During her 20-year career as a post-secondary educator, Diana Kokoska has been recognized for her teaching and leadership excellence, dedication, and support of the campus community as the recipient of the Dr. P. David Defroscia Student's Choice award and a national NISOD Excellence Award presented by the Community College Leadership Program at the University of Texas at Austin.

Diana is known for her wisdom, boundless energy and enthusiasm in her role as instructor of Computer Information Systems (CIS) at the University of Maine at Augusta, a position she has enjoyed since 2000. She has also shared her expertise at other academic institutions including Husson College and Eastern Maine and Washington County Community Colleges. She is an articulate communicator equally comfortable in group dynamics or individual dialogue with diverse populations of students at varying academic levels.

Her academic preparation includes a Masters of Science in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Business Education. She is committed to lifelong learning and continues to engage in professional development activities in emerging technologies in the computer field.

Diana's professional development extends beyond the classroom. She is the author of Grandpa's Workbench Portfolio Builder, published in the fall of 2004 by Pearson Prentice Hall. Most recently, she has co-authored an e-Portfolio management system called From Shoebox to Showcase, for which she received two assessment grants from the University for implementation and documentation of this software program.

Diana is not only an accomplished author but a captivating presenter, showcasing her technology accomplishments at the New England Association of Cooperative Education and Field Experience (NEACEFE), the New England Educational Assessment Network (NEean) and the Prentice Hall Technology Conference. She serves on the New Perspectives Advisory Board for Course Technology Publishing Company; as a Maine representative for NEACEFE; University of Maine at Augusta's Technology, Distance Education, and Network Advisory committees; acts as Internship Coordinator for the CIS program; published and maintains the program's Web site; and provides instruction in English, math, communication, document editing and proofreading, and information technology to local businesses.

Her professional volunteerism has also included introducing technology to senior citizens through the National Elderhostel Program and the Penobscot Valley Senior College, starting a computer camp for children through the community colleges, and serving as a member of the visiting team for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges Accreditation Team.