Fellows
of the Council of Learning Assistance and Developmental Education Associations
The Council spurs excellence by recognizing and honoring the most outstanding leaders in the profession. Fellows are selected based on their long-term and significant contributions to the field. Selection as a Fellow represents the highest honor conferred upon professionals in learning assistance, tutoring, and developmental education. Individuals selected as Fellows must be nominated by at least two current Fellows or by a member association.
Congratulations to the Fellows Inducted September 29, 2021
The induction for Fellows elected in 2021 was held at the National College Learning Center Association Conference in Birmingham, AL (and via Zoom):
- Deborah B. Daiek
- Jodi Holschuh
- M. Elaine Richardson
Congratulations to the Fellows Inducted April 22, 2021
The COVID-delayed induction of CLADEA Fellows elected in 2019 was held at the Association of Colleges for Tutoring and Learning Assistance (ACTLA) on Thursday, April 22, 2021, via ZOOM:
- Alan Craig,
- Patricia Mulcahy-Ernt, and
- Gretchen Starks-Martin
Photos from the 2018 Fellows Induction at the NCLCA Conference in Niagara Falls.
Fellows Nominations
Fellows nomination packets for the next Fellows election cycle are due February 15, 2023. Nominations of CLADEA Fellows may be submitted to the Council Chairperson at any time by CLADEA member organizations. The election cycle and induction will take place every two years. No more than one nomination will be accepted from each CLADEA member organization. A nomination will also be accepted from current Fellows when the respective nominee has documented support from a minimum of two Fellows who represent at least two separate member organizations. For details on the Fellows nomination and election process and requirements for Fellows, see the CLADEA Policies and Procedures.
Current Fellows
Karen Agee
2017
Karen S. Agee coordinated the Reading and Learning Center at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI), 1984-2009. She served the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) as secretary, president, and executive assistant to the Board and represented CRLA on the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) and the Council of Learning Assistance and Developmental Education Associations (CLADEA) and served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Developmental Education (JDE), The Learning Assistance Review (TLAR), and the Journal of College Reading and Learning (JCRL). Karen received scholarship, leadership, and service awards from CRLA, UNI, and the Iowa Board of Regents. She coauthored chapters for the Handbook of College Reading and Study Strategy Research (2nd and 3rd eds.), co-edited (with Russ Hodges, 2012) the Handbook for Training Peer Tutors and Mentors and co-authored (with Jan Norton, 2014) a CRLA white paper, Assessment of Learning Assistance Programs.
Karen earned a B.A. and M.A. in Classical Languages and Literatures (summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) from Indiana University and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction/Literacy Education (Phi Kappa Phi) from New Mexico State University. She deeply appreciates four decades of continuing education provided by students, colleagues, and professional organizations.
David Arendale
2000
David R. Arendale, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor Emeritus in the Curriculum and Instruction Department at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (UMN) and Co-convener of Colleagues of Color for Social Justice. At UMN, he led a team that developed the Peer Assisted Learning program for courses throughout the curriculum.
Arendale investigates the history and best practices of equity programs, learning assistance, and academic interventions supporting improved student achievement and persistence. For more than two decades, Arendale taught an introductory global history course which he embedded with best practices of learning assistance to increase student engagement, practice with acquiring learning strategies, and increasing their academic achievement in the course. The course served as a laboratory for development of course-specific application of Universal Design for Learning.
At the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Arendale was National Project Director of Supplemental Instruction. He served as President of the National Association for Developmental Education. The Council of Learning Assistance and Developmental Education Associations inducted him as a Founding Fellow of the profession. Among his publications is Access at the crossroads: Learning assistance in higher education (Jossey-Bass). Current research and publications are available at www.arendale.org and his podcasts and social media are at www.davidmedia.org
2017
Dr. Sonya L. Armstrong earned her doctorate in literacy education from the University of Cincinnati as well as two M.A. degrees in English (literature and editing/publishing). She served in first-year and developmental education contexts at both community colleges and universities, teaching developmental reading, basic writing, and learning strategies as well as directing a college reading and learning program. At Texas State University, Dr. Armstrong was an Associate Professor in Developmental Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, within which she directed the doctoral program.
Her research has focused on college literacy-learning and practice. She has published with colleagues in such professional journals as Teaching English in the Two-Year College, Research in the Teaching of English, Journal of Developmental Education, and Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy. She co-edited Teaching Developmental Reading: Historical, Theoretical, and Practical Background Readings (2nd ed,).
Sonya’s leadership in professional organizations includes serving as an editor, director of publications, and president of the College Reading and Learning Association. Through her collaborative work related to faculty professional development and advanced study, Sonya was key in developing the Certificate of Graduate Study in Postsecondary Developmental Literacy and Language Instruction at Northern Illinois University.
Carol Bader
Barbara Bonham
2009
Barbara Bonham, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Leadership and Educational Studies at Appalachian State University (ASU), Boone, NC where she taught graduate courses. She served as Senior Researcher for the National Center for Developmental Education and a faculty member for the Kellogg Institute for 30 years.
She has a total of 50 years teaching experience: 30 years at ASU and 20 years in PA. Barbara was a consultant to over 110 two-year and four-year colleges in over 25 states. She served as program reviewer, consultant, and evaluator for Title III, Title V, FIPSE, Achieving the Dream projects, State Boards of Higher Education and business.
Dr. Bonham has 39 publications, 24 technical reports, and 159 scholarly presentations at regional, state, national, and international conferences. Her publications, presentations, and areas of research interest include college teaching/learning, designing culturally responsive learning environments, universal and instructional design, mathematics, and comparative education.
Her intense interest and research in students’ success took her on an academic leave to New Zealand in 2013. She worked with colleagues at UNITEC in Auckland conducting research and co-authoring a five-year grant focused on promoting the academic success of the Maori and Pacific Island students in tertiary education.
