Dr. Karen Schmeichel Awarded 2011 Vulcan Materials Company Award

ATLANTA, GA (06/30/2011)(readMedia)-- Oglethorpe University's Dr. Karen Schmeichel is the recipient of the 2011 Vulcan Materials Company Teaching Excellence Award. Schmeichel, a Biology professor at Oglethorpe since 2006, received the honor at the university's 2011 commencement ceremony in May.

The Vulcan Materials Teaching Excellence Award is sponsored by the Vulcan Materials Company and presented annually to a member of the faculty who demonstrates a high level of commitment to teaching, student success, and campus life.

Schmeichel holds a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Utah. She completed her undergraduate degree at Middlebury College, majoring in both chemistry and biology.

Oglethorpe University was founded in 1835 and enrolls 1,100 students representing 34 states and 28 countries. Oglethorpe is a member of the Annapolis Group, an organization of America's most selective liberal arts institutions. For four consecutive years, Oglethorpe has been named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for commitment to and achievement in community service. In 2010, Oglethorpe was named among U.S. News & World Report's Best Liberal Arts Colleges and Forbes' America's Best Colleges. Princeton Review named Oglethorpe a Best Southeastern College, ranking it in national top-20 lists: Professors Get High Marks (#17), Classroom Discussion Encouraged (#14), Lots of Race/Class Interaction (#11), and Best College Theatre (#18). Georgia Shakespeare is the professional theater-in-residence at Oglethorpe. OU competes in the NCAA Division III Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. Website: www.oglethorpe.edu