Pittsburgh, PA, September 23, 2008 - Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (PIA/GATF) has named William Delgado as the academic educator recipient, 2008 Education Awards of Excellence. The awards are presented annually to both an academic representative and an industry representative in recognition of outstanding contributions to education and training in the graphic arts.
 
Mr. Delgado is an instructor in the Graphic Imaging Technology program at Cuyahoga Valley Career Center in Brecksville, OH, where he has worked since 1996. He has a total of 31 years of experience as an educator in the printing and graphics field.
 
His career in printing began even before Mr. Delgado graduated high school; with a part-time job in the bindery of a local publishing company. He studied at Kent State University and completed his bachelor's degree in Vocational Education while working full-time in the printing industry. In 1977, Mr. Delgado joined the Warrensville Heights High School Print and Graphics Program as a printing instructor.  The program flourised under his direction, despite limited resources, for 19 years.
 
Mr. Delgado later obtained his master's degree in Technology Education from the University of Akron. He continues his education by attending many industry-sponsored seminars and technology sessions, and is a twenty-plus year member of the International Graphic Arts Education Association (IGAEA). In addition, Mr. Delgado is a 2004 inductee to the Graphic Arts Hall of Distinction; and the 2005 Electronic Document Systems Foundation (EDSF) Secondary Educator of the Year Award Winner.
 
During his tenure at Cuyahoga Valley Career Center, Mr. Delgado has established a reading outreach program and completed the Print Ed Certification process for the school's Graphic Imaging Technology program. His graphics students have placed third and fifth in the 2005 & 2006 Skills USA National Competitions, respectively.
 
In 2005, several Cleveland area vocational programs began to close their printing classes rather than upgrade their technology, as schools began to question printing's viability in the future. In order to demonstrate that a solid pathway to a lucrative career via post-secondary education in graphic arts and printing exists, Mr. Delgado proposed a conference that would highlight the diversity and technology of the imaging industries in Ohio. He successfully solicited support from the Ohio State Department of Career and Technical Education, Xpedx, the International Sign Association, Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA), the Flexographic Technical Association (FTA), and others.
 
The Ohio Graphics Education and Training Initiative, first held in 2006 (OGETI-06), was successful far beyond any estimates. Over sixty school districts were represented, and leading educators from Clemson University, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Eastern Illinois University participated in the program. Since the conference, three vocational programs underwent upgrades and an additional Tech-Prep consortium has approved printing and graphics courses for articulated credit. OGETI was also held in 2007 and 2008.
 
The Education Awards of Excellence will be presented on October 26 at the 2008 GASC/PIA/GATF Teacher's Conference in Chicago, IL. For more information about the Education Awards of Excellence or to learn how to submit a 2009 nomination, please contact Deena Hower at 800-910-4283, ext. 702 or [email protected].