January 04, 2022
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Philip Downs, Ph.D., assistant professor and director of education graduate programs for Trine University’s Franks School of Education, recently was honored along with other state Superintendent of the Year winners for 2020 and 2021.
Downs was named Indiana’s Superintendent of the Year in 2020 by the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents (IAPSS), a nonprofit professional organization serving superintendents and other school administrators, professors of education, students studying educational administration and retired superintendents.
At the time he was named, Downs was serving as superintendent for Southwest Allen County Schools.
He received his award from IAPSS in Indianapolis on Dec. 6, 2019, and was invited with other state award winners to attend the national Superintendent of the Year gala hosted by the AASA, the School Superintendents Association. The 2020 event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so the 2021 event, held Nov. 3 at The Mayflower Hotel in Washington D.C., honored recipients from both 2020 and 2021.
Downs credited the “exceptional” team at Southwest Allen County Schools for the award, and said he looks forward to impacting future educators through his extensive experience in education and his network of professionals.
“I am excited to be able to help train future educators and to connect the superintendents of Indiana with the great team at the Franks School of Education to work together to develop innovative solutions to some of education's pressing problems,” he said.
Photo: A photo from the AASA, the School Superintendents Association, shows the 2020 Superintendents of the Year who were honored Nov. 3. Philip Downs, Ph.D., assistant professor and director of education graduate programs for Trine University’s Franks School of Education, is in the back row, third from the right.
Last Updated: 01/04/2022
Lt. Col. Dan Rooney, PGA professional and fighter pilot who now leads efforts to assist families of disabled or deceased service members and first responders, will share his insights on leadership and purpose with Trine University graduates during the morning Commencement ceremony on May 4.
Vipul Shah, a 1996 Trine University chemical engineering graduate who is now a highly regarded wealth advisor for Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, will present the keynote address to Trine’s hybrid and online students at the afternoon Commencement ceremony on May 4.
With projects that have application in areas including education, medicine and industry, Trine University’s 22nd annual Allen School of Engineering and Computing Design Expo will offer members of the public the chance to see the knowledge and skills of Trine University students on display.