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The director of the Bachelor of Science program in technology education at ���Ͽ� has been honored by a statewide organization.

Barb Bauer recently received the 2024 Leadership Award from the  for her service on the WTEA board and being actively involved in promoting its mission. She also was nominated for the Educator of the Year award.

“I was honored to receive this award, and it was a huge honor to be nominated for the Educator of the Year award,” said Bauer, who was recognized at the WTEA annual conference in Wisconsin Dells.

���Ͽ� also was represented at the event with a booth promoting the technology education program and the new automation leadership program. Chancellor Katherine Frank was one of the keynote speakers.

Bauer, an alum of the technology education program, has worked at ���Ͽ� since 2007. She also is manager of the Innovation and Creation Lab on campus.

“I love working with future educators, modeling how to teach, allowing them to take the theory they were taught and put it to practice. That’s the polytechnic at our university,” Bauer said.

Program graduates are prepared to earn a teaching license and teach technology for grades K-12, although most teach at the middle and high school level.

“The tech ed program at ���Ͽ� really prepares our students to hit the ground running. There are opportunities for them to be in the (middle and high school) classroom during their freshman year. Technology education is always advancing, allowing one to be a lifetime learner,” Bauer said.

Recent graduates of the program reported 100% employment, part of ���Ͽ�’s best-in-the-region 99% employment rate for graduates.

����-���ٴdzܳ�’s&�Բ�����;School of Education offers nine undergraduate and five graduate programs, along with five certificates and three certifications.

The mission of the WTEA is to provide “professional development for classroom instructors and proactive leadership in advocating the advancement of technology education by promoting relevant curriculum, communicating information and networking with leaders in education, business and industry.”

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