Community Engagement Award 2024 Recipients

Congratulations to staff and faculty 2024 awardees

Chiara Citterio, Paige Jenkins, Dr. John Prescott and Dr. William Sandel

Chiara Citterio, MSU Counseling Center

Outside her professional work, Chiara volunteers with the area’s Suicide Prevention Coalition, and the Greene County Firearm Suicide Prevention Planning Team.  Through community trainings, and offering direct support counseling, her service is impacting the wellness of individuals and families, and affecting public safety policy.  This past year, Chiara also joined the Springfield Black Tie planning committee. Her time spent planning and fundraising for this event helped raise $250,000 for local and state charities that support the LGBTQ+ community.        

Paige Jenkins, Office of Student Engagement

With a passion for the arts and youth mentorship, Paige’s volunteer efforts help to empower others reach their full potential. Actively involved with Springfield Little Theater, she assists with promotional and fundraising efforts, and serves as board secretary as an Associate Board Member.  She also volunteers as a youth mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks. Several times a month, she spends quality time with her paired youth on goal-setting, relationship building and other skills to help build resilience and long-term success, in their education, work and life.     

Dr. John Prescott, Professor, Music 

Grabbing his bugle, John honors our service veterans by performing Taps at numerous events and memorial services.  And since its inception 15 years ago, his has been the lead off for MSU’s annual Taps Project which is held on Veteran’s Day.  For over 2 decades he has lent his talents to leading Handbell Choirs for several church organizations and volunteered in a variety of ways with the Boy Scouts.  John credits his father, a World War II pilot and gospel music singer, for instilling in him at a young age the importance of faith, giving back, and the value of sharing your talents with others.

Dr. William Sandel, Assistant Professor, Criminology & Criminal Justice

Bill’s passion to serve the greater good, has improved the safety and well-being for many communities.  He has been instrumental in developing local, state and national programming…even a state-of-the-art virtual reality training system…for the training purposes and prevention of active shootings.  In this arena he is also a subject matter expert and data scientist for the FBI… and the Springfield Police Department’s Gun Crimes Project.  His other volunteer projects have ranged from being a park board member for the City of Battlefield, a volunteer fire fighter, and a rescuer of stranded marine mammals.