TROY – A Troy University dean has garnered the international spotlight for her work in distance learning.

Dr. Sallie Johnson, dean of distance learning, has been selected to receive the Excellence in Distance Learning Administration  for Outstanding Instructional Support award. The award is sponsored by the Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration and will presented June 8 at the 2005 DLA meeting.

Chosen through a juried committee process by the DLA editorial staff from among hundreds of paper submissions world wide, Johnson’s work will be recognized for her leadership role in developing and implementing projects to improve support and services for distance education students and faculty members from TROY .

She has also been invited by the international organization to be a guest speaker for the organization’s conference.

In May, Johnson was one of three distance learning  professionals selected to represent the United States Distance Learning Association at the 2005 Canadian Association for Distance Education Conference in Vancouver , British Columbia , where she delivered an address to an international audience.

“Dr. Johnson represented the United States by promoting Troy University as a world leader in meeting the challenges of providing 24-hour, seven-day-a-week, 365 day-a-year student and technical support to more than 12,000 online undergraduate and graduate students spanning 13 global time-zones through exceptional student services and quality online degree programs,” said Dr. Susan Aldridge, vice chancellor of University College, the arm of the university that provides distance learning services.

Aldridge and Johnson will travel to Beijing June 12-13 to speak at the 2005 Sino-American Distance Learning Forum, once again the result of the University’s quality in distance learning, Aldridge said.

The Forum, initiated by the Higher Education Committee for Distance Learning of the China Association for Educational Technology and the China Youth Centre for International Personnel Exchanges, promotes distance learning in China and serves as a platform to promote cooperation between Chinese education officials and their counterparts in the United States .