Nancy Bornstein
Hunter Boylan
2000
Hunter R. Boylan, Ph.D., is Professor and Director Emeritus of the National Center for Developmental Education at Appalachian State University. He has served the field for nearly 50 years. Beginning as a gang control worker and civil rights activist in Philadelphia, throughout his career he has advocated for greater equity in our programs and institutions and for the use of research to guide equitable decision making.
Dr. Boylan served as President of the National Association for Developmental Education (NADE), Chair of CLADEA, Director of the Doctoral Program in Developmental Education at Grambling State University, Editor of Research in Developmental Education, Director of the National Study of Developmental Education, and Editorial Board Member for the Journal of Developmental Education, the Journal of College Reading and Learning, and the Journal of Teaching and Learning. Hunter has authored eight books and 120 articles as well as over 320 presentations and keynote addresses at regional, national, and international conferences.
Dr. Boylan has also served on a variety of national organization advisory boards and is frequently quoted in the media for his views on higher education topics. His favorite saying is “Good judgment comes from experience … and experience comes from bad judgment.”
Kathy Carpenter*
Nancy Carriuolo
2009
Nancy Carriuolo (Ph.D.) began tutoring in kindergarten when she was assigned to help her classmates who could not tie their shoes. She tutored in college and today as a volunteer. In 1980, she became director of the University of New Haven’s Learning Center and became involved in NADE, one of her best professional experiences. She became Secretary and then NADE President.
Her essay on teaching basic skills was published in the Chronicle of Higher Education in 1985 and read into the Congressional Record by Senator Paul Simon. Nancy has authored over 30 publications with regional, national, or international audiences. She also served on the board of the Journal of Developmental Education among numerous other boards.
Dr. Carriuolo directed the School-College Partnership Office at NEASC, the regional accrediting agency, and later served on the NEASC board. She served as Deputy Commissioner and Chief Academic Officer for RI Higher Education and then as President of Rhode Island College (2008-2016), as VP for Advancement at the New England Institute of Technology (2016-2019), and then, after retiring, as a consultant at Johnson & Wales University (2019). She has now turned her attention to part-time editing and ghostwriting and serves on two RI-based board committees.
Martha Casazza
2000
As an educator and author, Martha Casazza has practiced on a global stage from Chicago to universities in South Africa, Poland, Kazakhstan, Scotland and England and currently to preschoolers in Sayulita, Mexico.
She focuses on access and support for underserved populations. Her work began in the Chicago Public School system. Subsequently, teaching at National Louis University introduced her to adult learners from underserved communities where she learned the significance of access to educational opportunity. As a Fulbright Scholar in South Africa, following the end of Apartheid, Martha introduced strategies for teaching “new” students from the townships, underprepared for university study.
Consulting in Chicago, Martha collaborated with Instituto Progreso to create a college-level educational program to serve local Spanish-speaking residents. Based on this work, she was awarded the “Instituto Spirit Award” (2018).
Her writings have evolved from nonfiction to fiction, but the consistent theme is educational access. Two of her nonfiction writings were cited as classics in the field of developmental education. Dreaming Forward was the subject of an NPR interview. Please visit www.marthacasazza.com for a link to her interview.
Martha resides for much of the year in Mexico with her husband where they founded a tuition-free preschool for local children.
David Caverly
2004
David C. Caverly is a Distinguished University Professor Emeritus having received an Indiana University Ph.D. His scholarship focused on researching, teaching, and disseminating coursework for creating and using effective, developmental literacy instruction and the effects of integrating digital technologies.
Through 44 years at Texas State and 10 other institutions, he with 14 colleagues secured $2.7 million in grants. With 80 individual students, faculty, and/or colleagues, he authored/co-authored 97 journal articles in the Journal of Development Education’s TechTalk series and four other journals. With 68 of these same colleagues, he co-authored 588 conference presentations. He published 14 books and 13 chapters, served as co-editor while writing chapters for three editions of the Handbook of College Reading and Study Strategy Research, and delivered the Technology Institute for Developmental Educators for 15 years.
His service to developmental education was recognized through two Texas State’s College of Education nominations for a Presidential Award for Scholarly/Creative Activity and two state of Texas awards, a CASP Lifetime Achievement Award and a CASP President’s Award. Internationally, he was recognized by a CRLA Special Recognition Award and an IRA College Literacy and Learning Special Interest Group for Outstanding Writing in the Field of College Reading and Study Skills.
Frank Christ*
Susan Clark-Thayer
2005
Susan Clark-Thayer was involved in Academic Support Programs for many years. She helped launch and then for many years directed the Gallotti Learning Center at Suffolk University in Boston. Promoted to Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, she also chaired the University’s accreditation efforts and supported program best practice throughout the University.
Nationally, Dr. Clark-Thayer chaired and co-chaired NADE’s Standards and Evaluation Committee (precursor of CALCRA). She edited the first editions of Standards for Developmental Education and Academic Support Programs: National Guide to Best Practice and supervised implementation of the National Certification Program sponsored by NADE. She traveled the country giving workshops teaching certification and best practice in quality learning support programs. Dr. Clark-Thayer was a delegate director to the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education and was active in the early days of the Learning Assistance Association of New England. For the Kellogg Institute at Appalachian State, she taught program best practice and certification.
Early days of publishing the Program Standards and initiating Program Certification were a heady time for professionals in the field. Colleagues were enthusiastic about new guidelines, and it was a joy for team members to share them.
Alan Craig
2021
Alan Craig retired as Director of the Learning and Tutoring Centers across all five campuses of Georgia Perimeter College in 2015. He continued in academia teaching collegiate, pre-collegiate, and corequisite mathematics courses part-time at Georgia State University’s Perimeter College through the spring of 2019. Prior to returning to the collegiate world, Alan worked in corporate IT for 23 years, rising from FORTRAN programmer to Chief Information Officer.
Alan is a Past President of the National College Learning Center Association and recipient of NCLCA’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He presented an invited preconference workshop for new learning center directors at NCLCA for 13 years and mentored at four NCLCA Institutes. Alan was NCLCA’s representative to CLADEA for seven years (final two as vice chair) and an officer of the Georgia Tutoring Association. Alan is a content editor for LSCHE (since 2006) and LSCHE and CLADEA webmaster.
