The Pathfinder Award is given annually “to recognize members of the Montevallo Branch of the American Association of University Women who, through longstanding membership and continuing service both to the organization and to the community, have come to represent most clearly the principles that AAUW stands for, including equity for all women and girls, life-long education, and positive societal change.”  Members of AAUW are delighted tonight to honor, Eleanor Davis and Helen Moshkovich as recipients of the 2013 AAUW Pathfinder Awards.

Clearly, Helen Moshkovich and Eleanor Davis exemplify these qualities in an outstanding way, through their longtime membership and service as AAUW Branch officers, their work with AAUW programs, and their longtime service to the UM/Montevallo community.

Helen Moshkovich is Professor of Business at the Michael E. Stephens College of Business at the University of Montevallo, where she teaches in both the undergraduate and the graduate programs.  She holds an M.S. degree from the Institute of Engineering and Economics (Moscow, Russia) and a Ph.D. from the Institute for Systems Analysis of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

She was born in Moscow, Russia into the family of high school teachers. There she got her education and started her career. In Russia she worked as Systems’ Analyst at the Institute for Systems Analysis of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Later she earned there her Ph.D. and became a faculty member. In 1996 she started to work at the University of West Alabama when her family moved to the United States. She came to the University of Montevallo with her husband Alex Mechitov in 2001.

Dr. Moshkovich is very active in research, she received an Outstanding Paper award at South-East Decision Sciences Institute in 1999. Her research interests are in decision making in a complex business environment as well as in Electronic Commerce and business education. She is a co-founder of a new decision making methodology called Verbal Decision Analysis (Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1997).  She has published three books, several chapters, and numerous essays in American and International journals Dr. Moshkovich has also presented papers at numerous national and international conferences and received many awards including the Best Theoretical/Empirical Research Paper Award from the Decision Sciences Institute.  She recently received the University Scholars Award at the University of Montevallo.

Since coming to Montevallo, Helen has been an invaluable member of the Montevallo Branch of AAUW.  Helen has served for many years as webmaster for AAUW of Alabama, and she continues to serve as webmaster for the Montevallo Branch. In this position she is both efficient and knowledgeable, mastering mysteries of technology that most of us cannot begin to fathom.  Helen has also conducted summer computer camps for children in West Alabama, and she has helped numerous girls in our community to become more technically skilled with projects such as technical workshops for Middle School aged girls to help them obtain additional computer skills.

As webmaster, she has helped to bring AAUW into the 21st century.  Helen has been a major presenter at a number of programs, both on the state and branch levels. She have helped us develop global perspectives with programs on topics such Women in Russia, providing us with important insights into other cultures, especially that of her native Russia.

Eleanor Davis is a Graduate of the University of  Michigan School of Nursing.  She has an MBA and Masters in Public Health from UAB.  Among her many honors are UM Senior Elite Night dedication in 1999-2000 and the UM Outstanding Staff Service Award in 2008.  She has long served as a volunteer with her nursing sorority, Chi Eta Phi, the Selma Chapter.

As an AAUW member, Eleanor has participated in a number of informative and engaging panels and programs. Eleanor has also held Branch offices such as that of Membership Vice President. She has helped with recruitment by her eloquent articulation of the mission and principles of AAUW and her strong belief in the value of AAUW membership. Furthermore, she has served as a liaison with interested students. Eleanor has helped to provide a nurturing and supportive atmosphere for women and girls of all ages. Branch members especially appreciate her memorable presentations at our Black History Month programs such as her participation a poetry reading on Women’s Experience and her involvement in programs such as The Black and the White of It, Lest We E’er Forget, and Women of Uncommon Valor. In addition, she has also helped tremendously with Branch fundraising efforts. People have come to expect her lovely, gracious presence at fundraising events such as the Annual Spring Celebration and Style Show.

When asked about important milestones in her life, Eleanor reported the following:
“I’ve been a nurse for 40 years (where did the time go?). I have been fortunate in knowing my passion and having the opportunity to work in my chosen field. I love public health nursing and home health care. I did not have any idea I would enjoy working in the field of college health as much as I have. I tell people I have 3000 children although I only gave birth to two.

Those two children I did give birth to are daughter Tene’ and son Khary (pronounced Car-ee). Tene’ is a lawyer and Occupational Therapist. Khary is a Captain in the Air Force. Khary and his wife, Jane presented us with our first grandchild in December, Kalani. And I saved the best for last: my husband of 40 years (again where did the time go) Ronald.”

The many services of both these two outstanding women have been important to AAUW and to the community in helping to promote AAUW’s goals of Educational Opportunity, Equity, and Positive Societal Change. Members of AAUW are very happy and proud to be able to recognize Helen Moshkovich and Eleanor Davis for their many contributions to AAUW, to the University community, and to the community at large.