BGSU to host 28th annual TRIO Award Celebration March 24

Bowling Green State University students will be honored for their personal and academic achievements on March 24 during the 28th annual TRIO Awards Celebration. Hosted by the Access, Diversity and Inclusion Programs within the division of Student Affairs, the ceremony will take place from 4–6 p.m. in 101 Olscamp Hall.

The ceremony will open at 4 p.m. with a silent auction to help raise funds for book scholarships, followed by the keynote address at 4:30 p.m. Faculty, staff and personnel from BGSU and Toledo area schools will also be recognized for their support of TRIO Programs, which are funded by the U.S. Department of Education and work with students from middle school through college completion. They provide support and guidance to nurture academic achievement and the pursuit of higher education and graduate studies. TRIO Programs at BGSU consist of two pre-college programs, Educational Talent Search and Upward Bound, and two college level programs, Student Support Services and Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Scholars Program.

This year’s keynote speaker is Kaye Monk-Morgan, director of the TRIO Upward Bound Math Science Center at Wichita State University. A 25-year veteran of Student Affairs with 17 years of experience in the field of college access and success, she offers a unique blend of executive vision, leadership acumen and desire to help children with the greatest needs to gain access and successfully complete college. Morgan is charged with advancing the interest of disadvantaged high school students in science, technology, engineering, math and health-related fields. It is a charge she is devoted to and uplifted by.

A first-generation college student herself, Monk-Morgan understands the advantages of having a college education, especially one in a STEM field. She holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and business and a master’s degree in public administration with emphasis in higher education studies.

Her prior roles as an assistant director of University Housing, community college admissions representative and AmeriCorps program director were all training for her current role as a college administrator and dream facilitator. Monk- Morgan spends much of her time on administrative duties but finds those responsibilities directly related to working with students to be the most fulfilling and the fuel that keeps her going.

She has served on several local boards including Wichita Festivals, the Kansas Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs, the Wichita State University Alumni Association, the Diversity and Equity Committee for Wichita Public Schools, the Junior League of Wichita, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated.

Monk-Morgan’s current leadership responsibilities include serving as the immediate past president of the10-state Educational Opportunity Association, and a regional representative to the national Council for Opportunity in Education board, where she co-chairs the Strategic Planning and International Access Committee.