Alan earned an A.A. in Liberal Arts from Hillsborough Community College, a B.A. (summa cum laude, Phi Kappa Phi) and M.A. (Graduate Council Fellowship) in Mathematics from the University of South Florida, and an Ed.D. in Developmental Education from Grambling State University (Dissertation: Institutional Responses to Underprepared Students at the University of Georgia: 1801 – 2001).
K. Patricia Cross
Deborah Daiek
2021
With over 34 years in developmental education, Dr. Deborah Daiek began her career at Kellogg Community College, teaching reading, both on campus and through KCC at Coldwater Women’s Prison. Deborah earned her Ph.D. in Instructional Technology from Wayne State University, where she served as the University’s Associate Director of learning support programs for ten years. Her dissertation topic focused on the correlation of critical thinking skills and academic success. She is now Dean Emerita of Education Programs and Learning Support at Schoolcraft College where she served for nineteen years.
She is the Immediate Past President of NOSS and current editor for its Practitioner to Practitioner. She twice served as President for NOSS’s Michigan Chapter, NOSS-MI. She co-authored two college reading textbooks, Critical Reading for College and Beyond as well as the Science and Strategies of Expert Readers. She worked on four statewide developmental education studies in Michigan, coordinating two. It included all 28 community colleges, for the purpose of improving state policies and practices. Currently, she is the co-founder of Mindtation, a company rooted in principles of yoga and neuroscience. Natural sound and breathing techniques are illuminated to help people live their best lives, with full hearts and clear minds.
Johanna Dvorak
2017
Johanna Dvorak, Ph.D, has devoted her professional career to college learning assistance and is Director Emerita, Educational Support Services, at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM). Her areas of expertise are learning center management, peer tutoring program initiatives, online academic support services, professional development, and leadership in higher education. Her dissertation, The College Tutoring Experience (2000), studied the effect of tutoring on tutors.
Dr. Dvorak was Director of Panther Academic Support Services (PASS) at UWM (1995-2016). Under her guidance, the center expanded its services and locations for group tutoring, academic resources, Supplemental Instruction, online and blended tutoring, and academic coaching to 125 peer leaders. PASS earned the Frank L. Christ/NCLCA Outstanding Learning Center Award (2014).
Dr. Dvorak has researched, published, conducted webinars, and frequently presented at CLADEA association conferences on managing college learning centers, developing online tutoring services, and other academic support initiatives. She mentored at several NCLCA Institutes (2004, 2009, 2012, 2017).
She was President of MCLCA (1994) and of NCLCA (2004) and received NCLCA’s Lifetime Achievement Award (2011). She served on CLADEA’s Blue Ribbon Commission, Certification Committee and Political Advocacy Committee. She helped develop Wisconsin’s NCLCA Affiliate WCLCA (2016-18) and ACTLA’s Online Tutoring Program Standards and Certification Program (2018-2020).
2011
Dr. Gardner is the CEO and Co-Founder with his wife, Dr. Betsy O. Barefoot, of the non-profit higher education organization, the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education. The Institute was initially begun in 1999 as the Policy Center on the First Year of College, but John’s interests and expertise grew to include sophomore and senior years, transfer student success, and retention with degree completion. Gardner’s name is synonymous in American higher education with leadership in student success and retention.
Gardner has been the leader of an international movement to improve what he coined in 1982 as “the first-year experience.” A prolific writer of seven books on undergraduate student transitions, his Your College Experience became a standard textbook for first-year courses. His many writings have focused on supporting students throughout their higher-education careers.
Dr. Gardner’s National Resource Center has organized the popular and influential conferences on The First-Year Experience, Students in Transition, and also disseminated information through an extensive series of publications and presentations. The recipient of a dozen honorary degrees recognizing his contributions and other awards for teaching excellence and service, Gardner is Distinguished Professor Emeritus and Senior Fellow, University of South Carolina.
Rebecca Goosen
Alvin Granowsky
2000
Dr. Alvin Granowsky was a junior and senior high school English teacher for eight years and served as Director of Reading and Language Arts for the public schools of Greensboro, NC. His establishment of the Title I Reading Center for severely disabled readers in the Greensboro Public Schools served as a foundation of his thinking about the impact of early reading failure on the self-concept and future educational performance of youngsters – and most importantly, the understanding that learning deficits can be overcome and educational success achieved. He later served as Director of Reading and Language Arts for the Dallas, TX, public schools where he developed the district-wide Parents as Partners Program that joined parents and teachers to promote reading and learning success for all students.
Dr. Granowsky earned a B.A. in English/Psychology (Colgate University), M.A. in Teaching (Harvard Graduate School of Education), and Ed.D. (University of Pennsylvania). He was honored to serve as a board member on the Texas Learning Disability Association and as a consultant in Reading to the National PTA, as well as Vice-president of Education for World Book Encyclopedia.
His children’s books and reading and learning texts were used in schools throughout the United States and Canada.
2018
Jacqueline (Jackie) Harris served the students of Ball State University for 25 years in many capacities. In addition to coordinating learning center services there, she contributed to the field of learning assistance by providing over 50 presentations and writing more than 20 articles and book chapters, including co-authoring The Language Arts Objective Sequence (2001). Her ongoing focus on collaboration, mentoring, and raising awareness about learning assistance was always evident, especially so in her work on the Faculty Mentorship Program at Ball State.
Jackie was instrumental in transitioning the Midwest College Learning Centers Association into the national organization, later serving as President from 1999-2000. She also served as the president of the Indiana Association for Developmental Education. She organized and served as a mentor for three NCLCA Summer Institutes and was the keynote speaker for the 2015 annual conference. Jackie earned the NCLCA Learning Center Leadership Certification, Level 4, and in 2017 was honored with the organization’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Jacqueline Harris’s additional experience has included her work for the Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University, building and supporting programs to serve veterans transitioning into higher education. She helped create the Focus Forward Fellowship program for female student veterans.
