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Awards for outstanding contributions and commitment to education will be presented to N.C. Rep. Patricia Cotham of Charlotte; teacher Diane Day of Raleigh’s Moore Square Middle School; retired School of Education professor Sam Holton, Ph.D., of Chapel Hill; former School of Education dean Tom James, Ph.D., of New York; and Roy Williams, head coach of the UNC men’s basketball team.

The honors will be presented at the school’s eighth annual awards brunch at the George Watts Hill Alumni Center of Stadium Drive. The invitation-only event will begin with a meal at 10:30 a.m. and the presentations at approximately 11:30 a.m. The awards are as follows:

Outstanding Young Alumna Award: Cotham, 28, of Charlotte, who earned her master’s degree from the school in 2006 and is the youngest woman serving in the North Carolina House of Representatives. A former social studies teacher and assistant principal, Cotham has co-sponsored legislation related to education. She is a strong advocate for teachers, students and schools, helping other elected officials understand the challenges and viable solutions in education today.

Excellence in Teaching Award: Day, who earned a master’s degree in education in 2006 from UNC and teaches mathematics at the Raleigh school. Administrators there – who often advise other teachers to observe Day to develop their own skills – say she goes beyond the textbook and infuses her instruction with real-life relevance.

Distinguished Leadership Awards: Holton, who served on the School of Education faculty from 1948 until his retirement in 1987; and James, dean of the school from 2004-2007, now provost of Teachers College at Columbia University, the country’s largest graduate school of education.

Holton’s landmark text “Understanding the American Public High School,” originally published in 1969, remains an important resource today. He is recognized at the UNC school as the most learned faculty member of his generation, a leader and a person of the highest moral character.

As dean, James led the school in establishing ties with state and federal policymakers and partnerships with communities and schools across North Carolina. He began numerous initiatives to impact education policy in North Carolina and the nation.

Alumni Achievement Award: Williams, an Asheville native who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the school, honored for his accomplishments as a coach, teacher and role model. Williams began his career as a teacher and coach at Charles Owen High School in Swannanoa.

Alumni, faculty and friends of the school nominated award candidates. An eight-member alumni, faculty and student committee, chaired by Ben Matthews, Ph.D., selected the winners.  Matthews directs the school support division of the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.

Matthews will preside at the ceremony with Mike Williams, Ed.D., executive director of the Center for School Leadership Development of the 16-campus University of North Carolina and president of the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Education Alumni Association.
 
Past award winners have included UNC President Emeritus William C. Friday and his wife, Ida H. Friday; former N.C. Gov. James B. Hunt Jr.; former W.Va. Gov. Gaston Caperton, now president of the College Board; former N.C. Sen. Howard N. Lee and civil rights attorney and former N.C. Central University Chancellor Julius Chambers, now director of the Center for Civil Rights at the Carolina School of Law.

Coverage note: The George Watts Hill Alumni Center at UNC is on campus on Stadium Drive between South Road and Manning Drive. Media representatives may park along Stadium in front of the alumni center or in the Kenan Field House lot or the parking deck under the Ram’s Head Center.