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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

San Francisco, CA – October 12, 2004 – The United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) today presented it 2004 Distance Learning Awards at a ceremony held in conjunction with the Fall Training and Online Learning Conference and Expo in San Francisco, CA, the premier conference and expo for USDLA and the distance learning industry. The USDLA Awards were presented to distance learning professionals and organizations for Excellence in Distance Learning Teaching, Excellence in Distance Learning Programming and Outstanding Individual Achievements. The annual Awards Program was created to acknowledge major accomplishments in distance learning and to highlight those instructors, programs, and distance learning professionals who have achieved excellence in the field. Categories include Higher Education, Government,
Pre K-12 Education, Corporate and Telehealth. This year’s winners cover a broad spectrum of educational expertise from new approaches to collaborative learning.

The 2004 USDLA Distance Learning Awards include the following categories:

Excellence in Distance Learning Teaching recognizes an outstanding individual who has creatively utilized the medium to inspire learning in a given subject. The recipients have all taught a course, series, or unit in a distance learning format with an imaginative approach to the material taught, well designed visuals and demonstrated rapport with the program’s participants.

EXCELLENCE in DISTANCE LEARNING TEACHING - Higher Education: to Dr. Rebecca Weintraub, Director of the Center for Corporate and Community Education of the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School of Communications located in Los Angeles, California. The Center offers non-degree continuing education programs and customized seminars for business leaders and (www.usc.edu) practitioners in the fields of corporate communications, public relations and journalism. Dr. Weintraub designed and teaches the distance learning capstone course in the school’s program “Strategic Corporate Communications.”

EXCELLENCE in DISTANCE LEARNING TEACHING - Pre K-12 Education: to Charles A. Thorpe, Instructor for Spanish at the Kansas Regents Educational Communications Center located in Manhattan, Kansas. Mr. Thorpe is the television instructor for this educational Satellite I and II program that is offered to high school students nationwide. Mr. Thorpe has been instrumental in virtually every aspect of the courses for the past fifteen years. His clarity of instruction and charismatic relationship with partnering schools and students has created a bond not unlike the traditional classroom setting. (www.ksu.edu)

Excellence in Distance Learning Programming recognizes organization that have designed and delivered an outstanding and comprehensive distance learning program service. Recipients have regional, multi-state and international comprehensive programming, include courses from diverse disciplines.

EXCELLENCE IN DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMMING - Higher Education: Master of Science in Education Program at the Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois in collaboration with LessonLab/ Pearson Skylight, “a Pearson Education Company.” The award was presented to the Dominican University Master of Science in Education degree, with a concentration in literacy, is designed to meet the demands of educators by linking research to practice through the implementation of Action Research and Inquiry into Practice. The program employs an interactive mix of best practice strategy videos and Web based interaction to deliver a vibrant learning experience to students in their homes. Accepting the award on behalf of the University was Sister Colleen McNicholas, Dean of the College of Education. (www.dom.edu)

EXCELLENCE IN DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMMING – Government:
Air Force Institute for Advanced Distributed Learning (AFIADL). The award was presented to the Air Force Institute for Advanced Distributed Learning at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. AFIADL has shown leadership in the field of distance learning by leveraging standard technologies and using sound instructional strategies in a cost-effective blend of distance learning media. The program has delivered over 400 courses to more than 200,000 students worldwide through paper, CD-ROM, satellite, and internet delivery technologies. Accepting the award on behalf of the Air Force Institute for Advanced Distributed Learning is Adelaide Cherry, Academic Advisor for the AFIADL.
(http://atn.afit.edu)

EXCELLENCE in DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMMING - Pre K-12 Education: Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC).
CILC, a not-for-profit organization located in Indianapolis, Indiana is committed to helping educators across the national by leveraging the unique communication opportunities available through video conferencing. Their programs enable students and teachers to tap into hundreds of dynamic educational programs without having to leave the school building. CILC partners with more than fifty program providers from Indiana and around the nation to deliver strong, meaningful educational content. Marvin Bailey, President and CEO accepted the award on behalf of the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration.(www.cilc.org)

