College of Education 2014 Magazine by Penn State College of Education

Two Thousand Fourteen

Gifts provide Opportunities for Penn State Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Today and Tomorrow

Dean David H. Monk Editor Suzanne Wayne Writers Amanda Dash, Andrew Elder, Kevin Sliman, Rachel Tedesco Photographers Paul Hazi, Mark Houser, Kevin Sliman, Steve Tressler Designer Leah Donell Printer RR Donnelley Contact Us 247 Chambers Building University Park, PA 16802-3206 814-863-2216 www.ed.psu.edu • edrelations@psu.edu Published annually by the Penn State College of Education College of Education Alumni Society Officers Patricia Best, President William Vitori, President-Elect Larry Wess, Immediate Past President Erica Greer, Secretary Directors Larry Carretta Jeremiah Mimms Tonya DeVecchis-Kerr Ronald Musoleno David Dolbin Sandie Musoleno Kaela Fuentes Pamela Peter Marie Himes Stephanie Preston William Stone Tracy Hinish Dee Stout Amy Meisinger Cathy Tomon Christine Merritt Michael Meyer Student Members Jenna Hackett Jennifer Harrison Affiliate Program Group Presidents COEalumni@psu.edu, American Indian Leadership Program Jacob Easley II, Educational Leadership Program B. Christopher Dougherty, Higher Education Program COEalumni@psu.edu, Multicultural Advancement Mary Beth Hershey, Professional Development School COEalumni@psu.edu, Workforce Education Program

Contents Dean’s Message

We celebrate the transformational effects of education on individual lives, schools, and society.

For the Future

Penn State nears the end of its successful For the Future campaign. Meet some of the students who are benefiting from College scholarships.

College Updates

Read about College outreach, programs, faculty awards, and activities.

Short Subjects

A sampling of recent research from the College includes an investigation of the effects of how ADHD is underdiagnosed in minority children, a new book on performance consulting, a recent brief filed with the US Supreme Court, and how arts in education can be used to introduce dialogues about social justice and democracy.

Alumni Features – Helping Individuals Become their Best

College of Education alumni discuss the paths that led to their varied careers and reflect on the common values they gained while attending Penn State.

Alumni Information

Read about recent alumni achievements, updates from the Alumni Society Board, and more.

The University is committed to equal access to programs, facilities, admission, and employment for all persons. It is the policy of the University to maintain an environment free of harassment and free of discrimination against any person because of age, race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, creed, service in the uniformed services (as defined in state and federal law), veteran status, sex, sexual orientation, marital or family status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, physical or mental disability, gender, perceived gender, gender identity, genetic information, or political ideas. Discriminatory conduct and harassment, as well as sexual misconduct and relationship violence, violates the dignity of individuals, impedes the realization of the University’s educational mission, and will not be tolerated. Direct all inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policy to Dr. Kenneth Lehrman III, Vice Provost for Affirmative Action, Affirmative Action Office, The Pennsylvania State University, 328 Boucke Building, University Park, PA 168025901; Email: kfl2@psu.edu; Tel 814-863-0471. . U.Ed EDU 14-42

Gifts to the College Announcements of new endowments given to the College.

On the cover: Students work on projects in the Learn Lab, an innovative classroom that is part of the Krause Innovation Studio. Photo by Steve Tressler

Dean’sMessage Earlier this year, I received a heartwarming letter from James Otto, the recently retired principal at the Issac Sheppard Elementary School in Philadelphia. The College has had a comprehensive partnership with the Sheppard School for the past ten years. We have placed interns in the school, hosted visits from Sheppard School students, families, teachers, and administrators, and developed an innovative electronic tutoring program. I think you might be interested in seeing the following portion of Mr. Otto’s letter, which I share with his permission. As you will see, he speaks eloquently about the transformational change that has occurred at the school: “The injection of the quality and the energy that Penn State brought changed the face of Sheppard forever. From the afterschool programs, to the community engagement, to the online tutoring, to the family visits in the spring, to the excellent ‘Sheppard Experience’ teaching interns, Sheppard took on the pride of Penn State. Rarely did a week go by in all of those years when there wasn’t someone from PSU somewhere in the building. Every child at Sheppard developed a relationship with at least one Penn State representative, usually more. And many, many parents at Sheppard got to know someone connected to the University, an otherwise rare occurrence.” Our involvement with Sheppard has also transformed the College. Through the tutoring program and campus visits from the Sheppard School students and their families, our Penn State students have become more aware of the cultural, racial, and economic realities they will encounter as they enter the world of practice. Our students are more prepared to understand and appreciate these realities and are better equipped to make the necessary connections to be successful thanks to experiences in settings like the Sheppard School.

