Date: July 31, 2009
Contact: Kris Fister, 907-683-9583
On Wednesday, July 20, Superintendent Paul Anderson presented this year's Harry Hassinger Award for the top individual volunteer in the Alaska Region to Kent Miller. Phyllis Hassinger, whose husband is named in the award, traveled 86 miles to the presentation from her 20th season as a volunteer campground host at Wonder Lake. Harry Hassinger passed away in April 2007.
Miller is an accomplished professional photographer and photojournalism professor at Central Michigan University. During June and August 2008, he traveled to Alaska and donated 19 days of his time to Denali National Park and Preserve. Working 15-hour days on a routine basis, Miller shot more than 14,000 images. After editing and processing, he gave park officials more than 1,400 photographs to use and distribute without restriction. Miller's work has brought new life to the collection of images that the park uses in web pages and other online products, brochures, bulletin boards, and interpretive presentations. The impact of his time in the park will be felt for many years to come. A sampling is presented on the park website for view and free download, http://www.nps.gov/dena/photosmultimedia/index.htm.
Miller and his university are entering into a new partnership to send talented Student Conservation Association media interns to work in Alaska each summer. The first student, Neil Blake, is currently in Denali, working hard to complete projects for several park divisions. These projects include a new online video about the park kennels, documentation of mine reclamation efforts and subsistence activities at a remote fish camp.
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