Edwina Battle Vold, longtime professor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, passed away on January 5. She was 89 years old.
Dr. Vold’s career in education began teaching first grade at Lakeview Elementary School in Portsmouth, Virginia. She then transitioned to academia with a teaching position at Norfolk State University in Virginia. While there, she was involved with the Urban Teacher Corps Program, which provided professional development opportunities to historically Black colleges and universities across the country.
In 1979, Dr. Vold was offered a position as a professor of early childhood education at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She taught at the university for nearly two decades. Her long tenure included 13 years of service as chair of the department of professional studies in education. A dedicated advocate of the education field at large, Dr. Vold developed several programs aimed at diversifying the teaching workforce, including projects with inner-city schools in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
Throughout her career, Dr. Vold was involved with several professional and community service organizations. She had stints as president of the Indiana County NAACP chapter and the American Association of University Women. She was a board member of the Big Brothers-Big Sisters organization, the League of Women Voters, the Association of Teacher Educators, and the Indiana Arts Council.
Dr. Vold received her bachelor’s degree in education from what is now Virginia State University, her master’s degree from Boston College, and her Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.