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Gearhart Receives Organization’s Top Award

 Madison - Dr. Deb Gearhart, Director of E-Education Services at Dakota State University, received the 2006 Roger G. Young Professional Achievement Award from the America Association for Collegiate Independent Study (AACIS). The award is the highest honor offered by the AACIS to recognize outstanding and permanent contributions to the field of independent study. 

 Dr. Gearhart has been a member of AACIS since its founding. The organization, one of the earliest distance education professional groups, is an association for all those engaged in, or interested in, collegiate independent study. The goal of the organization is to provide professional development and idea-sharing opportunities to its members.

 Dr. Gearhart has served on the AACIS board, been secretary and past president, and is the chair of the research committee. She also serves on the newsletter committee and the awards committee.  In 2000, she received the Specialty Books Award for Research in Independent Study from the group. She is the 6^th person since AACIS was founded to receive the Roger G. Young Professional Achievement Award.  The award is not presented every year; it was last given in 2003.

 More information on AACIS is found on their website (http://www.aacis.org/default.htm)