Associate Dean of Students Rex Waters honored for experiential learning leadership

The honor recognizes Waters’ role “in establishing and institutionalizing opportunities for student learning” on the Elon University campus. The Burlington resident will receive the award in October at the NSEE National Conference in Dallas, Texas.

“Elon has been a wonderful environment for experiential education,” Waters said of his career at the university, which enters its 20th year this fall. “The curriculum, the general studies goals, the engaged learning philosophy, and much more contribute to an arena fertile for learners to collaborate and experience the relationship of knowledge and application.

“I am lucky to have worked with program areas that were still developing when I arrived at Elon – the Center for Leadership, Campus Recreation, the Kernodle Center for Service Learning, New Student Orientation, a new Campus Center and Student Media.”

Angela Passarelli, a doctoral student at Case Western Reserve University, nominated Waters for the distinction.

“Rex has an unparalleled ability to envision experiential programs and to get the right people on board to make it happen,” she wrote. “Often the ‘right’ people include the students themselves who take an active role in planning and executing the programs in which they learn.”

Passarelli also noted his list of papers and presentations given nationally that have contributed to the expansion and improvement of the field of experiential education.

Waters said his job is deeply satisfying for many reasons, not the least of which is seeing students grow over time.

“Working with students who have a passion for what they are doing and who are eager to learn how they can be more effective in their efforts is very rewarding,” Waters said. “The focus on leadership development and citizenship are core to our efforts at Elon.”

For more information on the National Society for Experiential Education, click on the link to the right of the page under E-Cast.