Distinguished Alumni Award

Congratulations to our 2023 Awardees

Pam Fischer, Gene Tempel, and Dawn Whitehead received the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award, the highest award given to an alumnus of the school.

2023 Distinguished Alumni Awardees

About the Distinguished Alumni Award

The Indiana University School of Education Distinguished Alumni Award is the highest honor bestowed upon an alum by the School. The award was founded in 1977 to recognize alumni who have enhanced the reputation of the school by distinguishing themselves in their careers and have made significant contributions to their community, state and nation through professional service, public service and civic activities.

The annual awards are given in four categories:

2023 Awardees

Pam Fischer

Pam Fischer (B.S.'88, M.A.'99)

Excellence in PreK-12 Education Award

Pam Fischer was a secondary English teacher for thirty-three years before retiring in May of 2021 and moving to Tucson, Arizona. Her life was profoundly shaped both personally and professionally by the Global Gateways Program beginning with her student teaching placement in Cheltenham, England, in the spring of 1988; she is still close to the Malyons, her host family, more than 35 years later.

Gene Tempel

Gene Tempel (M.A.’74, Ed.D.’85)

Excellence in Higher Education Award

Gene Tempel is Founding Dean Emeritus of the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and a Professor of Philanthropic Studies. He led the world’s first school devoted to research and teaching about philanthropy. An internationally recognized expert on the philanthropic sector, he has four decades of leadership and fundraising experience.

Dawn Whitehead

Dawn Whitehead (B.A.’97, M.S.’03, Ph.D.’07)

Outstanding Alumni Award

Dawn Michele Whitehead is the Vice President of the Office of Global Citizenship for Campus, Community, and Careers at the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). Her work focuses on advancing practices and strategies to integrate global, civic, and experiential learning across curricular and co-curricular initiatives and practices that advance equitable participation in global and community-based learning for all for work, life, and citizenship.

Past Awardees

Eddie ColeEARLY CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Eddie R. Cole (M.S.’09, Ph.D.’13)
Associate Professor
University of California, Los Angeles
Frank SanchezEXCELLENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION AWARD
Frank D. Sánchez (Ph.D.’03)
Senior Fellow
Interfaith America
Paola SztajnOUTSTANDING ALUMNI AWARD
Paola Sztajn (Ph.D.’95)
Dean, College of Education
North Carolina State University
Rosemary Wolf RehakEXCELLENCE IN PRE-K–12 EDUCATION AWARD
Rosemary Wolf Rehak (M.S.’77, Ed.D.’86)
School Administrator, retired
Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation

Lily AlbrightEXCELLENCE IN PRE-K-12 EDUCATION AWARD
Lily Albright (B.S.’00, M.S.’06)
Principal
Unionville Elementary School
Janice BrownOUTSTANDING ALUMNI AWARD
Janice Brown (Ed.D.’81)
Superintendent (Retired)
Kalamazoo Public Schools
Gene JongsmaOUTSTANDING ALUMNI AWARD
Gene Jongsma (B.S.’64, Ed.D.’71)
Retired Educator
Lynda WiestEXCELLENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION AWARD
Lynda R. Wiest (Ph.D. ’96)
Professor, College of Education and Human Development
University of Nevada, Reno

EXCELLENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION AWARD
Harold "Pete" Goldsmith, Ed.D. (Ed.D.’75)
Vice Provost for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, retired
Indiana University Bloomington
EXCELLENCE IN PREK-12 EDUCATION AWARD
Naomi B. Searle, M.Ed. (B.S.’85)
6th Grade Teacher, English Language Arts
South Middleton School District
EARLY CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Susie L. Gronseth, Ph.D. (Ph.D.’11)
Clinical Associate Professor
University of Houston
OUTSTANDING ALUMNI AWARD
William H. Parrett, Ph.D. (B.S.’72, M.S.’73, Ph.D.’79)
Director Emeritus, Center for School Improvement & Policy Studies
Boise State University

David A. Ambler, Ed.D. (Ed.D.'66)
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Emeritus
The University of Kansas
Carole Ames, Ph.D. (M.S.’68)
Dean Emerita
Michigan State University College of Education
Marilyn Friend, Ph.D. (M.S.’78, Ph.D.’81)
Professor Emerita
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Karen Schuster Webb, Ph.D. (M.S.’73, Ph.D.’80)
President
Union Institute & University

