Westfield State College President Evan S. Dobelle is among nine educators to receive the first annual Award of Distinction from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, School of Education.
The award is part of the School of Education Centennial Marathon, scheduled Friday and Saturday, June 13-14, at the university’s Campus Center. The awards will be presented Friday, June 13, at the Centennial Celebration Dinner starting at 6 p.m.
All the honorees are UMass alumni or former faculty “who have made significant contributions to the school, its students and their profession,” said Christine B. McCormick, dean of the School of Education.
The other honorees are: Mary Cowhey, M.Ed, recipient of the Milken National Educator Award and a teacher at the Jackson Street School in Northampton; Rudolph Franklin Crew, Ed.D, superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools; Patricia Crosson, Ed.D., professor emeritus and trustee of Greenfield Community College; Ronald Frederickson, Ph.D., professor emeritus and partner in Fredrickson Farm; Craig Mills, Ed.D., executive director of examinations for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; James H. Mullen, Jr. Ed.D., president of Elms College in Chicopee and soon to be president, Allegheny College in Pennsylvania; Sonia Nieto, Ed.D., professor emeritus; and Steve Rollin, Ed.D., professor emeritus, former associate dean at Florida State University.
“As the school embarks on its second century of championing excellence and equity in education, it is important to honor those whose work inspired the dynamic and innovative school that we are today,” McCormick said.
The award recognizes the recipients’ leadership and long-lasting influence in both their profession and the community, she said.
Dobelle holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees, as well as a doctorate in educational administration from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a master’s in public administration from Harvard University. He became the 19th president of Westfield State College in January, after serving as president and CEO of the New England Board of Higher Education.
“This award is a significant honor for me and I am proud to be part of a celebration of public higher education’s tremendous contributions,” Dobelle said. “I am delighted to be able to carry on the tradition of quality teacher education at Westfield State College, as well. The value of public education to our communities and country cannot be surpassed by any measure.”
Dobelle has received other honors from UMass. These include an honorary degree, a Chancellors Medal, Distinguished Citizen Scholar Award, Distinguished Alumni Award, Alumni of the Year and inclusion in the Hall of Fame.
Dobelle previously served as president of Middlesex Community College in Massachusetts, City College of San Francisco, Trinity College in Hartford and the University of Hawaii system.
Before his career in education, Dobelle was mayor of Pittsfield from 1973 to 1976. He was also treasurer and deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee and national chairman of the Carter-Mondale Presidential Exploratory Committee.
He was chief of protocol of the United States with the rank of ambassador in the late 70s. His state political career also included serving as commissioner of Environmental Management and Natural Resources and executive assistant to the former U.S. Sen. Edward W. Brooke (R-Massachusetts).
| 
Home