Kathy Rye Receives Special Recognition at AARC National Convention in San Antonio, TX

Kathy Rye Receives Litarary Award

Photo of AARC Fellows

Kathy Rye, EdD, RRT has been inducted into the 2009 Class of Fellows of the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC). AARC began the fellowship program in 1998 to recognize members who have made significant and sustained contributions to the art and science of respiratory care. A Fellow’s contributions extend beyond his or her individual job to a wider sphere of influence. Through educational achievement, validation of competency through advanced credentials, research initiatives, publication, and clinical initiatives, an AARC Fellow will have made a mark as a respiratory care professional of distinction. Dr. Rye was recognized and received a Fellow pin at the AARC International Congress in San Antonio, Texas in December 2009.

Dr. Rye also received the Ikaria Best First Author Literary Award at the same meeting. This literary award recognizes the best paper by a first-time author published in the science journal RESPIRATORY CARE during the previous year and is presented by the American Respiratory Care Foundation annually at the International Congress.

Kathy has over 25 years of experience in Respiratory Care with 20 of those years devoted to Respiratory Care Education. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in Little Rock, Arkansas where she has served as Director of Clinical Education since August, 1993. During her tenure at UAMS, she has been instrumental in the development and implementation of a Baccalaureate Degree Program and Distance Learning in the Cardio-Respiratory Care Program. She received a B. S. degree in Cardiopulmonary Science from Louisiana State University Medical Center in Shreveport, Louisiana; a Masters degree in Adult Education from University of Arkansas at Little Rock; and a Doctorate of Education in Higher Education Leadership from University of Arkansas at Little Rock, AR.

Kathy has been an active member of the Arkansas Society for Respiratory Care for over 16 years where she has served the ASRC as Vice-President, President, and as Delegate to the AARC House of Delegates. She currently serves the AARC on the Public Relations Action Team and on the Education Section’s Ad Hoc Committee for Preceptor Training and the Abstract Review Committee. Kathy was recognized as the Practitioner of the Year by the Education Specialty Section of the AARC in December, 2008. Dr. Rye also currently serves as the Secretary of the Board of the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC). She has been a CoARC (formerly JRCRTE) site visitor since 1996.

Kathy and her husband, Lindsey, live in Russellville, Arkansas, where they have a cattle farm. They enjoy traveling and are avid Arkansas Razorback fans.