Pearson Names Online Learning Excellence Award Winners

Pearson has chosen the recipients of its annual Online Learning Excellence Awards at its 16th yearly Cite Online Learning Conference.

Pearson presented the awards to K-12 and higher education teachers and administrators "who are making significant contributions in online education," according to a news release from the company. There are two categories of awards: one for excellence in online administration and another for excellence in online teaching, with two awards for K-12 and two for higher education in each category. Pearson will donate $1,500 to the scholarship fund of each winner's choice.

Recipients of the Excellence in Online Administration Award include:

  • Seith Bedard, director of Peabody Learning Academy in Peabody, MA, who won for starting the alternative high school program for at-risk and dropout students that has been credited for reducing the dropout rate from 5 percent to 1.4 percent;
  • David Cline, principal of Hart-Ransom Academic Charter School in Modesto, CA, who won for promoting a schoolwide culture of online learning, internal professional development and community promotion;
  • Patricia James, executive director of California Community College Online Education Initiative in Sacramento, CA, who won for leading the development of online course design standards and related professional development programs; and
  • Bruce Kauss, e-learning coordinator of Blue Mountain Community College in Pendleton, OR, who won for leading the development of the Oregon Colleges Course Sharing Consortium.

Recipients of the Excellence in Online Teaching Award include:

  • Sarah Allen, first grade teacher at Indian Creek School in Crownsville, MD, who won for creating courses for the school's blended learning program;
  • Dianne Hardy, lead mathematics instructor at Mountain Education Charter High School in Cleveland, GA, who won for leading an initiative to align the school's online curriculum to Georgia state standards;
  • Darren Walsh, assistant VP of learning and academic support services at Excelsior College in Albany, NY, who won for developing and managing the college's open-source online writing lab, the Excelsior College OWL (EC OWL); and
  • Sean Nufer, e-larning specialist and adjunct professor at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, who won for researching and recommending industry best practices to improve student engagement.

More information about the Pearson Online Learning Excellence Awards can be found on Pearson's site.

About the Author

Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • glowing digital brain-shaped neural network surrounded by charts, graphs, and data visualizations

    Google Releases Advanced AI Model for Complex Reasoning Tasks

    Google has released Gemini 2.5 Deep Think, an advanced artificial intelligence model designed for complex reasoning tasks.

  • abstract pattern of cybersecurity, ai and cloud imagery

    OpenAI Report Identifies Malicious Use of AI in Cloud-Based Cyber Threats

    A report from OpenAI identifies the misuse of artificial intelligence in cybercrime, social engineering, and influence operations, particularly those targeting or operating through cloud infrastructure. In "Disrupting Malicious Uses of AI: June 2025," the company outlines how threat actors are weaponizing large language models for malicious ends — and how OpenAI is pushing back.

  • cybersecurity book with a shield and padlock

    NIST Proposes New Cybersecurity Guidelines for AI Systems

    The National Institute of Standards and Technology has unveiled plans to issue a new set of cybersecurity guidelines aimed at safeguarding artificial intelligence systems, citing rising concerns over risks tied to generative models, predictive analytics, and autonomous agents.

  • magnifying glass highlighting a human profile silhouette, set over a collage of framed icons including landscapes, charts, and education symbols

    AWS, DeepBrain AI Launch AI-Generated Multimedia Content Detector

    Amazon Web Services (AWS) and DeepBrain AI have introduced AI Detector, an enterprise-grade solution designed to identify and manage AI-generated content across multiple media types. The collaboration targets organizations in government, finance, media, law, and education sectors that need to validate content authenticity at scale.