UTA professor honored for contributions to student success
Marilee Bresciani Ludvik is the 2022 recipient of the American College Personnel Association’s (ACPA) College Student Educators International Contribution to Knowledge Award.
Ludvik serves as chair and professor of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at The University of Texas Arlington. The ACPA award recognizes an individual each year who has made outstanding and sustained contributions to the student affairs profession that significantly advance the understanding of college students, campus environments, institutions of higher education and student affairs practices.
The field of student affairs is made up of professionals dedicated to supporting the academic and personal development of individuals while they complete their higher education journeys. Ludvik said it’s a continuous process of evaluating and researching how to best support student success in higher education and designing opportunities for all students to succeed.
“Frankly, I was so humbled and touched because the people who have received this award before me are those who have contributed to the way that that I think about the profession,” said Ludvik. “And what the profession is really about is student success.”
The ACPA—headquartered in Washington, D.C., at the National Center for Higher Education—is a comprehensive, international association that advances the field of student affairs. It encompasses the myriad services and support systems aimed at student success, growth and development on a college campus.
“At UTA, we aim to lead the student affairs profession and the higher education community in providing advocacy and research that fosters excellence in college student learning,” said Teresa Doughty, dean of the College of Education at UT Arlington. “This award is an honor and a testament to the quality of faculty and staff in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University.”
Trish Mann, a UTA doctoral student studying educational leadership and policy studies, said the award for Ludvik is only the most recent example of the program’s “history of excellence.”
“I have always had a passion for education, and as a first-generation college student, I recognize all the people who assisted me on my own educational journey,” said Mann. “I have learned a great deal through this program about how to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion for students, both in research and in practice. It has challenged and pushed me to grow as a leader, and I have loved every minute of it.”