Associate Professor Is ‘Master Teacher of Honor’
Karrin S. Lukacs, Ph.D. Receives Recognition From Kappa Delta Pi
Shenandoah University Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction Karrin S. Lukacs, Ph.D., has received the Master Teacher of Honor Award from the Kappa Delta Pi (KDP), International Honor Society in Education, which has bestowed the accolade on only a select group of remarkable educators.
KDP established the award in 2011. To earn this designation, an educator must have more than 15 years of classroom teaching experience; submit evidence of professional development, leadership, community service, and exceptional contributions to the education profession; and demonstrate a commitment to integrity and high standards in the classroom. The award recognizes teachers of all levels, from early childhood instructors to university faculty members.
Dr. Lukacs, who has been with Shenandoah since 2011, feels learning should be student-centered.
“I am not the ‘sage on the stage,’ but rather ‘the guide on the side.’”– Shenandoah University Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction Karrin S. Lukacs, Ph.D.
She also respects and values students’ input about improving their learning experience. “[Students] enter the classroom with a wealth of experiences that I should respect, value, and, if appropriate, incorporate into lessons.”
Currently on a yearlong sabbatical, Lukacs has taught undergraduate and graduate education students in Shenandoah’s School of Education and Leadership, and served as program head for Shenandoah’s graduate-level Initial Teacher Licensure Program and as interim program head of the graduate-level special education program. She has served as chair of the curriculum and instruction department and the university faculty evaluation committee, and as an advisor to the Student Virginia Education Association. She is also the university’s 2018 Exemplary Teacher of the Year (the award draws on student and faculty nominations).
“Her record of service at the university is stellar. She is viewed as a leader among the faculty and also an advocate and mentor for students.” – Dean of Shenandoah’s College of Arts & Sciences, Jeff Coker, Ph.D.
Additionally, she also is an Apple Distinguished Educator, with the designation recognizing her expertise and success with the use of instructional technologies and command of online courses. “Her command of instructional technologies and corresponding certifications is truly remarkable,” said Shenandoah University Provost Adrienne Bloss, Ph.D.
“Her online courses have been described as ‘works of art.’” – Shenandoah University Provost Adrienne Bloss, Ph.D.
Lukacs is also an Apple Teacher and a Google Certified Educator and Trainer.
She is a member of the Association for Teacher Educators, a reviewer or editorial board member for several journals, a proposal reviewer for both the Association of American Colleges of Teacher Education and the American Educational Research Association, and part of the Fulbright Specialist Roster for three years, until 2021.
A former K-5 teacher, Lukacs is also a community volunteer who led a Girl Scout troop for more than a decade, and served on the Virginia “Walk for Autism” planning committee and the “Autism on the Seas” guest advisory board.