Dena Cushenberry-Burrello (Ed.S.’09, Ed.D.’12)
Retired Superintendent of Schools
MSD Warren Township
Judith A. DeMuth (Ed.D.’99)
Superintendent of Schools
Monroe County Community School Corporation
James B. Luther (Ph.D.’92)
Owner & President
Luther Consulting, LLC
Frederick A. Taylor, Jr. (B.S.’73)
Administrator
Zephyrhills Health & Rehabilitation Center

Brady Barr, PhD (BS’87)
Children’s Book Author & Educator/herpetologist/owner
Eco Adventures Nature Center
Saisuree Chutikul, EdD (MS’57, EdD’62)
Chairperson/Member of multiple National Committees in Thailand
Country of Thailand
Ted S. Hasselbring, EdD (BS’71, EdD’79)
Professor of Special Education
Vanderbilt University
Edson W. Sample (MS’71)
Retired Director for Financial Aid
Indiana University

Kimberly L. King-Jupiter, PhD (MS’93, PhD’98)
Special Assistant for Research Initiatives
Division of Research and Sponsored Programs
Tennessee State University
Angela M. McNelis, PhD, RN (MS’90)
Professor and Associate Dean for Scholarship, Innovation, and Clinical Science
George Washington University School of Nursing
A.Y. “Fred” Ramirez, PhD (PhD’99)
Professor of Education, Concordia University, Irvine
Executive Director of EdActs Global
Elizabeth J. Whitt (PhD’88)
Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Education
Professor in Sociology
University of California, Merced

Robert E. Draba, PhD, JD (BS'68)
Trial Attorney, Antitrust Division
United States Department of Justice
Washington, DC
Peggy A. Hinckley, EdD (BS'74)
Educational Consultant, School Improvement
Retired Superintendent
R. Elizabeth Odle (MS'74)
Retired Program Director, Bridges to Success
United Way of Central Indiana
Pat Wilson (BS'71, MS'77)
Department Chair and Teacher
Bloomington High School North

Richard E. Bishop, EdD (BS'61, MS'71, EdD'77) Retired, Executive Assistant to the President
Indiana University Foundation

Shaun R. Harper, PhD (MS'00, PhD'03)
Associate Professor and Executive Director
Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education
University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education

Jann Keenan, EdS (MS'79, EdS'80)
Instructional Designer for Health Literacy/Health Equity
The Keenan Group, Inc.

Stanley Warren, EdD (EdS'71, EdD'73)
Retired Dean, Academic Affairs and Professor of Education
DePauw University

Abdul Farouk Ahmed (MS'79)
Consultant, Human Resources and Organizational Change & Managing Director, ICC Consultants Centre

Maurice C. Daniels, EdD (BA'72, MS'75, EdD'82)
Dean and Professor, Senior Researcher and Executive Producer, University of Georgia, School of Social Work

David A. Lepkojus (BS'74)
Head Teacher/Supervisor, Counselor, Administrator, Bureau of Indian Education, United States Department of the Interior, Many Farms High School

Dr. Victor A. Smith (MS'72, EdD'77)
Retired, Associate Director, Indiana Urban School Association

Patricia A. Payne (BS'64, MS'75)
Director, Crispus Attucks Museum

Gerald O. Thompkins, Ph.D. (BS'70, MS'77)
Director, STEM Education and Research Center, Kent State University

James E. Weigand (EdD'64)
Dean Emeritus, School of Continuing Studies, Indiana University

Christine O. Cheney (EdD'84)
Dean and Professor of Special Education
University of Nevada College of Education

W. Rob Foshay (PhD'77)
Director, Research for the Educational Technology Group
Texas Instruments

James D. Mervilde (MS'81, Spclst'86, EdD'00)
Retired Superintendent
MSD of Washington Township, Indianapolis

Douglas Harris (MS'64, EdD'68)
Retired, Vice President, Knight Ridder Corporation

Earlene Holland (EdS'80)
Retired, Associate Provost, Oakland City University

Keith Jepsen (EdD'84)
President, Global Student Loan Corporation

Youngsoo Kim (PhD'83)
Director, Institute for Teaching & Learning, Ewha Women’s University, Seoul Korea

