3:09 p.m., Jan. 13, 2011----Cara Robinson, a doctoral student in the School of Public Policy and Administration
at the University of Delaware, was one of eight students nationwide
selected to receive the K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Award, an honor
given by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) to graduate students who show exemplary promise as future leaders of higher education.
Robinson was selected from a pool of more than 225 nominations and
recognized for her commitment to civic engagement and her emphasis on
teaching and learning. She and her fellow awardees represent the finest
in the new generation of faculty who will teach and lead higher
education in the next decades, said AAC&U President Carol Geary
Schneider.
As a doctoral student, Robinson has taught undergraduate and
graduate-level courses, mentored incoming freshmen, conducted graduate
research for the Center for Community Research and Service
(CCRS), collaborated with local non-profits on community-based research
projects, and served as executive director of the Homeless Planning
Council of Delaware, an independent non-profit organization.
Cara is not satisfied by just posing questions and finding answers,
but seeks to apply them to real world issues and problems and encourages
others to do the same, said her adviser and CCRS Director Steven
Peuquet. She has a rare blend of intelligence, vision, practicality,
diplomacy, and friendliness that combine to make her an outstanding
young educator, researcher, and leader.
Robinson and the seven other 2011 Cross Scholars will be introduced
to the AAC&U community at the organization's 2011 annual meeting,
Global Positioning: Essential Learning, Student Success, and the
Currency of U.S. Degrees, to be held in San Francisco from Jan. 26-29.
AAC&U is the leading national association concerned with the
quality, vitality, and public standing of undergraduate liberal
education. Founded in 1915, AAC&U now comprises more than 1,200
member institutions, including the University of Delaware.
Article by Artika Rangan
Originally published by UDaily.
