IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 23, 2007
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Slippery Rock professor receives award for advocacy work    

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Robert Arnhold, Slippery Rock University professor of exercise and rehabilitative sciences, has received Exceptional Parent Magazine’s Maxwell J. Schleifer Distinguished Service Award. The award recognizes his advocacy for people with disabilities and leadership with Camp Shriver, a Special Olympics initiative.

            “It is an honor to be recognized. It is reflective of the commitment the University has made to providing professional preparation for our students and community service for people with disabilities and to what our entire faculty and students accomplish within our adapted physical activity minor,” he said.

            The Schleifer Award is named after the late founder and editor of the magazine and given annually.

            Arnhold received the award during a baseball game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Mets at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. Exceptional Parent Magazine sponsors an annual “Disabilities Awareness Night” at a major league baseball stadium around the country during which editors present the award. 

            “It was a great night because it put the spotlight on advocacy, and it was a night in which people with disabilities were encouraged to attend a game,” Arnhold said. 

            Camp Shriver is a Special Olympics program focusing on sports skills development and friendship building. Arnhold helped to revive the program nationally by developing the curriculum and methodology for assessing the ability levels of campers. 

            SRU hosted a Camp Shriver this summer with 50 campers trying their hand at soccer, kickball, bocce and swimming. SRU students in the adapted physical activity minor led the sports stations. The adapted program, coordinated by Arnhold and the only one of its kind in Pennsylvania, prepares graduates for implementing exercise programs for those with disabilities.  Currently, 125 students are enrolled.

            Arnhold received his bachelor’s degree in adapted physical education from Temple University, a master’s degree in adapted education from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and a doctorate in adapted education from Texas Woman’s University.

Slippery Rock University is Pennsylvania’s premier public residential university. Slippery Rock University provides students with a comprehensive learning experience that intentionally combines academic instruction with enhanced educational and learning opportunities that make a positive difference in their lives.