LCC 10th Annual William & Allene Guthrie Van Meter Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award Announced

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Bethany Kendrick, Director Public Relations
Labette Community College | (620) 820-1280


Labette Community College Foundation Department announces the 10th Annual William & Allene Guthrie Van Meter Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award. The recipient of this award is Sandra K. Willsie.

Sandra K. Willsie was born in Parsons, Kansas and graduated with honors from Labette Community College and Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg Kansas. She received a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree, with distinction, from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences and subsequently completed postgraduate training, inclusive of a rotating internship, Internal Medicine residency and fellowship in Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine. She is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine. She served as a faculty member at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine from 1988-2000 during which she attained the academic rank of Professor, served as Assistant Dean for Years I and II and held the position of Interim Chair of Medicine from 1998-2000.

Dr. Willsie has considerable experience in the design and conduct of basic sciences, clinical and medical educational research, and has received considerable funding for her work from the National Institutes of Health and the United States Department of Agriculture. Dr. Willsie has been honored by election to Fellowship status in the American College of Physicians, American College of Osteopathic Internists and the American College of Chest Physicians. Dr. Willsie was recruited to join her alma mater in 2000 where she served as Professor and Vice Dean of Academic Affairs, Administration and Medical Affairs until 2002 when she was appointed as Dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine. She served as KCUMB’s first provost with responsibility and oversight of the opening of KCUMB’s College of Biosciences along with the accreditation and initiation of two new graduate programs in Biomedical Sciences and Bioethics.

Dr. Willsie has authored more than 100 original manuscripts, abstracts and book chapters and frequently is invited to speak before local, regional, national, and international audiences. Dr. Willsie received the Outstanding Researcher Award from the American College of Osteopathic Internists in 2004, Meritorious Alumni Achievement Award from Pittsburg State University in 2005, and the Meritorious Service Award from the American College of Chest Physicians.

She is a member of the Board of Regents of the American College of Chest Physicians and served as one of the founding members for the Board of Trustees of the Chest Foundation, the ACCP’s philanthropic arm. Locally, she serves as President of the American Heart Association and is a member of the American Lung Association’s Central States’ Medical Advisory Panel. She is currently working on her Master of Arts degree in Bioethics and Health Policy at Loyola University-Chicago, while working to design an innovative medical education model. A 1999-2000 graduate of the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine program (ELAM), Dr. Willsie has served on the Society for Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine’s SELAM’s membership committee; President’s committee (2005-2006); Program committee (2007-present); Chair, Midwestern region; and as board secretary.

This award will be presented at the 12th Annual Donor Appreciation Luncheon on Friday, November 20th at the Parsons Municipal Auditorium. The award was named in memory of the Van Meters for their generous estate gift that funded renovation of Thiebaud Theatre at LCC. William was a 1929 graduate of the college and Allene taught romance languages at the college from 1929 to 1935. Previous Alumni who have received this award include; William “Pat” Haley in 2008, Jeffery J. Quirin in 2007, and Roch Switlik in 2006. For a complete list of recipients or for more information on the William and Allene Guthrie Van Meter Outstanding Alumni Award, please contact Lindi Forbes, LCC Foundation and Alumni Director, at (620) 820-1212 or by e-mail at lindif@labette.edu.