Patricia McNames, Education, IU Southeast

A pioneer in distance learning, McNames was the first to put the technology to use on campus in 1995. She also is coordinator of IU Southeast’s School Administration and Supervision Certification Program.

Today, McNames utilizes video cameras and monitors to allow students from other campuses to take her course. “I’ve had up to five remote sites at one time,” she said. Often she will drive to one of the remote sites and transmit the session back to IU Southeast. “It really creates that sense of community,” she said.

This past summer, she taught the graduate level course for educational leadership certification, which targets aspiring school principals. McNames taught 20 students on campus, eight in Shelbyville and one in Tell City. “It’s great; we can all link up, and nobody has to drive two hours,” she said.

Last summer, she gave a presentation during the International Technology Conference in Montreal. In 1997, McNames initiated plans to bring the distance education doctoral program to campus.

A former elementary school principal, McNames actively supports education in other endeavors. In 1995, she and her husband, Larry Kunkel, took on the roles of philanthropists when they founded the “Strive For Success” scholarship program, which provides full college tuition to Louisville high school seniors who can’t otherwise afford to attend. “These are average students, but they have a very strong desire to succeed,” McNames said. So far, five have graduated from college, and eight are still in the program.