BYU professor Ronald Bingham earned a lifetime achievement award last week, honoring his involvement and commitment to professional counseling.

Utah Counseling Association presented Bingham with an engraved clock for his local and national contributions.

"I was appreciative, but I've been awarded by this association before, so I was a little surprised they would honor me again," said Bingham.

Bingham previously received a professional excellence award by the UCA, and has been recognized with sundry governmental and citizenship awards.

Bingham did not attend the annual conference where the award was to be granted, because of family matters.

The department of Psychology, Counseling and Special Education chose to hold an award ceremony that he could attend.

Melissa Allen, a faculty member of the department, enlisted Bingham as a guest speaker for one of her classes.

"When I opened the door, there was the students and faculty," Bingham said.

The group immediately began to applaud Bingham.

"He turned red and a little embarrassed, and said thank you," Allen said.

The embarrassment fits his character, said Allen. And according to her, the timing was perfect: Bingham is retiring in April.

"He's a very modest person, and just to talk to him you would never know that he has done all these spectacular things," Allen said.

Allen is one of the founding members of UCA, he served as president and board member for UCA from 1997 to 1998.

He is also a founding member and first governing board member of the Association of Mormon Counselors and Psychotherapists, and resided as the fist president of the Utah Mental Health Counselors Association.

He served as the chair for the most recent, and successful, Association for Counselor Education and Supervision conference, said Don Beck, department chair for the college of social and behavioral sciences at the University of Phoenix.

"I had the pleasure of working with him on this event and interpersonally, I cannot say enough positive things about this gentleman. His professional involvement has had national impact," Beck said.

The humble professor wants to turn the attention toward others. Bingham is submitting names for a Young Scholar Award from BYU this year so others will be honored.

"I'm not really big on awards," Bingham said, "I get more fun out of seeing others receive recognition."



Copyright Brigham Young University 22 Feb 2003