EXCELLENCE IN DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMMING - Telehealth:
University of Texas’s Medical Branch Telehealth Center. The UT Medical Branch Teleheath Center located in Galveston, Texas. The UT Medical Branch Telehealth Center sponsored the development of Telehealth 101: Basic Principles of Telehealth, with a grant from the Texas Telecommunications Infrastructure Board. This web-based continuing education program introduces health professionals to basic elements of clinical practice in Telehealth, emphasizing clinical services delivery using interactive videoconferencing. Dr. Poldi Tschirch, Assistant Professor at UTMBTC leads this distance learning initiative. (www.utmb.edu)

EXCELLENCE IN DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMMING – Corporate: Reynolds University – The Reynolds and Reynolds Company. Reynolds University, established by the Reynolds and Reynolds Company in Dayton, Ohio is comprised of over 430 professionals committed to designing, developing and delivering best in class adult learning technologies, methodologies, materials and curricula to internal associates and external automotive customers. Adam J. Zaller, Director, Learning Technologies accepted the award on behalf of Reynolds University. (www.reyrey.com)

Most Outstanding Achievement by an Individual recognizes an individual who demonstrates extraordinary achievements through distance learning. They have demonstrated achievement in areas that include research and writing as well as leadership activities in regional, national and international presentations and speeches; recognition by and service to education, technology and distance learning organizations; and have engaged in activities that have contributed to a better understanding of distance learning, resulting in cooperative efforts with other organization or improvement in distance learning methodologies.

MOST OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT BY AN INDIVIDUAL – Pre-K-12 Education: Dr. Elvira Bitsoi Largie, Executive Director of the Navajo Education Technology Consortium, Gallup, New Mexico. Dr. Largie is the director of the TECHShare Project, which is in it’s fifth year of producing standards-based online curriculum for K-12 students in Navajo Reservation school districts of rural Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. The project serves twenty-three school districts and local education agencies that represent 80,000 students within or near the Navajo Nation. TECHShare, under Dr. Largie’s leadership, creates culturally relevant lessons intended to assist bicultural students to become successful in the dominant culture while empowering them with knowledge of Navajo values.

MOST OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT BY AN INDIVIDUAL – Telehealth:
Jana L. Lindsey, RN, CMC, Shriners Hospital for Children, Kaneohe, Hawaii.
Jana Lindsey serves as the Telemed Liaison of the Pacific, bringing doctors and health practitioners together through videoconferencing to share ideas and new treatments with their peers. Jana is recognized as the technical specialist by her colleagues, and frequently travels all of the state and region helping to educate others in the medical field and the importance of telemedicine. Jana helped from the Hawaii Chapter of the American Telemedicine Association and currently serves as the chapter president. Jana Lindsey and Ralph W. Semb Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Shriners Hospitals for Children accepted the award.

USDLA Awards Committee
The 2004 Distance Learning Awards were presented by the USDLA Awards Committee Members and include Chair, Donald S. Lake, Los Angeles County Office of Education, Los Angeles, California; and Committee Members, Julie Young, President and CEO of the Florida Virtual School in Orlando, Florida and Marvin Bailey, President, Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Recognized leaders in the field of distance learning judged the nominations submitted to USDLA and worked in teams of three to review and evaluate submissions in each of distance learning categories. This 2004 Award Judges include:

Dr. Andy DiPaolo, Stanford University – School of Engineering

Tim Donohue, International Human Resources Development Corporation

William Eastham, USDLA Vice President of Membership

Marilynn Fong, Los Angeles County Office of Education

Denise Freedman, College of Podiatric Medicine

Dr. Deborah Harrison, Tandberg

Dr. Jolly T. Holden, American InterContinental University

Dennis McDowell, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Dr. Janet McMahill, Drake University

Mary Mitchell, Florida Virtual School

Lisa Neal, e Learning Magazine

Dr. Don Olcott Jr., Western Oregon University

Dr. Pamela S. Pease, Pease & Associates

Reggie Smith III, Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.

