2003 Alumni Awardees
Outstanding Alumni K-12 Administrator Award
Joe KoenigsknechtThe consummate professional, Dr. Joe Koenigsknecht has excelled in every facet of his outstanding 31-year career as a teacher and administrator. He serves as assistant superintendent for human resources and labor relations at the West Bloomfield School District.
Dr. Koenigsknecht's career in education began at Michigan State University, where he received his bachelor's degree in elementary education in 1972. He then became a fifth grade teacher at the Buchanan (Mich.) Community Schools and then became a principal in the Mt. Pleasant Public Schools. In 1983, he was promoted to assistant superintendent for elementary instruction and personnel. He joined the West Bloomfield School District in 1989 and quickly established himself as leader of rare ability. Lauded for his ability to develop programs to recruit teachers and administrators, he was the architect of the Oakland Leadership Academy for Aspiring Principals, yearlong professional development program for teachers who want to develop administrative expertise. In large part because of Dr. Koenigsknect's leadership, the academy was recognized with the 2001 Michigan Association of School Personnel Administrators (MASPA) Excellence Award. He also implemented a state-of-the-art online benefits accounting system - one of the first in the Detroit area. Dr. Koenigsknecht also has a long history of service to the profession. He currently serves as president-elect of MASPA and chairs the Professional Development Committee of the American Association of School Personnel Administrators.
In addition to his bachelor's degree from MSU, he has an M.A. from Western Michigan University (1977) and a Ph.D. in K-12 administration from MSU (1998).
Distinguished Alumni Award
Barbara NeureitherFor 29 years, Barbara Neureither was an outstanding teacher at Holt High School where distinguished herself for her unfailing commitment to improving the teaching and learning of science and for her extraordinary skill, knowledge and love of the profession. She is now a specialist at the Division of Science and Mathematics in MSU's College of Natural Science and at the Department of Teacher Education in the MSU's College of Education.
Described as the definition of a master teacher, Ms. Neureither began her career as a biology teacher and science has remained a driving force in her life. Among the most beloved teachers at Holt High School, she was widely regarded for her student-centered approach. She established her classes as communities of learners and was relentless in her attempts to actively engage and challenge her students in the amazing world of human biology and science. Her commitment was total. She developed a seminar to help her students design science units they could teach to elementary students, started the Science Olympiad at Holt High School, and co-authored a computerized matrix to help biology teachers find teaching activities that matched their goals for particular lessons. Her honors for teaching are many, including the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce Excellence Award in 1987, the Milken Family Foundation's National Educator Award in 1991, the Presidential Scholars Distinguished Teacher Award in 1993, and the Science Olympiad Distinguished Service Award in 1999.
She received both her bachelor's degree (1972) in biology (secondary education) and her master's degree (1978) in curriculum and teaching from Michigan State University.
Distinguished Alumni Award
Sharif M. ShakraniA man of exceptional talent and ability, Dr. Sharif Shakrani has distinguished himself in the field of education through his work in curriculum and assessment and his tireless efforts to improve education for all children. Mr. Shakrani is deputy executive director of the National Assessment Governing Board in Washington, D.C.
His career began with a passion for mathematics. A gifted student, he earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Rockford College in Illinois in only three years. His desire to combine the world of mathematics and teaching and learning took him to Michigan State University, where Dr. Shakrani received his M.A. (1969) and Ph.D. (1973) from the measurement and quantitative methods program in the College of Education. He began his professional career as a mathematician with the State of Michigan in 1967. He then moved to the Michigan Department of Education where he became state director of curriculum, assessment and accountability. He left for Washington in 1993 to become director of the design and analysis division of the National Center for Education Statistics at the U.S. Department of Education. In 1996, he assumed his current position, where he and his colleagues are responsible for administering the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).
Dr. Shakrani has long been as an important figure in the world of educational assessment. In Michigan, he was instrumental in the revisions of the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) and a leading expert on issues of testing and curriculum. In Washington, he played a major role in the development of the reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 2002. Throughout the years, he has been a trusted voice in education and has advised presidents, senators and representatives on educational issues related to assessment.
