Impact

Two honored for extraordinary service to Outreach and Online Education

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Al Turgeon, the turfgrass management professor who taught Penn State’s first World Campus class in 1998, is the 2014 recipient of the Dubin Pioneer Award in recognition of his service to Penn State Outreach and Online Education (OOE).

Dan Mazur, who has served on the OOE Advisory Board for eight years, will receive the Penn State Outreach and Online Education Fischer Award of Distinction.

The awards will be presented at the Outreach and Online Education Appreciation Dinner on Oct. 23.

Turgeon, now professor emeritus of turfgrass management, was the lead faculty member of the turfgrass management certificate program in the College of Agricultural Sciences. His class, Turf 235, was the first course offered when Penn State launched its online World Campus in January 1998.

“There is no question that Al was an important factor in our early success,” said Gary Miller, the first executive director of World Campus. “He was also a great ambassador to other faculty. It is hard to imagine how the World Campus could have achieved acceptance by faculty across many, many disciplines without Al’s advocacy.”

Mazur, a first-generation college graduate, earned a bachelor of science degree in business logistics and a master of business administration degree from Penn State. He worked in the railroad industry for 38 years, retiring from Norfolk Southern Corp. in 2008 as vice president of strategic planning. Mazur lives with his wife, Agnes, also a Penn State alumna and first-generation college graduate, in Palmyra. The couple’s three children also attended Penn State. The Mazurs are establishing a World Campus scholarship for adult learners from 20 Pennsylvania counties.

“Dan is a huge supporter and friend of Penn State,” said Craig Weidemann, vice president for outreach and vice provost for online education. “As a very trusted colleague, he has been a key leader for many years on the Outreach and Online Education Advisory Board, providing frank and sagacious advice to help advance our organization. In addition, he and his wife, Agnes, have provided generous support to help provide much needed scholarships for adult learners.”

The Dubin Pioneer award recognizes current or former University faculty, staff and technical service employees who have distinguished themselves through extraordinary service to advance the Outreach and Online Education vision. The award honors the memory of psychology professor Samuel Dubin, an international expert in the field of retraining, and his family.

The Fischer award recognizes friends, donors, alumni and volunteers who have distinguished themselves through extraordinary service to advance the Outreach and Online Education vision. It is named in honor of the Fischer family — former Penn State vice president of continuing education Floyd Fischer, his wife, Naomi, and their son, Rich, the first chair of the Outreach Advisory Board.

Last Updated January 9, 2015

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