Phoebe Helm
Jeanne L. Higbee
2005
Jeanne L. Higbee earned her M.S. in Counseling and Ph.D. in Educational Administration/Higher Education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has worked in higher education since 1974. Her early career experience was in a wide variety of positions in student affairs.
From 1985 to 1999 she worked as a developmental education faculty member, counselor, and advisor at The University of Georgia. She joined the faculty of the General College at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities in 1999. Prior to her retirement in 2015, Jeanne served as Full Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Postsecondary Teaching and Learning. In 2011 she received the University’s prestigious Horace T. Morse—University of Minnesota Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education.
Recognitions include ACPA Diamond Honoree and Voice of Inclusion Medallion, CRLA Robert Griffin Award for Long and Outstanding Service, Henry Young Award for Outstanding Individual Contribution to NADE, and the Hunter R. Boylan Outstanding Research/Publication Award. Jeanne has published 135 book chapters and journal articles and edited 5 books and 16 monographs, while also serving as editor and reviewer for a wide range of professional journals. She directed federally-funded Pedagogy and Student Services for Institutional Transformation.
Russ Hodges
2009
Russ Hodges began his career as an academic counselor at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (1983-1986). He has been employed at Texas State University (TXST) since 1986 and served as the learning center’s outreach coordinator and lecturer for learning frameworks and first-year experience courses. Currently, he is an associate professor in the College of Education and teaches courses in the graduate program in developmental education.
His research focuses on student success interventions (e.g., student success courses, peer mentoring, peer tutoring and academic coaching); he also conducts research on policy within our field. Russ has published numerous articles, book chapters, and books, including having co-edited (with Karen Agee, 2012) the Handbook for Training Peer Tutors and Mentors and co-authored (with De Sellers and Carol Dochen, 2005, 2011, 2015) Academic Transformation: The Road to College Success.
Russ’ leadership positions includes treasurer and president of the College Reading and Learning Association, chair of the Council of Learning Assistance and Developmental Education Associations, and co-founder and current co-editor of the Journal of College Academic Support Programs. Russ earned his B.A. in sociology (Centenary College in Shreveport), his M.Ed. in counseling (University of Louisiana at Monroe), and Ed.D. in developmental education (Grambling State University).
Jodi Holschuh
2021
Jodi Patrick Holschuh is a Professor in the Graduate Program in Developmental Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and Assistant Dean for Faculty Development and Strategic Planning for the College of Education at Texas State University. Her teaching focuses on developmental literacy, learning support, and disciplinary literacy from undergraduate to doctoral levels. Currently, she teaches master’s- and doctoral-level courses in the Graduate Program in Developmental Education. Her research centers on disciplinary literacy, postsecondary reading and learning, transitions to college learning, and literacy learning in the sciences. Her work has appeared in numerous journals, including Journal of Literacy Research, Review of Research in Education, Journal of College Reading and Learning, and Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy.
Dr. Holschuh co-authored CRLA’s inaugural white paper, The Terrain of College Developmental Reading, and has worked with multiple states to create college transition courses for high school learners. She is also the co-author of several textbooks including Effective College Learning, College Success Strategies, and Active Learning as well as a popular trade book on learning entitled, College Rules! How to Study, Survive, and Succeed in College.
Rosemary Karr
Gene Kerstiens*
Lucy MacDonald
2004
Lucy MacDonald earned her Master’s degree in English from the University of Kansas and a Master’s Degree in Reading from the University of Oregon. She taught for 25 years at the community college level – reading and writing as well as specializing in study strategies and discipline literacy. She started teaching online in 1992 BW (before the web) with a class for Freshman Composition. In 1995, she created the first in the nation online web-based Study Strategies class. This was followed up by her interactive web site, www.howtostudy.org, a database of general learning strategies and learning and writing strategies in 19 different content areas.
With her commitment to professional development, Lucy co-authored Tech Talk in the Journal of Development Education with David Caverly. She was founding faculty in the TIDE summer institute, the Technology Institute for Developmental Educators (1998–2014). The summer institutes included her seminars on designing online classes, creating interactive discussions and best practices in tutoring online. She was also an Invited Mentor for the NCLCA Summer Institute 2008-2015, presenting such topics as “Enhancing Great Learning Centers with Technology.”
Lucy continues to provide support for student success both here in the United States and in Australia.
Howard Masuda
2015
Howard Masuda retired in 2018 as the University Tutorial Center Director, California State University, Los Angeles. He started his 40-year career in tutoring and learning assistance as a student worker in the Learning Resource Center, part of a Federal TRIO program. He earned his B.S. degree in Chemistry and M.A. degree in Education—Instructional Media and Technology from California State University, Los Angeles, and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology—Learning and Instruction (cognate in Cognitive Science) from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Howard has been actively involved professionally with the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) as a member/conference presenter since 1980 and a CRLA International Tutor Training Program Certification (ITTPC) Reviewer since 1996. He co-authored two chapters for the Handbook for Training Peer Tutors and Mentors (2012), edited by Karen Agee and Russ Hodges, and contributed to the revision of the “ITTPC Standards, Outcomes, and Assessments.”
As an Association of Colleges for Tutoring and Learning Assistance (ACTLA) member/conference presenter since 1988, he served as Secretary, President, and Treasurer. He helped develop the Online Tutoring Standards and the Online Tutoring Program Certification. He was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award In recognition of his long-time contributions to ACTLA.
Georgine Materniak
2004
Georgine Materniak helped develop and launch the Learning Skills Center at the University of Pittsburgh in 1972 and administered the program until 2002. Learning support programs were initiated in the 1970’s: the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) was the first existing national organization to recognize the new profession, creating Commission XVI. Georgine was among the original directors and chaired the Commission from 1980-1982.
In the early 1980’s, ACPA and other organizations created the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS). Georgine was involved in drafting the national professional standards for learning assistance programs. She served as a director for both the ACPA Commission XVI and the National Association for Developmental Education (NADE) on CAS (1997-2002). She co-chaired NADE’s Professional Standards and Evaluation Committee (1989-2000), working on the development and implementation of the program certification process.
