PULLMAN, Wash.–Marshall Mitchell, director of the Washington State University Disability Resource Center, is the recipient of the first Mike Utley Determination Award, presented recently by the Mike Utley Foundation. The award recognizes the capabilities and contributions of people with disabilities.
Mitchell, winner of the male category, was one of nine finalists that included his wife, Kathy Mitchell, adjunct faculty with speech and hearing sciences. He came to WSU after 10 years at Amarillo College in Amarillo, Texas, where he designed and directed a program for accommodating students with disabilities.
Mike Utley, a 1989 WSU graduate and former Detroit Lions offensive tackle, was paralyzed while playing for the Lions in the 1991 season. In 1992, the former Cougar All-American founded the Mike Utley Foundation to help others with disabilities.
Award winners were announced during the banquet, held in Seattle at the Planet Hollywood restaurant. Mitchell was nominated by Susan Schaffer, a learning specialist at WSU’s Disability Resource Center.
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