Kim Rutherford is winner of 6th annual CAPE Award

By Courtney Westlake

Kim Rutherford was named the recipient of the sixth annual Chancellor's Academic Professional Excellence Award at UIS on Thursday afternoon, April 30, during a celebration in the Public Affairs Center Restaurant.

Rutherford is a disability services specialist in the Office of Disability Services at UIS.

The CAPE Award recognizes U of I academic professionals for their efforts in three general categories: work projects, professional development and affiliations, and contributions to their units. The winner receives $500 in cash for personal use, and another $500 is given to the winner’s department.

All APs are eligible to receive the CAPE Award; nominations are reviewed by campus committees and candidates' names are forwarded to the chancellor, who makes the final selections.

"This award recognizes all academic professionals by recognizing one outstanding AP," said Jerry Burkhart, chair of the Academic Professional Advisory Committee. "Academic professionals fill unique and vital roles on this campus. Each day, we work closely with students, faculty, civil service and administration, and as such, we help shape the fabric of UIS."

Chancellor Richard Ringeisen congratulated all the nominees and read an excerpt from Rutherford's nomination.

"This particular nominator is a student who wrote: 'Had it not been for Kim Rutherford, I would have been unable to achieve what I have achieved; I would have been unable to graduate. I never would have made it without this person.'"

Other UIS nominees for the 2008 CAPE Award were: Clay Bellot, academic technology service specialist in Information Technology Services; Munindra Khaund, multimedia education coordinator in Information Technology Services; Janette Kirkham, coordinator and placement developer in the Applied Study Office; Jim Korte, assistant dean of students; Tulio Llosa, director of educational technology in Information Technology Services; Mae Noll, undergraduate academic adviser; Candy Powers, assistant to the dean of the College of Education and Human Services; Shawn Craig Shures, assistant director/graduate intern recruiter for Graduate Intern Programs; and Bill Wheelhouse, general manager of WUIS.

When Rutherford's name was called as the 2009 recipient, she was presented with a personal plaque and another with her name that will hang in the Chancellor's office.

"I want say thank you to everyone on the list and all of you do so many good things for our students, and that's what we're all about," she said. "I want to say thank you to the CAPE committee. I just appreciate everything, so thank you."