Indiana University of Pennsylvania professor Dr. Sally McCombie has been recognized as the 2009 Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher Educator of the Year by the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences.
McCombie is a professor in IUP's Human Development and Environmental Studies Department and coordinates the Family and Consumer Sciences Education program.
She will receive the award at the association's annual conference in Knoxville, Tenn., on June 25.
“The university takes pride in Dr. McCombie's continuing record of national distinction as a teacher and scholar,” IUP President Dr. Tony Atwater said. “Professor McCombie works diligently to develop innovative learning opportunities for our students, and we are very pleased that she has been selected for this national recognition.”
In 2000, she was selected for the Outstanding Professional Award from the Pennsylvania State Education Association.
McCombie is president of the Pennsylvania Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. In 2008, she was one of thirty delegates sent from the United States to the International Federation of Home Economics World Congress in Lucerne, Switzerland, as a representative of the IUP College of Health and Human Services and the Council of Administrators of Family and Consumer Sciences, the national organization of individuals who hold administrative roles in family and consumer sciences in colleges and universities.
She also serves on the Pennsylvania Department of Education Program Approval Evaluation Team and Future Directions Committee and represents the state on the development panel for National Standards for Teachers of Family and Consumer Sciences.
McCombie has acquired $255,000 in grants for the Family and Consumer Sciences Education program at IUP from the Pennsylvania Department of Education since 2001. She has worked with Governor's Institutes to bring Pennsylvania family and consumer science professors to IUP for continuing education courses and workshops.
A collaborative project with Homer-Center High School for IUP pre-student teachers preparing for classroom management was selected for publication in a 2007 issue of the national Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences, the journal of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences.
Under her leadership, IUP's Family and Consumer Sciences Education program has grown from eight to more than one hundred students. McCombie oversees all student teaching in the department in addition to her regular coursework and serves as the advisor for all students in the department.
In recognition of her work at IUP, McCombie has been recognized with a number of IUP honors and awards, including the 2006 University Distinguished Faculty Award for Teaching, the 2006 College of Health and Human Services Outstanding Teaching Award, the 2004 College of Health and Human Services Research Award, and the 2004 IUP Office of Housing and Residence Life Recognition of Superior Effort Award.
She served as a member of the Purchase Line School Board for eleven years, including as president and vice president.
Founded in 1909, the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences is the only national not-for-profit organization that provides leadership and support to family and consumer sciences students and professionals. Its membership includes six thousand elementary, secondary, and post-secondary educators, researchers, and administrators; cooperative extension educators; and other professionals in business, industry, not-for-profit organizations, and government. Its national headquarters are based in Alexandria, Va.