Denise Vowell ’74 and James Carter, professor emeritus of Geography-Geology were inducted into the College of Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame on Saturday.
Induction into the College of Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame is an honor bestowed on current, past, or honorary members of the arts and sciences community. Nomination criteria include outstanding performance in one’s profession; demonstrated leadership in one’s profession and/or community; favorable statewide, national, or international recognition; honors from associations or employers. The College of Arts and Sciences congratulates Denise Vowell and James Carter.
Col. (Retired) Denise K. Vowell, U.S. Army, is an honors graduate of Illinois State University, as well as the University of Texas School of Law (J.D., 1981), and a distinguished graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (master’s degree in national resource strategy, 1998.) She enlisted in the Army in 1973 while still an undergraduate at Illinois State and received a direct commission in the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) in 1974.
After serving as a Military Police officer, Col. Vowell was selected for the Army’s funded legal education program. While an Army officer, she served as a tort litigation attorney, prosecutor, defense counsel, chief legal officer, and as both a trial and appellate judge. She retired from the Army as the Chief Trial Judge in January, 2006. She was the first woman to serve in that capacity. Col. Vowell was then appointed as Special Master, U.S. Court of Federal Claims, on February 1, 2006. She was designated Chief Special Master by the court effective September 19, 2013.
Professor Emeritus of Geography-Geology James R. Carter holds a bachelor’s degree in geology from Indiana University (1958), a master’s degree from the University of Maryland (1966), and a Ph.D. from the University of Georgia (1973). His doctoral dissertation focused on mapping drought in the southeastern United States, and during his studies he participated in an NSF Tropical Studies Program in Atmospheric Sciences. After earning his bachelor’s degree, he began working for the Indiana Water Resources Commission.
Carter subsequently worked in the Geographic Names unit of the Topographic Mapping Program of the U.S. Geological Survey from 1962 through 1968. Upon the completion of his doctorate, he accepted a position at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where he taught the atmospheric science and cartography courses. In 1990 he came to Illinois State University as director of Academic Computing, with faculty status in the Department of Geography-Geology. In December 1991 he taught the first course on campus introducing something called the Internet. He also worked with the College of Arts and Sciences to create LILT, the Laboratory of Integrated Learning and Technology.
