Alumnus earns international thesis award

Congratulations to Nipissing University alumnus Richard Kennelly on earning the Paul T. Begley International Thesis Award in Leadership and Ethics from the Centre for the Study of Leadership and Ethics (CSLE).The award was announced on October 1 at the 17th Annual Values and Leadership Conference held in Brisbane Australia on October 1 and 2, 2012.
Kennelly is the principal at J. Clarke Richardson Collegiate in Durham District School board.  He graduated in 2012 from the Nipissing University master of education (MEd) program. He earned the prestigious award on the strength of his MEd thesis, titled: Resolving Student-Based Dilemmas, Secondary School Vice-Principals Talk about Ethical Decision-Making: A Case Study of Three.
In selecting Kennelly’s thesis as the winning selection, the award panel noted that his research adds significantly to the literature on leadership, values, and ethics; and that it focused on the school-site vice-principal, whose role has traditionally been under-researched and has received scant research attention. They also noted that it reflected rigorous methodology, explicitly addressed a problem within the context of educational leadership and values and contributed new knowledge to that field while demonstrating excellent use of writing conventions.
“Nipissing University and the Schulich School of Education are immensely proud that Mr. Kennelly’s thesis is being recognized with the Paul T. Begley Award,” said Dr. Sharon Rich, dean of the Schulich School of Education. “The award is a testament to the quality of Nipissing University’s MEd program, as well as a tribute to the work of Mr. Kennelly and his thesis supervisor, Dr. Heather Rintoul.”
The Paul T. Begley Award is given annually to recently-completed masters or doctoral theses students for contributions to the field of values and leadership in education including K-12 and higher education.
Dr. Paul Begley founded CSLE in 1996 as a program centre of the University Council of Educational Administration (UCEA).  He served as the executive director of CSLE International as well as CSLE Nipissing (NUCSLE) until he retired from the faculty of Nipissing University in 2011, and established CSLE as one of UCEA’s most productive program centres. Consequently, at the 2011 annual Values and Leadership Conference in Victoria, British Columbia, it was announced that CSLE would establish the Paul T. Begley International Thesis Award as an important legacy of his exemplary work in the area of values and educational leadership.