So Proud!!

Check out this amazing press release for my Aunt Pat. The release illustrates the incredible work she has done in the past 40 years in higher education. My Aunt Barb drove her to the airport for her to fly out to attend the ceremony. Sadly, she was so sick with the flu, she decided at the last moment that she was just too sick to fly!! I'm so sad for her that she wasn't there when they awarded her this honor! We are so proud of you!

Student Affairs Association Recognizes Patricia Fabiano of WWU with National Award

Patricia Fabiano

BELLINGHAM – A leading education association has recognized Patricia Fabiano, faculty member at Western Washington University, with its prestigious national Outstanding Contribution to Higher Education Award.

The award, announced at the NASPA annual conference March 9 in Chicago, recognizes those who have rendered outstanding service in programs, policies, or research that has made a national impact, and who has contributed to the broad reach of higher education. Previous honorees included U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, former NCAA president Myles Brand, U.S. Sen. Claiborne Pell and The Chronicle of Higher Education.

“For more than 40 years, Patricia Fabiano has contributed research, programs and insights that have informed the role of student affairs in higher education today," said NASPA Executive Director Gwendolyn Jordan Dungy. “She has been in the forefront of addressing important issues such as drinking and drug abuse on college campuses, violence prevention, health and wellness education, and student empowerment.”

With over 11,000 members at 1,400 campuses, and representing 29 countries, NASPA is a professional association for student affairs administrators, faculty, and graduate and undergraduate students.

“I am grateful to every student and colleague, who together, made my life’s work in higher education so rich and satisfying,” said Fabiano.

Fabiano is a faculty member in the Student Affairs Administration program at Western’s Woodring College of Education. She has been at WWU for 20 years and served as the Student Affairs director of Prevention and Wellness Services, where she developed a model college health promotion program. While at WWU, Fabiano developed the Lifestyle Advisor Program, a nationally recognized peer health education program, and brought in nearly $4 million in federal and state grants on reducing high-risk alcohol consumption and violence prevention. She has published in the area of social justice and men’s role in the prevention of violence.

“She encourages students to explore the student affairs profession and challenges them to think critically about the current issues facing administrators today,” wrote Tina Wang in her letter nominating Fabiano for the award. Wang, who serves as assistant director for Westside Student Affairs at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Wash., was a student of Fabiano’s at WWU.

In 2005, Fabiano was selected as one of the recipients of the Northwest Regional Women’s Hall of Fame Award.

She previously served as the NASPA national co-chair of the Health in Higher Education Knowledge Community and served as the Region V Board of Directors representative for Women in Student Affairs from 2007-2010. She teaches assessment and research in the Student Affairs Administration Program, as well as courses on collaboration and cultural pluralism. Together with WWU Professor Larry Estrada and Susan Mancuso, program director for Student Affairs Administration at Western, Fabiano developed the new undergraduate minor in Diversity in Higher Education, which is designed for students considering careers and/or graduate school in higher education or in student affairs administration. She also provides consultation and professional development education to the WWU Division of Student Affairs and Academic Support Services’ DART—Division Assessment Resource Team