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news
Teachers
laude Lauda
By Matt Davis
Special to the On-line Forty-Niner
In 1967 Donald
Lauda was just a small fish in a big pond full of endless
possibilities while teaching at St. Clouds State University,
60 miles from Minneapolis.
"I was the
new professor in Modern Technology and Western Civilization,"
Lauda said. "I was the rookie."
Now, Lauda, dean
of the College of Health and Human Services at Cal State Long
Beach, has been honored by the National Council on Technology
Teacher Education for his contributions to the teacher education
profession.
The award accounts
for just a small part of the big picture when compared to
all of Lauda's accomplishments that date back to 1967.
Lauda was the first
to organize and teach the course at St. Clouds State University.
The same course is still being instructed today and is a large
part of the curriculum.
For Lauda, the
best part of receiving the award was to see all the people
that helped him along the way. In one shape or form it was
the colleagues and friends that have contributed to Lauda's
success over the years.
"The number
of people in the room that helped me with my career was a
great thing to see that night," Lauda said. "That's
the ultimate high".
He recently received
a lifetime honorary membership at the annual meeting of the
International Technology Education Association in Columbus,
Ohio.
The contributing
factors that have lead up to his success stem from a variety
of achievements. Lauda represented the organization on the
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education for
six years, was president of the Council on Technology Teacher
Education and the International Technology Education Association
and has published more than 40 articles in the discipline.
In 1993, he received
the Academy of Fellows Award, the field's highest honor. "It's
been a great ride here at Cal State University, Long Beach,"
Lauda said. "I had the opportunity to shakes hands with
over 20,000 graduates in 20 years."
Lauda believes
that it's not the awards that is his greatest achievement,
it is much more than that.
"The awards
are just a digit on the screen when compared to the overall
picture," Lauda said.
One of his greatest
achievements is helping others succeed in and out of the classroom.
Lauda is one of the original pioneers in radical change of
human technology.
Lauda was once
in a think tank where he conducted research. The group of
researchers conducted experiments and shared theories about
technological development. The goal was to reach a compromise
over a particular research project conducted within the research
group.
Reminiscing on
the whole experience really brought back fond memories of
conducting research day and night for Lauda.
"It was truly
a unique experience that I will always remember and cherish
still to this day," he said.
After all of this,
Lauda will be officially retired in June, leaving CSULB for
the next chapter of his life.
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