CARBONDALE, Ill. - Kathryn "Kathy" A. Hytten, associate professor of educational administration and higher education at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, has been elected vice president of the American Educational Studies Association, an international society of students, teachers, scholars and administrators who view the liberal arts as the foundation of education. She will become president-elect in 2008, assuming the presidency in 2009. "It's a big honor - I was surprised," said Hytten, a member of the College of Education and Human Services faculty. "This is a big organization, and the presidency usually goes to someone more senior in their career." The association has among its goals providing a crossdisciplinary forum in which scholars may exchange ideas relating to such disciplines as anthropology, economics, history, politics and sociology. Hytten said she was especially enthusiastic about heading the association because it has such a diverse membership, especially in terms of race. "About 10 years ago, we made a conscious effort to try to diversify, and we've been very successful at that," she said. "This is one of the most diverse organizations I belong to. I think that diversity is rare in the field. As president, I would like to continue and expand upon that." Hytten joined the SIUC faculty in 1996, after earning her doctorate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A New York native, she earned her bachelor's degree from Colgate University, a small liberal arts institution in Hamilton, N.Y., in 1989. She is the daughter of John and Celia Hytten of Shaftsbury (4379 Route 7A), Vt.