Press Release

Contact:   Debra Humphreys
Vice President for Communications and Public Affairs
202-387-3760 ext. 422
Humphreys@aacu.org

Nine Graduate Students Honored with K. Patricia Cross
Future Leaders Awards

Students Recognized for Commitment to Academic and Civic Responsibility and Promise as Future Leaders of Higher Education

Washington, DC—January 13, 2006—The Association of American Colleges and Universities recently announced the 2006 recipients of the annual K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Awards.  These awards recognize graduate students who are committed to developing academic and civic responsibility in themselves and others, and who show exemplary promise as future leaders of higher education.

These awards are sponsored by K. Patricia Cross, professor emerita of higher education at the University of California-Berkeley.  From 1996 through 2005, the K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Awards were administered by the American Association for Higher Education, where Professor Cross served as chair of the board of directors. 

The 2006 recipients are:

Derek Cabrera, Education, Cornell University
Michael Coyle, Justice Studies, Arizona State University
Emily Fairchild, Sociology, Indiana University
Molly Beth Kerby, Educational Administration, Educational Leadership, and Organizational Development, University of Louisville
Diane Nutbrown, Inorganic Chemistry, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Regina Praetorius, Human Resource Education, Louisiana State University
Victor Raymond, Sociology, Iowa State University
Joan Shin, Language, Literacy, and Culture, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Ian Stewart, Chemistry, University of California-Berkeley

These individuals were chosen from a pool of more than 250 nominations and, through a rigorous application process, demonstrated their leadership ability or potential for exercising leadership in teaching and learning, and a strong commitment to academic and civic responsibility.

“It was truly inspiring to read the nominating letters and personal statements of these future faculty members,” said K. Patricia Cross.  “It isn’t only the small group of winners who give cause for great optimism about the future of higher education.  The exceptional quality of this sample of today's graduate students is a heartening forecast of the dedication and commitment to campus and community of the next generation of educational leaders.”

“These award winners are continuing Pat Cross’ wonderful legacy with great honor,” said L. Lee Knefelkamp, senior scholar at AAC&U and professor of psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University.  “Pat Cross has been a legendary leader helping to advance the nation’s thinking about adult learners, underserved students, assessment, collaborative pedagogy, and institutional integrity.  These award winners are similarly dedicated to undergraduate teaching and committed to lives of both academic and civic activism.  I am very proud to have helped select this group of future leaders whose lives exemplify the leadership that Cross has given us over many decades.”

Each recipient of this award will attend the annual meeting of AAC&U, Demanding Excellence: Liberal Education in an Era of Global Competition, Anti-Intellectualism, and Disinvestment, from January 25-28, 2006, where they will be honored at the Opening Plenary.  They will also be presenters in a Friday session, “Faculty of the Future: Voices from the Next Generation -- A Conversation with the K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders,” The Cross awardees will participate in other sessions and meetings throughout the conference.

For information about AAC&U, its annual meeting, or the K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Award, visit www.aacu.org.

AAC&U is the leading national association concerned with the quality, vitality, and public standing of undergraduate liberal education. Its members are committed to extending the advantages of a liberal education to all students, regardless of academic specialization or intended career. Founded in 1915, AAC&U now comprises more than 1,000 accredited public and private colleges and universities of every type and size.

 AAC&U functions as a catalyst and facilitator, forging links among presidents, administrators, and faculty members who are engaged in institutional and curricular planning. Its mission is to reinforce the collective commitment to liberal education at both the national and local levels and to help individual institutions keep the quality of student learning at the core of their work as they evolve to meet new economic and social challenges.

Information about AAC&U membership, programs, and publications can be found at www.aacu.org.