USD Alum Named Outstanding Young Educator

SOLES alumna, Diana Neebe ’08 Named Outstanding Young Educator: ISTE Honors Education Leaders for Transforming Learning through Innovation with 2014 Awards

Diana Neebe ’08 has won the Outstanding Young Educator award presented by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). The annual awards recognize individuals who are transforming learning, teaching and leading in the digital age.

The Outstanding Young Educator award is presented each year to an educator under the age of 35 who demonstrates vision, innovation, action, and transformation using technology to improve learning and teaching. ISTE's Outstanding Young Educator has made an impact on the educational community, actively shares ideas, and uses his or her professional learning network to improve his or her professional work.

"We are so pleased to see Diana honored with this award. This recognition is an outstanding representation of the exceptional work of USD alums and early career educators,” said Heather Lattimer, EdD, chair of SOLES’ Department of Learning and Teaching.

Neebe, who earned her master’s in curriculum and instruction and English teaching credential from SOLES, is an English teacher and instructional technology peer coach at Sacred Heart Preparatory School, an independent high school in the Silicon Valley. She has been actively involved in the school’s 1:1 iPad implementation and helped design the school's professional development program for technology integration. As part of her nomination package for the award, she created a video demonstrating her use of technology in the classroom.

“Diana's students and colleagues are so fortunate to have her as a part of their school community. Her use of technology to enhance, extend, and transform learning in the classroom is trailblazing,” Lattimer said.

Recognized for having made an impact on the educational community, Neebe actively shares her ideas and successfully utilizes her professional learning network.

“I'm so honored to receive this award, especially knowing how many exceptional educators I connect with on a daily basis through my professional network. Of course, I owe a big thanks to the professors at SOLES who trained me to stay focused on student engagement and real world literacy, and who encouraged me to innovate with and for my students,” Neebe said.

The annual ISTE awards recognize exceptional educators and leaders who are paving the way for connected learning. We seek those whose exemplary work provides a model for teaching, learning and leading in the digital age. All of the annual ISTE award winners will be honored at ISTE 2014 to be held June 28-July 1 at the Georgia World Conference Center in Atlanta. All of this year’s honorees will receive complimentary registration to ISTE 2014 as well as a one-year standard ISTE membership, in addition to various other prizes.

“A school district leveraging the power of 1:1 learning, a superintendent who has dedicated his career to advancing student achievement, a champion for technology-embedded learning – these are among the 2014 ISTE award winners. All of this year’s honorees exemplify the incredible ways that leaders around the world are transforming learning and teaching,” said Brian Lewis, ISTE CEO. “We look forward to congratulating them on their achievements at ISTE 2014 in Atlanta.”

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE®) is a nonprofit organization serving educators and education leaders committed to empowering connected learners in a connected world. ISTE serves more than 100,000 education stakeholders throughout the world.

About the University of San Diego

Strengthened by the Catholic intellectual tradition, we confront humanity’s challenges by fostering peace, working for justice and leading with love. With more than 8,000 students from 75 countries and 44 states, USD is the youngest independent institution on the U.S. News & World Report list of top 100 universities in the United States. USD’s eight academic divisions include the College of Arts and Sciences, the Knauss School of Business, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, the School of Law, the School of Leadership and Education Sciences, the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, and the Division of Professional and Continuing Education. In 2021, USD was named a “Laudato Si’ University” by the Vatican with a seven-year commitment to address humanity’s urgent challenges by working together to take care of our common home.