Current Award Recipient

Dean Herman Schneider Award – Educator

Veronica Porter, PhD, Northeastern University

Veronica “Ronnie” Porter retired in September of 2024 as Associate Professor and Director of Cooperative Education. She is passionate about Cooperative Education and experiential learning. Her career in Co-op at Northeastern spans 48 years. Over the past several years, she expanded, managed and lead the Cooperative Education Faculty Team in the College of Science. She served as an ambassador for the College internally and externally. She was a member of the Northeastern University Co-op Directors Leadership Team. 

She has received grants from sources including the National Science Foundation, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Department of Education. Her research areas include outcomes of student learning relative to Cooperative and Experiential Education, employment of college students and graduates with disabilities, and effects of a cultural awareness train the trainer program in the workplace. Her work has been published in the International Journal of Diversity in Organizations, Communities and Nations, NASPA, the Journal of Cooperative Education and by the Association on Higher Education and Disability. She has conducted numerous presentations and workshops internationally, nationally and regionally. Dr. Porter served as a research associate in the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University for several years. 

She received the Dr. Robert Greenberg Award for Innovation from Career Opportunities for Students with Disabilities (COSD), the Practice Oriented Education Special Recognition Award and the Disability Resource Center Extraordinary Contribution Award from Northeastern University. She received the national Professional Development Research Scholarship from the Association on Higher Education and Disability, and has been inducted into the Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars and Students.  

Dr. Porter holds a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Law, Policy and Society. She has a Master of Education Degree and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology. She has been a long-standing and active member of the Cooperative Education and Internship Association for 44 years. She has served on the CEIA Board of Directors for several years as Vice President of Region 1 (Northeast), President Elect, President and Past President. 

Dr. Porter lives in Boston, MA. She is enjoying her retirement spending time with her family, traveling and getting together with friends. 

Sarah Burrows, EdD, Suffolk University

Sarah Burrows credits her career launch with an internship that turned into a job with professional growth and leadership potential. She leveraged her passion for experiential learning and the transformation that can occur through WIL opportunities of all kinds into several roles in higher education. Sarah Burrows is currently the Director of Career Communities in the Center for Career Equity, Development and Success at Suffolk University in Boston, where she leads a team dedicated to fostering community among students, faculty, staff, employers and alumni. The career community model was launched at Suffolk in 2021, under Burrows’ creative vision and pragmatic leadership. Each community is purposefully designed to introduce students to the many professional paths they might take. The model is a matrix that enables collaboration, opportunities and learning experiences between career community members through networking, mentoring, programs and events. Sarah brought forward project-based learning experiences and the introduction of a student-led career center magazine, which highlights perspectives on internships, research, project-based learning and other WIL experiences.  

A champion of under-represented college and graduate students, Sarah has earned Ambassador for Inclusion certifications and is recognized for her balanced approach to addressing racial equity gaps, anti-discrimination towards international students and thought leadership in DE& I, encompassing all under-represented groups.  

Burrows’ contribution to work integrated learning, internships and career development spans almost 3 decades, including roles such as Internship Program Director, Department of Communications Faculty at Simmons College, teaching Studio 5, a “real world learning lab” enabling project-based learning for students within real work employer environments. Sarah was the Director of Internships for Lasell University, where she oversaw all internship programs and curriculum in the School of Graduate and Professional Studies and all undergraduate departments; developed, instituted, and facilitated best practices for internships for Liberal Arts and Professional majors’ college-wide; and developed assessment processes and protocols for field-based learning programs. At Providence College, Sarah’s passion for building new programs led to the development of a professional badging program, the Friar Four Career Core. Designed to enhance the career readiness of PC graduates in an increasingly competitive market, the program aimed to develop students career aptitudes through 23 career readiness workshops in technology, analytics, teamwork, professionalism, communication & influence.  

Sarah served as the VP of Research on the board of CEIA, and as a Regional Vice-Chair for the U.S. for the WACE-International Research Community. She is an active member of CEIA, EACE, NACE, and the Career Leadership Collaborative. Sarah earned a B.F.A. from the NYSCC at Alfred University, an M.S. from Simmons University, and an Ed.D. from Northeastern University.