Jerry Daday recognized nationally for commitment to experiential learning

“I am often convinced that Jerry Daday doesn’t fully recognize the impact he has made on our campus since his arrival, instead always focusing on what’s ahead and the work yet to be done,” Bowman said. “As someone who has spent nearly two decades watching and living the evolution of our institution, however, I find what Jerry has achieved in a few short years to be nothing short of remarkable.” 

Throughout his career in higher education, Daday has worked to provide both students and faculty with experiential learning opportunities. Before joining IU Indianapolis, served as a sociology professor and executive director of the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning at Western Kentucky University. During his time there, he took students on undergraduate research experiences in Kenya, study abroad programs in the United Kingdom, and created a service-learning program. Daday explained that since taking on a leadership role at IU Indianapolis, he’s focused more on supporting faculty and staff in implementing best practices for experiential learning and plans to honor his achievement of the award by returning, in part, to working more closely with students. 

Daday has also worked with faculty and staff at IU Indianapolis to implement high-impact practices. This summer, he hosted a pilot program called the High-Impact Practices Course Institute with 25 faculty members. Daday emphasized the importance he places on his colleagues’ work to implement these practices. 

“This kind of work takes a lot of time and effort for the students, but it also takes a lot of time and effort for our faculty and staff colleagues who offer these experiences for students,” Daday said. “Often, it requires them to take on more, and often that work isn't recognized or appreciated. So, I really think the next iteration of this role, the leader of the Institute for Engaged Learning, is working with deans and campus leadership. How do we honor and recognize the work that faculty and staff are doing to provide these experiences for students?” 

Bowman echoed this sentiment in her nomination letter, praising Daday for his work to recognize and support faculty and staff.  

 “As a staff member leading a campus-wide program, I’ve experienced first-hand his commitment to supporting both faculty and staff in the experiential education space and his conviction that it takes both faculty and staff working together through intentional collaboration to create a culture of excellence in experiential education on our campus,” Bowman said.  

Through his work on projects such as the co-authoring of a chapter, “How HIP Are You? Assessing the Impact of High-Impact Practices”, in a book published this year, Daday has been regularly recognized on a national level for his work in experiential learning.

“I’ve attended a variety of conferences across the country in recent years, and I’ve realized that IU Indianapolis is really a leader in high-impact practices and experiential education,” Bishop said. “And the more conferences I’ve attended, the more I’ve realized that we’re at the forefront of what’s going on, and I think that’s because of Jerry.” 

Daday expressed gratitude to his colleagues in the institute and SEE for recognizing his work. 

“For an organization like SEE to recognize me for some of these efforts, it's really humbling, and it's validating to the extent that this work is time intensive, and this work is very collaborative,” Daday said. “So as much as I was recognized for the award, I honestly see it as an award for the Institute for Engaged Learning and an award for our campus because it just reflects the work that's been happening on this campus for a long time.”