Frances Faehner & Marcia Kilsby Receive Awards
J.N. Andrews Medallion awarded
by Jenna Neil
During the summer commencement held on Sunday, August 3, 2014, Marcia A. Kilsby, associate professor of medical laboratory sciences, emerita, and Frances Mae Faehner, vice president for Student Life, received the J.N. Andrews Medallion.
“I was reminiscing over the 30 years of summer graduations I had attended, rejoicing in the accomplishments of all of our students, knowing this one would be my last one before retirement, and was stunned to hear my name announced,” Marcia says.
She was involved at the very beginning of the medical technology program at Andrews University in 1988. One of the original goals of the program was to educate young people from developing countries to take the knowledge and clinical experience they learned back home to their own countries to upgrade the level of diagnostic care available. Unfortunately, she says, “the vast majority of graduates stayed to work in the United States.” Faculty looked for a way to keep the sense of mission before their students and got involved with a portable laboratory system called Lab-In-A-Suitcase, that could be used where electricity was unavailable or unreliable.
Kilsby involved her students and gave them the task of identifying key illnesses in different countries to determine if this system would be beneficial and utilized their different language skills to translate a user-friendly manual.
“Expertise in grounded clinical diagnostic knowledge, creative application of problem solving, compassion and a willingness to serve in places that are outside the usual to take help, hope and healing to the suffering in this world are what I prayerfully aspire to exemplify,” Marcia says.
Marcia graduated with a BS in biology from Andrews University in 1981 and with a Master of Science the following year. She went on to complete an internship at South Bend Medical Foundation School of Medical Technology, a Master of Science in medical technology, became a specialist in blood banking, studied transfusion medicine, and in 2005 completed a doctorate in educational leadership at Andrews.
Marcia says, “There are so many people who have accomplished so much that to be selected to receive the award is very humbling and I am very honored.”
Frances Faehner was cited for her compassion and skill as a counselor and communicator, her creative leadership and expertise in strategic planning and crisis management in Student Life.
She earned a Bachelor of Social Work from Andrews University in 1976, then went on to complete a master’s in counselor education from Loma Linda University and a PhD in leadership from Andrews in 2007.
After earning her bachelor’s degree, she gained five years of professional residence life experience on the secondary level as dean of girls, first at Bass Memorial Academy and then at Shenandoah Valley Academy.
In 1981 Frances joined the Loma Linda University/La Sierra Campus student services team as associate dean of women. There she caught a broader vision of the vital role that Student Services can play in the restoration of young men and women in a total educational process. She accepted an invitation to serve as dean of women in 1983, which incorporated the administration of five residence halls.
In 1985, Frances and her husband, David Faehner, vice president for University Advancement, moved to Andrews where she served as dean of women until 2003. She found special joy in the nurture of students, staff training and development, spiritual and educational programming and financial and facility management, which she took to the next level when she became vice president for Student Life in 2003. A hallmark of Faehner’s leadership is the high level of care she presents in all situations to ensure every person feels valued and understood.
After 34 years of living in a residence hall and the arrival of two sons, Joshua and Jeremiah, the Faehners moved to a country home in 2001. They regularly open up their home to entertain students, alumni and colleagues. Over the past 13 years she has shared her legendary hospitality with an estimated 10,000 guests.
Frances says, “I am deeply humbled to receive the honor of the J.N. Andrews Medallion and am very thankful for the wonderful team of colleagues with whom I share my work. I love Andrews University and its extraordinary body of students with every fiber of my being.”
