One of the oldest, and the most prestigious faculty award at Lehigh was recently given to a professor in the College of Education.

As Professor and Coordinator of the Educational Leadership Program, Dr. George P. White was the recipient of the Hillman Faculty Award for excellence in teaching, research and advancing the interests of the university. It is the highest faculty award offered at the university. It is the highest faculty award offered at the university, with students, faculty and staff submitting nominations.

The award was established by an 1891 alum, Ralf R. Hillman, who left a sum of money in his will, to be awarded annually. The earliest account of the award being bestowed was in 1946.

White is a nationally recognized consultant, who has worked with more than 100 schools, nationally and internationally, on issues of organizational development and change, and on topics relating to middle-level education. While at Lehigh, he has been responsible for the development of a specialized program to train individuals for leadership roles in urban school districts and received a $2 million grant, from the U.S. Department of Education, to support this initiative. He was also instrumental in establishing the International School Leadership Program, which utilizes Web-based and face-to-face learning, to prepare individuals for leadership roles in international schools.

White also serves as the executive director of the Lehigh University Study, a collaboration among the university and some 35 school districts and intermediate units in the Lehigh Valley and Central New Jersey, which supports senior school leaders in their professional growth. And, he directs the Lehigh University Middle Level Partnership, a venture designed to assist schools in improving the education of pre-adolescent students.