Auburn College of Education former Dean and Professor Emerita Fran Kochan honored with UCEA Roald F. Campbell Lifetime Achievement Award

Auburn University College of Education former Dean and Professor Emerita Fran Kochan has been named the recipient of the Roald F. Campbell Lifetime Achievement Award by the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA).

The prestigious honor recognizes senior scholars whose careers reflect sustained excellence in leadership, scholarship, mentorship and service to the field of educational administration.

With a career spanning more than six decades, Kochan has been a transformative force in educational leadership. From her early work as teacher and administrator in Guam and the islands of Micronesia, serving as an administrator in rural Florida and for the Florida State University School to her pioneering leadership in educational reform in Alabama and other states, Kochan has consistently modeled collaboration and visionary practice. Her contributions include the redesign of Auburn’s educational leadership preparation program — recognized as a national model — and the founding of the UCEA Barbara Jackson Scholars mentoring program, which continues to support doctoral students across the country.

“Fran Kochan is the embodiment of professional generosity and visionary leadership,” said Ellen Hahn, Professor of Educational Leadership in Auburn’s College of Education, who co-wrote the nomination letter for Kochan’s lifetime achievement award with Maria Luisa González, Regents Professor Emeritus at New Mexico State University and Professor Emerita at the University of Texas at El Paso. “Her mentorship has shaped generations of scholars and leaders, and her legacy continues to ripple across institutions and communities.”

González offered similar sentiments.

“Fran’s work transcends boundaries — cultural, institutional and generational,” she said. “She is an architect of educational leadership, designing systems that elevate not only the profession but the people within it.”

It was 20 years ago in 2005 when Kochan was named the dean of Auburn’s College of Education, becoming its first woman to serve in the role. That followed her naming as interim dean of the college in 2001. In addition to her scholarly and professional achievements, Kochan has also made a lasting philanthropic impact on Auburn’s College of Education. In 2006, she and her late husband, Bill Kochan, established the James R. and Frances R. Molnar Endowment for Graduate Student Awards in honor of her parents. The endowment continues to support students pursuing doctoral degrees in Educational Leadership, reflecting Kochan’s lifelong commitment to nurturing future leaders. Upon Kochan’s retirement as dean, the Frances K. Kochan Endowed Fund for Excellence was also established in the College of Education, being funded by members of the college’s National Alumni Council.

Her legacy was further cemented with the recent naming of the Frances K. Kochan and William R. Kochan Media Production Room in Auburn’s new College of Education building. That space serves as a hub for innovation and collaboration, embodying the values of creativity and excellence that have defined her career.

Kochan’s impact is likewise reflected in her extensive scholarship, including more than 70 peer-reviewed articles, 14 books and numerous national and international presentations. She has mentored more than 50 doctoral students and countless junior faculty, many of whom now hold leadership positions in academia and beyond.

Her recognition by UCEA adds to a long list of accolades, including the University Council on Educational Administration (UCEA) Jay Scribner Mentoring Award, the International Mentoring Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, Auburn University’s Outstanding Researcher Award and her designation as an Alabama Treasure by Governor Robert J. Bentley in 2014.