Cynthia D. Waters, Ed.D., has been selected by the Astronauts Memorial Foundation (AMF), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Space Foundation as the winner of the 2012 Alan Shepard Technology in Education Award. Named for Mercury Astronaut Alan Shepard, the award will be presented during the opening ceremony of the 28th National Space Symposium on April 16 at The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The Alan Shepard Technology in Education Award is given annually in recognition of outstanding contributions to creative and innovative use of technology in education by K-12 educators or district-level education personnel.

Waters is director of aviation for The Aviation Academy at T.W. Andrews High School in High Point, North Carolina. As an educator, FAA commercial pilot, flight instructor and member of the North Carolina Airport Economic Development Alliance, Waters uses her experience and contacts to provide the Academy's 140 students with career development opportunities in aviation, engineering and aerospace. The high school is a low-socioeconomic-status school, with 95 percent of students considered to be economically disadvantaged. Waters leverages partnerships with local businesses to help develop the Academy's curriculum, including offering students the opportunity to earn college credits through a partnership with local Guilford Technical Community College. "Many of these students would not otherwise be aware of the diverse aeronautical career opportunities available to them," said Waters. "No matter which career they choose, The Aviation Academy provides a pipeline of talented students with 'the right stuff.'"

Alan Shepard, one of the nation's original seven Mercury astronauts, was the first American to fly in space, one of only 12 humans who have walked on the moon, and a former AMF board member. The award named after him recognizes excellence, quality and innovation in the development and application of technology in the classroom or to the professional development of teachers.