The Institute of Applied Technology at Fort Hays State University has been given the Outstanding Program Award.  The award was presented by the Colorado Technology Education Association (TEA) at the annual Rocky Mountain States Conference recently in Colorado.

Dr. Duane Renfrow, associate professor of applied technology, told Hays Post that the conference is targeted at Middle School/Junior High and High School Technology teachers.  He said that the goal of the conference is to give teachers a chance to meet with technology vendors as well as other teachers in the field.

“I guess you could call it a revival: it’s a revival for technology because you do feel energized when you’re talking with people that are of like mind and you see what is actually going on in the trenches at the high school, middle school, and junior high levels.”

Renfrow said that FHSU has been attending for at least 20 years, doing presentations, putting up a display showcasing what the university has to offer and providing speakers each year.   He said that FHSU has built a good relationship with teachers through these efforts, which has helped bring students into Hays.

“The planners and the committee that sets up this conference felt like Fort Hays should be honored with the support that they’ve given their conference, to show how we can work across borders and support them.  They basically don’t have any technology programs like what we have here at Fort Hays so we have a wide-open field in attracting people from that area.”

Renfrow added that in addition to Colorado students attending college here, teachers from the conference have attended various seminars in Hays and FHSU graduates have gone back to teach in Colorado.  He says the involvement of FHSU year round with Colorado teachers and students in the field of technology studies was the reason behind this unprecedented recognition.