Congratulations to these members of the NIU College of Education family!
David Walker, associate dean for Academic Affairs, received the 2023 Alumni Achievement Award from the Iowa State University College of Human Sciences where he earned his master’s and doctoral degrees.
The award recognizes alumni for meritorious service and/or distinguished achievements in areas such as business and industry; education; family and consumer sciences; and health.
Walker was noted for his procurement of more than $8.5 million in research funding, his 124 referred publications, his 33 technical and program reports, his 198 refereed conference presentations, his 46 invited presentations/lecture, his creation of 217 statistical computer programs and the 10th edition of his textbook on research.
“It’s Walker’s connection to students, combined with his dedication to the field, that has made him a leader in higher education,” the event program stated.
“As the associate dean for Academic Affairs and a professor of educational technology, research and assessment, Walker is responsible for launching two adult-completion degrees and has spearheaded efforts to develop 25 new agreements with community colleges that ensure a seamless transition for students. He has also mentored countless students and faculty.”
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Jason Rhode, an associate professor in the Department of Educational Technology, Research and Assessment, was named to the 2023 Class of Online Learning Consortium (OLC) Fellows.
This honor recognizes outstanding contributions to the field of digital leadership, digital education and online learning: Rhode serves NIU as associate vice provost for Teaching, Learning and Digital Education.
Recognition as an OLC Fellow is one of high professional distinction and is conferred upon individual members of the OLC by its Board of Directors for outstanding work within online learning, extraordinary contributions to the field, distinguished service to OLC and extraordinary leadership.
Rhode is being honored for “Visionary Leadership and Dedication to Mentoring Future Leaders in the Field.” He joins four others in this year’s prestigious class of leaders. He accepted the award in October at the OLC Accelerate annual conference in Washington, D.C.
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Bottom: Jacqueline Mac and Gudrun Nyunt.
Four faculty from the Department of Counseling and Higher Education will serve as presenters at the 48th annual Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) Conference, being held next week in Minneapolis.
On the schedule are Xiaodan Hu, Quortne Hutchngs, Carrie Kortegast and Gudrun Nyunt.
Jacqueline Mac, meanwhile, already presented “Everything but Racial Justice: Neoliberal Racialized Tensions Change Agents Face at Minority Serving Institutions” during a Nov. 2 virtual conference.
Hu will co-present “You Get What You Pay For: Examining Dual Enrollment Cost-Sharing and Policy Features” during the Wednesday, Nov. 15, Council on Public Policy in Higher Education Pre-Conference. She also will co-present “The Varying Impacts of Merit-aid Policy Design on College Enrollment, Retention and Graduation” Friday, Nov. 17.
Kortegast will present “Making Human Connections: Storytelling as Pedagogical Practice in Short-Term Study Abroad (Video)” Thursday, Nov. 16.
Earlier that same day, Nyunt and Hutchings will deliver “ ‘I feel stuck’: Navigating Racialized Higher Education Environmentsas Racially Marginalized HESA Master’s Students.” Nyunt also is scheduled to present Saturday, Nov. 18, on “Commemorating the Past, Embracing the Future: JCSD Special Issue on ACPA at 100.”
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