Dr. Deema de Silva Rejoins Office of Special Programs as Director Emeritus
On October 24, 2014, Dr. Deema de Silva was inducted as a Student Support Services Director Emeritus with the Office of Special Programs at Wichita State University
(WSU).
Dr. de Silva retired in June 2014 from Wichita State University after 36 years of service, and was the grant writer and director of TRIO Student Support Services (SSS), a federally funded program since 1985. Her efforts with the SSS program has brought over $13 million to WSU. She also attracted community donors to endow nine scholarships, ranging from $10,000 to $45,000 given to SSS students annually in a grand recognition banquet.
Dr. de Silva has been intensely involved as an educator since joining WSU in 1978. She introduced a university-recognized course for training tutors in 1993, through which tutors have been receiving course credit from the College of Education. Trained SSS tutors receive certification from the College Reading & Learning Associaiton. She has also taught courses in anthropology and biology at WSU. Dr. de Silva has been a long-time trainer for the Mid America Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel (MAEOPP) Institute for Leadership and Program Management.
Dr. de Silva is a well-known international speaker, trainer and consultant. She has been a guest lecturer for academic subjects ranging from anthropology, women's studies, international marketing and management. She has been a national trainer for research and evaluation. In June 2009, she received a special invitation to be one of the 40 people in the world to speak at the 'Oxford Round Table' on Transformational and Transactional Leadership. Her list of publications include books such as The Art of Living the Moment and Life Cycle Rituals of the Sinhalese.
In 2007, Dr. de Silva won an award for her dedication and promotion for "World Peace" from the World Trade Council of Wichita. The Global Learning Center recently awarded her the Howard & Jeanne Johnston Award for "Gobal Community Citizenship."