EDUCAUSE, the premier association for higher education information technology, has announced the recipients of the 2000 Jane N. Ryland Fellowship Program. Eight college and university professionals will receive funds from the program to attend EDUCAUSE events.

Benefiting a variety of institutions and professional needs, the fellowships enhance professional development opportunities for people who work with information resources in higher education. They recognize a combination of past achievement, commitment, potential benefit, and financial need.

"Colleges and universities are universally struggling with information technology and with enormous pressures to change," says EDUCAUSE Vice President Richard N. Katz. "Skill, talent, and a professional community are in ever-greater demand in this environment. The Jane N. Ryland Fellowship program provides access to the kind of education that is needed to deserving individuals and their institutions who can benefit from this education and professional community."

The annual fellowship program bears the name of Jane N. Ryland, who, as president of CAUSE (a precursor of EDUCAUSE) from 1986 to 1998, recognized the importance of educational programs to support and develop information technology professionals throughout higher education.

EDUCAUSE delivers a wide range of relevant professional development opportunities--in the form of conferences, seminars, and institutes--to thousands of higher education information resources professionals throughout the year.

Following are the 2000 fellows:
Alson Been, Director of Applications Development at Bethune-Cookman College
Harijs Bondars, Director of DoIT at the University of Latvia
John Carroll, Dean of Student Services at Hawaii Community College
Miguel Corzo, Director of Planning and Technology Services at Maricopa Community Colleges District
Gary A. Foley, Director of Information Technology at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College
Hans Houshower, Director of Technology at Bluffton College
Barry Smith, Director of Information Services at Baptist Bible College
Lynn Usack, Instructional Technology Professional at Corning Community College

The 2000 Jane N. Ryland Fellowship Program is sponsored by CARS Information Systems Corporation. CARS provides administrative computing solutions for higher education through open systems technology and strategic alliances.

EDUCAUSE is an international, nonprofit association whose mission is to help shape and enable transformational change in higher education through the introduction, use, and management of information resources and technologies in teaching, learning, scholarship, research, and institutional management. EDUCAUSE programs include professional development activities, print and electronic publications, strategic/policy initiatives, research and development, and a wealth of online information services.