The Vermont Women in Higher Education (VWHE) announced the selection of Dr. Cindy Gerstl-Pepin, associate dean of the College of Education and Social Services at the University of Vermont, as the winner of the 2016 Jackie M. Gribbons Leadership Award.

VWHE Awards Chair Shanti McKenna wrote, "this award is presented to a woman who has demonstrated leadership abilities and effectiveness, served as a model and mentor for aspiring professionals, developed innovative programs and activities in higher education, and contributed significantly to her institution and profession."

"This is great news and such a well-deserved honor and recognition for Cindy. We are so proud of her," said Scott Thomas, dean of the College of Education and Social Services. 

Dr. Penny Bishop, a former winner of the VWHE award, said that "Dr. Gerstl-Pepin is one of those remarkable women who, over the course of her career, has continually been called upon to lead others. At UVM, she has assumed myriad leadership positions, beginning as a Program Coordinator and progressing on to become department chair, associate dean and, most recently, interim dean. In each of these roles, Dr. Gerstl-Pepin has combined astute listening skills with a deeply collaborative style and a strong interpersonal approach."

Cindy is recognized nationally and internationally as a scholar who uses critical perspectives to examine educational politics and ethical leadership, particularly the media’s role in shaping the public’s understanding of educational issues and the need for reform.  Her research also explores how poverty and other forms of discrimination are enmeshed with inequitable education outcomes both in K-12 and higher education settings. Together with Cynthia Reyes, she co-edited the book Reimagining the Public Intellectual in Education: Making Scholarship Matter. As a result of her work as a Fulbright Scholar at Beijing Normal University in China, she co-edited a book (with Li Qi) entitled Survival of the Fittest: The Shifting Contours of Higher Education in China and the US. She is the co-author (with Catherine Marshall) of the book Reframing Educational Politics for Social Justice and the co-editor (with Judith Aiken) of the book Social Justice Leadership for a Global World.

In 2013 Cindy received the Joseph Anthony Abruscato Award for Excellence in Research and Scholarship. She is a well published scholar with expertise in educational policy, ethics, leadership, gender studies, higher education, research methods, multiculturalism and social justice. 

Along with her numerous accomplishments, Cindy has an impressive record of innovation with academic and outreach initiatives. She was responsible for the development and implementation of a Ph.D. program in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at UVM. From a non-academic standpoint, she led a new community service opportunity for the college, inspiring groups of staff and faculty to provide meals to Burlington’s homeless shelter. 

"As a result of her driven, moral leadership, Dr. Gerstl-Pepin continues to be a tremendous mentor to others. In her leadership roles, she has created formal and informal mentoring opportunities at various levels. Her routine support of junior faculty members is one clear indicator of her mentorship," said Bishop. "She consistently garners tremendous support from faculty and staff alike, and has been highly effective in working with varied groups and constituencies, bringing together disparate groups around common goals."