{"id":3863,"date":"2022-04-26T14:24:11","date_gmt":"2022-04-26T14:24:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/?p=3863"},"modified":"2025-02-13T10:11:36","modified_gmt":"2025-02-13T15:11:36","slug":"all-about-al","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/2022\/04\/26\/all-about-al\/","title":{"rendered":"All About Al"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.kadence-column3863_0150b3-76 > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);}.kadence-column3863_0150b3-76 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column3863_0150b3-76 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column3863_0150b3-76 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column3863_0150b3-76 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column3863_0150b3-76 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column3863_0150b3-76 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column3863_0150b3-76{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column3863_0150b3-76 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kadence-column3863_0150b3-76 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column3863_0150b3-76 dynamic-main-col\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<p>Ask around. Anyone who has worked with&nbsp;Al DiEmedio&nbsp;has glowing reviews and is sad to see him retire. DiEmedio joined then-Wilmington College in 2004 as an assistant professor and program coordinator and was promoted in July of 2006 to director in the College of Education (COE). On paper, his titles are straightforward. In reality, the passionate WilmU ambassador touched the hearts of countless colleagues and mentored thousands of students throughout his distinguished career.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cA running joke in the COE is that everyone in Delaware once had Al DiEmedio as a high school principal,\u201d says COE Dean&nbsp;Dr. John Gray. \u201cWhile that is not quite true, we would be far better off in this state if it were.&nbsp;Al epitomizes the life and work and values of a true professional educator and wonderful human being, from his experiences as an infantryman in Vietnam, to teaching in and leading several different high schools, to directing higher education programs that produce highly effective teachers for schools in this region.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Al has always served as a model for others to emulate and has done so with&nbsp;competence, caring and compassion. He will be sorely missed at WilmU, but his impact will persist for many years to come.\u201d \u2014&nbsp;Dr. John Gray<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>That impact is reflected in sentiments too numerous to list in full, so we\u2019re forced to summarize.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Associate Professor and Chair&nbsp;Dr. Kae Keister&nbsp;calls DiEmedio the \u201cconsummate gentleman in all areas of&nbsp;Wilmington University and life in general.\u201d&nbsp; \u201cI first worked with Al on the state level as members and officers of the Delaware Association of School Administrators,\u201d she says. \u201cAfter my arduous cancer surgery, he was there, right at my bedside, to cheer me on and give me his support. He always had time to listen, a laugh to share, and a love of life for the vital work of educating young people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Adjunct Program Coordinator&nbsp;Dr. Joanne Damminger&nbsp;calls DiEmedio \u201cone of the most supportive and professional colleagues with whom I have had the pleasure of working,\u201d while Adjunct&nbsp;Megan Schnetzer&nbsp;says, \u201che has a presence about him that exudes joy and makes everyone around him feel safe.\u201d Another adjunct,&nbsp;Eleanor Weinglass, says, \u201cWilmington University\u2019s great loss will be Al\u2019s family\u2019s great gain. They will have his enegy, kindness, intelligence, wisdom, and good humor full-time instead of part-time.\u201d Add to that a sentiment from Praxis Coordinator&nbsp;Ashley Wilson, who calls DiEmedio her \u201cwork grandfather.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image3863_fc5445-4a .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image3863_fc5445-4a size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.test.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Al-web-640x360-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"kb-img wp-image-14441\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Al-web-640x360-1.jpg 640w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Al-web-640x360-1-250x141.jpg 250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption>Al DiEmedio and his wife, Dianne, with their nine grandchildren: Nikko, Maya, Reagan, Emmi, Chase, Rowan, Tyler, Max and Cameron<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Kathryn Brown, the COE\u2019s Director of Advanced&nbsp;Programs, will miss DiEmedio\u2019s wisdom and humor. \u201cIt will feel a bit different going in and sitting in the chair by the door in his office,\u201d she says, \u201cbut I\u2019m confident in the good memories it will bring to mind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Says&nbsp;Dr. Michele Brewer, chair of the Office of Technology, Assessment, and Compliance, \u201cAl\u2019s approach in guiding students, colleagues, and those in need of a gentle ear is irreplaceable. I will be forever grateful for all the lessons and laughs we shared.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Undergraduate Student Advocate&nbsp;Dr. James Boyd&nbsp;calls&nbsp;DiEmedio his dear friend of 20 years. \u201cMy fondest memory&nbsp;of Al was when we would find ourselves emailing one another at midnight about certain students we were trying to help, until one of us would say, \u2018Hey, it\u2019s bedtime!\u2019 I will miss my friend. And, even more important, our&nbsp;students will miss their friend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By all accounts, DiEmedio\u2019s influence will be long-lasting,&nbsp;not that saying goodbye is easy. But to paraphrase Winnie the Pooh, how lucky we are to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Friends and colleagues too numerous to list send DiEmedio wishes of good health and happiness in his next chapter. As Dr. Brown says, \u201cGodspeed, Al.\u201d&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u2014Maria Hess<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ask around. Anyone who has worked with&nbsp;Al DiEmedio&nbsp;has glowing reviews and is sad to see him retire. DiEmedio joined then-Wilmington College in 2004 as an&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[135],"tags":[383],"class_list":["post-3863","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-magazine","tag-magazine-spring-2022"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":135,"label":"MAGAZINE"}],"post_tag":[{"value":383,"label":"Magazine Spring 2022"}]},"featured_image_src_large":false,"author_info":{"display_name":"Rachel Marchione","author_link":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/author\/rachel\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":135,"name":"MAGAZINE","slug":"magazine","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":692,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":431,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":135,"category_count":431,"category_description":"","cat_name":"MAGAZINE","category_nicename":"magazine","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":[{"term_id":383,"name":"Magazine Spring 2022","slug":"magazine-spring-2022","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":940,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":22,"filter":"raw"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3863","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3863"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3863\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14443,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3863\/revisions\/14443"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3863"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3863"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3863"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}