YoungHwan Kim (PhD'94)

Joseph Russell (MS'68, EdD'70)

H.A.R. Tilaar (MA'66, EdD'67)

Dennis C. Hayes (BS'74, JD'77)

Rodney P. Kirsch (MS'82)

Hazel R. Tribble (MA'75)

B. James Dawson (EdD'84)

Michael Hanes (BS'70, MS'72, PhD'73)

Nathaniel Jones (BS'73, MS'77, Spclst'82)

Patricia Lather (PhD'83)

Bonita S. Beaumont (BS'76)

Carole L. Hahn (EdD'73)

Sharon Robinson Kurpius (PhD'78)

Victor Boschini (EdD'89)

Dale Fuqua (PhD'80)

Sivasailam Thiagarajan (PhD'71, MS'70)

Rick Crosslin (MS'81)

Bonnie Litwiller (MAT'65, EdD'68)

Cynthia Witterhold Cleveland (BS'74, MS'76)

Thomas D. Oakland (MS '65, PhD'67)

Toby Strout (MS'74, PhD'91)

Yvonna S. Lincoln (EdD'78)

Nancy L. Roser (MS'70, EdD'70)

Adeng Chaedar Alwasilah | PhD'91, MS'87

Sue Marquis Bishop | PhD'83, MS'67
Arthur W. DeCabooter | EdD'71, MS'69

S. Kern Alexander | EdD'65
E. Scott Huebner | BS'76, MS'77, PhD'83
Earline Rogers | BS'57 MS'71
Jimmy Ross | EdD'76

Joan Kowal | MS'74, EdD'86
Charlie Nelms | MS'71, EdD'77

James Chung - Yuan Wang | MS'77
Judith A. Fraps | BS'69
Lynn Luckow | MS'74
Paula M. Rooney MS'75, EdD'78

Jack Humphrey | MS'56, EdD'62
Ronda Talley | PhD'79

James Lyons | MS'56, EdD'63
Sylvia Swinton | MS'42, EdD'56
Lawrence Tyree | EdD'72

Myron Coulter | MS'59, EdD'59
Francis Mustapha | MS'73, Spcist Ed'79

Jerrold Kemp | EdD'56
Samuel Robinson | EdD'74
Beverly Simone | MS'73, EdD'86

Ida G. Medlyn | BS'49, MS'66, EdD'79
Louis C. Stamatakos | BS'50, MS'51, EdD'58
Valora Washington | PhD'78

James D. Beck | BS'50, MS'51, EdD'59
Margaret Ellen Jay | BS'68, MS'69
Beeman N. Phillips | MS'50, EdD'54
Doris A. Trojcak | MS'68, EdD'69
Janice Farmer Weaver | BS'53, MS'57, EdD'64
Kenneth Woodruff | BS'55, MS'56

Madeline Marcelia Garvin | BS'73
Thomas L. Good | MS'67, PhD'68
G. Thomas Houlihan | BS'72
Sharon Burmeister Lord | MA'68, PhD'70
Anita Medsker | BS'75, MS'78

Karl Hertz | EdD'73
James Mecklenburger | EdD'75
Maggie Samudio | BS'76, MA'82

Harmon Baldwin | EdD'68
Jacqueline Greenwood | MS'72
Gary Quehl | MS'62, EdD'65

Russell L. Abel | EdD'71
Helen Layman Hollingsworth | MS'63
Mohammad Abdulqadir Yousuf | MS'54, PhD'56

H. Dean Evans | EdD'66
Marilyn Sue Kesler | EdD'64

Emily Feistritzer | PhD'73
W. James Popham | EdD'58

K. Forbis Jordan | EdD'61
WesleyJ. Lyda | PhD'43
Sue Hays Talbot | BS'66, MS'71, EdD'92

Helen Blackledge | BS'30
Phil Eskew | MS'33
Robert Freeman | BS'57, MS'59, EdD'65

Gene Schwilck | EdD'56

Dolores Hernandez | EdD'60

Philip Peak | PhD'55

Austin Walker | MS'48

Harry Davidson | MS'37

Fay Arganbright | MS'46