LAKELAND, Fla. (June 19, 2006) — Captain Christina McAteer, FSC assistant professor of military science, was named the United States Army Cadet Command Instructor of the Year, June 7. McAteer has worked at Florida Southern College since March 2005.

The coveted United States Army Cadet Command Instructor of the Year award is given annually to the ROTC instructor who has demonstrated superb tactical and technical skills, communication skills, and has been at the forefront of ROTC curriculum development. McAteer was selected from more than 1,000 instructors in the 272 ROTC programs across the country. This is the first time that such an honor has been bestowed upon an ROTC faculty member at FSC.

“Captain McAteer is an exceptional Army Officer who excels as a teacher, coach and mentor of her students, and we are thrilled that her efforts have earned her this prestigious award,” said Lieutenant Colonel Michael Haydak, professor of military science. “We are extremely fortunate to have her as part of the ROTC Department.”

McAteer graduated cum laude from Campbell University in 1997 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in Army Aviation. She flies the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter and is also qualified on the C-12 fixed wing aircraft. McAteer has served in numerous command and staff positions and was most recently an Aviation Company Commander prior to joining the Florida Southern ROTC program. She has also served on numerous deployments, including Kosovo and Southeast Asia. McAteer is married to Major Shannon McAteer, also an Army Aviator who is stationed in Savannah, Ga.

About Florida Southern College Founded in 1885, Florida Southern College is a private, comprehensive, United Methodist college with a liberal arts core. The college maintains its commitment to academic excellence through 38 undergraduate majors and distinctive graduate programs in business administration, education, and nursing. Florida Southern has a 14:1 student/faculty ratio, provides strong student/faculty mentorship programs, boasts 25 NCAA Division II national championships, and is ranked by U. S. News and World Report as one of the top ten Southern Comprehensive Colleges-Bachelors and by the Princeton Review as a “Best Southeastern College.” Located on scenic Lake Hollingsworth, Florida Southern is the home of the world’s largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture.