1999

ALISE-PRATT SEVERN AWARD

Faculty Innovation

Presented to

Gretchen Whitney

January 18, 1999
Philadelphia, PA

Citation

Gretchen Whitney truly exemplifies the tradition of the first two ALISE Pratt-Severn awardees, Ching-chih Chen in 1997 and Peter Jacso in 1998.

Beginning as a doctoral student teaching at the University of Michigan in the 1980s she initiated the use of the then new technology of electronic mail to enhance her teaching. Later, at the University of Arizona, she included computer conferencing and created a Virtual Faculty of international mentors. As initiator, and still owner/moderator of the jESSE listserv, she has provided service to her students, faculty, and our profession and then, added Alta Vista translation of the information into French and Spanish to increase international participation in our field.

Since 1995, at the University of Tennessee, Dr. Whitney has added to her repetoire the technologies of the web as she created online syallabi, net forum discussion groups and interactive online quizzes. Throug her classes, her students have created numerous web sites for community service organizations in the Knoxville and East Tennessee area on the KORRNET regional network, and spear-headed a faculty initiative to create a Virtual Digital Laboratory of information resources.

The Jury had little difficulty agreeding that she was indeed a remarkable example of faculty innovation for us all. Congratulations, Dr. Whitney. We look forward to seeing how you incorporate the next wave of technology into your teaching.

--Charles Rubenstein