Dean David H. Monk

Speaking of letters, I also recently received a very interesting letter from a middle school student in North Carolina. This young man is planning ahead and dreams of becoming an excellent history teacher. He wanted me to know that he is very impressed with the College of Education at Penn State and hopes to be a student here in a few years. He posed some questions and the first question was about whether there is any scholarship support in the College. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, I was able to assure him that “yes, the College does provide scholarship support.” Both letters speak volumes about the transformational power of education. Mr. Otto has participated first-hand in a powerful partnership that demonstrates how lives are changed for the better when a university links arms with colleagues in the field. The young man from North Carolina has already established a clear career goal and sees Penn State as a key component of how he plans to realize his dream. I hope it will be possible for this young man to join us at Penn State. We will welcome his energy and creativity, along with his impressive ability to plan ahead! Thanks to the generosity of our alumni and friends in For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students, the College is well prepared for the transformational changes the future will inevitably bring. During the campaign our donors created forty-six new endowments to support students and programs for students, and I could not be more proud of the progress we have made. I think we can take great pride in what the faculty, staff, students, and alumni in the College are accomplishing, and it is a special privilege for us to share in this issue of Penn State Education just a small fraction of the stories that unfold daily thanks to the work of the College. I hope you will enjoy learning more about our students, faculty, staff, and alumni. We thank you for your interest and support and remain thankful for the opportunity to work in a truly transformational College that contributes in so many ways to a truly transformational field.

Penn State Education

Support from Alumni and Friends Benefit Students and Provides for Future Excellence High-quality education is the key to a promising future. It builds character, boosts confidence, and opens doors of opportunity. It improves society and produces leaders. It charts a bright future and gives birth to innovation. “I am grateful for the people I have met who have helped me progress toward my goals; just as the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, so too does even the smallest contribution help set great things in motion. When I learned that I had been selected as a recipient for this prestigious scholarship, I was moved that you were interested in helping me continue my pursuit toward higher education and beyond.” — Elizabeth Davinsizer, from a thank you note to a donor

For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students

For all of these reasons and more, education is a worthy investment, one that many alumni, faculty, staff, and friends have chosen to support during For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students. All of these gifts and pledges have benefited numerous students in the College of Education. Dean David H. Monk said the generous gifts from alumni and

friends throughout the seven-year For the Future campaign are moving the College to unprecedented levels of excellence. “The resulting scholarships make it possible for us to recruit and retain highly talented students who otherwise would have been denied a Penn State education,” said Monk. “We celebrate these students’ many successes and delight in observing

“I wanted to personally thank you for the generous donation to create my scholarship. It truly will aid me in my advancement to become a professional educator. The scholarship means an incredible amount to me. It has given me the opportunity to further my education and to continue to push myself in the right direction.” — Bryan Tesla, from a thank you note to a donor

their entrance into so many parts of the vast field of education. The achievements of the campaign have also strengthened the faculty and the richness of the educational experience for our students.”

Since the campaign began in 2007, the College has raised more than $32 million and has dramatically increased the number of positive impacts on students. In the 2006– 07 academic year, $530,000 in scholarships were awarded from endowments. During 2013–14, the College was able to award more than $800,000 in scholarships. In addition, due to a rise in giving through For the Future, the College was able to increase the average scholarship amount from $1,300 to $2,200, an increase of nearly 70 percent. Monk added that thanks to the For the Future campaign, the College

has achieved the goals it set in previous strategic plans, including its deep commitment to the pursuit of effective innovation in teaching and learning throughout the College.

Penn State Education

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you for your scholarship... Every semester I challenge myself to earn the best grades and get the most out of all my classes. By awarding me this scholarship you have lightened my financial burden and your generosity is appreciated and accepted with extreme honor. I will continue to work hard in and outside the classroom.” — Mayra Martinez, from a thank you note to a donor

“We have reached an impressive peak in our performance as a College, and we look forward to building on these considerable results,” said Monk. “I am deeply grateful for every gift that was made during the campaign. Please accept my heartfelt thanks for this remarkable and transformational support.”

The gifts received throughout the campaign have real-world impact. They have been used to support graduate assistantships, scholarships, program development, faculty support, and facility improvements.

For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students

In addition, forty-six new endowments were established in the College during the For the Future campaign through outright gifts, pledges, and documented estate gifts. These endowments provide financial support for scholarships, assistantships, research expenses, guest lecturers, faculty and student recruitment, faculty start-up support, conferences, professional development for faculty and staff, and technology enhancements throughout the College.

