The restricted scholarship was established by Southeast professor emerita of history Dr. Alberta Dougan and her husband, Neil Dougan, who made a $10,000 gift to create the award.
The renewable scholarship will be awarded to a full-time non-traditional student (minimum 30 years of age) majoring in history or historic preservation who has completed 60 undergraduate hours or is a graduate student. If there is no eligible candidate who meets the age requirement, the selection committee may choose a younger non-traditional student. Recipients must be in good academic standing with an overall minimum 3.0 grade point average. The Department of History Committee will select the recipient.
Mr. Neil Dougan and Dr. Alberta Macke Dougan are long-time residents of Southeast Missouri. Neil graduated from Cape Central High School in 1963, and Alberta graduated from Jackson High School in 1963. Alberta is a 1967 Southeast graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Education, secondary education, with majors in history and social science. She also received a Master of Arts in history from the University of Missouri in 1971 and an Ed.D. in social studies education from Indiana University in 1984. Neil also attended Southeast and served in the United States Marine Corps from 1966-68. Neil was a member of the Plumbers & Pipefitters Local #562 from 1968 until his retirement in 2006. Alberta and Neil were married in 1971.
Alberta served at Southeast from 1972-2006, which included 10 years as chair of the Department of History from 1991-2001 as well as Interim Chair of the Department of Middle and Secondary Education during her last year on campus. Throughout her career at Southeast, she was actively involved in campus governance including serving on numerous committees and college councils and as Chair of the Faculty Senate, Moderator of the Chairs Forum, and Chair of the University Promotion and Sabbatical Leave Committee.
Alberta has been involved in Social Studies Education throughout her career, as an active member of Southeast Missouri Council for the Social Studies, the Missouri Council for the Social Studies, the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), and the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). She has had multiple publications but feels her real impact as a professional has been through her presentations and her work with the National Standards for Social Studies Teachers.
Alberta was recognized by the university administration in 2005 when she received the PRIDE Award, in recognition of her exemplary record of teaching, scholarship, and service. In addition, she was recognized as an Exemplary Teacher by Governor Matt Blunt in an April 2006 ceremony in Jefferson City. Upon retirement from Southeast in 2007, Alberta was named Professor Emerita of History and, after retirement, she continued to serve the profession through her involvement with NCSS, NCATE, and the SEMO Council for the Social Studies.
Both Neil and Alberta have been integrally involved with the Jackson Heritage Association and the Cape Girardeau County History Center in Jackson, Missouri, for many years and have particularly enjoyed volunteering with these organizations during their retirement.