Wow

It is indeed my pleasure and honor to announce this year’s recipient of the Fred R. McFarlane Outstanding Masters of Arts in Education, Postsecondary Educational Leadership Graduate Award.

As you can tell from listening to why this award was created, the recipient of the award must embody many characteristics that Fred embodies. The recipient of the award must be 1) an innovative individual with a new perspective on improving postsecondary education, 2) committed to transforming the community he/she serves through outstanding service, programs, and effective administration and 3) must demonstrate the ability to think creatively with outside of the box solutions.

The postsecondary educational leadership graduating students vote on who receives this award. As they struggle to determine which of their fabulous peers will receive the award, they are encouraged to simply select the one whom they would want to lead them; to select the leader among leaders.

It is now my great honor and privilege to award the Fred R. McFarlane Outstanding Postsecondary Educational Leadership Graduate Award to one who embodies the aforementioned characteristics. As an emerging educator, leader, and aspiring scholar, this student has role-modeled characteristics of which Professor McFarlane would be proud. Furthermore, the recipient has been selected by his peers as their leader among leaders.

This year’s recipient has demonstrated leadership that has extended beyond any of the roles to which he has been assigned. He has provided a foundation on which his peers have found their own courage to grow. He has taken advantage of a number of opportunities that have been provided to him and equally, he has sought out additional opportunities to move beyond what has been provided. He has challenged the status quo with respect and with open heart and mind, learning even more as he provides opportunities for established leaders to learn from his queries. He has participated in national scholarly studies, presenting at national conferences while earning grant funding for his own research pursuits. His commitment to his values and his culture ground him firmly, while his sense of humor provides others with access to his strength. I look forward to watching him continue to spread his roots and providing wisdom in the strong growing branches of collegial relationships that he extends to all those from whom he will continue to learn and to those he will teach and lead.

It is indeed my honor and pleasure to award the inaugural 2010 Fred R. McFarlane Outstanding Postsecondary Educational Leadership Graduate Award to Eric R. Felix.

Please join me in congratulating him for this much deserved honor.