“I am delighted to see how the success of the For the Future campaign has allowed the College of Education to support so many students interested in advancing their education,” said Penn State President Rodney Erickson. “This is a fine example of a community coming together to support a great University’s highest priority, its students. The community ranges from the generous donors and alumni whose gifts support our students to the faculty and staff who help our students realize their dreams. It is a wonderful illustration of Penn State at its finest, and I am pleased to offer my congratulations.”

Sue Breedlove ’77 EEC, the co-chair of the Dean’s Development Council and a donor herself, said she has learned firsthand how the financial support from the campaign has made an enormous difference in the lives of many students. “Without these gifts, some students might have been unable to attend Penn State or may have had to juggle a job while working toward their degree,” said Breedlove. “The support students receive helps them to concentrate more on their studies and less on how they are going to cover their expenses.”

Supporters of the College and its students come from many walks of life. Some are alumni who want to give back to the College that helped them to develop into leaders in their fields. Several are graduates of other Penn State colleges or other universities who are passionate about their belief in the importance of education and the work of the College. Still others are College of Education faculty and staff who believe deeply in the College’s mission and students.

As of January 2014, nearly a third of the faculty and staff in the College of Education, both active and retired, have collectively contributed nearly $900,000 to the For the Future campaign. Jim Nolan ’83 Ph.D. C I, Hermanowicz professor of education, is the current College chairperson of the faculty and staff fund raising effort. “I believe everyone in the College has played an integral role in the campaign’s success through our dedication and commitment to our students,” said Nolan. “Together, we’ve achieved our goal!” The For the Future campaign comes to a close on June 30, 2014, so there is still time to participate. Individuals who are interested in supporting the College of Education by making a contribution may contact Michelle Houser, director of development and alumni relations, at 814-863-2146 or mkb117@psu.edu.

— Kevin Sliman

“Penn State had been a dream of mine for as long as I could remember… However, there were two obstacles I was facing, gaining acceptance and paying my tuition… When I received news of being a College of Education scholarship recipient, I could not have been more grateful.” — Melissa Wallington, from a thank you note to a donor

Penn State Education

CollegeUpdates New Mathematics Laboratory Transforms Research and Instruction The College of Education recently opened its new mathematics education lab, which provides the College with an environment that has a duality of use, combining the research space and the classroom space into one stateof-the-art facility. Pre-service teachers, practicing teachers, and mathematicseducation researchers can observe and study whole-class and smallgroup activities both in real time and through recordings.

The classroom within the College of Educationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new mathematics education lab is the home for undergraduate and graduate mathematics education. Its leadingedge features include multiple interactive projection screens for simultaneous interaction with dynamic computer software, mobile monitors to facilitate sharing of work within and among groups, multiple stations designed for collaborative work, and the capacity to engage in interactive communication with classrooms at remote sites. Far left: Pan-and-zoom cameras (pictured) and microphones facilitate the melding of practice-based preparation of teachers and research on the teaching and learning of mathematics. Left: The Resource Area offers a space where large groups can work together on research projects, review data, or look at a presentation or paper in the making. The Resource Area is also equipped with wireless access (similar to the Graduate Research Room).

College Updates

The Control Room provides a facility to gather high-quality data from interviews and classroom observation through the use of cameras and microphones that are placed throughout the lab.

The Graduate Research Room provides a space for graduate students to work on mathematics education research, including data from interviews or classroom activity. The space is fully equipped with wireless access.

A single-table setting that replicates one small group area of the classroom. This room is used for interviews or for small-group interactions that are similar to classroom activities.

Penn State Education

CollegeUpdates

Penn State College of Education will host an interdisciplinary civil rights conference to address the inability of many students of color to access highquality education.

Education and Civil Rights Conference Features Lani Guinier Penn State College of Education Erica Frankenberg, assistant is hosting an interdisciplinary professor of education, is civil rights conference on June chairing the conference 6–7, 2014. The goal of the planning committee. She conference, titled “Education said that she is delighted to and Civil Rights, Historical have Guinier as the keynote Legacies, Contemporary speaker. Strategies and Promise for the “Having Lani Guinier as our Future,” is to address the inability speaker for the conference Lani Guinier, of many students of color to Bennett Boskey can help us think about new access high-quality education, Professor of Law strategies for pursuing civil from pre-k through higher at Harvard Law rights in education,” said education. The conference School Frankenberg. “Her scholarship seeks to explore what strategies and professional experiences situate her have been effective in expanding well to help us contemplate a renewed educational opportunities for these push for equity amid our changing legal, students and how to implement best policy, and demographic environment.” practices that will ensure equity in Prior to her Harvard appointment, public education for the future. Guinier was a tenured professor at the Lani Guinier, the Bennett Boskey University of Pennsylvania Law School. Professor of Law at Harvard Law Formerly, she worked in the Civil School, is the keynote speaker. Her Rights Division at the US Department areas of interest include constitutional of Justice and then headed the voting law, voting rights, race and the law, civil rights project at the NAACP Legal rights, and civil liberties.

