Heather Fuller, NDSU associate professor of human development and family science, was awarded the Great Plains IDEA Faculty Excellence Award during a recent meeting of the group’s faculty and administrators.

“I feel truly honored to receive this award from GP IDEA,” Fuller said. “I consider myself lucky to have the opportunity to collaborate with my gerontology colleagues to work together to train students from across the globe to be the next generation of professionals and scholars to will continue advancing the field of aging studies.”

The award recognizes a significant contribution of faculty in a Great Plains IDEA academic program. Award winners devote, time, energy and resources to enhancing the alliance academic community.

Award recipients develop creative courses and mentoring programs or make a significant impact on teaching in a Great Plains IDEA program.

Fuller’s research and teaching focus on lifespan development, interpersonal relationships in later life, successful aging and aging family dynamics. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and Spanish at the University of Minnesota, and a master’s and doctorate in developmental psychology at the University of Michigan.

Great Plains IDEA is an alliance of accredited public universities from the United States who collaborate to provide online educational experiences to working adults. Students can choose NDSU as a home university and take courses from NDSU and other colleges in the alliance.

“This is a well-deserved honor in light of Heather’s excellent teaching in the program and her leadership this year of the gerontology faculty group, which is undertaking a major curriculum revision,” said Joel Hektner, head of the NDSU human development and family science department. “Heather is the only recipient of the award this year across the entire consortium. It is the highest faculty award in the organization.”