Higher Education Program Recognizes 3 Alumni with Awards

The NC State College of Education’s Higher Education Program recently recognized three alumni with awards that acknowledge their contributions to the field of higher education:

Distinguished Alumni Award: David English ’12PHD

David English ’12PHD was honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award. The award is designed to recognize graduates who have made outstanding contributions to the field of higher education in a variety of ways, including significant impact on education, developing a regional or national reputation for their work or serving as an inspiration to other professionals.

“I am humbled to have been recognized as a distinguished alumnus of the Higher Education Program at NC State University,” English said. “The rigorous doctoral education was critical to my development as a scholar and academic leader. The knowledge, experiences, and connections I gained during my time at NC State have been transformational. I am incredibly thankful to the faculty, staff, and students for their ongoing support.”

English was recently named vice president for academic programs, faculty and research for the University of North Carolina System and previously served as executive vice chancellor and provost of the UNC School of the Arts. He is also currently a professor of liberal arts at UNCSA and an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development at North Carolina State University.

Outstanding Dissertation Award: Gregory King ’19PHD

Gregory King ’19PHD was recognized with the Outstanding Dissertation Award for “A Path Towards Completion? The Impact of Statewide Articulation Agreements on Enrollment and Attainment.” The award recognizes a student through dissertation work that advances knowledge in higher education, makes innovative use of methods, integrates relevant theory and research, and suggests insightful implications for improving practice or generates and extends theory in a useful way for researchers and practitioners.

“It’s an honor to receive this award. I’ve always felt like an outsider in education, like I didn’t belong and like others were always so far ahead of me,” said King, adding he shares the award with his cohort and faculty who pushed him to succeed. “The award serves as a small reminder to continue working, continue grinding, to continue learning, and to never stop pushing yourself. It’s affirmation that I do belong, that I can inform policy and practice, and that our research matters.”

Academic Leadership Award: Shauna Morin ’17PHD

Shauna Morin ’17PHD was honored with the Academic Leadership Award, which recognizes a professional who provides exceptional leadership and service to the Higher Education Program. “My years in the Higher Education Program at NC State were deeply formative both personally and professionally, so to receive this award from our program faculty is a tremendous honor,” she said.

Following her graduation, Morin stayed with the NC State College of Education as a post-doctoral researcher and project director for the Interfaith Diversity Experiences and Attitudes Longitudinal Survey (IDEALS) before becoming operations manager for CREO, Inc. this month. She will continue to contribute to the IDEALS project in the coming year.