Alabama State University has gained another bragging right.
Associate Professor Carmela Drake, Ph.D., has been selected as the U.S. Addiction Educator of the Year. Drake is a faculty member in the department of rehabilitation services, housed within the College of Health Science. She will be presented with the national award at the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC) conference on Oct. 9, in Denver, Colorado.
“I am beyond words,” she said. “I am so very involved in teaching addiction studies to both our undergraduate students at Alabama State and as an advocate of it, at the national level, that my gratitude and happiness in being recognized for my professional body of work makes it hard for me to adequately state what this means to me.’’
She continues.
“This award also impacts Alabama State University in a positive way. This award names, what may be the first time ever, a minority faculty member as the top addiction educator in the USA since the award was first given out.”
Among the criteria necessary to win the award is having a demonstrated history of contributing through academia to the addiction profession through the mentoring of students and student chapters, colleagues or addiction professionals, as well as having demonstrated history of research or other contributions designed to grow, enhance and/or educate the addiction profession.
When asked how she was selected, Drake said it came about through a nomination.
“I was nominated by a colleague in the field of addictions,” she said. “They obtained letters of support from different individuals who have worked closely with me and provided some background information on me. Additionally, they submitted my contribution to the addiction as an educator and a practitioner.”
Drake believes winning awards of this nature will assist the university, as a whole, with recruitment.
“I believe one impact winning this award will have on the university is the recruitment increase. We can recruit students to our university who may be interested in working in addictions and mental health. Winning awards brings attention to not just rehabilitation studies but also clinical mental health, psychology and social work. All of those disciplines work in the field of addiction.”
The NAADAC’s members are addiction counselors, professionals who educate other professionals whose addictions focus on healthcare professionals who specialize in things such as addiction prevention, treatment, recovery, support and education.
The chair of the NAADAC awards committee, Patricia M. Greer, Ph.D., was the first to notify Drake of her selection. She shared with Drake that the Addiction Educator of the Year Award is presented to the educator who has made an outstanding contribution to addiction education from among its 100,000+ members worldwide.
Drake has a demonstrated history of contributing to the academic profession through the mentoring of students and student chapters, colleagues and addiction professionals, as well as having a demonstrated history of research and other contributions designed to grow and educate the addiction profession.
The chairwoman of the department of rehabilitation studies, D.H. Stapleton, Ph.D. explains that Drake’s award helps make the university’s addiction studies program “shine.”
“I am very excited, as is the entire department, about Dr. Drake’s award, which is based on her many successes in addiction studies, community education and her work with our undergraduate students to both educate them and motivate them to help work on ending the many addictions that affect our society,” Stapleton said. “For ASU students, Dr. Drake’s recognition by her cohorts sends them and the entire community of addiction professionals a message that Alabama State University has one of the nation’s top experts here, which will help us both recruit more quality faculty members, as well as attract additional excellent students.”