Emporia State University’s Jim Persinger, chair and director of the psychology department, was awarded the Kansas Association of School Psychologists Lifetime Achievement Award this year for his accomplishments and contributions to the field. He has been a professor at ESU for 16 years.

The KASP annual Lifetime Achievement Award acknowledges life-long efforts in the field of school psychology and the contributions made to the field of education for Kansas children, according to Ashley Enz, the past president of the KASP Executive Board, and former student of Persinger’s.

“Dr. Persinger’s accomplishments in the field of school psychology speak volumes,” Enz said. “From national crisis response training, to obtaining grants that fund programs that promote equality and respect for all.”

Persinger’s achievements include aiding ESU’s school psychology program in attaining national certification. He also created for the program the first mental health proactive and preventative approach to training psychologists to keep children healthy rather than helping them when they are sick, according to Persinger.

“I more than any other trainer have trained more practicing school psychologists in our state,” Persinger said.

Persinger has also served on every KASP board position in the last twenty years.

Students who have studied under him have been impacted by his mentorship. Senaida Mehmedovic, a graduate school psychology major, was impacted after taking a class with him to change her major to school psychology.

“I couldn’t even begin to imagine the amount of children, students and staff he’s positively impacted,” Mehmedovic said.

During the conference, students who had been trained by Persinger, or impacted by his accomplishments, were asked to stand, according to Enz.

“The number of people standing was remarkable,” Enz said. “It was very clear that Jim has had a substantial impact on school psychology and education in Kansas.”

Last year, Persinger was also named a Roe R. Cross distinguished professor, a distinguished honor, according to Persinger.

“When I think of the people who have achieved these awards, they tend to consist of the people who I’ve admired the most and patterned my own professional career after,” Persinger said. “So it feels like validation that I must be doing something right.”