The School of Education seeks to recognize distinguished alumni who embody the mission of both Manhattanville College and the School of Education. Award recipients are recognized annually at the School of Education's Graduate, Doctoral, and Alumni Awards Ceremony.
2020 Alumni Award Criteria and Nominations
School of Education alumni award nominations will be reviewed by the SoE Alumni Awards Committee and approved by the SoE Alumni Board. Nominations may come from the candidate's students, professional peers, and/or supervisor. You may also self-nominate. Self-nominations should be supported with recommendations from students, peers, and/or supervisors.
Distinguished Service Award
Honors an SoE graduate who has contributed to the SoE through involvement in programs, events, panels, mentoring, and "gives back" as an educator to the student community.
Valiant Educator Award
Honors a graduate of the SoE whose career and community accomplishments reflect the mission of the School by contributing to the ethical and social growth of the population he or she serves.
Inspirational Recent Alumni Award
Recognizes someone who has graduated from the SoE within the past 10 years for exceptional contributions to the field of education and/or to the community.
Innovative Teaching Award
Honors a graduate of the SoE who has demonstrated innovative teaching that positively affects PK-12 or higher education students' motivation or achievement.
Scholarship Award in Education
Presented to a graduate of the SoE who has published notable scholarship in the field of education. Scholarship includes research or publications (books,articles).
Award for Publications in PK-12 Education
Awarded to an SoE graduate who has created publications (children literature, curriculum design, technology guides) that foster teaching, learning, and development in the PK-12 setting.
Nomination forms and alumni award criteria will be available on this page in fall 2019 with a submission deadline in March 2020.
In recent years, the School of Education presented the following awards to our distinguished alumni:
- The 2019 Distinguished Service Award was given to Laura Woodson, B.S. '05, M.A.T. '06. Ms. Woodson has been a long-term member of and leader in the School of Education’s Early Childhood Education Alumni Association and has been instrumental in the organization of annual conferences and service projects. She is currently the Education Director at Highbridge Advisory Council head Start/UPK in Bronx, NY.
- The 2019 Inspirational Recent Alumni Award was given to Kevin M. Hanlon, who received his Master of Arts in Teaching from Manhattanville in 2009. Mr. Hanlon is a teacher at Port Chester Middle School, Port Chester, NY who spearheaded a summer program that allowed students with diverse backgrounds to develop on math, English language arts, and leadership skills through technology. He has also led various building initiatives and is a mentor to other teachers.
- The 2018 Valiant Educator Award was given to Dr. Patricia Lee Gauch, who received her Master of Arts in Teaching from Manhattanville in 1969. Dr. Gauch is an accomplished journalist, editor, author, and teacher whose work has contributed to the growth of readers and writers everywhere.
- The 2018 Alumni Innovative Teaching Award was given to Mr. James Murray (BA '04, MPS '13). Mr. Murray is a teacher at the Villa Maria School, Stanford, CT, a private, co-educational school serving students with learning disabilities, where his innovative lesson plans using multi-sensory strategies have been instrumental in developing programs to help students on the spectrum acclimate to a regular school setting. He is also a leader in promoting STEM at his school.
A huge congratulations to all the winners!