Dr. Philip J. –L. Westfall, Air Force Institute for Advanced Distributed Leaning

IN ADDITION TO THIS YEAR’S DISTANCE LEARNING AWARD WINNERS, USDLA HONORS SENATOR ROBERT F. BENNETT WITH 2004 EAGLE AWARD AND INDUCTS OUTSTANDING DISTANCE LEARNING PIONEERS INTO USDLA HALL OF FAME.

USDLA HONORS SENATOR ROBERT F. BENNETT WITH 2004 EAGLE AWARD
Senator Robert Bennett (R-Utah) received the USDLA Eagle Award today. USDLA honored Senator Bennett in appreciation of his long-standing support for educational technology and his consistent congressional voice related to education and training initiatives in the United States. The USDLA Board of Directors recognized his noteworthy accomplishments including Chairmanship of the Year 2000 Computer Switch, the establishment and implementation of the Western Governors University Program, and the establishment of the National Center on Disability and Access to Education, which resulted in the development of a national distance learning agenda for disabled students.

USDLA INDUCTS OUTSTANDING DISTANCE LEARNING PIONEERS INTO USDLA HALL OF FAME FOR 2004.

Glenn R. Jones, J. D. Chancellor, Jones International University
Glenn Jones is chancellor of Jones International University, which he founded as the first university to be wholly on-line and fully accredited. Having spent three decades extending the reach of technology, Mr. Jones has pioneered internet technologies, authored several books, and created more than 20 technology companies that include the Internet, e-commerce, software, and education industries. (gjones@jonesknowledge.com)

A. Frank Mayadas, Ph. D. Program Director, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
Dr. A Frank Mayadas has had a distinguished career in research with IBM before moving to the Sloan Foundation and founding the Sloan Online Learning Program in 1993. The program known as Asynchronous Learning Networks has had a profound impact in moving the field forward. Dr. Mayadas has also testified before Congress on web-based learning. (Mayadas@sloan.org)

Fred Poker, Managing Consultant, IBM Business Consulting Services
Mr. Fred Poker has worked internationally in distance learning for two decades and now advises key Federal agencies in that area. A former Fellow at Harvard University, Poker combines academic and research insights with “hand on” experience in creating and managing distance/distributed learning systems, knowledge networks, virtual communities, remote collaboration, and telehealth projects. (fpoker@us.ibm.com)

Mary Beth Susman, Ph. D. Director of Education Services, Rocky Mountain PBS
Dr. Mary Beth Susman was the founding CEO of Kentucky Virtual University, former Executive Director of the widely acclaimed Colorado Community Colleges Online and now Director of Education Services for Rocky Mountain PBS in Denver, Colorado.
Dr. Susman’s contributions to distance learning and particularly virtual university efforts have been instrumental in changing attitudes and opinions about the field. (marybeth.susman@rmpbs.org)

James E. Vautrot, President and CEO, BAF Satellite and Technology Corporation
Mr.Vautrot, as president and CEO of BAF Satellite & Technology has consistently pushed the technical envelope and thereby extended the reach of distance learning as a viable option. He has developed BAF’s wide range of satellite services and advanced technology applications and provided expertise in uplinking, downlinking, network design and development, as well as internet video streaming for distance learning and is established as one of the most knowledgeable and reliable service providers in the industry. (jv@bafsat.com)

Jack M. Wilson, Ph.D., President, The University of Massachusetts system
Dr. Jack M. Wilson is formerly the founding CEO of UMassOnline, working with the five UMass campuses to provide online academic programs as well as building UMassOnline into one of the largest externally directed online programs in the United States. He is a well-known entrepreneur and distance educator, co-founder of LearnLinc Corporation (now Mentergy), has received numerous awards, authored many scholarly articles and books and has served as a consultant to many computing and communication firms. (jwilson@email.umassp.edu)

About USDLA
The United States Distance Learning Association is a non-profit organization founded in 1987 to promote the development and application of distance learning for education and training. USDLA represents 2000 members from pre-K through 12 education and higher education, continuing education, corporate, military and government training, home schooling and telemedicine. USDLA is a leading source of information and policy for distance learning that focuses on all legislation impacting the distance learning community and its varied constituencies. Since 1993 USDLA has continued to establish state chapters in all fifty states. For more information about USDLA visit the organization’s website at www.usdla.org.

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