FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE of EDUCATION
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AL UMNI AW AWARDS
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020
EVENING PROGRAM WELCOME
Dean Damon Andrew
PRESENTATION of TRAILBLAZER AWARDS ABRIA JA’MAR HARRIS Mathematics/Math Teaching, B.S. ‘13 DR. AMELIA PARNELL Higher Education, Ph.D. ‘10
PRESENTATION of DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARDS DR. M.L. “CISSY” PETTY Higher Education Administration Higher Education, M.S. ‘80, Ph.D. ‘85 WILLIAM V. HUSFELT, III K-12 Administration Social Studies Education, B.S. ‘80 Educational Leadership/ Administration, M.S. ‘91 DR. PAUL M. PEDERSEN Postsecondary Systems - University Physical Education, Ph.D. ‘00
DR. ELLINGTON DARDEN Physical Education Physical Education, Ph.D. ‘72 ERIKA LOWERY Distinguished Educator Social Studies Education, B.S. ‘96 DR. SHIRLEY GREEN-REESE Lifetime Achievement Educational Leadership/ Administration Ph.D. ‘86
ABRIA JA’MAR HARRIS Mr. Abria J. Harris was born and raised in Quincy, Florida to the Late Mr. Johnnie C. Harris, Jr. and the Late Mrs. Marilyn J. Harris. He was educated in the Gadsden County public school system and graduated with honors from East Gadsden High School in 2009. His postsecondary education includes an Associate of Arts degree from Tallahassee Community College (2010), Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics and Math or Science Teaching from Florida State University (2013), and Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Grand Canyon University (2015) and a Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University (anticipated 2021). Upon graduating from Florida State University, Harris began his work in education as an eighth grade mathematics and science instructor at James A. Shanks Middle School. He continued his employment with the Gadsden County School District (GCSD) at Havana Magnet School as an eighth grade pre-algebra and algebra 1 instructor. Since working in education, his accolades and accomplishments include being named Havana Magnet School’s Rookie Teacher of the Year (2014-2015/2015-2016) and GCSD’s Rookie Teacher of the Year (2015-2016), earning the Governor Rick Scott Shine Award (2016), and being named Gadsden County’s National Hookup of Black Women Person of the Year (2018). Currently, Harris serves as a Gadsden County School District mathematics specialist. He is an active member at the St. Thomas Missionary Baptist Church in Fowlstown, Georgia and is also a proud brother of the Pi Psi Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated. He is blessed with one sister, Lakisha Donald, and a niece, Chrimontrez Jones.
DR. AMELIA PARNELL Amelia Parnell is the vice president for research and policy at NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, where she leads many of the association’s scholarly and advocacy-focused activities. She writes and speaks frequently about topics related to student affairs, college affordability, student learning outcomes, and institutions’ use of data and analytics. Her policy and practitioner experiences include prior roles in association management, legislative policy analysis, internal audit, and TRIO programs. Her research portfolio includes studies of leadership in higher education, with a focus on college presidents and vice presidents. Parnell is the author of the forthcoming book, You Are a Data Person: Strategies for Using Analytics on Campus and a co-editor of the book, The Analytics Revolution in Higher Education: Big Data, Organizational Learning, and Student Success. She currently serves on the board of directors for EDUCAUSE and is an advisor to several other higher education organizations. She holds a Ph.D. in higher education from Florida State University and masters and bachelor’s degrees in business administration from Florida A&M University.
