UAlbany’s Professional Development Program Wins National Honor for Shaken Baby Syndrome E-Learning Course

Professional Development Program Executive Director Eugene Monaco (Photo Mark Schmidt)

The University at Albany’s Professional Development Program (PDP) has won a gold award from the U.S. Distance Learning Association (USDLA) for an e-learning course on shaken baby syndrome developed for day care providers.

The hour-long, fully narrated course, Preventing Shaken Baby Syndrome, emphasizes the message "never, ever shake a baby." Developed under contract to the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, the course is part of a growing suite of free e-learning courses created for day care providers.  The USDLA award recognizes the course as a best practice in distance learning programming.

"This award is a fitting tribute to our highly creative and skilled staff which resulted in an innovative and much needed course to address shaken baby syndrome for those in the child care field," said PDP Executive Director and Public Service Professor Eugene J. Monaco.

Since 2000, PDP's training programs through the New York State Office of Children and Family Services have reached more than 2,800 individuals who protect the well-being of children, especially in day care facilities. PDP's work plays a vital role in the licensing, registration, and inspection of day care facilities. PDP is affiliated with UAlbany’s Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy.

"As a premier organization for the entire distance learning profession, we are honoring the Professional Development Program as a leader in the industry," said Dr. John G. Flores, executive director of USDLA. "PDP has raised the bar of excellence and we are truly honored by PDP’s contributions to the distance learning industry."

The award was given recently in conjunction with the 2011 national conference of the USDLA in St. Louis, Mo.

For over 35 years, the Professional Development Program has been a leader in continuing professional education and extended learning. An award-winning resource for federal, state, and local governments as well as for many non-profit organizations, PDP contributes state-of-the art capacities in education, training, research and evaluation, e-learning, video production, and public education campaigns.

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