rebecca “Becky” Davison has used her expertise to develop high-impact, ongoing programs in her field, including the Poverty Simulation, an experiential learning opportunity to develop social empathy for people living in poverty, and the Green Dot Bystander Intervention Program, which aims to raise awareness of and prevent various types of violence on campus, such as intimate partner violence, stalking, and sexual assault. Last year, Davison helped develop MSU’s first Master of Social Work (MSW) program to meet the regional need for social workers.

For more information, contact the Division of Academic Affairs at 606-783-2002.