Kaneb Center intern earns national award
By JASON McFARLEY
News Writer
Cecilia Lucero, an intern at the Notre Dame Kaneb Center for Teaching and Learning, is one of seven graduate students nationwide to receive the K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Award.
The award, given annually by the American Association of Higher Education (AAHE), recognizes potential leadership in the field of higher education. It is named for a professor emeritus at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Lucero, a doctoral candidate at the University of Michigan, was nominated by two Michigan faculty members last September.
"I'm surprised and excited. There's a lot of pressure involved in living up to the expectations of such an award," Lucero said.
Included in her award is an all-expense-paid trip to the AAHE national conference in Anaheim, Calif., in May. At the conference, Lucero will be formally recognized in a ceremony for the seven recipients and will receive official membership into the AAHE.
But the most attractive feature of the award will probably be the many new networking and mentorship opportunities, according to Lucero.
Lucero also hopes the award will lead to future research projects. At the Kaneb Center, she has undertaken many projects during the past three years. Her research ranges from topics such as faculty and technology to tracing the integration of new professors into the Notre Dame community.
"I couldn't have asked for a more wonderful intern and keen researcher," said Barbara Walvoord, Lucero's supervisor at the center.
Though Lucero's internship ends this spring, her plans for the immediate future are already set. She intends to further develop her doctoral proposal and to finish her dissertation in the months ahead. Eventually, she said she would like to hold an administrative position on a college campus.
"I'm also interested in writing books, maybe one about African-American women faculty in higher education. I've done research on that," Lucero said.
Lucero is a native of Pittsburgh, Penn., who completed her undergraduate work at Notre Dame, where she majored in American Studies.
All News Stories for Wednesday, February 23, 2000
