Awards and Honors

NACEP awards Emeritus Status to Nebraska Wesleyan University Honors Academy Founder

Ron Naugle, Coordinator for Research and Evaluation at Nebraska Wesleyan University Honors Academy, was awarded emeritus status by the NACEP Board of Directors at its October meeting. Members may be nominated for the award, which recognizes outstanding professional service, if they have been active in the Alliance for five consecutive years or upon retirement.

His involvement in concurrent enrollment dates back to 1999, when he took a fledgling concurrent enrollment program with one teacher in one high school and developed it into the Honors Academy, currently partnering with 103 teachers in 55 high schools located throughout Nebraska. Naugle, who holds master’s degrees in American history and American studies, and a PhD in American studies, was tapped to head the concurrent enrollment program at Nebraska Wesleyan after more than 25 years of teaching university history courses. “I guess the President of the University knew me pretty well,” says Naugle, “because I love the challenge of getting something new started.”

After his attendance at the first NACEP conference in 2002, Naugle campaigned vigorously for the Honors Academy to prepare for NACEP accreditation and then ushered the program through the process. He joined the NACEP research committee in 2002 and in 2006 was elected to the NACEP Board of Directors as the 4-year private institution representative.

Naugle’s interest in promoting strong partnerships between K-12 and postsecondary institutions runs deep. He served as the Nebraska coordinator for National History Day for nearly 20 years and co-founded and served as the first director of the Nebraska Institute for the Study of American History, a graduate program for social studies teachers.

His distinguished academic career includes authoring books on American history and Nebraska history and co-authoring a Smithsonian Award-winning book about Nebraska quilts and quilt makers. In 2003 he received a prestigious Sower Award from the Nebraska Humanities Council for “contributions to public understanding of the humanities in Nebraska.” This award, which goes to one individual or organization per year, is “based on nominations and letters of support from the citizens of Nebraska.” Naugle has also received the Nebraska Outstanding Social Studies Educator Award.

“Ron is clearly a leader in concurrent enrollment in Nebraska,” says NACEP President Ted Ungricht. “We appreciate that he is also willing to use his time and talents to help NACEP grow and thrive.”