Source: Melinda Sinn, 785-532-5888, sinnpio@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Rosanna Vail, 785-532-2720, rvail@k-state.edu
Monday, March 17, 2008
UNIVERSITY CONTINUING EDUCATION ASSOCIATION TO HONOR TWO K-STATE FACULTY MEMBERS AT ANNUAL CONFERENCE
MANHATTAN -- Two Kansas State University faculty members are receiving national awards from the University Continuing Education Association.
Virginia Moxley, professor and dean and of K-State's College of Human Ecology, will receive the 2008 Faculty Service Award, while Ann Murray, associate professor of family studies and human services, will receive the 2008 Excellence in Teaching Award. The awards will be presented at the University Continuing Education Association's 93rd annual conference, March 26-29, in New Orleans, La.
Among her many accomplishments, Moxley is a founding member of the Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance, an alliance between 11 universities that sponsors interinstitutional graduate programs, shares distance education programming and develops model distance education policies and practices. In addition to serving on the board of directors from 2002-2005, Moxley oversees the centralized services for the alliance, now a national model for higher education strategic alliances.
In 2004 Moxley co-founded the K-State Institute for Academic Alliances, which develops and tests models for interinstitutional collaboration and provides consultation to emerging interinstitutional alliances.
"Virginia Moxley has been an exemplary leader and visionary for academic distance learning collaborations nationwide," said Sue Maes, interim dean of continuing education and co-founder of Institute for Academic Alliances at K-State. "Her efforts have taught continuing education professionals how to engage across academic university boundaries, and her work has given the field access to programs and degrees that were nonexistent on university campuses or on the Internet. Her contribution to the field of distance learning is extraordinary."
Murray teaches assessment of young children and infant behavior and development, both online courses. She was an early adopter of distance learning technologies on campus and was one of the first professors to use K-State's course management system, K-State Online, in teaching courses to on-campus and distance students. Using a variety of online learning tools and techniques, her teaching methodology can account for different student learning styles.
"Ann Murray has developed a reputation for excellence in teaching and consistently engages students in creative learning experiences," said David Stewart, assistant dean of continuing education at K-State. "She serves as a resource and mentor to her colleagues, readily sharing her experiences and insights with others. Although her courses often serve as models, she also is continually willing to learn from others and to adopt new approaches in her own teaching."
In addition to the faculty awards, K-State has received two national marketing and publication awards from the University Continuing Education Association for print materials produced by the K-State Division of Continuing Education. A redesigned engineering brochure for master's programs in the K-State College of Engineering won the Silver Award for most improved print piece, and an early childhood education ad for the K-State College of Human Ecology won the Bronze Award in the ad campaign category.
More information about K-State's award-winning continuing education offerings is available at the Division of Continuing Education Web site, http://www.dce.k-state.edu