[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 134 (Thursday, December 7, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2120]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CONGRATULATING DR. RENE DIAZ-LEFEBVRE FOR HIS SELECTION AS THE 2006 
                     ARIZONA PROFESSOR OF THE YEAR

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                             HON. ED PASTOR

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 6, 2006

  Mr. PASTOR. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today to congratulate Dr. 
Rene Diaz-Lefebvre, Professor of Psychology at Glendale Community 
College in Glendale, Arizona, for his selection as this year's Arizona 
Professor of the Year.
  Sponsored by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching 
and administered by the Council for Advancement and Support of 
Education (CASE), the Professors of the Year awards recognize 
professors for their influence on teaching and their outstanding 
commitment to teaching undergraduate students. Dr. Diaz-Lefebvre is the 
first Latino from Arizona and one of eight community college professors 
to win this award, one of the most prestigious and competitive in the 
Nation.
  A fifth generation Arizonan, Dr. Diaz-Lefebvre was born in South 
Tucson, in a low-income housing project known as La Reforma. Encouraged 
by his family, who taught him that la educacion abre puertas (education 
opens doors), Dr. Diaz-Lefebvre was in the first graduating class of 
Pima Community College in 1972. He went on to receive his Bachelor's 
degree in Humanistic Psychology from the University of Redlands, his 
Master's degree in Guidance and Counseling from California State 
University, San Bernardino, and his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from 
Union Graduate School.
  Dr. Diaz-Lefebvre has been a leader in applying cognitive psychology 
research to innovative ways of helping students learn and assessing 
that learning. He has pioneered the Multiple Intelligences/Learning for 
Understanding (MI/LfU) method of teaching, learning, and assessment, 
which takes into account the differences in students' learning 
abilities and offers as many approaches to learning as possible, such 
as role playing, creative writing, and computer simulations. Dr. Diaz-
Lefebvre has received numerous awards and recognitions for his work on 
MI/LfU and is frequently asked to speak at conferences regarding his 
innovative approach to teaching.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize Dr. Diaz-Lefebvre for 
receiving this prestigious award, and to express my gratitude for his 
innovation and determination in teaching our next generation of 
leaders. It is with great pleasure that I congratulate Dr. Diaz-
Lefebvre today for this award, which duly recognizes his important 
work.

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