League for Innovation Announces Recipients of the Terry O’Banion Provocateur Award
Kate Smith, Ed.D., President, Rio Salado College, Tempe, Arizona
Lim See Yew, Ph.D., Senior Director, Engineering, ITE College Central, Singapore
CHANDLER, AZ, UNITED STATES, March 30, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- At its annual Innovations Conference earlier this month, the League for Innovation in the Community College announced the 2026 recipients of the Terry O’Banion Provocateur Award, honoring two leaders whose bold thinking and courageous ideas challenge traditional assumptions and inspire transformational change across the community and technical college sector.
The award honors individuals who reflect the spirit of Dr. Terry O’Banion, one of the most influential voices in community college history. Over more than six decades, O’Banion confronted the status quo, exposing barriers to student learning and sparking national conversations about advising, curriculum, student learning and success, leadership, and governance.
Applicants were asked to present ideas that are both provocative and practical: approaches that question conventional wisdom while offering scalable solutions capable of transforming institutions nationally and globally. Rather than highlighting localized best practices, submissions were evaluated based on their potential for system-level impact across the community and technical college landscape.
At the conference, held in Indianapolis, Indiana, the League for Innovation recognized the first-place recipient, Kate Smith, Ed.D., President, Rio Salado College, Tempe, Arizona, and the second-place recipient, Lim See Yew, Ph.D., Senior Director, School of Engineering, Institute of Technical Education College Central, Singapore.
In their applications, both recipients demonstrated the courage and intellectual leadership that define the spirit of the Provocateur Award. Their work challenges traditional thinking while presenting bold pathways for addressing some of the most pressing systemic issues facing community and technical colleges today.
Dr. Smith’s work examines traditional metrics on which higher education institutions are often evaluated, which omit many community college students. She promotes expanding community college metrics to tell a more complete story of the impact these institutions have on the students and communities they serve. She said, “To receive an award that bears Terry O’Banion’s name is to be reminded that our work is not to preserve the status quo, but to unsettle it and further student success. I am deeply honored to stand in the shadow of a provocateur who spent his life challenging complacency and redefining what community colleges can be.”
Dr. Lim’s work presents the emergence of hybrid intelligence in human evolution, drawing on a blending of traditional learning and developments in artificial intelligence. He explained that he is “focused on building AI-First learning environments and developing hybrid intelligence between humans and AI, so that students and educators can rethink processes, innovate continuously, and create new value for industry and society.”
As part of the award, each recipient prepares a substantive paper exploring their proposed ideas and solutions in depth. These papers will be published by the League for Innovation later this year, contributing to an ongoing dialogue about the future of community and technical colleges.
Dr. Smith and Dr. Lim presented their work at the Innovations Conference, where community college educators and administrators engaged with their ideas and explored how these provocations can inspire meaningful transformation across institutions and systems.
“The Terry O’Banion Provocateur Award celebrates leaders who are willing to question deeply held assumptions and advance ideas that can reshape the future of higher education,” said League President and CEO Rufus Glasper. “Dr. Smith and Dr. Lim exemplify the bold thinking and commitment to systemic change that Terry O’Banion championed throughout his extraordinary career.”
Through this award, the League for Innovation continues O’Banion’s legacy, encouraging leaders across the field to confront difficult issues, imagine new possibilities, and take courageous steps toward a more student-centered future for community and technical colleges.
About the League for Innovation in the Community College
The League for Innovation in the Community College is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to cultivating innovation in the community college environment. Through conferences, projects, leadership development, and thought leadership, the League supports colleges in expanding access, strengthening learning, and responding to the evolving needs of students and communities. More information is available at www.league.org.
Kelly Dooling
League for Innovation in the Community College
dooling@league.org
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