Georgine has always been grateful for being part of the founding and launching of a new profession and for the opportunity to work with colleagues across the country to grow and move the profession forward, assuring that students receive the best learning support for their academic success. As a first-generation college student, she personally appreciated the importance of academic support and guidance.
Martha Maxwell*
Robert McCabe*
Jane McGrath
2006
Dr. Jane McGrath has devoted her career to helping students learn to think critically and to consciously choose effective learning strategies. In addition to teaching, Jane’s years with the Maricopa Community Colleges included helping three new colleges research and develop their student development strategies and exciting colleagues about implementing those strategies. Her college reading textbook series anchored Prentice Hall’s reading list.
Jane has been recognized for her excellence in teaching, developing programs beneficial to student success, and encouraging student writing. She served in leadership positions with the College Reading and Learning Association and the National Association for Developmental Education as well as service positions within state, regional, and local organizations. For two decades, she served as co-editor of the NADE Digest and on the editorial boards of the Journal of Developmental Education and the Journal of College Reading and Learning.
She has delivered/co-delivered refereed presentations at conferences and symposia within the Maricopa Colleges, at CLADEA association conferences, the International Reading Association, the League for Innovation in Community College, and the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges.
Saundra McGuire
2012
Saundra Yancy McGuire is the director emerita of LSU’s internationally acclaimed Center for Academic Success (CAS) and professor emerita of chemistry. The CAS established the Dr. Saundra McGuire Outstanding SI Leader scholarship in 2014. Prior to joining LSU in 1999, she was director of the Learning Strategies Center at Cornell University where she received the coveted Clark Distinguished Teaching Award. Her best-selling books, Teach Students How to Learn and Teach Yourself How to Learn, were produced by Stylus Publishing.
Saundra received the Lifetime Achievement Award and Level Four Lifetime Learning Center Leadership Certification, both from NCLCA, and the Distinguished Teaching Award from the College Reading and Learning Association. She received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring in a White House Oval Office Ceremony. Her work is primarily in STEM learning assistance and faculty development, and she has presented workshops at over 500 institutions in 47 states and 12 countries.
Saundra received her B.S. degree, magna cum laude, from Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA; her master’s degree from Cornell University; and her Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, where she received the Chancellor’s Citation for Exceptional Professional Promise.
Patricia Mulcahy-Ernt
2021
Patricia Irene Mulcahy-Ernt, Ph.D., is the Professor of Education in Reading and Language Arts at the University of Bridgeport, CT, and Program Director of the Graduate Literacy and English Education Programs. She teaches secondary English language arts pedagogy, content area literacy, technological applications, assessment of literacy difficulties, and educational measurement. The recipient of several outstanding teaching awards, Patricia is a dedicated teacher-scholar.
She holds a B.A. in Secondary English Education from the University of Rhode Island, a M.S.Ed. from Colorado State University, and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Minnesota. Her research has focused on secondary and college-level literacy and assessment, media literacy, technical writing, and the reading framework for the design of the TOEFL. She co-authored College Reading and Study Strategies and chapters about strategic study reading in the Handbook of College Reading and Study Strategy Research.
Patricia has served the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) as President, the CRLA Northeast Regional Director and its Chapter President, and the CRLA Council Representative on the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS). In addition, Patricia has served the Connecticut Association for Reading Research (CARR) as its President and Historian.
Jane Neuburger
2006
Jane Neuburger directed tutoring at Syracuse University (2002-2015), instituting CRLA certification, PLTL, video-based SI, and a learning assistance course. She provided tutor training for TRiO and HEOP, liaised with ten University entities, instituted a tutoring consortium, and helped establish programs at SUNY ESF and SUNY Upstate Medical University.
At Cazenovia College (1985-2002), she taught developmental writing, reading, composition, literature, research, children’s and adolescent literature. She directed Individualized Studies, coordinated first-year seminar, tutoring, and developmental reading; tutored for TRiO, C-STEP, and HEOP; chaired Program Assessment, and liaisoned with the Board of Trustees. Part of her Fellows recognition was for outstanding teaching.
Jane’s service on NYCLSA’s Ethics and Standards prompted Cazenovia’s piloting NADE’s Self-Evaluation Guides. She was NYCLSA President, Noozletter Editor, NADE Accreditation Commission Chair, NADE President; a Kellogg Institute graduate and visiting professor. Current work focuses on NYCLSA, CRLA, CAS, and another Guides revision.
With a B.A. in English and Education from the College of Mount Saint Vincent, she taught at P.S. 141; Curtis High School; Goshen middle school; Camp Goshen for delinquent youth; and Marist College prison program. She earned a research-based M.S. in Reading at Western Connecticut State College. She credits success to wonderful mentors, colleagues, tutors, and students.
Sherrie Nist-Olejnik
2015
Sherrie Nist-Olejnik received her Ph.D. from the University of Florida (1982). She spent her career at the University of Georgia where she researched and wrote about college student studying and learning. Over her career, she developed a special interest in how college students make the academic transition from learning in high school to learning in college.
It was her love of teaching that inspired her line of research as well as the four textbooks she co-authored on reading, studying, and learning at the college level. College Rules! How to Study, Survive, and Succeed in College (co-author: Jodi Holschuh) is in its 4th edition. Sherrie has made over 125 conference presentations and published numerous articles, including articles in Reading Research Quarterly, Journal of Reading, Journal of Literacy Education, and the American Educational Research Journal. One of her major accomplishments was co-authoring (with Michele Simpson) a chapter in the prestigious Handbook of Reading Research, Vol. 1.
Sherrie retired from UGA in 2007 and now spends her time traveling the world, reading for fun, learning new things, and volunteering as a docent at the Georgia Museum of Art. She continues to live in Athens, GA with her husband, Steve, and her puppy Zola.
Jan Norton
2018
Jan Norton’s experiences included over 25 years of developing and managing learning assistance services at Missouri and Wisconsin universities, then advising students at the University of Iowa. Her Master’s in Educational Research facilitated her focus on pursuing program improvement through multiple evaluation approaches. Other training and education include the Kellogg Institute, the Winter Institute, TIDE, NACADA training, NCLCA Summer Institute, and ACT Assessment Institute; she also provided training for Winter and NCLCA institutes.
