Chad Lochmiller, Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership in the department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, has won the 2018 Jack A. Culbertson Award. The award is presented annually to an outstanding junior educational leadership professor in recognition of his/her significant contributions to the field of educational leadership. Individuals nominated must have been professors for six years or fewer and currently serve in a UCEA university.
“I am extremely grateful to receive the 2018 Jack A. Culbertson Award from the University Council for Educational Administration,” Lochmiller said. “The UCEA community has been an extraordinary source of support, scholarly encouragement, and professional mentoring throughout my career.”
“I want to extend my appreciation to my colleague Dr. Mónica Byrne-Jiménez for her thoughtful nomination letter as well as mentors, Drs. Gary Crow, Michael Knapp, and Bradley Portin for their amazing letters of support. I have been fortunate to learn from scholars in the field of Educational Leadership who not only study leadership practice but are also incredible leaders in their own right. It is my sincere hope that I can continue this model for our students at IU Bloomington.”
Lochmiller received the award November 15 at the University Council for Educational Administration’s Annual Convention in Houston, Texas. Mónica Byrne-Jiménez, associate professor in ELPS, presented him with the award.
“Dr. Lochmiller describes his research as exploring ‘how leaders invest fiscal resources and develop human resources to support equitable teaching and learning.’ That is as close a definition for quality educational leadership as I have heard,” Byrne-Jiménez said in her nomination letter. “I firmly believe that Dr. Lochmiller embodies the true spirit of our field. Not only in his dedication to his research and expanding our understanding of leadership, but also his commitment to high quality schools and improving leadership preparation.”
Gary Crow, professor emeritus at the School of Education, echoed those sentiments: “His work, in particular with the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation, reflects a strong understanding and sensitivity to mentoring and coaching. He has developed strong credibility with the district superintendent, which has led to a university district partnership involving the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and opportunities for students at both masters and doctoral levels.”
Professor emeritus Michael Knapp of the University of Washington also commended Lochmiller’s continuous attention to the work of leadership education: “It is a relatively unstudied aspect of our field, and it is refreshing to a find a scholar who has devoted as much attention to the content, strategies, and accomplishments of efforts to develop leaders’ knowledge and skills. What is more, he has the courage to put his money where his mouth is. Not only writing extensively about leadership coaching, he has also spent a good deal of time and energy coaching new leaders and helping them gain facility with tools that would aid their practice.”
The Jack A. Culbertson Award was established in 1982 in honor of UCEA’s first full-time Executive Director, who retired in 1981 after serving 22 years in the position. Jack was an impressive scholar throughout his career. However, he took particular interest in the scholarly endeavors of Junior Faculty, recognizing in their work the future of the profession.