Juniper Director Betsy Wheeler Earns Chancellor’s Citation Award
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Betsy Wheeler, director of the Juniper Summer Writing Institute and the Juniper Institute for Young Writers, has received a 2023 Chancellor’s Citation Award.
Nominated by Jeff Parker, associate professor of English and MFA program director, Wheeler was recognized for her outstanding performance in helping the university achieve its goals and objectives through original contributions to the university, attainment of high-priority university objectives, and performance beyond the call of duty.
"She's extraordinary at what she does," Parker says. "Betsy's management of the Juniper institutes throughout the pandemic allowed us to do something very unusual here. While lots of writing programs were closing down, Juniper actually expanded and created two new programs."
Over the last year, Wheeler transitioned out of her managing director role into her new director role, ushering Juniper into a new era on the heels of the pandemic.
"It's been the most successful year on record in the 20-year history of Juniper, and that alone is a testament to her abilities," Parker says.
The Juniper initiative annually hosts four different writing institutes for which Wheeler manages all of the logistics, organizing, and staff training. She also works with the graduate students in the MFA program to create opportunities for them to gain experience in program assistance and teaching through these institutes.
"It's great for our students because, thanks to Betsy, they're able to get lots of experience in arts administration and literary programming that goes beyond almost anything that almost any university offers," Parker says.
Noy Holland, professor in the Department of English says Wheeler is "a complete joy" to work with, and someone who brings "spirit" and "vision" to Juniper and the Department of English.