DR. M.L. “CISSY” PETTY Former students were once asked to describe Dr. Cissy Petty; abruptly one piped up and said, “She’s a lightning bolt on two feet.” Petty has high energy, a drive to accomplish bold projects and a keen eye for details. She would describe herself as a change agent, comfortable with intuitively seeing the potential in people, places, and things. She is also described as a relentless advocate for learning. Learning opens up the possibilities to imagine and re-imagine what can happen at any given moment. Maya Angelou, one of her favorite authors, evokes this excellence in the following, “the horizon leans forward, offering you space to place new steps of change.” In August 2019, she was appointed to the George Washington University’s leadership team as Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students. She provides leadership over areas including student conduct, student health and well-being, residential life and education, fraternity and sorority life, student organizations and leadership development, military and veteran student support, and on-campus student programming. Prior to her arrival at GW, Petty served as Vice President for Student Affairs and Associate Provost at Loyola University New Orleans, arriving eight months after Katrina and the failure of the levees decimated New Orleans. In previous roles, Petty had the privilege to serve St. Lawrence University as Vice President and Dean of Students for Co-Curricular Education and Programming; was selected for a post-doctoral fellowship as the Upsilon Nu Chi Distinguished Scholar in Counseling at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro; served as Dean for Student Development at Mississippi University for Women; and served as Director for Student Development at the University of North Carolina Asheville. Recognized nationally as a thought leader in the field, Petty has taught courses on leadership development and counseling at the graduate and undergraduate levels and has presented extensively. She has held numerous leadership roles in professional organizations, including the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) and the American College Personnel Association (ACPA). NASPA’s Foundation awarded her the Pillar of the Profession award in 2014, their highest peer recognition for outstanding leadership in the profession. She currently serves on the NASPA Foundation Board of Directors and on the editorial board of the Journal of Student Affairs and Research Practice. Her presentations are numerous on the national level regarding higher education administration and student development program implementation. She consults with a variety of non-profit leaders in education, business, and hospital administration. Petty’s undergraduate and graduate degrees are from Florida State University. She was also selected for a prestigious post-doctoral fellowship as the Distinguished Scholar in Counseling at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro; selected for Harvard University’s Senior Institutional Management Program; completed her professional leadership coaching certification from Georgetown University; and completed a two-year certificate course in Spiritual Studies from St. Thomas University.
WILLIAM V. HUSFELT, III It’s always been challenging to run a school system with more than 25,000 students and 3,500 employees, but Bill Husfelt, superintendent of Bay District Schools, has never been one to shy away from difficult decisions. The extreme damage wrought in his community by category five Hurricane Michael, however, brought with it a set of unique challenges that troubled even a seasoned leader like Husfelt. “I can honestly say that I’ve never seen anything like the damage in our community after Hurricane Michael,” he said. “And the challenge of leading us through that, with no power, water, sewer or communication for the first few weeks was immense.” Children were back in school, despite more than $500 million in damages districtwide, in 29 days according to Husfelt. “That was nothing short of a miracle and it’s a true testament to the incredible team we have here and their collective determination to get the job done.” While Husfelt thought coming back from such devastation was the most daunting challenge he would ever face as a superintendent, it’s taken a back seat to the ongoing difficult decisions associated with opening schools back up in a pandemic. “At least after the storm we had a clear path; we knew what needed to be done and we just had to figure out how to make it happen and how to pay for it,” he said. “This Covid-19 situation is a moving target with guidance changing daily, and sometimes multiple times a day, and lives literally on the line.” But with a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Florida State University and 32 years of experience in the school system, Husfelt is not afraid to make difficult decisions. “When I was first elected in 2008 I walked into the Great Recession,” he said. “We had to close schools, repurpose schools and cut staff just to balance the budget.” Husfelt is concerned that another recession is just around the corner. “We know we’re spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on PPE, sanitation, cleaning, extra staff etc.,” he said, “and I know that districts across the state and country are doing the same thing. We know the state is going to have to make cuts but we just don’t know when, how much and where those cuts will be.” In the meantime, Husfelt keeps on visiting schools every chance he gets and encouraging the employees who are working directly with the children. “That’s why we’re here,” he said, “the kids keep us coming back day after day and they depend on us for everything from food to clothing to love, encouragement and academics.” Husfelt and his wife of 38 years, Theresa, reside in Panama City, Florida. A grandfather of ten, with one more on the way, Husfelt was recently re-elected to an unprecedented fourth term in office and will serve as the superintendent until November of 2024 when he plans to retire.
DR. PAUL M. PEDERSEN Paul M. Pedersen, Ph.D., is professor of sport management at Indiana University (IU) in Bloomington, Indiana. Inducted as a North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM) Research Fellow in 2009. Pedersen has published nine books (including titles such as Contemporary Sport Management [6th edition], Strategic Sport Communication [3rd edition]) and over 100 articles in peer-reviewed academic outlets such as the Journal of Sport Management, European Sport Management Quarterly, Sport Marketing Quarterly, Journal of Sports Media, Sociology of Sport Journal, and Journal of Sports Economics. He has also been a part of over 100 refereed presentations at professional conferences and over 50 invited presentations at various levels from the local to the international (e.g., Beijing, China; Budapest, Hungary; Oslo, Norway; Saint Petersburg, Russia; Seoul, South Korea; Shanghai, China; Slagelse, Denmark). He has been interviewed and quoted in publications as diverse as The New York Times and the China Daily. In addition to his other authorship activities (e.g., book chapters, non-refereed articles, encyclopedic entries, conference articles), Pedersen is the founding editor of the International Journal of Sport Communication (IJSC). He is also an editorial board member of seven other academic journals. Pedersen – a former sportswriter and sports business columnist – has primary scholarly interests in the area of sport communication within the field of sport management. He has researched, published, and presented on the activities and practices of many sport organization personnel, specifically those associated with the media (e.g., editors, reporters) and affiliated with intercollegiate and interscholastic sports (e.g., athletic directors, student-athletes). Pedersen has appreciated the opportunity to be the doctoral chair of 19 Ph.D. graduates, co-chair of one Ph.D. graduate, a committee member on 23 other completed doctoral dissertations, and a doctoral advisor to five current students. Pedersen also teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the sport management program at IU. Pedersen spent many of his early years out west (e.g., Nebraska, Colorado) and in 2011 was inducted into the Golden Eagle Hall of Fame (East High School – Pueblo, Colorado). He received his Ph.D. from Florida State University and now lives in Bloomington with his wife, Jennifer, and two of their four children, Brock and Carlie. Their oldest children, Hallie and Zack, live in Chicago and Bloomington, respectively.