Jan supported learning assistance and developmental education practitioners in a variety of ways. She reviewed certification applications for CRLA and NADE; she assisted programs as an evaluation consultant and an accreditation reviewer. Within CRLA, she led two SIGs (Learning Assistance Center Management and Research & Evaluation) and served as a president for the Iowa/Missouri chapter.
She has served on the editorial board for the Journal of Developmental Education and reviewed applications for NCLCA Leadership certification. In addition to writing professional articles, Jan co-authored a CRLA White Paper (“Assessment of Learning Assistance Programs”) and a chapter on program assessment for the Handbook of College Reading and Study Strategy Research (3rd ed.). She has offered webinars about learning assistance evaluation topics and presented at many regional and national conferences.
Cathy Nuse
Carol O'Shea
Karen Patty-Graham
2005
Dr. Karen Patty-Graham is the retired Director of Instructional Services (comprehensive academic support program) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE). Her career also included teaching elementary and community college students. She earned a B.S. in Elementary Education from Northern Illinois University, a M.Ed. in reading from the University of Missouri, and an Ed.D. in the Instructional Process (Curriculum and Instruction specialization), from SIUE.
Karen served the National Association for Developmental Education (NADE) as vice president, president, and conference manager. She represented NADE on the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education and received the Henry Young Award for Outstanding Individual Contribution to NADE. She was president of the Midwest Regional Association for Developmental Education and co-chaired two national conferences with chapter leaders.
Since 2004, when her developmental coursework program received NADE certification, she has been involved in the evolution of NADE’s certification and accreditation efforts as a member of the Certification Council/Accreditation Commission, reviewer, review operations coordinator, and institute trainer. She is co-author (with Dr. Linda Thompson) of one of the four program self-evaluation guides in the NADE Self-Evaluation Guides, 2nd Edition and has been a frequent workshop presenter and speaker at local and national levels.
Walter Pauk*
Eric Paulson
2015
Dr. Eric J. Paulson earned his Ph.D. at the University of Arizona. He is a Professor in the Graduate Program in Developmental Education at Texas State University where he served as the first Director of the Doctoral Program in Developmental Education. Prior to Texas State, he was Associate Professor and the Director of Graduate Studies for the School of Education at the University of Cincinnati where he developed the Graduate Certificate in Postsecondary Literacy Instruction. Dr. Paulson has also taught in two-year colleges, community programs, and institutes in the U.S. and abroad.
Eric Paulson has published three books and numerous articles in journals that include Reading Research Quarterly, Journal of Developmental Education, Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, Research in the Teaching of English, Literacy Research & Instruction, Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, Reading Psychology, Community College Journal of Research and Practice, and others. He has served as the co-editor of the Journal of College Literacy & Learning and as the editor of the Journal of College Reading & Learning. Dr. Paulson has been awarded more than $1.7 million in external grants as Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator.
M. Elaine Richardson
2021
Dr. M. Elaine Richardson is Professor and Director Emerita at Clemson University, where she is past chair of the Emeritus College Advisory Board and current chair of their Undergraduate Support Committee. Her passion for working with undergraduate students continues, supported by her efforts to involve emeritus faculty with these students.
Elaine earned her M.S. in Dairy Science and Ph.D. in Animal Physiology at Clemson. In addition to a teaching and research appointment in Animal and Veterinary Sciences, she was appointed as coordinator for the freshman seminar, which she expanded to a university-wide offering, eventually focusing on transfer students and students on academic probation.
At Clemson, Elaine developed and directed the Academic Success Center, building a center that received numerous national awards. Dr. Richardson publishes and presents on learning assistance collaborations across campus; much of her earlier work was on topics like Universal Design and building programs to enhance academic performance and retention.
After serving as president of NCLCA, she led the development of NCLCA’s Centers of Excellence Certification program. Elaine continues to serve as a certification reviewer and on the Past Presidents Council. She received the NCLCA Lifetime Achievement Award (2019) and was named a Clemson Emeritus College Fellow (2020).
2000
Mike Rose (1944-2021) taught for more than 40 years in a wide range of educational settings (e.g., elementary school, adult literacy and job training, graduate courses) and was hired as a professor at UCLA in 1994. He earned his undergraduate degree from Loyola Marymount University, a master’s in English from the University of Southern California, and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from UCLA.
In his many writings, Rose chronicled the educational challenges confronting students from under-resourced neighborhoods, the skills and intelligence of everyday people, and the transformative power of learning. He drew on personal experience, keen observations of classrooms and workplaces, and deep engagement with cognitive psychology. Mike wrote dozens of articles and 11 books, including Lives on the Boundary: The Struggles and Achievements of America’s Educationally Underprepared (1989), The Mind at Work: Valuing the Intelligence of the American Worker (2005), and Back to School: Why Everyone Deserves a Second Chance at Education (2012).
Dr. Rose was a member of the National Academy of Education and a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Grawemeyer Award in Education, and awards from the Spencer Foundation, the National Council of Teachers of English, the Modern Language Association, and the American Educational Research Association.
John Roueche
2001
Dr. John Edward Roueche was the director of the Community College Leadership Program at the University of Texas at Austin (1970-2012), where he held the Sid W. Richardson Regents Chair in Community College Leadership, the first endowed faculty position in the field of community college education. He now serves as the Executive Director of the John E. Roueche Center for Community College Leadership at Kansas State University.
A graduate of Mitchell Community College, John received his Ph.D. in higher education administration from Florida State University. He is the author of more than 35 books and over 175 articles and chapters focused on leadership, teaching, and learning. Moreover, he is the focus of a 2020 book entitled Vision for Opportunity: John Roueche and the Community College Movement (Dr. Martha Ellis, ed.).
