Deborah Shanley, dean of the School of Education, recently received the 2012 Alumna of the Year Award from the 鈥檚 School of Graduate Studies and Research.
Shanley returned to the university where she received her master鈥檚 in education in the rural town of California, Penn., about an hour south of Pittsburgh, to receive the honor.
鈥淚 hadn鈥檛 been there since I graduated,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was humbling. I didn鈥檛 think they were tracking what I was doing.鈥�
The university cited Shanley鈥檚 efforts to connect academe to the community as a big reason she was selected for the honor. In her time at 可乐视频, she has forged several partnerships with local schools and community organizations like the and the .
鈥淚t took me by surprise that they had gone so deep into the alumni to see who really embraced the mission of the college and then went on to demonstrate it in their actions,鈥� Shanley said. 鈥淚 was especially pleased that they recognized what I have been doing in communities because that has really been at the heart of my work.鈥�
She partly credited the university for inspiring that drive.
鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 sit around and pontificate,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey tried to instill a real sense of social responsibility and integrity in those that have been prepared to serve. That鈥檚 what I try to stand for.鈥�
