Detroit - Dean Sharon L. Vasquez and the Alumni Association Board of Wayne State University's College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts (CFPCA) present the 32nd annual Ovation Awards, 6pm to 9pm, Friday, October 16, 2009, at St. Andrew's Hall on the Wayne State campus. Outstanding alumni and long-time friends of Wayne State University will be recognized for their dedication to the arts and communication and for achievements in their respective fields. The cost is $75 per person to attend; $50 for Alumni Association members and WSU faculty and staff. The evening includes a reception at 6:00, dinner at 7:00 and the awards program at 8:00. Visit CFPCA, or type in the URL at the top of this release, for further details about the honorees and event RSVP information.

Ovation Awards honorees for 2009:

Distinguished Alumni Award, Department of Communication
Kenneth V. Cockrel, Jr, President, Detroit City Council (WSU bachelor's degree in journalism, 1988)
Kimberly Cockrel, Corporate Project Director, Detroit Medical Center (WSU master's degree in education, 2002, bachelor's degree in journalism, 1989)

Distinguished Alumni Award, Department of Music
John Feierabend, Author and Professor, University of Hartford (WSU bachelor's degree in music, 1974; historical certificate, 1974)

Distinguished Alumni Award, Department of Theatre
Kent Neely, Provost, Western Oregon University (WSU master's degree in theatre, 1973; doctoral degree in theatre, 1976)

Career Achievement Award in the Field of Art
John Egner, Artist and Professor (WSU Friend of the University and long-time art advocate)

Wayne State University's College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts is educating the next generation of visual artists, musicians, communication professionals and professional actors and dancers. The college offers 16 undergraduate and 11 graduate programs through its five departments of Art and Art History, Communication, Dance, Music and Theatre, with students benefiting from expert faculty and state of the art resources. Wayne State University is a premier institution of higher education offering more than 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to more than 31,000 students. Wayne State has the Carnegie classification RU/VH, the nation's highest rating for research universities.