College Updates

Defense Fund in the 1980s. Guinier was also President Bill Clinton’s nominee for assistant attorney general for civil rights in 1993. During her career, Guinier has published numerous articles on issues of race, gender, and democratic decisionmaking and has sought new ways of approaching questions like affirmative action while calling for candid public discourse on these topics. Her latest book, The Tyranny of the Meritocracy, will be published later this year. The conference will feature thirty new papers on topics related to the conference theme by leading experts from various backgrounds. There will also be a graduate-student symposium associated with the conference. For more information, visit www.outreach.psu.edu/civil-rights/.

— Kevin Sliman

Graduate Program Rankings Penn Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s College of Education and its graduate programs continue to earn high rankings, as shown in the latest national rankings of graduate programs released by U.S. News & World Report.

Glendon W. Blume

Robert M. Hendrickson

Michael G. Moore

Ten of the Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s graduate programs appear at least in the top twenty of their respective program rankings, with five programs in the top ten. The College is now ranked 33rd in the nation among 278 graduate programs of education identified by U.S. News & World Report. The programs are ranked this year as follows:

Technical Teacher Education (Workforce Education) . . . . 1 Sheila M. Sherow

Barbara Van Horn

Richard A. Walter

Recent Retirements Glendon W. Blume, professor emeritus of education, retired on July 1, 2013. He worked in mathematics education in the department of Curriculum and Instruction for twenty-seven years. Robert M. Hendrickson, professor emeritus of education, retired on July 1, 2013. During his tenure he served as professor in charge of the higher education program, Education Policy Studies (EPS) department head, and associate dean for research, graduate programs, and faculty development. He is a senior scientist in the Center for the Study of Higher Education. He worked in higher education in the department of EPS for twenty-nine years. Michael G. Moore, distinguished professor emeritus of education, retired on July 1, 2013. He worked in distance education in the department of Learning and Performance Systems for twenty-seven years. Sheila M. Sherow retired on July 1, 2013. She was a research associate in the Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy (ISAL) and Goodling Institute for Research in Family Literacy. She worked with ISAL and Goodling for twenty-five years. Barbara Van Horn retired on July 1, 2013. She served as co-director of the Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy (ISAL) and of the Goodling Institute for Research in Family Literacy in the College of Education for twelve years. She worked at ISAL for nearly twenty-five years.

Higher Education Administration . . . . . . . . . . 3 Rehabilitation Counseling . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Education Administration/ Supervision (Ed Leadership) . . . . . . . . . 7 Education Policy . . . . . . . . . 9 Student Counseling/ Personnel Services . . . . . . 11 Secondary Education . . . . 11 Educational Psychology . . 12 Elementary Education . . . 13 Special Education . . . . . . . 16

Richard A. Walter, associate professor emeritus of education retired on June 30, 2013. He served as director of the Professional Personnel Development Center for Career and Technical Education and worked in workforce education in the department of Learning and Performance Systems for twenty-one years.

Penn State Education

CollegeUpdates

Two participants work together to assemble a windmill at a CSATS Saturday Science Workshop.

Saturday Workshops Connect Penn State Faculty with Science Teachers Penn State’s Center for Science and the Schools (CSATS) works to strengthen science and technology education in K–12 schools. One way CSATS achieves this goal is through a special science outreach program called Saturday Science Workshops. Started in 2005, Saturday Science Workshops are monthly professional development workshops that provide opportunities for elementary- and middle-school teachers to learn science content and teaching strategies from Penn State faculty through classroomfriendly activities. “The workshop topics each year are varied to meet the unique needs of K–8 teachers and are often selected based upon teachers’ requests,” said Leah Bug, assistant director of CSATS. “All workshops are free for elementary and middle-school teachers. Many workshops provide teachers with materials to use in their classroom, and they offer Act 48 credit.”

