Education

Alumni Fellow Pewewardy returns to campus

Cornel Pewewardy gave a compelling book talk as part of his visit to Penn State to be honored as an Alumni Fellow. Credit: Annemarie Mountz. All Rights Reserved.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Cornel Pewewardy, who earned his Doctorate in Education in educational administration from the College of Education in 1989, was one of 14 Penn Staters honored this fall with the Alumni Fellow Award, the most prestigious award given by the Penn State Alumni Association.

Pewewardy is professor emeritus of Indigenous Nations Studies at Portland State University and vice-chairman of the Comanche Nation. He has a profound belief in the power of Indigenous education and in the power of higher education, and has dedicated his life’s work to bringing those two forces together to improve both.

The Alumni Fellow program is administered by the Penn State Alumni Association in cooperation with the University’s academic colleges, campuses and the Office of the President. Alumni are nominated by a college or campus as leaders in their professional fields and accept an invitation from the president of the University to return to campus to share their expertise with students, faculty and administrators. During his time on campus, Pewewardy gave a book talk, “The Hunt for Red Pedagogy: The Transformational Indigenous Praxis Model.”

Pewewardy retired in 2017 from Portland State University, where he served as director of the Indigenous Nations Studies program. Prior to joining Portland State, he taught at the University of Kansas and was a five-time recipient of the Big 12 Outstanding American Indian Faculty of the Year Award; served as the first academic dean of Comanche Nation College; and founded two transformational, award-winning magnet schools in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Pewewardy began his career in education as an elementary teacher and principal on the Navajo Reservation in New Mexico. He is a founding member of the National Association for Multicultural Education, which brings together individuals from all academic levels and disciplines, and from diverse educational institutions who have an interest in multicultural education.

Throughout his career, Pewewardy has been honored extensively for his work, including the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity Suzan Shown Harjo Systemic Social Justice Award (2021), AARP Oklahoma Indian Elder Honors Award (2019), Oregon Indian Education Association Outstanding Indian Educator of the Year (2017), Portland State University John Eliot Allen Outstanding Teaching Award (2016), N.A.M.E. Carl A. Grant Multicultural Research Award (2011), and Portland State University’s President’s Diversity Award (2011).

He recently was named recipient of the 2022 National Indian Education Association Lifetime Achievement Award for his commitment, dedication and service to students, communities and Native Education.

Pewewardy remains engaged with the Penn State College of Education community, including collaborating with faculty to enhance the American Indian Leadership Program, which was founded in 1970 and is one of the oldest programs of its kind.

Last Updated November 15, 2022

Contact