Dr. Thomas Kowalik is director of the Division of Continuing Education & Outreach at Binghamton University; past national president of the Coalition of Lifelong Learning Organizations, representing millions of learners throughout the U.S.; past president of the University Continuing Education Association, representing 440 universities and colleges; and founding member of the SUNY Association of Summer Sessions and the SUNY Continuing Education Collaborative.
Dr. Kowalik provides leadership and serves as the principal academic and administrative officer of Continuing Education and Outreach, overseeing policy, programmatic and fiscal management in the areas of summer and winter sessions, continuing education, and advising. Working with all campus units, he shapes and guides implementation of University policies affecting Continuing Education and works closely with deans, staff and faculty in problem resolution to ensure student-learning needs are met and programs are successful.
Dr. Kowalik has acted as consultant for numerous public and private groups including the military, public agencies, nonprofits, higher education institutions, manufacturing firms, health care providers, and tourism and hospitality-sector organizations. His experience and skills include research and applications in various aspects of adult education, assessment, strategic planning, innovation, Instructional Systems Design, leadership, and creative problem solving. He is an international author, lecturer, and workshop leader.
He has received numerous awards including the 1990 Region II National University Continuing Education Association (NUCEA) Professional Continuing Educator Award, the 1991 NUCEA Adelle Robertson Leadership Award and is listed in the 1992-93 Edition of Who’s Who in American Education and 1994 Edition of Men of Achievement. For his program development, in 1995 he received statewide, national and international recognition by winning Awards of Excellence from the Continuing Education Association of New York State, NUCEA, and Learning Resources Network (LERN). In 1999, he received the prestigious Floyd B. Fisher Leadership Award and in 2003, the Walton S. Bittner Service Citation from the University Continuing Education Association. In 2003, he received the Binghamton University Council and Foundation Award. In 2008, he received the Award of Excellence for Applied Research from the UCEA Mid-Atlantic Region. In 2009 he received the national Research and Scholarship Award from the University Professional and Continuing Education Association and 2010 he was inducted into the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame.