DR. ELLINGTON DARDEN Muscle—the stuff that was responsible for the Great Wall of China, the Pyramids of Egypt, and the physiques of Samson, Hercules, and The Terminator—is Dr. Ellington Darden’s domain. With precision exercising and eating, he can develop and define the major muscles of the body. Darden stresses that the vast majority of people need more muscle. “Muscle has been our engine, our means of movement, since the beginning of our time on Earth,” he says. “With muscle we run, kick, throw, bike, and swim. With it we lift heavy objects and thread tiny needles, operate chain saws and manipulate keyboards. With five pounds of added muscle (a realistic goal), we do almost everything better. And that added muscle firms our overlying fat and skin, which helps us look more attractive.” Darden holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in exercise science from Baylor University and a doctorate in physical education from Florida State University. Two years of post-doctoral study in food and nutrition set him on the trail that reinforced his interest in strength and health. Instrumental in his studies at Florida State University were Dr. Frances Hall (physical education) and Harold Schendel (nutrition). He then reconnected with Ilanon Moon, his 1960 high-school English teacher, who challenged him with the question: “Do you want to write for P-H-D or P-A-Y?” She taught him how to improve both – significantly. From 1973 through 1993, Darden was director of research for Nautilus Sports/ Medical Industries. There he helped develop and popularize Nautilus exercise machines. Plus, he created the acronym HIT: High-Intensity Training. His work led to a number of best-selling courses, including The Nautilus Book, Massive Muscles in 10 Weeks, A Flat Stomach ASAP, and The Bowflex Body Plan. His most recent hardcovers are The Body Fat Breakthrough and Killing Fat. After 50 years of muscle-related adventures, Darden has published 76 books that have sold almost seven million copies. He currently resides in Orlando, Florida, with his wife Jeanenne; son Tyler (18); and daughter, Larah, (15).
ERIKA LOWERY Erika Lowery is beginning her sixth year as the Secondary Social Studies Coordinator for Denton ISD. During her 23 years in education, she has taught middle school and high school geography courses for students in ESL Sheltered, Inclusion, On- Level, Pre AP, and AP Human Geography. She was awarded the National Council for Geographic Education Distinguished Teaching Achievement award in 2013. Her dedication to social studies extends beyond the classroom to statewide and national leadership roles. She was president of Texas Council for the Social Studies in 2018 and past president in 2019. She is currently the president elect for the National Social Studies Supervisors Association and has previously held the office of secretary for the organization. She served as a member of the National Geographic Society’s Texas Advisory Committee in 2018 - 2019. She has held other leadership and membership roles with the City of Lewisville, PTA, and Delta Kappa Gamma and was selected as a judge for the Regional Citizen Bee, a judge for the state Geography Bee, an AP Reader, and a presenter at various state and national conferences. She received her Bachelor of Science in Social Studies Education from Florida State University and a Master of Education from National Louis University. Lowery began her dedication to the field of education in the summer of 1994, declaring her major in Social Science Education. In the fall semester of 1995, she was completing her pre student teaching at Griffin Middle School in Tallahassee and was hooked for life. The spring of 1996 she returned from her student teaching in South Florida and continued her teaching path as a substitute teacher at Leon High School. Her first teaching position was at Robinswood Middle School in Orlando teaching seventh grade Florida history and western hemisphere geography. She then moved to Osceola County Public Schools and continued teaching geography, sixth grade eastern hemisphere, spending the next four years at Parkway Middle School. During this time she married her FSU sweetheart, Chip Lowery, who also graduated FSU from the College of Education with a degree in Physical Education, and they had a beautiful baby girl, Emma. In 2002, The family moved to Texas and continued their dedication to education.
