Hill inducted into International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame

Dr. Lilian Hill, professor in the School of Education at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM), was inducted into the International Adult and Continuing Education (IACE) Hall of Fame Nov. 10 during a ceremony held in New Orleans. Dr. Hill is one of 13 individuals selected for the IACE Hall of Fame Class of 2018, which consists of 13 scholars and practitioners from the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Bangladesh, United Kingdom, and France.

The Hall of Fame, located at the University of Oklahoma, honors leaders in the fields of continuing education and adult learning who have made distinguished contributions to these fields.

Dr. Hill holds a doctorate in adult education from the University of Georgia, a master's degree in adult education from the University of Ontario, and undergraduate degree from the University of Alberta. She joined the USM faculty in 2005, and has served the university as a program coordinator and department chair. Previously, she worked in adult education in Canada and the U.S., including in program development and coordination, academic department administration, conference management, faculty development, and teaching and advising.

Adult health learning and health literacy are Dr. Hill's primary areas of expertise. She has authored multiple publications on these topics, and broadened the concept to include chronic illness and global health issues. She co-wrote the chapter “Adult Education for Health and Wellness” in the 2010 Handbook of Adult and Continuing Education, and was editor of a special issue of Adult Learning on Health Literacy that attracted American and international authors to write articles. She also was editor for Adult Education for Health and Wellness (2011). 

Dr. Hill is a frequent guest lecturer for nutrition and nursing classes at various institutions, and has served as an external member/reviewer on dissertation committees for universities in Canada, U.S., and South Africa. In 2005-2006, she was as an international advisor for the Adult Working Group for the Health and Learning Knowledge Centre of the Canadian Council on Learning. Currently, she is part of a research team with USM colleagues Lachel Story (nursing) and Dr. Rebecca Holland (public health). 

Two of Dr. Hill's graduate students currently working in higher education, Amany Habib at the University of West Florida, and Joanna Alston at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, praise her as an outstanding educator and mentor. Dr. Hill chairs both of their dissertation committees.

“She has always gone above and beyond what is expected, putting into practice what she teaches, and the lessons I've learned from her will stay with me forever,” Habib said. “Her induction into the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame is well-deserved.” 

“Dr. Hill has been a constant source of both challenge to keep moving forward, and comfort in times when I did not think I could finish what I had started,” said Alston. “She has kept me from the brink of madness as I've worked full-time, been a single parent, and attended graduate school. I'm honored to have her as my professor and mentor.”

Learn more about Dr. Hill's work at USM at https://www.usm.edu/higher-education-research-statistics/faculty/lilian-h-hill-phd-ade-cps-he-coordinator.