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2006 PSAHPERD E.B. Cottrell Award Recipient
11/3/2006
Dr. Kenneth R. Felker
2006 PSAHPERD E.B. Cottrell Award Recipient
Dr. Ken Felker, chairperson of the Health and Physical Education department, will receive the Elmer G. Cottrell award at the annual Pennsylvania State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance conference this December. The Cottrell award is the highest honor bestowed upon a PSAHPERD member and is awarded to recognize exceptional service and leadership to PSAHPERD and the health and physical education profession. Ken is the first recipient of this award from Edinboro University. PSAHPERD is comprised of 2,400 professionals and students across Pennsylvania.
Ken has been a lifelong advocate for HPERD, focusing his efforts on enhancing the quality of life. He has been a professor in the Department of Health & Physical Education at Edinboro University of PA since 1991, serving as chairperson for the past eleven years. Ken credits his accomplishments to his sons Josh and Cort, and especially, his wife and best friend, Linda. Also, he wishes to acknowledge the support of Edinboro University administration, the collegiality of the HPE faculty and staff, and the energy of the students who are the future of our profession.
Ken received Bachelor of Science (1978) from East Stroudsburg State College and began teaching in the North Schuylkill School District in Fountain Springs, Pennsylvania. This opportunity included long-term substitute teaching, coaching and responsibility for in-school suspension students, all experiences that would provide an excellent foundation for a career in education. He earned a Master of Education (1984) degree in Health and Physical Education from East Stroudsburg University and was then employed at the Lawrenceville School, located in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. As the health and physical education director and intramural chairperson (department of one), Ken was told by the headmaster to develop the very best programs that money could buy. For the 8th and 9th grade students, he constructed a fitness and wellness program that included blood chemistry testing, hydrostatic weighing, and pulmonary function testing, in addition to standard fitness and health risk appraisals. Results were presented to students in computer reports that mirror much of the fitness/HRA software that is in use today. In 1989 Ken enrolled at The University of New Mexico to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Health Promotion. While in Albuquerque, he worked as a consultant at Sandia National Laboratories, developing Total Life Concept (TLC) programs for several thousand retirees. He graduated in 1991 earning Academic Distinction and was the recipient of the School of Education Outstanding Achievement Award.
Many students and professionals have benefited from Ken’s passion and expertise in technology. He has worked as an educational consultant and technology trainer for Polar Electro, Inc. since 2000, providing technology workshops on various software/hardware at more than 50 schools in twelve different states. Ken has provided technology training for colleagues at the Pennsylvania Governor’s Institute for Health, Physical Education & Safety (2000), and the State System of Higher Education Summer Academy (2006). He was named the 2004 Technology Scholar at Edinboro University, and has recently been selected as the Curriculum Specialist for Health and Physical Education for Learning & Leading with Technology, the journal of the International Society for Technology in Education. Ken has done much to provide the health and physical education students at Edinboro University with cutting-edge technology training. He instituted a digital portfolio requirement in 1997, developed a required course in technology integration in HPE in 2002, and developed a pilot program in 2005 in which all student teachers are issued and trained in the use of handheld computers for tasks such as lesson planning, fitness assessment, record keeping, and wireless communication. In 2006, Ken co-authored Computer Essentials for Health & Physical Education, a textbook published by American Press.
Professionally, Ken has been a regular contributor to the associations that support the mission of HPERD. He has delivered more than 80 presentations at state, national, and international conferences, published 15 articles, and has secured over $110,000 in external funding to support various health and physical education initiatives. With support of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Pennsylvania Department of Education he has provided HIV/AIDS curriculum training for over 200 public school teachers across Pennsylvania, and was a regional director for a Pennsylvania Department of Education curriculum review initiative. Ken has served on the PSAHPERD executive committee as President, VP for Health, Keystone newsletter editor, and chairperson of the structure and function committee. During his career, Ken has received the PSAHPERD Professional Honor Award, the President’s Award, and has been named Health Educator of the Year. In addition, he has been named EDA/AAHPERD Outstanding Professional, Health Professional of the Year, and has been a finalist for National Health Educator of the Year.
Ken and his family reside on a 38-acre farm outside of Edinboro, Pennsylvania where he enjoys powered parachuting, raising beef cattle, photography, and tending to their property. He reports that he’s never been happier.
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