Prizes and Honors

Poetry Prizes:

Carruth Memorial Poetry Competition Prizes, University of Kansas, 1973, 1974, 1976
        3rd Prize, Kansas Quarterly Poetry Contest, 1974
        Listing in International Who's Who in Poetry (Cambridge, England), 1976 and ff.
        1st Prize, Tell-Tale Poetry Competition (Bolton, England), 1978
        1st Prize and Special Prize, International Competition for Rhymed Verse (Coventry, England),1982
        Listing in Poets and Writers' Directory of American Poets and Fiction Writers, 1983 and ff.
        3rd Prize, SuccessPoetry Competition (Peterborough, England), 1983
        Consolation Prize, Phoenix International Poems for Peace Competition (Barcelona, Spain), 1984
        Finalist, Alabama Press Poetry Series Competition, 1984
        Inclusion in Die weiten Horizone: amerikanische Lyrik 1638 bis 1980 (Cologne, Germany), 1984
        Listing in Who's Who in U.S. Writers, Editors, and Poets, First Edition, 1986-87 and ff.
        3rd Prize, Willow Review Poetry Competition, 1987
        Finalist, Carnegie-Mellon University Press Poetry Manuscript Competition, 1988
        Finalist, Poetpourri Poetry Competition, 1988
Prizewiner, Goodman Awards Poetry Competition, 1989
        Featured Poet, The Rolling Coulter , Spring 1990
        Inclusion in American Poets Special Issue, Orbis (UK), 1992
        Designation as Illinois Distinguished Author, 1995
        Placement on Illinois Authors Map, 1995
        Honorable Mention, Northwoods Journal Poetry Contest, 1996
        Inclusion in Century: 100 Major Poets, Orbis (UK), 1996
        Semi-finalist, New Issues Poetry Prize, for Life-Cycles, 1997
        Nomination for Pushcart Prize, Ekphrasis, 1998
        Plenary Session Poetry Reading, Illinois Philological Association Conference, April 2000
        Featured Poet, Unitarian Universalist General Assembly, Nashville, June 2000
        Listing in Outstanding Writers of theTwentieth Century, 2000

Drama Prizes:

        Semi-finalist, Southeastern Theatre Conference Playwriting Competition, for O Say Can't You See? , 1989
        Winner, Charleston (IL) Community Theatre Playwriting Contest, for Give Us This Day, 1992
        Winner, Russell Sharp Drama Competition, Webster Groves Theatre Guild (St. Louis), for Wake Me No Wake, 1995
        Winner, Red Mask Players One-Act Play Competition, Danville, IL, for Wake Me No Wake, 1995
        Finalist, Samuel French Drama Competition, for On Hallowed Ground, 1997-8
        Runner-Up, Pulse Ensemble Theatre Festival, for Blood Tree Sun, 2001
        Semi-Finalist, Stage 3 Theatre Festival, for Angel Hair, 2002
        Semi-Finalist, Drury University Play Contest, for Fax Trax, 2005

Academic Awards:

Eastern Illinois University Faculty Excellence Awards, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2008
        Eastern Illinois University Presidential Research Grants, 1987, 1989, 1997, 1998, 2003, 2004, and 2005
        National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Seminar Fellowship, Princeton University, 1988
        Booth Library Fellowship, Eastern Illinois University, Spring 1992
        Eastern Illinois University Foundation Grants for Instruction, 1994, 1995, 1996
        Nominated for Eastern Illinois University Honors Professor of the Year, 1999
Daily Eastern News "Person of the Year," 2000

Nominated for Eastern Illinois University Honors Professor of the Year, 2009

Eastern Illinois University Distinguished Professor, 2009

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