TAMIU ACP Director Greninger Named Emerging Education Leader

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.—Elizabeth Greninger, director of at Texas A&M International University’s (TAMIU) Alternative Certification Program (ACP) in has been recognized as an Emerging Leader by Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) International, a global association of education professionals.

The PDK Emerging Leader program recognizes top educators under age 40 from across the world for their leadership, particularly as it is related to PDK's tenets of service, research, and leadership. A committee made up of PDK’s past Emerging Leaders selected the 24 honorees from a competitive field of applicants, based on their outstanding professional accomplishments.

“The 24 members of the 2009-2010 Class of PDK Emerging Leaders join an illustrious group of educators who, even early in their careers, are making extraordinary contributions to our profession,” said PDK executive director William Bushaw, “We are delighted to honor these outstanding educators.”

Greninger began her career as a teacher at an elementary school alternative program in Pennsylvania before becoming an elementary school teacher in New York City Public Schools. She also served as an administrative intern in the New York City Department of Education, where she developed and coordinated the New Teacher Mentor Program in 2005-2006.

“President Obama has ushered in a culture of change in taking over leadership of our country,” Greninger said, “I aspire to arouse similar change efforts within public education, now and in the years ahead. My goal is to be a policy advocate for public education and the children that are served.”

She is a member of TAMIU’s PDK chapter, the National Association for Alternative Certification, Texas Alternative Certification Association, and Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. In 2009, Greninger was recognized as a Top Educational Leader Under 40 in Scholastic Administrator magazine.

At TAMIU’s recent Lamar Bruni Vergara Academic Conference, Greninger earned the Graduate Grand Prize and also received first place, doctoral level, for her presentation, “Teachers Perceptions of Administrator Support And the Impact on Teacher Retention.”

For more information on PDK’s 2009-2010 Class of Emerging Leaders, including podcast interviews with the honorees, go to www.pdkemergingleaders.org. Information about PDK International is at www.pdkintl.org.

For more information about TAMIU’s ACP Program, contact Greninger at 326.2687, visit offices located in the Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library, room 427, e-mail egreninger@tamiu.edu or click www.tamiu.edu/coedu/acp.shtml

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at prmis@tamiu.edu