Education faculty receives NYS TESOL Lifetime Achievement Award

Vernon Todd, recently retired lecturer in the Department of Secondary Education at SUNY New Paltz, received the 2015 Lifetime Achievement from the New York State Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (NYS TESOL).

The state-wide honor association’s Lifetime Achievement Award is presented annually to a member of NYS TESOL who is retiring following a long, distinguished career in teaching English language learners.

Todd has done exactly that in his many years of service to students and the community at New Paltz. He began his career here as an adjunct with the Haggerty English Language Program, the College’s intensive English as a second language program for international students, and eventually took on the coordination of the Master of Science in Education Second Language Education program.

Todd has proven instrumental in developing School of Education programs related to teaching English to speakers of other languages, including the Teaching English Language Learners Advanced Certificate and the Intensive Teacher Institute. He also played a significant role in the development of the Dual Diploma program between SUNY New Paltz and the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey.

“Vern was the driving force in the development of high quality TESOL programs, and his innovative efforts at SUNY New Paltz served as models throughout the state,” said Michael Rosenberg, dean of the School of Education. “We are very pleased but not surprised that he is a recipient of this well-deserved lifetime achievement award.”

More information about second language education at SUNY New Paltz is available online.