Outstanding Alumni to be feted Nov. 17 at Awards Ceremony

Twelve honorees recognized as part of annual event

COLLEGE PARK, MD (September 2005) - "A Legacy of Accomplishment" will be celebrated Nov. 17 when the College of Education honors 12 outstanding graduates as part of its annual Alumni Awards Ceremony.

For the first time, the event will be held in the new Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center. It opens with a reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by a dinner and ceremony. Sponsored by the College of Education and its Alumni Chapter Board of Directors, the ceremony recognizes graduates of the college for significant achievements, scholarship and leadership. The theme of this year's ceremony pays tribute to the college's 85 years of history and the upcoming 150^th Anniversary Celebration at the University of Maryland.

The 2005 honorees:

Outstanding Leader in Education
Thomas C. Healy, Ph.D., '72
Vice President for Government Relations, Indiana University

William C. Strasser, Jr., B.A., '52, M.A., '54 and Ph.D., '61
Former President of Montgomery Community College Maryland

Outstanding Professional in Education
Bruce W. Sorter, B.A., '67 and Ph.D., '72
State Community Resource Development Specialist: Cooperative Extension Service, Chief, Welfare Operations, United States Air Force, Director of training program in Team Building for groups and organizations in U.S., Brazil, Portugal and Poland. Retired

Outstanding Professional in Education
Blossom Patterson, M.A., '82 and Ph.D., '98
National Cancer Institute cancer researcher

Outstanding Scholar in Education
James M. O'Neil, Ed.D., '75
Professor, Family Studies and Educational Psychology, University of Connecticut

Outstanding Teacher in Education
Walter R. "Skipp" Lee, B.S., '87
Anne Arundel County Teacher of the Year

Karin Steward, B.S., '91
Calvert County Teacher of the Year

Outstanding Service to the College of Education
Marie Smith Davidson, M.S., '67 and Ph.D., '71
University and community leader

Outstanding Entrepreneur of the Year
Marilyn A. Harris, Ph.D., '82
Vice President, Government Affairs, Marathon Oil Company

Outstanding New Scholar in Education
Peggy Van Meter, Ph.D., '97
Associate Professor of Education, Pennsylvania State University

Jairo Nelson Fuertes, B.A., '87, M.A., '92 and Ph.D., '96
Associate Professor of Education, Fordham University, N.Y.

Outstanding New Professional in Education
Heath E. Morrison, M.Ed., '94 and Ph.D., '05
Director, Office of School Performance, Montgomery County (Maryland Principal of the Year 2004)

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For more information on the College of Education, visit: www.education.umd.edu
or contact Jenniffer Manning-Scherhaufer, Communications Coordinator, at: manning1@umd.edu