Shirley Hendrick Award
2025 Recipient
Dr. William C. Diehl teaches and advises graduate students and coordinates the Lifelong Learning and Adult Education MEd program. He is associate editor for The American Journal of Distance Education, academic advisor for the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy Penn State Fellowship program, and director of The American Center for the Study of Distance Education at Penn State.
Dr. Diehl has authored numerous academic publications and co-edited the Handbook of Distance Education (4th Edition). His research includes the history and evolution of distance education, online teaching competencies, and intercultural communication in virtual environments. Diehl has taught in K-12 schools, consulted and designed courses, developed web sites, and created web applications in corporate, healthcare, non-profit, and governmental sectors including the National Institute for Literacy, U.S. Department of Labor, The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, Pennsylvania Department of Education, Studiesenteret.no., and Quality Matters.
Diehl is also an award-winning songwriter and artist and has contributed to film projects in various roles, including the PBS-aired and film festival award winning documentary Arapaho Truths.
Dr. Diehl holds a Ph.D. in Adult Education from Penn State, where he also earned his undergraduate degree in elementary education and was a member of the 1980 NIT men’s basketball team.
Shirley Hendrick Award
The Shirley Hendrick Award recognizes a University employee whose visionary accomplishments have contributed significantly to foster and to increase Penn State’s efforts to serve the adult learner. The award is open to any University employees who
- Demonstrates leadership, support, and advocacy for adult learners throughout the University community.
- Champions strategic initiatives to integrate best practices for adult learners into the overall landscape of the University.
- Encourages innovative activities to foster and inspire a culture of collaboration while improving access to adult learner programs and services.
- Exemplifies the spirit of entrepreneurial and visionary leadership in creating new opportunities for adult learners to access Penn State programs.
2025 Nomination Information and Deadline
Nomination Instructions
- Complete the online nomination form and two short letters of support to nominate a colleague for the Shirley Hendrick Award.
- Nominations for the 2025 award will close on December 20, 2024.
Information
Typically, an individual will receive the award only once, unless the subsequent nomination demonstrates that the current work being recognized is new and distinct from the body of work previously recognized.
An individual who has received the award is not eligible to receive it again for five years.
The selection committee may, after reviewing the nominations, elect not to select a recipient for a given year.
Award selection committee contact: William Fritz, wjf12@psu.edu
Past Award Recipients
Click here to view past recipients of the Shirley Hendrick Award.
Note: All award nominees should be prepared to present at the 2024 Hendrick conference as part of the recognition for the award recipient. Further information will be shared with those individuals by the Hendrick Award and Conference planning committee following award winner selection.