Faculty, graduate feted at CLU banquet

(THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - May 15, 2012) A graduating senior and two professors were honored recently at California Lutheran University's Senior Banquet.

The Student Affairs staff selected Kristina Barckley of Paso Robles as Student Life Senior Leader of the Year for demonstrating outstanding leadership and service and living out CLU's mission through her many roles on campus. Barckley, who graduated cum laude with a degree in business administration on May 12, was a Presidential Host and a member of the New Student Orientation staff and the Alcohol and Other Drugs Task Force. She served as a senior resident assistant for two years and was a member of the NASPA student affairs association Undergraduate Fellowship Program.

Students selected communication instructor Jean Sandlin of Moorpark as Professor of the Year. Sandlin joined the CLU faculty in 2007 after working in advertising, public relations and journalism for 20 years and is dedicated to helping students acquire the skills and connections they need to work in the communication field. Sandlin is a member of CLU's Sustainability Task Force, and her students have tackled environmental issues in several class projects. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from CLU and received her doctorate in higher education leadership from the university on May 11.

Students chose Colleen Windham-Hughes of Thousand Oaks as the Cultural Diversity Professor of the Year. An assistant professor of religion and director of the Theology and Christian Leadership Program, she helps students understand and appreciate different religions, cultures and viewpoints. Windham-Hughes, a deacon in the United Methodist Church, earned a bachelor's degree in theater history and dramatic criticism from Whittier College, a master's in divinity from Claremont School of Theology and a doctorate in religious studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara.