Emporia State University has announced the recipient of the 2023-24 John E. King Endowed Professor Award.
Dr. Damara Goff Paris came to Emporia State University in 2014 and was recently promoted to full professor in Counselor Education within the School of Applied Health Sciences. Dr. Paris says she was both honored and surprised to have been chosen as the recipient of the award stating “Dr. King was a national figure who made many strides as an educator. I can only hope to exemplify the values he demonstrated throughout his career.”
In addition to her role within the classroom, Dr. Paris is a well-known advocate of accessibility for disabled residents. In a recent news release she was quoted saying, “As a child with several disabilities going through the education system in the 1970s, I am aware on a personal level of the barriers that students with disabilities face in K-12 and higher education environments.”
She also praised the university, and Dr. King, the university’s 11th president, for being one of the “early pioneers” in advancing on-campus accessibility. Of his efforts, Dr. Paris noted how during his presidency Dr. King made great efforts to address “architectural barriers” that could prohibit disabled students from attending classes.
Dr. Paris added in the aforementioned news release “This was before sweeping legislation addressing accessibility were enacted. As a person with disabilities, this resonated with me.”
The Dr. John E. King Endowed Professorship was established back in 2019 following a gift by Arthur C. Piculell Jr.
