Kansas State University

K-State earns four regional continuing education awards

Submitted by Division of Communications and Marketing

Kansas State University Global Campus brought home four regional awards from the University Professional and Continuing Education Association. The awards were presented at the association's regional conference Oct. 19-21 in Madison, Wisconsin.

"These awards exemplify the hard work and dedication that Kansas State University faculty, staff and students put into their programs," said Sue Maes, dean of K-State Global Campus. "We are proud and honored to have been acknowledged."

Award recipients:

• Rick Scheidt, professor of family studies and human services, Excellence in Teaching Award. Scheidt, who has served at K-State for 39 years, began his career teaching face-to-face courses and has embraced online teaching as a way to deliver courses to students unable to travel to campus. He is known for his rigorous courses that promote student engagement and critical thinking, consistently working to improve and modify his courses in order to incorporate new materials and teaching strategies.

• Grain Elevator and Processing Society, Innovative Noncredit Program Award. This international professional society is dedicated to providing its members with forums to generate leadership, innovation and excellence in grain-related industry operations. It serves as a resource for the grain handling and processing operations industry. Since its inception, the Grain Elevator and Processing Society program, in partnership with K-State, has had more than 3,000 participants from 30 countries.

• Council for Public School Improvement, Mature Noncredit Program Award. This is a partnership program between K-State's College of Education and school districts in Kansas to foster improvement at all levels of public education and develop and implement collaborative networks and professional development opportunities. Since the Council for Public School Improvement's inception in 1986, a combined total of nearly 140 districts have held membership. The program also developed an Administrative Roundtable event for district administrators and nonmember school districts to gather and share their ideas for innovation and implementing new ideas on pressing educational issues.

• Jackie Wilson-Schau, Outstanding Continuing Education Student Award. Wilson-Schau, Englewood, Colorado, found her passion through K-State's distance education program, finishing her undergraduate work in interdisciplinary social science with a 4.0 GPA. She is now continuing her education by pursuing an advanced degree in academic advising, inspired by her mentor through the university. Her goal is to provide excellent advising and personal support to students, like herself, who find themselves facing challenges they never imaged as young, incoming freshmen in college.

For more information about K-State Global Campus, visit global.k-state.edu/.