Polycom, Inc.

Polycom's Marci Powell Inducted into United States Distance Learning Association Hall of Fame

PLEASANTON, Calif. - May 01, 2012 : Polycom, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLCM), the global leader in open standards-based unified communications (UC), announced today that Marci Powell, global director for Education at Polycom, was inducted into the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) Hall of Fame, which recognizes individuals who have demonstrated vision, leadership, and excellence in the distance learning industry.

 

Ms. Powell was recognized at an awards ceremony today at the USDLA 2012 National Conference in St. Louis, Mo. The awards were created to acknowledge major accomplishments in distance learning and to highlight instructors, programs, and professionals who have achieved and demonstrated extraordinary results through the use of online, video conferencing, satellite, and blended learning delivery technology.

 

"USDLA takes great pride and responsibility in recognizing excellence and quality that benefit the entire industry," said John G. Flores, Ph.D., C.E.O. and executive director, USDLA. "Marci's contributions have had a strong influence in our field. She's worked tirelessly to show schools around the world how video collaboration can transform how teachers teach and how students learn, opening up new opportunities for students to connect with places and people anywhere."

 

"To be named to the USDLA Hall of Fame among people that I consider to be luminaries in the distance learning industry is a huge honor and privilege," said Powell. "Together we have made great strides by working toward the same goal of equality in education worldwide by ensuring that institutions have the technology solutions they need, and that they are implementing best practices pedagogically and in business."

 

Serving as an advisor for more than 20 years to public and private sectors around the world, Ms. Powell is an industry expert in the field of educational technology. In her position as the global director for Education at Polycom, Ms. Powell speaks at industry events and counsels leading educational institutions and companies on distance-learning best practices and trends, and the important role that video collaboration solutions have in the education field.

 

For USDLA, she is serving her third term on the board of directors and is also the co-chair of Global Affiliation for the organization, where she is responsible for fostering and building partnerships with organizations around the world. She is also the chair emerita and past president of the USDLA. Ms. Powell also serves on the Global Advisory Council for The Observatory for Borderless Higher Education.

 

Previously, Ms. Powell held education-related positions at AT&T, VibrantC, and VTEL, and served as board chair for Communities in Schools in San Antonio, Texas. She began her career as a classroom teacher and served as an administrator at various educational institutions. Ms. Powell is also the recipient of several awards for her commitment and support to the education industry.