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University of North Georgia (Å·±¦ÓÎϷƽ̨) faculty member Dr. Katie Lamberson received the Educational Excellence Award during the spring semester at Caron Atlanta's fourth annual Community Awards Breakfast in Atlanta.  

Lamberson serves as assistant dean of the College of Health Sciences & Professions and the addictions counseling track coordinator for Å·±¦ÓÎϷƽ̨'s Master of Science in counseling. The internship site for her student Steph Laney recommended Lamberson for the award. Lamberson seeks to impart the importance of compassion to her students. 

"I want us to find the same empathy for those with addictions as we have for people who have mental health problems. Everyone who has experienced addiction has experienced trauma," Lamberson said. "People deserve to be understood. They're not better or worse than anyone else." 

Å·±¦ÓÎϷƽ̨ has the only accredited master's addictions counseling track in the state of Georgia.  

Laney, a third-year student from Atlanta, Georgia, in the counseling master's program on the addictions counseling track, appreciates the systemic approach Lamberson takes to teaching about addictions and mental health treatment. 

"It's been a transformational experience for me to have her as a professor because she's so thorough and she's sensitive to everyone's individual experience at the same time," Laney said. "My internship supervisors were surprised by how well-rounded my education was, and it's because of Dr. Lamberson." 

The award recognizes an outstanding individual who has demonstrated exceptional wisdom and leadership, or an institution that has proactively supported and embraced programs that educate students, families and communities in the area of prevention and awareness of substance use disorder. Caron is an addiction recovery nonprofit with locations in Georgia; Pennsylvania; Florida; New York; and Washington, D.C.