 Dean Jones, right, presents the award to Melissa Weresh, left. |
CONTACT: Tory Olson, 515-271-1834, tory.olson@drake.edu
Melissa Weresh, professor of law and director of legal writing at the Drake University Law School, recently received the 2010 University of Iowa Alumni Service Award at a ceremony held in Iowa City, Iowa.
The award is given to alumni of the University of Iowa College of Law in recognition of significant accomplishments to the University, community, state or nation.
“The award is quite an honor, and it was a lot of fun to go back and visit my alma mater,” said Weresh, who graduated from the University of Iowa in 1992.
John Edwards, associate dean for information and technology for the Drake Law Library, praised Weresh for her dedication to service both within her profession and in the local community.
“Professor Weresh richly deserves this award,” said Edwards, Drake professor of law. “It’s wonderful that her alma mater has recognized her accomplishments and has chosen to celebrate her for everything that she does.”
Weresh has received numerous accolades for her dedication to ethics and professionalism and for her commitment to community service.
In 2009, she received the Warren E. Burger Prize for her essay “I’ll Start Walking Your Way, You Start Walking Mine: Sociological Perspectives on Professional Identity Development and Influence of Generational Differences.”
Weresh was also honored with the Drake University’s Madelyn Levitt Distinguished Community Service Award in 2006, which recognized her personal enthusiasm for volunteerism and community service.
She serves as chair of the Iowa Bar Association Professionalism Section Chair, chair of the Teaching Methods Section of the Association of American Law Schools and co-chair of the 2008 Legal Writing Institute Biennial Conference.
Within her community, she has served on the board of directors for The Homestead, a non-profit organization that develops and provides services to individuals with autism.
Weresh, who has taught at Drake since 1997, also holds a bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C.