DR. SHIRLEY GREEN-REESE An Americus, Georgia native, Dr. Shirley Green-Reese has served in many professional academic and administrative roles in higher education and professional organizations. She has significant experiences in higher education as an academic administrator, marketer, fundraiser for athletics, chairperson for academic departments, assistant vice president, and professor. She has also served as an undergraduate and graduate faculty member, in addition to directing many field and clinical experiences. As an engaged scholar with disciplinary-related service experience at the local, national and statewide levels, her strengths are comprised of athletic administration, fundraising, community and alumni relations, management and supervision, SACS/CAEP and NCAA accreditations, research and grant writing. Green-Reese received a Bachelor of Science degree in education from Savannah State University. She then earned her master’s degree from Georgia State University, where she continued her postgraduate studies. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy degree at Florida State University in the area of Administration, Supervision, Curriculum and Professional Preparation. While serving in higher education, Green-Reese captured the title of the first female athletic director in the State of Georgia in 1983. Furthermore, she was selected as first female in the state in 1993 to serve as an executive member of the restructured National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Management Council. Other professional roles and include: chairperson of health, physical education and therapeutic recreation; senior woman athletic administrator; director of NCAA’s National Youth Sports Program and project administrator and activity director; assistant vice president of University Advancement, director of development, and special project administrator for Recreational Services. Green-Reese has served on several prestigious university committees and boards including: Faculty Senate Council, Retention, Recruitment, Research Editorial, SACS/NCATE Steering, Athletics, Curriculum, Educational Support, Presidential Scholars, Honors, Student Affairs, Academic Advisory Dean’s Council, scholarships and grants awards, student associations, faculty and staff employment searches, and student review boards. Her most recent honors include: National Smithsonian Museum, National Legislative Black Caucus’ State Builder Award, Georgia Legislative Black (cont.)
DR. SHIRLEY GREEN-REESE (continued) Caucus’ Fortitude Award, Boys & Girls Clubs of America 15th Year Medallion, and as one of the Leesburg Stockade Girls’ Story. Green-Reese’s previous experiences with the NCAA extended to a four-year term. She also served on the following NCAA committees from 1993 - 1998: Minority Opportunities and Interests, Eligibility Appeals, Restructuring Process, Post Graduate Scholarship, Walter Byers Scholarship, Gender Equity, National Youth Sports Program, Division II Cost Containment, Division II Provisional Membership, Division II State of Georgia Coordinator for the National Youth Sports Program, Championship, South Regional Advisory for Women’s Basketball Championships, Cost Containment, and Research Reader for the Alcohol-Choice Prevention Grant. Green-Reese’s community involvements included serving as chairperson of the strategic planning committee for the NCAA/NYSP programs, consultant for the Americus Housing Authority’s Youth Champions program; chief professional officer for the Boys and Girls Club of Americus-Sumter County’s Board of Directors, the Southwestern Judicial Circuit’s Public Defender Selection Panel, Americus’ Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and the Prince Hall Order of Eastern Star. After a historic existence in the national arena for athletics in 1993, Green-Reese initiated several vital legislations involving student-athletes’ rights, regulations and welfare. She is a highly regarded leader of many unique accomplishments and successes that have been presented at the NCAA conferences and seminars throughout the nation. Currently, she serves as a consultant for education, Title IX, and sports-related issues at the collegiate level.
ABOUT the AWARDS DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARDS Established in 1985, the College of Education Distinguished Alumni Awards provide an avenue of honoring graduates of the college who have distinguished themselves through scholarly, creative and humanitarian achievement and service to their profession. The annual awards are given in multiple categories, such as Business & Industry, Government & Community Service, International, K-12 Education, Postsecondary Sytems, Sport Management & Physical Education, Distinguished Educator, and Lifetime Achievement.
TRAILBLAZER AWARDS The Trailblazer Award was established in 2018 to recognize alumni who have graduated in the last 10 years and who have had significant impact within their profession, contributed to their community, and show promise of continued success. Each year, recipients of Distinguished Alumni and Trailblazer awards are nominated by their peers and selected by an esteemed committee of College of Education alumni. In front of family and friends, award recipients are honored by the College of Education dean, administrative leadership members, faculty, and fellow alumni at an awards ceremony held during Homecoming festivities in the fall.