Roueche has received extensive national recognition for his research, teaching, service, and overall leadership. In 2016, he received the American Association of Community Colleges’ highest honor, the Harry S. Truman Distinguished Service Award. He often credits many family members and professionals for his success and became a mentor himself for many students and colleagues, focused especially on student learning and issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Kate Sandberg
2006
Kate Sandberg, Ed.D., is Professor Emerita of English at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). She taught various levels and types of reading, critical thinking, learning skills, and composition at Anchorage Community College, then at UAA. She co-designed and led UAA’s Teaching Excellence Program and chaired the English Department. Dr. Sandberg was awarded UAA’s Distinguished Teaching Award and other honors at her university.
Kate reviewed articles for International Reading Association’s Journal of Reading and College Reading and Learning Association’s Journal of College Reading and Learning for many years. She wrote professional articles and chapters of books throughout her career as well as received grants for her university. She gave over 20 presentations at national conferences including International Reading Association, Critical Thinking & Educational Reform, and College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA).
Kate held an array of offices with CRLA from Alaska State Director to Scholarship Chairperson to President (2003-4). While under her leadership, CRLA members adopted their first set of guiding principles that now steer the association in its decision-making. She received various awards from CRLA, including the Distinguished Service Award in 1989.
D. Patrick Saxon
2015
Dr. D. Patrick Saxon is a Professor and Director of the fully online Developmental Education Administration Doctoral Program at Sam Houston State University. He has published extensively in the field of developmental education and is a coauthor of the book Attaining Excellence in Developmental Education: Research-Based Recommendations for Administrators. For 22 years he managed the research activities of the National Center for Developmental Education. He was the editor of Research in Developmental Education for 20 years, and now serves on the Editorial Review Board of the Journal of College Reading and Learning.
Patrick is an Emeritus Board member of the National Organization for Student Success, (formerly the National Association for Developmental Education Executive Board). He has served as an advisor for the Kellogg Institute for the Certification of Developmental Educators at Appalachian State University and a consultant for the Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin.
In recent years he continues as a consultant, speaker, and Title III Evaluator for Developmental Education and Student Support-related initiatives.
2004
Gladys R. Shaw (1931-2011) was a passionate advocate for students, an unequalled mentor for professionals, and a promoter of ethics and standards in the field. In 1967, she co-started Upward Bound at the University of Texas El Paso (UTEP), and this program became much-emulated throughout the nation. She taught developmental courses at El Paso Community College and directed the Tutoring and Learning Center, which received three national awards during her tenure at UTEP.
Gladys co-created standards for the American College Personnel Association’s Commission XVI: Learning Centers in Higher Education and with the subsequent Council for the Advancement of Standards for Student Services/Development Programs (CAS). Gladys co-founded CRLA’s International Tutor Training Certification Program, authored two editions of the NADE Self-Evaluation Guide for Tutoring Services, and served on the NADE Accreditation Commission.
In 1998, Gladys developed CRLA’s International Mentor Training Certification Program. She served as treasurer for NADE and CRLA. Among her many awards are CRLA’s Special Recognition Award and Robert Griffin Award for Long & Outstanding Service, NADE’s Henry Young Award for Outstanding Service, and American College Personnel Association’s Award for Commission XVI’s Excellence as a Learning Assistance Practitioner. In 2010, Gladys was inducted into the El Paso Hall of Fame. (Submitted by Russ Hodges and Jane Neuburger.)
Rick A. Sheets*
2006
Michele L. Simpson graduated from Arizona State University with a doctorate in secondary reading. She presently is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Georgia. At UGA she taught a variety of reading/learning strategy courses, served as major professor for graduate students in reading education, and coordinated faculty development programs that focused on effective teaching techniques across academic disciplines.
Her research interests have included strategic learning across the academic disciplines and methods for enhancing students’ vocabulary knowledge. During her tenure at UGA, Michele co-authored three books and co-edited one book, published over 70 articles and 20 chapters, and served on eight different editorial boards. Dr. Simpson and her colleague, Dr. Sherrie Nist, received the prestigious Elva Knight Research Award from the International Reading Association which provided them funding to investigate how college students read and study in history courses.
Dr. Simpson also received outstanding article awards from three different professional organizations. In addition to her teaching awards at UGA, she is most proud of a chapter on college studying, co-authored with Dr. Nist, that appeared in the widely respected Handbook of Reading Research.
2006
Rita Smilkstein, who has spoken nationally and internationally on brain-compatible teaching, is Professor Emerita of North Seattle Community College and was Invited Faculty at Western Washington University’s Woodring College of Education, Seattle Urban Campus. After retiring from teaching and lecturing, she tutored students at the North Seattle college campus until the COVID shutdown. Her publications include textbooks and articles on brain-compatible curricula and pedagogy as well as the classroom text, Tools for Writing.
With a B.A. and M.A. in English and Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, Rita has taught middle school through graduate school, including 28 years at North Seattle Community College. Among her many teaching awards are two Excellence Awards from the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development.
Dr. Smilkstein’s book, We’re Born to Learn: Using the Brain’s Natural Learning Process to Create Curriculum was awarded the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International's Educator's Book of the Year Award for 2004. In 2005 she was honored with CRLA’s most prestigious award, the Robert Griffin Award for Long and Outstanding Service. A founding member of the Washington Center for Improving Undergraduate Education, she has been a national leader in the learning communities movement.
Karen G. Smith*
Milton "Bunk" Spann
Norman Stahl
2005
Norman A. Stahl received his Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh. Currently, he is Professor Emeritus, Literacy Education at Northern Illinois University.
Dr. Stahl has authored or co-authored over 150 publications. His articles appeared in Journal of Literacy Research, Reading Research and Instruction, The Reading Teacher, Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, Reading Psychology, Journal of Developmental Education, Journal of College Reading and Learning, and Qualitative Inquiry. He is co-editor of Teaching Developmental Reading, Teaching Study Strategies in Developmental Education, Literacy Across the Community, and Languages of the Disciplines.
Norm served as the President of the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers, the Literacy Research Association, the College Reading and Learning Association, and Chair of the American Reading Forum.
