ADELLE F. ROBERTSON

Professional Continuing Educator Award

The Adelle F. Robertson Professional Continuing Educator Award recognizes the scholarship, leadership and contributions to the profession of an outstanding continuing professional educator who has entered the field within the past five to 10 years. The Award is dedicated to the memory of Adelle Robertson, whose career in continuing education spanned 30 years.

Robertson's leadership within UCEA began early in her career and encompassed numerous positions within the Association. She served as a member of UCEA's Board of Directors from 1979 to 1985 and as President from 1983 to 1984. Robertson set a standard of excellence in her own pursuits and inspired others to seek excellence in theirs.

Siva Kumari

Advisor to the Provost for K-12 Initiatives; Associate Dean and Executive Director of Programs, Rice University

When Siva Kumari arrived at the Glasscock School of Continuing Studies at Rice University in 2000, the School's weeklong summer institute for teachers of the Advanced Placement curriculum attracted a few hundred, mostly local, participants. As Program Director overseeing IT and teacher professional development programs, Kumari grew the program over the next several years, while taking on roles of increasing leadership at the School. In 2004, she was named Associate Dean and Director of Programs. Today, the AP Summer Institute is by far the largest program of its kind in the country, drawing more than 2,300 teachers for a now five-week session.

"Under her leadership, our teacher professional development programs have flourished beyond what we could have imagined," says Mary McIntire, Dean of the Suzanne M. Glasscock School of Continuing Studies at Rice. The Glasscock School now has the largest program for teacher continuing education at the University.

In 2005, Kumari engaged educators in the other major curriculum to prepare students for college work, the International Baccalaureate Program. She initiated a partnership with the International Baccalaureate Organization to develop a program for teachers of the curriculum, establishing Rice as the only university in the country offering professional development for both the AP and IB curricula. Enrollment in the IB program tripled in its second year and continues to grow steadily. Further, Kumari initiated a group of programs called The Academics to provide AP and IB teachers with rich, new content to enliven their teaching and remain current in their disciplines. These special, intensive programs are taught primarily by top Rice University faculty. Unique in their structure and impact, the programs are being used as a model by other universities.

"Her leadership of the Glasscock School's teacher professional development programs has been exemplary and significant in the improvement of K-12 teaching locally, regionally, nationally, and even internationally," notes David W. Leebron, President of Rice University.

In addition to her accomplishments in program development, Kumari has led in applied research. And, in 2006, she was named Advisor to the Provost on K-12 Initiatives, when she took on a special project at the request of the University's President and Provost to assess the University's various K-12 outreach programs, and offer recommendations in planning the University's future structure and direction in this area.

"Dr. Siva Kumari exemplifies all that is best in continuing higher education," says McIntire. "Her energy and dedication coupled with her intelligence and knowledge have made her an extremely effective leader in our field. The teachers of our region and beyond-and their thousands of students-are the better for Siva's efforts."