Ok-Hee Lee: YWCA Woman of the Year in Education
Dragons shined brightly at the annual celebration and recognition
Thirty-seven area women, including those with Dragon connections, were recognized at last evening’s YWCA Women of the Year event.
Dr. Ok-Hee Lee, Dean of the College of Education & Human Services, was named YWCA Woman of the Year in Education. This award honors an individual who is shaping the future as a teacher, administrator, or support staff in childcare, elementary, secondary, or higher education, non-traditional settings, or community education. She nurtures, empowers, and inspires her students to be more, do more, and serve more.
Among Ok-Hee’s accomplishments that earned her the award:
- Growing the Teacher Cadet Program partnership with Moorhead High School
- Establishing “Become a Teacher Day” bringing 100+ high school students to campus to explore teaching careers
- Launching MSUM’s first concurrent enrollment course with Detroit Lakes School District
- Introducing MSUM’s first stand-alone doctoral program, Ed.D. in Educational Leadership
- Developing new graduate programs: MA in Criminal Justice and Master of Social Work (MSW)
- Creating a partnership with Belcourt School District #7A that enabled six Ojibwe students to earn master’s degrees in Curriculum & Instruction
- Expanding online bachelor’s programs in Elementary Inclusive Education, Early Childhood Education, Criminal Justice, and Social Work
- Receiving the Infuse Mental Health grant ($6.7M), School Social Worker Pipeline Grant ($750,000), and Elevating Early Childhood Special Education grant ($112,000).
- Earning national reaccreditation for Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), and Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
Congratulations, Dr. Lee!
Additional Dragon nominees and Women of the Year winners:
Becky Boyle Jones, Assistant Director of Student Activities and Organizations, Moorhead, nominee
Sarah Ring, (’94, SLHS, ’97 SLP) Adjunct Instructor and Clinical Educator, Speech-Language Hearing Sciences, Moorhead; and Senior Speech-Language Pathologist, Sanford Health, nominee
Marie Swanson, retired Professor of Speech-Language Pathology, Moorhead, and co-founder of Heart of Clay, nominee
Christine Holland (’94, Marketing), Executive Director of River Keepers, Woman of the Year in Arts, Culture and Community
Nancy Demarais (’01, Health Services Administration), Vice President of Operations at Sanford Health, Woman of the Year in Business Leadership
Chandler Esslinger (’15, Women’s & Gender Studies), Executive Director of the FM Coalition to End Homelessness, nominee
Elizabeth Hilt (’06, Criminal Justice), Associate Director of the Consensus Council, nominee
Nicole Larson (’05, English Education), Operations Manager, The Fargo Theatre, nominee
Congratulations to all of these Dragons!