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BAY CITY, Mich. — George Eastland, Faculty Athletics Representative at Saginaw Valley State University, has been named the 2010 recipient of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s (GLIAC) Tom Donahue Service Award.

The Donahue Service Award is presented annually to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the GLIAC and intercollegiate athletics.  The Award winners exemplify the high standard of dedication to the league and its student-athletes set by Tom Donahue, former commissioner of the GLIAC.

Eastland joined the SVSU faculty in 1969 and has served as its faculty athletics representative since 1973, playing an important role in the growth of the athletics program at SVSU and the GLIAC.  He also served as interim athletic director during the 2006-07 academic year.

Eastland has been a member of numerous NCAA and GLIAC Committees, serving on the NCAA nominating Committee and chairing the Conference’s Eligibility Committee for a number of years. He also served as Parliamentarian to the GLIAC Management Council at conference meetings.

As a scholar, Eastland has written some 40 publications in the field of chemistry.  He also has received a number of honors, including the Landee Teaching Excellence Award, SVSU’s most prestigious honor for quality teaching, as well as awards from the Midland Section of the American Chemical Society for Outstanding College Teaching and Outstanding Service to the American Chemical Society.  Eastland is one of only two people who have chaired the Midland Section of the American Chemical Society twice.

Eastland completed his bachelor’s degree at Wittenberg University and a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry at  South Dakota State University.

Eastland becomes the 22nd recipient of the Donahue Award and the second SVSU employee to earn the accolades, joining George MacDonald, Grand Valley State University (1988); Bob Hensee, Hillsdale College (1989); Ted Kearly, Michigan Technological University (1990); Barb Patrick, Northern Michigan University (1991); Bud Cooper, Lake Superior State (1992); Vern Norris, GLIAC Commissioner (1993), Dorothy Dreyer, Wayne State University (1994); Dr. Thomas Hendrix, Grand Valley State (1995); Jack McAvoy, Hillsdale (1996); Jack Finn, Northwood University (1997); Bob Becker, Saginaw Valley State University (1999); Chris Petrouleas, Wayne State (2000); Joan Boand, Grand Valley State (2001); Dr. Charles Jones, Lake Superior State (2002); Dr. Mark Kosciuszko, Ferris State University (2003); Michael Corbett, Gannon University (2004); Bob Wendling, Ashland University (2005); Rick Yeo, Michigan Tech (2006); Bill Crawford, Lake Superior State (2007); Bob Brennan, Wayne State (2008); and Tom Brown GLIAC Commissioner (2009).