| Communications and Development |  |
Published by Communications and Development
Associate Professor Kathleen Liberty (Educational Studies and Human Development) has been honoured by her alma mater, the University of Oregon, with a distinguished alumni award.
Professor Liberty was presented with the Clark Honors College (CHC) Alumni Achievement Award in a ceremony held on the campus in Eugene, Oregon, USA, on 10 May.
The Robert D Clark Honors College at the University of Oregon is a special honours programme for the highest achieving students within the university. Professor Liberty received her bachelor’s degree from CHC in 1969 and her masters in special education at the University of Oregon in 1971, before going on to receive a doctorate from the University of Washington in 1977.
She is only the second recipient of the alumni award, which was established in 2007.
University of Oregon President Dave Frohnmayer presented her with a mounted bronze platypus designed by CHC students. Professor Liberty said the platypus was chosen as the college mascot in recent years due to the fact the University of Oregon has Donald Duck as its mascot and the CHC students see themselves as the “odd ducks” on campus.
In his presentation of the award, Mr Frohnmayer highlighted Professor Liberty’s research and work in the field of special education, which he said took the vision of the college “and magnified it into the world through her own very special lens”.
“To open worlds of meaning where emptiness ruled, to give purpose to a life that others had discarded, to enable hope to rise above apathy — these are the impacts that education can make. And when that education fills a life that also is committed, dedicated to that impact, the results reach far and wide — and they change lives,” he said.
“This is the belief that Robert Clark had in education. This is the belief we have in education. And this is the reason we are honouring Dr Kathleen Liberty today.”
Professor Liberty said she felt very honoured to receive the award.
“I really feel it is an award for all the people who have taught me and all the children and teenagers with disabilities, and their parents, I’ve worked with over the years and who have been involved in my research,” she said.
Professor Liberty credited CHC for her successful and fulfilling career to date.
“One of the things that has characterised my work is I’ve tried to work across traditional disciplinary boundaries and different sectors. My research is a combination of education, psychology and medicine. The Honors College requires you to take a broad base in liberal arts and science and I feel that wonderful education gave me the intellectual confidence to tackle this multidisciplinary work.”
While in Eugene, Dr Liberty gave two public lectures on topics in early intervention, and gave a talk to current CHC students reflecting on her days at the college and where her career had taken her.
For further information please contact:
Maria De Cort
Communications Officer
University of Canterbury
Ph: (03) 364 2072
maria.decort@canterbury.ac.nz