College Updates

“CSATS started Saturday Science Workshops to provide professional development opportunities for teachers in Pennsylvania,” said Bug. “The workshops also offer Penn State faculty members the opportunity to get involved with education outreach and learn current pedagogical strategies in teaching and learning.” Kris Walters, a teacher in the ClaysburgKimmel School District, said that she always leaves the workshop with a feeling of accomplishment and a deeper understanding of the topic. “I have seen this affect my students’ learning and their desire to investigate a variety of scientific topics,” said Walters. “When a science lab is set up, the students are eager to analyze, interpret, record and share their findings. They are then motivated to go back and try different ways that others conducted the investigation.” Susan Stewart, a research associate in the College of Engineering, said she

has taken quite a bit away from the workshops she has helped develop. “I’m excited about using more active learning approaches with my undergraduate and graduate students,” said Stewart. “I have also been more open to trying different approaches to teaching.” James Kasting, Evan Pugh Professor in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, has worked with CSATS to put on workshops. He said that he hopes participants bring what they learn at the workshops back to their classrooms. “Some teachers told me that they enjoyed talking with people who are involved in cutting-edge research,” said Kasting. “That alone gives them something to talk about when they return to their schools.” “Each session that teachers attend provides activities and materials that they can use in their classroom,” said Bug. “We have been including the

“Two State College Area School District teachers were so excited by a topic in their workshop that they are considering ways to revamp their curriculum for the year,” said Bug. “They plan to teach all of their required physical science concepts through the lens of meteorology and climate change.”

A participant looks on as the finishing touches are applied to the windmill’s blades.

newly developed Next Generation Science Standards in the workshops this year so teachers can also learn how to incorporate these new standards into their teaching.”

“It has been a very valuable experience for me to interact with elementaryand middle-school teachers,” said Cory Baggett, a doctoral student in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences who helped develop the climate change workshop. “Part of being a scientist involves sharing what we’ve learned, so it’s rewarding to be a part of this process.”

Bug said that one of the workshop goals is for teachers to understand the practices of scientists and engineers by providing them opportunities to think like a scientist or engineer, showing that science is not always straightforward. “A lot of teachers are used to the scientific method where they follow the steps, get the data, come up with the answer and are done,” said Bug. “Science is not always neat and tidy. Sometimes we leave our workshops with more questions than answers, and it is OK if students do the same because it is all part of the scientific process.” To learn more about the Saturday Science Workshops, visit csats.psu.edu/ satsci/schedule.cfm.

— Kevin Sliman

Save the Date: 2014 Homecoming Tailgate Saturday, September 27, 2014—Penn State vs. Northwestern

The tailgate will be outside of Chambers Building. A limited number of football tickets will be available. The registration site will open August 1 at www.ed.psu. edu/tailgate

Penn State Education

CollegeUpdates Two New Online Graduate Degrees Available from the College M.P.S. in Organization Development and Change The program in Organization Development and Change (OD&C) is a thirtythree-credit master’s degree program that is aimed toward professionals in fields such as talent management, corporate development, performance improvement in government, nonprofit organizations, and industry. Classes are scheduled to start in summer of 2014. (www.worldcampus.psu.edu/degreesand-certificates/organization-development-change-masters/overview) Organization development is about improving how people work together effectively to achieve desired results.

The Penn State College of Education is partnering with Penn State World Campus in 2014 to offer two new graduate degrees: a master of education (M.Ed.) in higher education (HIED) and a master of professional studies (M.P.S.) in organization development and change (OD&C). Each of the degrees will take advantage of the world-class delivery system that World Campus offers, including ondemand viewing for classes, interactive online forums with classmates, and courses taught by highly respected faculty members who are experts in their fields. In addition, World Campus program delivery provides flexibility for individuals who are working full-time and access for individuals who are living throughout the world so they are able to take advantage of these online programs. Finally, students in each of these programs will also have the opportunity to build portfolios, collections of work samples that they have accumulated throughout their programs, that they can share with prospective employers.

College Updates

According to William Rothwell, professor of education and lead faculty of the program, individuals with a skillset in organization development are more qualified at dealing with human implications of change. “Students should be interested in organization development because the world is changing faster and faster,” said Rothwell. “Some business leaders say that the key skill for business leaders in the future is the ability to manage change. This program gives students the way to do that.” The program will have an international focus, ensuring that students are exposed to global issues and the way change is occurring around the world. The program will also emphasize the importance of technology when it comes to facilitating change. “Companies want people to be able to work together virtually in teams across the globe,” said Wesley Donahue, associate professor and program coordinator. “This program will help people gain these skills.” Courses in the curriculum help students improve the vital skill sets necessary to succeed as an OD&C specialist, including skills such as diagnosing and evaluating needs, communicating with others effectively, engaging people in consultations, as well as project management, and more.

