SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The Evangel University Department of Social Sciences presented the Regius Award to 1987 graduate Renee Cotton during the department’s annual banquet on Monday, April 8, 2013.
Since 1990, Evangel’s social sciences department has presented an annual Regius Award to honor its alumni for outstanding professional accomplishments.
As a recipient of the Regius Award, Cotton received a glass statue in the shape of a shield with an image of a knight embedded in it.
“Renee was chosen for her vast experience in multiple social science venues as well as her dedicated and continuing service to our social science department,” said Dr. Bryan Sanders, chair of the department.
“She has provided an excellent example of what we intend for a graduate from Evangel. In fact, after meeting with her, a number of our students say they want to be just like her.”
About Renee Cotton
Currently, Cotton works as a military family navigator and advocate for the Maryland Coalition of Families for Children’s Mental Health, which assists families with children experiencing behavioral or emotional needs. She serves on local, state and national committees dedicated to helping military families.
Additionally, Cotton is licensed to practice law in Maryland. She volunteered with the Exceptional Family Member Program Office until she was selected to join the Department of State’s Foreign Service. While in the Foreign Service, she worked for the Political Military Bureau in Department of State. She also worked in the International Religious Freedom Office as the Africa Watch Officer and assisted with editing and contributing to the Congressional Report on International Religious Freedom.
While at Evangel, Renee Yniguez Cotton majored in communication and government and interned on Capitol Hill in two Congressional offices. After graduation, Cotton worked for the front office of the United States Military Academy’s football team while her husband, Norman Cotton ’85, was assigned to New York for his first tour of military duty.
Cotton attended law school at Georgia State University and received honors in international law and international arbitration from Johannes Kepler University in Linz, Austria. While in law school, she worked for a statewide consortium of universities whose purpose was to improve professional services for special needs infants and toddlers.
Cotton is active in her church, Trinity Assembly of God, as a youth leader and Fine Arts drama coach.
For more information, contact Bryan Sanders at (417) 865-2811, ext. 8213.
Evangel University is a private, Christian university of arts, sciences and professions. With an enrollment of more than 2,000 students from all 50 states and abroad, Evangel offers more than 100 undergraduate academic programs and nine master’s programs.