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E. Gordon Poling Administrator Award
Unpublished material – USD Photograph Collection, Series 9, photograph of Dr. Gordon Poling The E. Gordon Poling Award was established in 1991. E. Gordon Poling was born to a farm family in Iowa and learned early the need for hard work. he sometimes stated that he started work at age 13 and had never stopped. He spent his early professional career in public school work in Iowa and stated his personal motto as "I have always tried to treat people fairly." Dr. Poling served the University of South Dakota and future counselors for 29 years. He was chairperson of the Division of Educational Psychology and Counseling from 1979-1990. During his tenure at the University and through his active leadership in the profession in the state and region, he never lost his ability to nurture students and fellow professionals. Dr. Poling served as only the second chair of the USD Counseling Department, and is credited by his colleagues with spearheading the development of the counseling program at USD. He was a true counselor educator. Gordon died on August 30, 1990. As a memorial to Dr. Poling, the SD Counseling Association Board of Directors voted to rename the administrator award in his honor. Dr. Joan England of USD, a longtime colleague , observed of him, "Gordon was a humble man. He never knowingly called attention to himself, yet he was a person whose counsel was sought. His opinion was highly valued by students and colleagues who spent time with him. We who knew him are deeply grateful for the opportunity to count Gordon as a friend and colleague." These winners have demonstrated an understanding of the counseling profession and unqualified support of it. Each individuals is or was in some kind of supervisory position over counselors, counselor-interns, or students of counseling.
2024 Winner: Dr. Shalini Mathew, pictured with nominator Rebecca Christiansen Dr. Shalini Mathew has served as the primary advisor for many NSU counseling students as well as the counseling practicum and internship coordinator for the past five (5) years. In this role, she mentors students and works with them to secure practicum and internship sites, assists with the completion of all required paperwork, acts as a point of contact for site supervisors, and monitors students’ direct and indirect counseling hours. Dr. Mathew maintains membership with a number of counseling organizations, including the American Counseling Association and Association for Counselor Education and Supervision. Dr. Mathew has helped to create and deliver professional development opportunities within the state of South Dakota, in collaboration with the South Dakota Counseling Association and National Board of Certified Counselors. Additionally, she works closely as a mentor to counseling students to develop research projects and presentations. For example, she co-authored a manuscript with a graduate student titled, "Trauma-informed practices for test-taking anxiety at the elementary grade level" that was published in the Journal of Research Initiatives. She also presented with a graduate student at the Commission of Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA) on the topic of, "Trauma informed group counseling for student athletes".
Past Award Winners
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