By Mike Raynes

Dr. Richard Novak, Vice President for Continuing Studies and Distance Education at Rutgers University, was presented with the 2018 NJEdge Impact Award, recognizing his leadership in higher education technology.

The award celebrates important work in "the transformative capacity and creative use of technology solutions to realize a significant and prolonged positive impact on the organization and the higher education community at large."

At Rutgers, Dr. Novak provides executive leadership for the Division of Continuing Studies (DoCS), a large and diverse University-wide division that includes over 150 employees at 20 units and 20 locations. The DoCS coordinates hundreds of credit and non-credit programs, enrolling thousands of participants, reaching audiences from pre-school youth to retirees, on and off campus and online, and provides various support services to faculty, staff and students across the University. DoCS units such as Rutgers Teaching and Learning with Technology, the Center for Innovation Education, Rutgers Makerspace and Rutgers iTV Studio showcase the technological expertise of the division.

The award was presented at the NJEdge Member and Partner Appreciation Day held at Montclair State University on October 5. NJEdge is a nonprofit consortium of academic and research institutions providing statewide advanced networking, access to optimal technology solutions and services, and insight and expertise in information technologies.