David L. Levinson, Ph.D., President of Norwalk Community College and Vice-President of the Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education, received the top honor at the United Way of Coastal Fairfield County's Live United Celebration 2014, an awards breakfast held on June 3 at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Conn.
Dr. Levinson, a Westport resident, received the United Way's Elizabeth Roberts Award for Excellence in Furthering the United Way's Work in Education. He was honored for "leadership and dedication to providing educational opportunities and life success for all."
"Thank you for all you have done and continue to do to strengthen our community and our state," said David Kennedy, Chief Operating Officer of the United Way of Coastal Fairfield County.
The award was presented by Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling, an NCC alumnus, who spoke of Levinson's longstanding commitment to student success and educational access. Because Dr. Levinson was traveling abroad during the Live United Celebration, the award was accepted on his behalf by NCC Provost and Dean of Academic Affairs Pamela Edington, Ed.D.
"I am honored to be recognized by the United Way, whose mission of strengthening communities through education and engagement so closely aligns with Norwalk Community College's mission," Levinson says. "As the community's college, NCC actively partners with the United Way and other agencies to meet community-identified needs and ensure children are ready to succeed in school and life. By creating the right environment for children to thrive, we ensure our communities will be strong."
Twenty-one honorees received awards at the Live United Celebration 2014. The awards were drawn by third grade students at the Geraldine Johnson School of Hope in Bridgeport, Conn.
Bio of Dr. David L. Levinson, Ph.D.
Dr. David L. Levinson has been president of Norwalk Community College since August 2004. During his presidency, NCC completed a successful campaign for a new Center for Science, Health and Wellness, became an Achieving the Dream Leader College, and was selected by MDC, Inc. as one of 15 colleges nationwide to receive funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for a developmental education project. NCC is a recipient of Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching's 2010 Community Engagement Classification on the basis of the College's commitment to serving the community.
With the restructuring of higher education in the state of Connecticut, Dr. Levinson was appointed Vice President for the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities at the Board of Regents for Higher Education, in addition to his presidency at NCC.
He has given numerous presentations on educational issues at the annual meetings of the American Association of Community Colleges, American Council on Education, American Research Association, American Sociological Association, League for Innovation in the Community College, and Society for the Study of Social Problems.
Dr. Levinson currently serves as an elected commissioner on the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. (NEASC) Commission on Institutions of Higher Education and co-chairs the American Sociological Association's Task Force on Community College Faculty. Previously, he was elected to the Society for the Study of Social Problem's Budget, Finance and Audit Committee, which he chaired from 2011-2012, appointed to the American Sociological Association's Public University of Sociology Award Committee, and served on the American Council of Education's Commission on Lifelong Learning.
Dr. Levinson serves on the Board of Directors of the following organizations: Connecticut Campus Compact, where he serves as Treasurer of the Executive Committee; Greater Norwalk Chamber of Commerce; Norwalk Maritime Aquarium; Norwalk Children's Foundation; U Thant Institute; and the Workplace, Inc., southwestern Connecticut's Workforce Investment Board (WIB). He serves on the advisory boards to the Family and Children's Agency of Greater Norwalk and Norwalk Maritime Aquarium.
Dr. Levinson is the recipient of the following awards: Strengthening Families Award from the Family and Children's Agency of Greater Norwalk in 2008; Distinguished Leader Award from the Voluntary Action Center of Mid-Fairfield County in 2009; Stepping Up for Children Award from Stepping Stones Museum for Children in 2012; and the Shirley Gordon Award of Distinction from Phi Theta Kappa in 2013.
The recipient of a Distinguished Teaching Award from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Dr. Levinson has also taught at: Bergen Community College; Merrimack College; Norwalk Community College; Teachers College, Columbia University; and Tufts University.
Dr. Levinson holds a B.A. in Sociology from the State University of New York at New Paltz, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.