M.Ed. in Higher Education The program in Higher Education is a thirty-credit master’s degree program that is geared for individuals who are currently working in or who would like to work in higher education. Classes are planned to start in fall of 2014. Within the program, students have the opportunity to declare one of three emphasis areas: (1) student engagement (e.g., admissions, advising, and residence life), (2) institutional research and assessment (e.g., institutional planning, budgeting, and student assessments), and (3) administration and leadership. “Students can also design their own area of emphasis within this program,” said Fred Loomis, associate professor of education and coordinator of online programs. “There is quite a bit of flexibility, so it can be tailored to the student’s interests. The idea is to custom-design a program of study so that it aligns with the student’s intended career path.” According to Loomis, the program will help students develop the skills to think strategically in order to help move a college or university’s agenda forward, develop new programs, and be studentfocused. The HIED program has a number of other supports to help students succeed, including a faculty adviser, a network of alumni of the program, and the option for real-world higher-education experience through an internship. Loomis added that he believes the future leaders and managers in higher education would benefit from this program immensely. “We will help students develop their leadership skills and potential in their intended career path in higher education,” said Loomis. “They will also increase their breadth of understanding of how colleges and universities operate, so that they can interact effectively with the other parts of the university.” For more information, please visit worldcampus.psu.edu/cedhied

— Kevin Sliman

Mandy Biggers

Julia Bryan

SeriaShia J. Chatters

Carol Clymer

Wendy Coduti

Liliana M. Garces

Jason Gines

Mari Haneda

Megan Hopkins

Neal Hutchens

Ravinder Koul

Austin Mulloy

Cynthia Pellock

Adnan Qayyum

John Roberts

Mary Catherine Scheeler

Jonte “JT” Taylor

Mark Threeton

Faculty Appointments Mandy Biggers joined the College as an assistant professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Julia Bryan joined the College as an associate professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education. SeriaShia J. Chatters joined the College as an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education. Carol Clymer joined the College as co-director of the Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy and the Goodling Institute for Research in Family Literacy. Wendy Coduti joined the College as an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education. Liliana M. Garces joined the College as an assistant professor in the Department of Education Policy Studies. Jason Gines joined the College as an assistant professor in the Department

of Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education. Mari Haneda joined the College as an associate professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Megan Hopkins joined the College as an assistant professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Neal Hutchens joined the College as an associate professor in the Department of Education Policy Studies. Ravinder Koul joined the College as an associate professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Austin Mulloy joined the College as an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education. Cynthia Pellock, associate professor, has been appointed director of the Professional Personnel Development Center for Career and Technical Education.

Adnan Qayyum joined the College as an assistant professor in the Department of Learning and Performance Systems. John Roberts joined the College as an assistant professor in the Department of Education Policy Studies. Mary Catherine Scheeler joined the College as an associate professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education. Jonte “JT” Taylor joined the College as an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education. Mark Threeton joined the College as an assistant professor in the Department of Learning and Performance Systems and has been appointed associate director of the Professional Personnel Development Center for Career and Technical Education.

Penn State Education

CollegeUpdates

Hazel Stryker, a supervisor, waits to ask a question of a student-teacher presenter.

Amy Modglin ’13 SECED speaks to her peers about her student-teaching experience.

Student-Teachers Supported by Network of Professionals Students preparing for teaching careers through programs in Penn State’s College of Education have a strong network of support to help them succeed. One part of that network is the team of faculty members, called supervisors, who provide assistance during a student’s many field experiences, or student-teaching internships. According to Dan Thompson, director of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction Field Experiences (CIFE) Office, supervisors have a number of key roles when it comes to field experiences, which can be around the corner or around the world. School district partnerships are located across Pennsylvania, from Philadelphia to

College Updates

Pittsburgh, and in Pierre, S.D. Students may also choose international field experiences in sixteen countries. Supervisors have an important role as mentors and instructors for students in the program. “They meet regularly with the students and hold weekly seminars to talk about the issues that are going on,” said Thompson. “They open up discussions with the students about what they are doing and seeing.” Supervisors also help students learn administrative processes that every teacher needs to know to get through the day. They also work through problems that students encounter, such as classroom management issues, assessment, and engagement strategies.

