Kathryn Myers
Kathryn L. Myers, coordinator of paralegal studies and associate professor at Saint-Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC), was named a “Distinguished Hoosier” on October 29, 2010, at the 29th Annual Conference of the American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE). The conference was held in Indianapolis, Indiana, October 27-30, 2010.
The Distinguished Hoosier is one of the highest awards given by the state of Indiana to its citizens. It is awarded at the discretion of the governor to Hoosiers who have brought honor to the state through their character and accomplishments. The award was issued by Governor Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr., and presented by Chief Justice John G. Baker of the Indiana Court of Appeals.
Myers received the award for recognition of her more than two and one-half decades of service in delivering quality paralegal education, promoting the paralegal profession, and fostering access to justice to citizens not only in Indiana but also across the nation. Baker noted that Myers, when she was an SMWC adjunct and on the Paralegal Advisory Board in 1983, began Law Day on the SMWC campus by hosting the Indiana Court of Appeals along with area middle and high school students. Since that time, and because of her efforts, hundreds of students have learned about the courts and the legal system in our state. Baker told the attendees that Myers was the inspiration for the Court taking its business, which he named “Appeals on Wheels”, “on the road” to schools and other institutions across the State of Indiana.
Myers presented a session titled, “Internships, Externships, and the E-Portfolio” which gave attendees a look at new and exciting ways to provide opportunities for work experience to both traditional and non-traditional students and provided an outline of the portfolio system used at SMWC. Other members of the panel included Jami Michelle Myers of SMWC, who presented the student’s view of being involved in the internship and in the preparation of her portfolio; Ann Murphy Brown from Ursuline College in Ohio, presenting about e-portfolios; and Caroline Murray of Elms College in Massachusetts, who presented on the new federal guidelines for internships.
In addition, Myers a consultant for Pearson/Prentice Hall, presented two technology showcases on Pearson’s Course Connect, a series of 13 courses designed for online learning. She was the curriculum subject matter expert on all 13 courses, wrote two courses, and wrote three instructors resource guides for the program.
For the 11th year, Myers served as the conference chairperson, creating 47 sessions with more than 130 speakers along with her four-member committee. The conference had more than 300 attendees from across the United States and Canada.