Educational leadership alum receives Lifetime Achievement Award for work in career and technical education

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—A Western Michigan University alumnus has earned lifetime achievement honors for his work in career and technical education (CTE). Dr. Brian Pyles, M.A.'95, Ph.D.'07, from the College of Education and Human Development's educational leadership program, won the Lifetime Achievement and Hall of Fame Award at the Association for Career and Technical Education Region 1 Conference in New York City.

The state director of the Michigan Department of Education Office of Career and Technical Education (MDE-OCTE) since 2018, he has been in the field of CTE for more than 30 years. In his role, Pyles and MDE-OCTE partners with regional CTE leaders to ensure successful implementation, improvement, and expansion of CTE programs. Their work is a key part of Goal 4 of Michigan’s Strategic Top 10 Education Plan: to expand secondary learning opportunities for all students.  

At the conference, two more alumni from the College of Education and Human Development received regional awards:

• Administrator of the Year: Lucas Schrauben, M.A.'11, career technical education, is director of secondary programs at Holt High School.
• Postsecondary Professional of the Year: Dr. Kenneth Flowers, Ph.D.'15, educational leadership, is provost and vice president of academic affairs at Lake Michigan College.

“Dr. Pyles and the other educators honored for their accomplishments help Michigan high school students attain the knowledge and skills they need to prepare for careers,” Dr. Michael F. Rice, Michigan's State Superintendent, said in a press release.

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