Diane Goluboff, an instructor in the College, has served as a supervisor for fifteen years in the Philadelphia region. She said one of her main goals as a supervisor is to bring clarity to theory and demonstrate how theory translates into the reality of today’s schools and classrooms. “The best part of this work is the daily journey into schools, making a difference and helping to shape our future educators and, through them, a future generation of citizens,” said Goluboff. Kelly Fragin, a supervisor in the central Pennsylvania region, said the most important part of her job is the weekly observations she conducts. “Observations afford me the opportunity to watch the studentteachers and have them reflect on their teaching,” said Fragin. “Through these observations we can talk about what is working well and what challenges the student is having.” Kathleen Sillman, assistant professor of education, has been a supervisor for thirteen years in the central Pennsylvania region. She said her main

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Jamie Kautz ’13 SECED shares some program successes from her student-teaching internship.

goal is to be supportive of pre-service teachers as they experience how children learn and thus, how they need to teach. “I work from the beginning to create a safe learning relationship between each student-teacher and mentor, where the student-teachers feel comfortable trying various strategies and assessments, and through constant reflection with their mentors and me, become confident in their choices,” said Sillman. “Seeing them gain confidence and realize they can help children learn is the best feeling I can have in a job well done.” Michelle Pasterick, a supervisor in the central Pennsylvania region, said one of her main goals is helping studentteachers develop into teachers. “My role is helping students develop the ability to learn from the ‘mistakes’ that they might make and to realize that it’s OK when things don’t go exactly as planned,” said Pasterick. “Then I help them figure out how to do things differently in the future to gain more success—for themselves and their students.”

— Kevin Sliman

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total scholarship funding

(depending on the spending rate) *$2,250 = current average scholarship in the College of Education ** Amount available when gift is paid in full

Now is the time to make a commitment through Penn State’s Trustee Matching Scholarship Program. The average education student is graduating with more than $36,500 in debt, making scholarship support more crucial now than ever before. The Trustee Matching Scholarship Program has already helped the College of Education raise nearly $1.5 million for our students with the greatest financial need. Penn State is now offering an even more powerful incentive for you to participate in this program—an increased match that stands to help many more students. The University will now match 10 percent of the total pledge or gift at the time a Trustee Matching Scholarship, a $50,000 gift or pledge, is created through the end of our campaign, June 30, 2014. See the power of your philanthropy at work in the graphics above and how you can leverage this important incentive to help our students. For more information, please contact Michelle Houser at mkb117@psu. edu or 814-863-2146.

Penn State Education

CollegeUpdates Jim Nolan Reflects on Career Preparing Teachers “I see myself professionally as a teacher, and my heart is in schools. In all honesty, those teachers and administrators with whom I have had the chance to work have taught me a tremendous amount and have impacted me as much as I have impacted them. It has been mutually beneficial.” Jim Nolan

Education means a variety of things to a wide range of people. For Jim Nolan ’83 Ph.D. C I, education starts with teachers and students. Nolan, the Henry J. Hermanowicz Professor of Teacher Education, has been instrumental in the College of Education since he started at Penn State as an assistant professor in 1987. “I see myself professionally as a teacher, and my heart is in schools.

In all honesty, those teachers and administrators with whom I have had the chance to work have taught me a tremendous amount and have impacted me as much as I have impacted them. It has been mutually beneficial,” Nolan said. Since he graduated from the University of Scranton in 1972 with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education, Nolan has dedicated his life to education, specifically teacher education. He has

spent time as an elementary school teacher, a secondary German teacher, a high school guidance counselor, and as a professor at Lafayette College, Scranton, and Penn State. He earned an M.S. in counselor education at Marywood University in Scranton before securing a Ph.D. in curriculum & instruction at Penn State. In his 27 years at Penn State, Nolan’s impact has been felt in numerous ways,

Arts in Education Luncheon Featuring Dr. Kimberlee Kiehl, Executive Director of the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (SEEC) in Washington, DC

Thursday, July 10, 2014, Nittany Lion Inn 11:00 a.m.: Keynote Speaker – Dr. Kiehl will address her passion for changing the way that people view early childhood education. The SEEC operates three school sites and through the strength of the Smithsonian Institute, provides innovative activities for children ages two months through kindergarten. Dr. Kiehl’s message can be even more valuable to educators because of Pennsylvania’s renewed attentions for providing meaningful early childhood education as a foundation for academic success for all students. Lunch at the Nittany lion Inn will follow Dr. Kiehl’s presentation. For more information and to register, please contact the Pennsylvania School Study Council at ljw11@psu.edu or 814-865-0321. July 10 is also the first full day of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts 2014. Act 48 Professional Development credit will be available for educators. Co-Sponsored by the Penn State College of Education and The Pennsylvania School Study Council

College Updates

perhaps none more significant than his role in the planning, implementation, and facilitation of the College’s Elementary Professional Development School (PDS).

