MSU’s Gadke receives Alumnus of the Year Award from Illinois State University’s psychology department

Contact: Bethany Shipp

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State’s Daniel Gadke is the recipient of the Alumnus of the Year: Early Career Award from Illinois State University’s Department of Psychology.

Professor and head of MSU’s Department of Counseling, Higher Education Leadership, Educational Psychology, and Foundations, Gadke was recently honored at his alma mater’s Alumni Day celebration. Mark Swerdlik, professor of psychology at ISU and Gadke’s former program coordinator, presented the award to Gadke during the awards luncheon.

“In every respect, Dr. Gadke exemplifies the very best of what it means to be an ISU Redbird Department of Psychology alumnus: a scholar, teacher, leader, mentor and innovator who continues to elevate our field of school psychology, his department, college and university and inspire all those around him,” Swerdlik said. “With his remarkable early career achievements, we can only imagine what he will accomplish as he continues his career in academia.”

As part of the festivities, Gadke participated in a school psychology alumni panel and gave a presentation on his journey from ISU to MSU titled, “From Redbird to Bulldog: Lessons in Leadership, Research, and Impact.” 

At Mississippi State, Gadke also serves as associate dean of research for the College of Education and co-director of the university’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Clinic. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology and a doctoral degree in school psychology from Illinois State University. He completed his postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine/Kennedy Krieger Institute in its Department of Behavioral Psychology.

MSU’s College of Education, home of the Department of Counseling, Higher Education Leadership, Educational Psychology, and Foundations, also includes four additional academic departments, a division of education, one research unit and numerous service units. Learn more at https://www.educ.msstate.edu/.

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