Four Educators Honored at 41st Annual Distinguished Alumni Awards

Four alumni with experience ranging from the United Nations to National Geographic have been honored as distinguished alumni

Friday, November 3, 2017

Four alumni with experience ranging from the United Nations to National Geographic have been honored as distinguished alumni by the IU School of Education. Brady Barr, Saisuree Chutikul, Ted S. Hasselbring and Edson W. Sample were named Distinguished Alumni Award winners for their many achievements in a variety of areas, including wildlife education, women’s rights, improving education for students with disabilities and financial aid.

“The contributions these alumni have made are a credit not only to the School of Education, but to the field of education,” School of Education Dean Terry Mason said. “We remain inspired by their work and the work of all our alumni worldwide.”

The alumni were honored at the 41st Annual IU School of Education Distinguished Alumni Award dinner October 21.

More about the 2017 Distinguished Alumni:

Brady Barr
National Geographic’s reptile expert Dr. Brady Barr has dedicated his life to informing the public about the wonders of the natural world. In over 20 years, he’s traveled to more than 80 countries for National Geographic Television to host over 100 wildlife documentaries—more than anyone in National Geographic’s history.

Dr. Barr received a Bachelor of Science in Education from Indiana University in 1987 and launched his teaching career at North Central High School in Indianapolis, teaching subjects like zoology, biology, and earth and life sciences. He went on to receive a Master of Science in 1994 and a Doctorate in Biology in 1997 from the University of Miami. He is married to Mei Len Sanchez-Barr, a marine biologist and educator, who along with Dr. Barr founded and runs Ecoadventures, a hands-on learning center for children in Maryland. They have two children.

Saisuree Chutikul
Dr. Saisuree Chutikul has dedicated her life and career to shaping global human rights policy. She was a member of Thailand’s United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, Vice-Chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, and she represented Thailand for twelve years on the UN Commission on the Status of Women. She was also a Cabinet Minister responsible for Women’s Affairs, Children and Youth and Social Development and a Senator who chaired the Senate Standing Committee on Women, Children and Youth from 1996-2000.

At present Dr. Saisuree serves on various National Committees including Combating Human Trafficking; Women’s Affairs; Children’s and Youth’s Affairs; as Vice-Chair on Early Childhood Development; and as Advisor on the Law Reform in Compliance with the Constitution and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. She also was appointed by the UN Secretary-General to be a member of the Board of Trustees for the UN Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking. Dr. Saisuree received her Master of Science in Educational Administration in 1957 and her Doctorate in Educational Psychology, Counseling and Guidance in 1962, both from IU.

Ted S. Hasselbring
Dr. Ted S. Hasselbring is a Professor Emeritus of Special Education at Peabody College of Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt University. Over the past thirty-five years, Dr. Hasselbring has conducted research on the use of technology for enhancing learning in students with mild disabilities and those who are at-risk of school failure. For eighteen years he served as the Co-Director of the Learning Technology Center and conducted research on using technology for providing instruction in reading and mathematics. This research resulted in several widely-used computer-intervention programs for struggling learners. Dr. Hasselbring earned a Bachelor of Science, a Master of Arts in Teaching with a major in Biology, and a Doctorate in Special Education, all at IU. He has authored more than one hundred articles and book chapters on learning and technology and serves on the editorial boards of several professional journals. Currently, he serves on the advisory board of the George Lucas Education Foundation.

Edson W. Sample
Edson W. Sample came to Indiana University in 1958 and started working in the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aids in 1961. Besides his work at that office, he also earned a Master of Science in Higher Education at the School of Education in 1971. After spending twenty-nine years in the office, twenty-two of those as University Director, he retired in 1990.

He is considered one of the founders of the National Association of Student Financial Aids, which now has an institutional membership of close to 3,000 and individual membership of 20,000 people. Sample served as its president from 1974-1975. From these three associations, he has received many honors and awards including the national association’s highest honor, Lifetime Achievement Award. Although being retired for 27 years, he remains active in professional activities, most recently hosting the president and past board chairman of the national association for a visit to Indiana University.