DuPaul and Cates both honored for life’s work

This past month, two faculty members with Lehigh’s College of Education were nationally recognized for their professional contributions and outstanding scholarship in their respective fields.
George DuPaul, professor of school psychology and chair of the department of education and human services, earned a coveted spot in the Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder’s (CHADD) Hall of Fame. He is one of only two inductees in 2008, joining just 46 other colleagues who have been recognized with the honor since its inception in 1994.
Ward Cates, professor of teaching, learning, and technology and the associate dean in the College of Education, was honored with the Distinguished Service Award by his colleagues at the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT). Cates most recently served as the group’s international president from 2006-2007.
“These two honors reflect a lifetime of accomplishments by George and Ward,” says Gary Sasso, dean of the College of Education. “They are held in such high esteem by their colleagues and students here at Lehigh, and have been central to our success as a highly-regarded, research intensive college.”
George DuPaul

CHADD is the country’s largest and most influential grassroots organization dedicated to individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Most of its 20,000 members are families of children and adults with ADHD—the people most directly impacted by DuPaul’s research.
Being recognized by those families, rather than his professional peers, is a particularly meaningful honor for DuPaul.
“I’ve spent almost all of my career studying intervention strategies that are intended to make a real difference for families who have individuals with ADHD,” says DuPaul. “That’s why this award is so meaningful. It’s given by the people who are the real audience on the front lines—the families who are actually using our research and have a vested interest in its success.”
Earlier this semester, DuPaul won the prestigious Senior Scientist Award from the American Psychological Association’s Division of School Psychology. That was awarded to DuPaul by his professional colleagues.
DuPaul officially earned a place in CHADD’s Hall of Fame at their 20th Annual International Conference in Anaheim, California. CHADD said DuPaul’s “work empowers the educational community in a meaningful way so that the complex needs of a challenging population of students will be met.”
Ward Cates

Cates was likewise honored for his lifelong dedication to educational research. He’s recognized by his peers throughout the country as a thoughtful and leading advocate for the design of effective instructional technology.
The Distinguished Service Award is the organization’s highest honor and is given to an individual who has shown outstanding leadership in advancing the practice of educational communications and technology.
It’s a field that has grown significantly since Cates first joined AECT in 1974 as an A/V specialist.
“My colleagues in AECT design instruction,” explains Cates. “We examine ways in which learners can best use and adapt to technologies, with a goal to train students to think critically.”
“There’s such a richer set of resources for educators today,” he adds. “And it matters more than ever before how we use these technologies to enhance the learning experience.”
AECT is the oldest professional home for educational communications and is known for placing a premium on research that influences both public policy and educational curriculum. Cates has been a member of that organization’s international board since 2003 and, more recently, became a member of the Educational Communications and Technology Foundation’s Board of Trustees.
“This is truly a special honor,” says Cates. “I remember when we were loading film onto 16mm projectors. The field has certainly evolved and I consider myself fortunate to have been a part of it and to have been associated with such a great organization like AECT.”
--Tom Yencho