Learner of the Year
CAEL’s Learner of the Year is a lifelong learner who has successfully navigated the winding path that adult students face on the road to meeting their educational goals. We present the award to an individual who has overcome multiple barriers and has successfully returned to a learning environment. In doing so, we not only recognize and celebrate the individual learner and his or her own commendable achievements, but also those of the millions of other adults striving for excellence in higher education.
2025 Learner of the Year Award
Ragan Oglesby Phillips
Morris T. Keeton Award
CAEL established the Morris T. Keeton Award in 1989 to honor our founding president for his independent voice for innovation and improvement in education. We present this award to a leader who is committed to making experiential learning an integral part of education, to increasing access for adult learners and minorities to postsecondary education, and to improving the theory and practice of assessment, teaching and learning.
2025 Morris T. Keeton Award
Dr. Nan Travers
Community Impact Award
The CAEL Community Impact Award recognizes organizations for their roles as community leaders, innovators, and employers in professional service to the broader higher education and workforce development community. We are currently seeking nominations for organizations in the Pittsburgh area that have contributed to their community in a way that exemplifies the core areas of CAEL's mission and vision.
2025 Community Impact Award
Honoree: Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare Associate Advancement Program
Adult Learner Impact Award
CAEL presents the Adult Learner Impact Award to recognize institutions and organizations that have provided outstanding programs and services for adult learners. It recognizes the significant impact institutions and organizations create for adult learners and embodies CAEL’s vision that “Every adult has a pathway to lifelong learning and meaningful work.”
2025 Adult Learner Impact Award
Center for Regional Economic Enrichment (CREE) at the University of Memphis CAEL
Pamela Tate Rise Award
This award, named after the former longstanding CAEL president, recognizes those who forge connections between higher education and the workplace with incredible tenacity, enhancing both the lives of adult learners and our nation’s workforce. We present this award to an individual who has forged important connections between education and the workplace in support of adult learners.
2025 Pamela Tate Rise Award
Presented to: Cynthia Proctor
