For Immediate Release
Mary C. McGeachy (Rodheim Marketing Group)
mary@rodheim-marketing.com
917.334.6813

March 28, 2007, Santa Barbara, CA…Sandy Kewanhaptewa-Dixon, EdD, a 2006 graduate of Fielding’s School of Educational Leadership & Change, a member of the Fielding Board of Trustees and a faculty member of the Ethnic and Women’s Studies Department, Cal Poly University, Pomona, was recently awarded the Diversity Champion Award at the 16th annual Unity Luncheon. This award is given for "outstanding leadership and service to the university.” The theme was Building a Global Community: Challenging Boundaries Through Diversity.

Dr. Dixon has also been selected to present research this spring at the International Research Conference '07: How Our World Is Changing: Dimensions on International Migration. As a member of the Hopi Nation and the first in her family to receive a doctorate degree, it is only fitting that Dr. Dixon was also honored at the Native American Heritage Month Closing Ceremony and Recognition Dinner in Pomona. The other recipient of this award was Ms. Dixon’s colleague, Charlene Teters, the renowned Native American activist and artist. (Note: Ms. Teters will be a keynote speaker at Fielding’s National Session of the School of Education Leadership & Change in July in Tuscon, AZ)

Dr. Dixon’s future work will focus on retention of Native American students in the California State college system and another project will be looking at distance learning/e-learning programs for Native American female students in high school. In addition, Spirit Drum Records has recently released her new CD “Journeys of My Spirit.” The CD represents the Native American oral tradition of storytelling through poetry.

Founded in 1974, Fielding Graduate University, headquartered in Santa Barbara, CA, is a world-recognized leader in doctoral-level graduate education, having created one of the most successful graduate-level distributed learning models for mid-career adults. Fielding is an accredited, non-profit graduate university offering numerous programs within three schools: Psychology, Human and Organization Development, and Educational Leadership & Change. The Fielding community enables students to participate effectively from anywhere in the world. For more information, visit www.fielding.edu.