Athena Award Presented to YSU Acting Dean King

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — Dr. Tammy King acting dean of the Bitonte College of Health and Human Services at Youngstown State University, was presented the 2019 Athena Award at the 27th annual Athena Award dinner last night.

As acting dean, King has been working with the Youngstown Foundation to secure scholarship funding and is working on a strategic plan for the Bitonte College that focuses on the needs of the community and students, according to a release.

Before becoming acting dean, King was associate dean of Bitonte and chair of the Department of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences. During that time, she increased the number of students enrolled in criminal justice to 855 from 448 to 855 over 10 years. King also started the first forensic science baccalaureate degree program in Ohio at YSU and began the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy for students to pursue their degrees and law enforcement training at the same time.

One of the accomplishments she’s proudest of is implementing the Prior Learning Assessment Program at YSU, she said. King worked with the Ohio Department of Education to start the program, which recognizes learning that happens outside of the classroom and converts that experience into college credit.

King holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in criminal justice from YSU and a doctorate from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She is a member of the Trumbull County Domestic Violence Task Force, Citizens Advisory Boards of the Ohio State Penitentiary and Federal Prison in Elkton, is treasurer of Home For Good, and is board vice president for the Ebony and the Mahoning Valley Baptist Association. She has also worked with Heart Reach Neighborhood Ministries, providing services to under-resourced, at-risk youth and has secured grants for special populations, those with special needs, the impoverished and others.

The Athena Award recognizes business and professional women who have demonstrated excellence in their chosen career, provided leadership in the community and mentored or contributed to the growth of other professional women. Nearly 400 attended the event at Mr. Anthony’s in Boardman.

Galena Lopuchovsky, a senior at Poland High School, received the 12th Athena scholarship, which is a $1,500 one-time award created in partnership with the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley. Lopuchovsky will study biochemistry through YSU’s Baccmed program this fall.

Taylor Barber, a senior at Springfield High School, and Sabrina Bartholomew, a senior at Struthers High School, each received a $1,250 scholarship from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Both will study at YSU.

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