Faculty Emeriti Recognition Vincent Aleccia
Barbara Alvin
Professor Vincent A. Aleccia has been an educator for 45 years. Starting in 1976, he spent three decades as a secondary English, journalism and social studies teacher at high schools in California and Oregon, before earning a doctorate in education from George Fox University in 2007 and embarking on a new path in higher education at EWU. During his secondary career, he sought out new experiences in the U.S. and abroad. He was selected as a Fulbright Exchange Teacher and taught for a year in the United Kingdom. He was recognized as a National Board Certified Teacher in language arts and later served as curriculum director in the Medford, Ore., School District. He taught English and writing classes at Southern Oregon State College. Throughout his tenure, he served as an inspiration for students and a mentor for new instructors. Dr. Aleccia arrived at EWU in 2006 as an assistant professor of education. During his time at the university, he taught 21 different courses and assumed several roles, including graduate director, director of the off-campus MEd Program and supervisor of student teachers. He expanded the department’s College Instruction program and served on numerous faculty evaluation and hiring committees. He was granted tenure and promoted to associate professor in 2012, having published articles in several academic journals and making numerous presentations at conferences. In 2010, he was recognized with the EWU Outstanding Faculty Award in Teaching. Promoted to full professor in 2017, Vince has continued his research on the historical aspects of education, especially higher education, as well as educational sociology and the philosophy of education. He has been married to his wife, JoNel Aleccia, a health journalist, for 40 years. They have two children and four grandchildren.
Barbara Alvin received her AB in Spanish, with a minor in mathematics from Miami University, in Oxford, Ohio, in 1974. She also received a Master of Science in Mathematics from Miami University in 1976. After teaching Spanish and geometry in a junior-senior high school in Oakwood, Ohio for a year, she enrolled in a program in Biostatistics at the University of Washington, where she received her PhD in 1983. While completing her PhD, she taught mathematics for a year at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington. Dr. Alvin began teaching mathematics at EWU in September, 1983. As a faculty member in the Department of Mathematics, she has taught service courses in mathematics, a broad range of undergraduate courses for mathematics majors, and courses in the Master’s in Mathematics program. Alvin served as a statistical consultant in several settings. She consulted with several faculty in other disciplines at EWU on the statistical analyses included in their research. She was hired as a statistical l consultant to the Intercollegiate Center for Nursing Education, where she consulted with faculty and graduate students between January 1988 and January 1993. Also, in the summer of 1989, she was a participant in a summer faculty research program sponsored by the Air Force and Universal Energy Systems. Her work included statistical analysis of data on ground water contamination. Dr. Alvin’s experience as a statistical consultant provided her with examples she used in her teaching of statistics at EWU. Dr. Alvin served as the director of Academic Assessment at EWU from January, 1993 through June 1996. Her interest in that role was tied to her strong interest in examining and improving the level of students’ achievement of goals faculty have for their learning and understanding. In September, 1996, she began to take an active role on university committees and councils. In addition to serving as a member and then chair of the Course and Program Approval Committee, she served as chair of the Undergraduate Affairs Council, chair of the Faculty Planning Advisory Council, secretary, vice president, and then president of the Faculty Organization. She later served as vice president for labor management for the United Faculty of Eastern, and she served on the bargaining committee for the UFE. Alvin’s service at EWU also includes serving for eight years as chair of the department of mathematics.
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