He is a member and Historian of the Reading Hall of Fame. Furthermore, he has been awarded the A.B. Herr Award, the CRLA Distinguished Research Award, the Albert J. Kingston Award, the Robert Griffin Award, the CRLA Golden Anniversary Award, and the CLL/SIG Outstanding Service to the Field of College Literacy and Learning Award as well as its Distinguished Research Award. Along with his colleagues, Norm has authored the outstanding article of the year for JCRL, JDE (twice), and the RTDE.
2021
Dr. Gretchen Starks-Martin is professor emerita at St. Cloud State University and part-time faculty of Efficient Reading and of Disciplinary Literacy at the College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University (MN). She taught reading at the middle school, technical college, community college, and university levels in Minnesota and New York. She earned her B.A. in English from the University of Michigan, M.A. in reading from Western Michigan University, and doctorate in Adult Education and Higher Education Administration from Syracuse University.
Dr. Starks-Martin was president of the New York College Learning Skills Association and the Minnesota Post-Secondary Reading Association, and Treasurer and Executive Assistant of CRLA. On sabbatical in 2004 she taught at Diné Navajo Tribal College (AZ). In 2009 she received a Fulbright Specialist Scholarship at Nelson Mandela University in South Africa. She has served as a certified online evaluator for Quality Matters and as evaluator on numerous QEP teams for SACSCOC.
Co-author of Critical Reading, Critical Thinking: Focusing on Contemporary Issues (Pearson Education), she has served on the Minnesota State College and University Committee on Assessment of College Readiness Project and on a team evaluating “First Generation Student Programs” for the Institute of Higher Education Policy (IHEP) in Washington, D.C.
2006
Linda Thompson holds the Ed.D. in Higher Education; her dissertation focused on centralized vs. decentralized developmental education programs’ impact on student achievement/retention. She is currently Professor Emeritus from Harding University, where she taught Developmental Psychology; established and directed student success programs; and still sponsors a club that teaches sign language to interested students.
In 1986, Linda implemented Harding’s first developmental studies program after attending the Kellogg Institute. She started a learning center as part of a Title III grant (1987) and became the first director of Harding’s TRIO program (1990). In 2003, she was a Principal Investigator on a McNair grant proposal, directed the program, and served as co-PI on three more successful proposals. Her many presentation topics include program evaluation and development, accreditation, tutor training, multicultural awareness, and communication skills.
Dr. Thompson, a past president of NADE, served as CAS Representative and also 18+ years on the NADE Certification Council/Accreditation Commission as Review Coordinator and then Chair. She co-wrote (with Karen Patty-Graham) “Factors Influencing the Teaching and Learning Process” in the revised NADE Guides (2009) and served on editorial review boards for the Journal of Developmental Education; Journal of College Reading and Learning; and, currently, the CASP Journal (J-CASP).
Vincent Tinto
2008
Vincent Tinto is a Distinguished University Professor Emeritus at Syracuse University and the former Chair of the Higher Education Program. He served as the associate director of the National Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment (1990-1996). Dr. Tinto received his B.S. from Fordham (Physics and Philosophy), his M.S. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Physics and Mathematics), and his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago (Education and Sociology).
He has researched and written extensively – over 50 research reports, journal articles, and books – about student success and the impact of learning communities on student growth and attainment. Dr. Tinto’s book Leaving College (1987, 1994) presents a theory and policy perspective on student success that is considered the benchmark by which work on these issues are judged. Completing College (2012) lays out a framework for student success, describing effective programs and the institutional policies needed to implement them.
Dr. Tinto’s numerous recognitions and awards include the Council of Educational Opportunity Walter O. Mason Award for his work on the retention of low-income students, the Council of Independent Colleges Academic Leadership Award, the National Institute for Staff Development International Leadership Award, and the President Harry S. Truman Award for the American Association of Community Colleges.
Jack Truschel
Penny Turrentine
2017
Penny Turrentine, Ph.D., earned her B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Arizona and a Master’s degree in education from the University of Arizona with a minor in exercise and sport sciences. Dr. Turrentine wrote Champions in the Classroom, a professional reference guide for student athletes, learning support staff, coaches, advisors, parents, and school administrators. She also authored Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Learning Centers (and Then Some. . .).
Penny directs the West Campus Learning Center at Pima Community College in Tucson. She has collaborated with the Athletic Department at Pima College to design and implement a series of student success workshops that draw parallels between athletic and academic skills. She has developed a mentoring program for student-athletes and facilitates tutor-led study halls for the athletes. She designed and developed the Student Athlete Center for Academic Excellence and continues to be a consultant to the Athletic Department in all facets of academic support.
Penny earned Level 4 certification from NCLCA. For CRLA she has served as the Arizona/Nevada director, led the Learning Assistance Center Management SIG, served as a Master level reviewer for International Tutor Training Program Certification applications for 13 years, and coordinated the ITTPC.
Jim Valkenburg
Claire Ellen Weinstein*
William White, Jr.*
2011
A determination to better understand learners’ struggles led high school and community college teacher Dr. Janet Zadina to an interest in neuroimaging studies of dyslexia. Pursuing that interest, she became a neuroscientist, conducting MRI research into dyslexia in the Department of Neurology at Tulane University School of Medicine, where she completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in cognitive neuroscience.
Today, Dr. Zadina is an internationally renowned speaker, consultant, and author. She is known for her extraordinary ability to debunk popular myths about the brain while keeping educators aware of credible brain research. The Society for Neuroscience honored her with the 2011 Science Educator Award for making significant contributions to public education and raising awareness of neuroscience through her powerful conference presentations and transformational workshops.
Janet is the author of reading and learning textbooks for students as well as professional development books for teachers, including Multiple Pathways to the Student Brain, and is co-founder of the Butterfly Project, a project designed to help teachers who have experienced natural disasters. She gives presentations to faculty on Teaching and Learning with Anxiety, Stress, and Trauma and on Multiple Pathways to the Student Brain: Science and Strategies (see more information at www.brainresearch.us).
Council of Learning Assistance and Developmental Education Associations
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