Van Dempsey has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Educational Studies Association. Dr. Dempsey is a Professor in the Department of Instructional Technology, Foundations and Secondary Education, and former dean of the Watson College of Education. The award was presented at the 2023 AESA Conference in Louisville, Kentucky on November 8.
“The American Educational Studies Association is thrilled to honor Van Dempsey as our 2023 Lifetime Achievement Awardee,” said Pamela Konkol, Executive Director of AESA. “Dr. Dempsey’s scholarly contributions to the foundational disciplines, lifetime of commitment to service and empowering those with little power and small voices, and tremendous courage of conviction represent all of the best parts of what AESA seeks to be. It was truly our honor and privilege to recognize Van in this way.”
The AESA Lifetime Achievement Award Selection Committee recommends candidates for the award who “have enriched our understanding of education through philosophical, historical, political, sociological, anthropological, economic, comparative/international, or cultural studies research and scholarship.” At the awards ceremony, Dr. Konkol said, in part,
"Dr. Dempsey’s career has spanned nearly 40 years. In that time, he has served in various capacities in both pk12 and higher education, including public school teacher, university faculty member, and director, dean, and vice president in higher education. He has received numerous awards across his professional career, including the National Academy of Sciences “Frontiers of Research on Children, Youth and Families” National Research Award and the UNC School of Education Alumni Association’s 2018 Distinguished Leadership Award. Along the way, he has cultivated many partnerships, built networks, and been tapped for state and national boards.
Through this all, Dr. Dempsey has distinguished himself as a pillar of integrity, scholarship, and unwavering commitment to the educational community.
He has actively engaged with various communities, policymakers, and educational organizations, promoting education as a tool for social justice and community building, His outreach and mentorship have helped cultivate the next generation of educators and scholars, making a cyclical impact that will undoubtedly continue for years to come.
Given his extraordinary scholarship, steadfast integrity, and unparalleled contributions to the educational landscape, the AESA Lifetime Achievement Award doesn’t just recognize his past achievements but can also serve as an inspiration to those who aspire to combine intellectual rigor with ethical integrity."
“I am honored and quite humbled to receive this award from AESA,” Dr. Dempsey said. “AESA is the first conference where I presented as a graduate student. It is the scholarly and intellectual home of the social and cultural foundations of education. The roots of my own work are there with my mentor George Noblit, and the scholarly communities I came to know through him. Jaci and I met at our first AESA conference. To be honored by AESA, at this point in my career and life’s journey, is to return to the roots of what made me want to complete a Ph.D. in the first place.”
The American Educational Studies Association was established in 1968 as an international learned society for students, teachers, research scholars, and administrators who are interested in the foundations of education. The role of AESA is to provide a cross-disciplinary forum for the exchange and debate of ideas and to promote the examination of issues in education from a plurality of academic viewpoints and perspectives.
This article has the following tags: Accomplishments Watson College of Education