Springfieldians Vincel and Turnbull to receive Evangel’s Distinguished Service Awards

October 3, 2006
Contact: Chuck Cox, alumni relations director, 865-2815 Ext. 7333.

Springfield, MO — Dr. Robert Turnbull and Cathryn “Cat” Vincel will be presented with Distinguished Service Awards Friday, Oct. 13, during the Homecoming chapel service. The Evangel Alumni Association will present the awards to honor their contributions to Evangel.

Robert Turnbull, an MK (missionary kid) originally from California, has studied and taught in N.Y., Paris and Brussels. He earned his Ph.D. from New York University in 1988. For 33 years, he has taught French at Evangel, and for the past 16 years has served as the humanities department chair.

Turnbull has taken students on six tours to France, including one last summer. Besides traveling, he enjoys sailing and biking, participating in the MS-150 charity ride each year.

In 1993, Turnbull received the Clark Award for Excellence in Teaching, Scholarship and Service.

"Dr. Turnbull has distinguished himself as a masterful teacher and counselor to students,” Dr. Glenn Bernet, Evangel’s vice president for academic affairs, said.

Turnbull’s favorite thing about working at Evangel is the opportunity to influence young people toward the blending of their faith and their academic disciplines.

Cat Vincel began working at Evangel as an invoice clerk in 1973 and was promoted that same year to supervisor of accounts receivable. She is receiving the service award for demonstrating diligence and accuracy when registering students and recording transactions.

"It’s a tremendous blessing to the office to have someone who can step in and help in several different areas and do the job well,” George Crawford, Evangel’s vice president for business and finance, said of Vincel. He also complimented her ability to solve puzzles that arise in the workplace.

She currently handles reconciling the University’s bank accounts, provides backup for the cashier and prepares reports for auditors.

She is also a talented musician and plays percussion in the Springfield Symphony Orchestra.