College President-Elect to Receive National Award
Next month, Principia College President-Elect Dr. Jolanda Westerhof will receive the 2018 David G. Imig Award for Distinguished Achievement in Teacher Education from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). Named after AACTE's President and CEO Emeritus, the award recognizes individuals' career achievement in the formulation, implementation, research, or analysis of educator preparation policy.
As Associate Vice President and Director of Teacher Education at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, Westerhof has advanced teacher education not only at state institutions but also across the profession. Under her oversight, the association has grown its recognition of outstanding preparation programs through its annual Christa McAuliffe Award for Excellence in Teacher Education.
Westerhof's leadership also guided the successful development of the 2017 policy document "Preparing Teachers in Today's Challenging Context: Key Issues, Policy Directions and Implications for Leaders of AASCU Universities," a comprehensive and insightful report on both the challenges facing teacher education and the opportunities and responsibilities of America's state colleges and universities to meet the expectations of schools and communities for the highest quality teachers and principals.
The Imig Award will be presented to Westerhof in early March during AACTE's 70th Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland. She will take over as President of Principia College a few weeks later.