Past Awards & Scholarships
Parks Todd Distance Learning Educator Award
NCDLA owes much of its current success to pioneering, visionary educators like Parks Todd for whom we name our annual awards. Each year, NCDLA recognizes excellence in distance learning at the individual level. We honor those individuals who have contributed greatly to the advancement of distance learning as educators, administrators, or technologists. Parks Todd was for many years a leader and inspiration in the NC Community College System Office. A wonderful storyteller, a receptive listener, and a deep thinker, Parks spearheaded the development of Distance Learning at the System Office level. Annually the North Carolina Distance Learning Association presents the Parks Todd Award to individuals who have shown leadership extending the reach of distance learning programs at the local, state, and/ or national level. The 2008 Parks Todd winners were:
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Alan Questell is a seasoned professional who has spent his entire teaching career serving the students of Richmond Community College and serving his colleagues, both at RCC and a range of nearby colleges, by sharing his knowledge of the tools and pedagogies associated with distance learning. Beyond the scope of his teaching and distance learning coordinator assignments, he has been a frontline participant in the distance learning initiative in the state throughout his tenure. He has served on committees to promote distance education and has been an instrumental source of leadership for his college and has gleaned every key idea from his experiences in statewide conferences to better serve the distance-learning student.
Already a computer-savvy professional in the textile realm before taking a position with the Business Department at Richmond and quickly rising to the Department Chair level in 1990, Questell was the first person on the campus to recognize that a vast population of under-served students might benefit from connection via the Internet. Thus, he proposed, prompted, and promoted a distance learning presence for the college that has yielded a tangible and positive impact on his college and on his community. Questell’s acumen and leadership has impacted RCC’s ability to expand course offerings beyond the limitations of space and time. |
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D.I. von Briesen pioneered the use of Moodle and Second Life for the NCCCS. Along with his teaching duties, D.I. is Director of the Futures Institute at CPCC, which was developed to provide a forum for investigation, education and research focused on socio-economic, technological, and educational trends and developments. D.I., that tall guy in the Moodle shirt, has been in the forefront of distance education for years, heading his program and leading the way with Moodle, Skype, Second Life and other methods/ products. He strikes out on the road to 21st century education, and others fall in line. D.I. exemplifies the qualities of ethical leadership and excellence in teaching for which the Parks Todd Award was created. |
2008 NCDLA Awards Winners
In addition to the Parks Todd awared, the following individual and organizations received recognition for their work:
Best Practices in Distance Learning Programming award
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Division of Continual Learning Online Development Team
Excellence in Distance Learning Teaching award
East Carolina University LSIT Podcast Research Group
21st Century Best Practice Distance Learning Award
The University of North Carolina Online Development Team
Excellence in Leadership in the field of Distance Learning
Dr. Tom Miller, NCSU-DELTA
2008 NCDLA Scholarship Winners
Ms. Seleeda Grantum
Roanoke-Chowan Community College
Ms. Gerri Batchelor
N.C. Department of Public Instruction
Mr. Adam Brooks
Central Piedmont Community College
Mr. Eric Schmieder
Blue Ridge Community College
