2023 Provost Award of Excellence

Nomination submitted by Professor Steve Allred

To the Selection Committee,

I am writing to nominate Kevin McCarthy (10006541), Associate Professor of Emergency Services, for the Academic Award of Excellence for Faculty

Kevin has most recently served as the Emergency Medical Services program director for the Department of Emergency Services. During his tenure, the EMS program has seen significant growth in student enrollment, now graduating up to 72 students; in previous classes we had an average of 48. We’ve also hired two additional faculty to meet the needs of this increased enrollment. Our program has been successful, but with his leadership, vision, and tenacity to accomplish what was once thought impossible due to past constraints and apathy, we continue to provide a much needed workforce for our service area and beyond, providing exceptional care and more significantly, exceptional results.

Kevin recently led a team of educators to Morocco as part of a research/teaching group whose goals were educating the first ever Moroccan EMS providers. This work has been in conjunction with the US State Department, the US Embassy in Rabat, and the Utah National Guard. This project has taken over four years to develop into a successful delivery plan, from hosting a delegation from the Ministry of Health, university professors, and a delegation from the Civil Protectorate, to months of preparation and in-country meetings involving both countries. The ability to stay focused on the outcome, as well as the partnership with Morocco, was never lost on Kevin. Our engagement will likely shape the delivery of first responder medicine in a country so desperately in need of pre-hospital care. I have been fortunate to be included on several of these training experiences, and I can confidently state that this work is impressive, with relationships developed at the highest level of both the US and Moroccan governments. I also know this collaboration will provide countless opportunities for students and will open doors for other universities and centers of learning to travel and interface in an integral and meaningful way, with real impact. This work and its continued success will not only influence the country of Morocco but will reach beyond its border to all African Francophone countries; without Kevin’s determination, constancy, and commitment to success, I doubt this complex partnership and association with a country halfway across the world would not be where it is today.

I have also worked with Kevin on many other projects in EMS, and his attention to detail is common knowledge throughout the university. His tenacity to go above and beyond, along with his commitment to see projects through to completion, is also a trait that many faculty simply do not possess. I am confident if you were to ask those involved in CourseLeaf, or various research teams, you would find I am not alone in my appreciation and respect for the work he does.

Leading a program so often referred to as “Blue Collar”, Kevin has done much to showcase the students and faculty of EMS programs and believes and works to establish a sense of professionalism and pride with faculty, adjuncts, students, and staff. His goal has always been to illustrate the value EMS practitioners play in the healthcare system on a daily basis. With our increased enrollment, we are attempting to meet a desperate shortage of EMS providers in the state. Kevin saw this need developing and reacted in a timely manner to provide as many well-trained practitioners as possible, ensuring the care of people in this community and throughout the state.

Budget constraints have caused Kevin to become creative in his approach to available funding streams while meeting the needs of students and curriculum. I know his commitment to what we do is often at the expense of personal time and goals, and his exceptional work ethic is the reason we are seeing new faculty hires and equipment purchased with grant money. Our grant funding and attention to fees allows us to be successful while easing the burden on students’ pocketbooks, still providing the best training and equipment possible.

Kevin is never satisfied with yesterday; each new day brings an opportunity to contribute more to our program and the university. I know this value is one to be recognized as it adds to the success of UVU and the overall quality and effectiveness of our EMS program.

We are seeing a shift in the student population, like all programs at UVU. I know Kevin is a supportive and accepting leader who strives to include all. We have barriers to overcome, yet his leadership encourages everyone to see an individual as they are. We have been very successful as a program to be inclusive, and this has been communicated to our classrooms, along with the expectations of tolerance, kindness, and acceptance of each person’s uniqueness. I feel this atmosphere of impartiality and open-mindedness is because of the faculty, staff, and students that abide by these principles and the leadership that is set by example by Kevin McCarthy.

2019 Faculty Excellence Award

2017 Dean's Faculty Excellence Award

2017 Excellence in Flexible Teaching & Learning