The Marsal Family School of Education announces the 2023-24 Alumni Award recipients

Each year, the Marsal Family School of Education Alumni Awards recognize the incredible accomplishments of our alumni, whether they are seasoned professionals or newer to their careers. The Emerging Leader Alumni Award is presented to an alum with fewer than 10 years of professional experience after completing their degree at the Marsal School. This award champions alumni who demonstrate a commitment to the profession of education, show potential for continued leadership, and exhibit a passion for equity and justice in the field of education. The Distinguished Alumni Award is presented to two alumni who have made significant contributions to their profession, and whose accomplishments exemplify leadership, innovation, and passion for advancing the field of education.

Emerging Leader Alumni Award 

Dr. Andrew Kwok (BS '07, PhD '15) is an assistant professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Culture in the School of Education and Human Development at Texas A&M University. Kwok received a BS in Brain, Behavior, and Cognitive Sciences from the University of Michigan and a PhD in Educational Studies with a focus on Teaching and Teacher Education from the Marsal School. Prior to joining Texas A&M, he was faculty at California State University, San Bernardino and was a high school science teacher in Oakland, California. He currently serves as associate editor of the Journal of Teacher Education and research chair of the Collaborative for Innovation in Teacher Education.

Kwok's primary research focuses on teacher preparation policy, particularly in supporting preservice and beginning in-service teachers towards success, especially for underserved contexts. He examines issues related to the teacher pipeline and seeks to excavate teacher beliefs in relationship to instructional quality, entry, and attrition. He also has corresponding research lines in the preparation, training, and implementation of classroom management as well as induction coaching and support. His work has been funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Texas Education Agency, and various counties of education. His research has been published in the American Education Research Journal, Educational Researcher, Journal of Teacher Education, Urban Education, and Teacher and Teacher Education.

Distinguished Alumni Award for Primary/Secondary Education

Dr. Patricia Dignan (EdD '82) describes herself as "first a wife, mother, and grandmother." For over 50 years, she was also a teacher, dean, and public school administrator. Dignan was a pioneer in the field of education, serving as the first female Community School Director in the country, one of the first female Head Start directors under JFK in California and Michigan, the first female superintendent in the greater Washington D.C. area, and the first female superintendent in Monroe County, Michigan.

Dignan started the first middle/high school alternative in Michigan, opened seven charter schools throughout the greater Detroit area, and created Washtenaw Technical Middle College, the first of its kind in the country. She was also an early leader in Parent Education beginning in 1964. Dignan served as a dean at all levels of education from pre-school through college and as a principal at high schools and elementary schools. All of the districts and systems she led earned either state or national awards for improved student achievement. She has been a frequent national presenter and international consultant on effective schools, and has been featured in magazines including Instructor, Journal of American Health, and Executive Educator.

Inducted into Aquinas College’s Inaugural Hall of Fame “for her many contributions to public education,” Dignan was also honored by Eastern Michigan’s Hall of Fame in 2005. She has authored six books, including two on educational leadership. Dignan received her BA from Aquinas College, her MA from Eastern Michigan University, her first doctorate from the University of Michigan, and her second doctorate from Detroit College of Law.

Distinguished Alumni Award for Postsecondary Education

Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig (AB '97, AM '99) serves as the 24th Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Western Michigan University, marking a significant milestone as the first Underrepresented Minority (URM) in the role. As an executive leader he has focused on elevating institutional prestige, engaging in collaborative strategic actions, and rapidly delivering results in enrollment, student success, and diversity initiatives.

Vasquez Heilig's research and practice has been primarily focused on K-12 education curriculum, policy, and leadership that impacts equity and innovation. A prolific scholar, he has authored more than 70 publications and spoken at hundreds of events—including more than 40 universities and eight countries. For almost a decade, he has been ranked among the top 200 education scholars in the nation by EdWeek.

Vasquez Heilig has conveyed invited testimony in state and national legislative bodies. He has also served as a volunteer education policy advisor and provided input for presidential and gubernatorial campaigns. He has also volunteered expertise and served in advisory roles for higher education, government, schools, foundations, civil rights organizations, and community advocacy non-profits. He has served on the Executive Committee and as Education Chair for both the Kentucky and California NAACP.

Vasquez Heilig has been honored with more than 30 teaching, research and service recognitions including Diversity in Education Magazine Multicultural Champion for 2015, and the passage of California Assembly Resolution 1459 in 2019—which commended his state and national impact. He was also commissioned by Governor Andy Beshear as a Kentucky Colonel in 2022.

His work has been cited by the New York Times, LA Times, Washington Post, Associated Press, USAToday, Education Week and other print and electronic media outlets. He has also appeared to discuss his research on local and national radio and TV including Al Jazeera, ABC, Fox, CBS, PBS, NBC, NPR, Univision, and MSNBC.