Pe n n Stat e O n l i n e

The PDS is a collaborative partnership between Penn State and the State College Area School District through which Penn State pre-service teachers participate in a full-year internship experience in classrooms in the school district. Bernard Badiali ’85 Ph.D. C I, associate professor of education, first met Nolan in 1981 when both were graduate assistants. They have been friends and colleagues ever since. “Over the last fifteen years, it has been Jim’s devotion to the College and the PDS community that has kept the College at the forefront of teacher education,” Badiali said. “Ask anyone who has been involved in the PDS movement, and they will say that Penn State exemplifies one of the best university collaborations in the country. I credit Jim Nolan for this.” Jackie Edmondson ’89 EK ED, ’96 M.S. EDPSY, ’99 Ph.D. C I, associate vice president and associate dean of undergraduate education and the former associate dean for undergraduate and graduate studies in the College, has been Nolan’s pupil and his colleague. “Jim’s respect for excellent teachers and his commitment to quality public education has been unwavering. He is one of the most respected educators in our community. He is well known and is a go-to person when questions about teacher education are raised,” Edmondson said. “I feel so fortunate to have been able to study with Jim when I was in my master’s degree program, and then later to have him as a colleague. He continued to be my teacher and mentor when I joined the faculty at Penn State, and I will be forever grateful for all I have learned (and continue to learn) from him.” Devotion to students and teacher-student relationships is something Nolan said has remained a constant in his more than forty years in the field. “What is most important is the relationship between teachers and the students whom they teach. Teachers’ ability to inspire, to challenge, to motivate, to puzzle, to care for, to accept, and to meet the needs of students they teach is what education is all about,” he said. “We often think about education as starting at broad societal levels and moving gradually closer to the child, i.e., policies from the government pushing in on schools and eventually teachers and students. That thinking gets us in trouble. We need to start with the teacher and student as the center and move outward. Everything we do as schools, as individual schools, as school districts, as states, and as a country should be aimed at serving the needs of that relationship.”

— Andy Elder

Challenge Yourself and Inspire Your Students Online master’s degrees and certificates for K–12 professionals Study at times that are convenient for you Learn from the same faculty teaching in residence

worldcampus.psu.edu/degrees-for-educators U.Ed.OUT 14-0469/14-WC-0783bjh/sss

Penn State Education

CollegeUpdates Faculty Fulbrights Beverly Lindsay Fall 2013, Indonesia Lindsay was based at the University of Lampung (UNILA-Lampung province) that also included BINUS University (Jakarta), and the Ministry of Education and Culture (Jakarta). She team-taught professors who desired to enhance their skills in English and social science research in order to engage in international conferences and forums. She was invited to deliver a major presentation to the Lampung Consortium of University Executives, which was one of a number of presentations Lindsay made. “It was a wonderful experience interacting with students, faculty, university senior administrators, and Ministry of Education and Culture policymakers,” said Lindsay. Dan Hade 2013–14, Poland Hade taught undergraduate and graduate courses in children’s literature at the University of Wroclaw in Wroclaw, Poland. He also gave talks, lectures, and workshops, including a lecture on higher education in the United States.

Beverly Lindsay

Dan Hade

Hade was also a part of a popular culture project Wroclaw faculty are conducting in local high schools. “My part of the project involves working with high school students in collecting a variety of retellings of Little Red Riding Hood across all forms of media (books, video, film, games, clothing), and then they will do their own retelling using their choice of media,” said Hade. Kai Schafft 2014–15, Hungary Schafft will work at Central European University in Budapest, Hungary, with researchers and faculty. His research project will examine the ongoing impacts, contradictions, and civic outcomes of Hungary’s legislation that cre-

Kai Schafft

ated the framework for self-governance among Hungary’s recognized minority groups, with a particular focus on the Roma/Gypsy minority. Schafft’s scholarship has been consistently oriented around understanding the relationship between social inequality, spatial inequality, and the social and political agency of marginalized groups, with a focus on rural contexts. The Fulbright research will be a revisiting of earlier work that he initiated in the mid-1990s. “This work, investigating the ways in which minority self-governance has enhanced and/or undermined political representation and educational access, will be timely given rising xenophobia in Hungary,” said Schafft.

Save the date! Pittsburgh Alumni Event Sunday, October 12, 2014 12:30 p.m. Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium $15 per person—price includes admission to the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium and a picnic lunch (children under 2-years-old are free) The registration site will open on August 1.

www.ed.psu.edu/zoo

College Updates

ShortSubjects New Book Explores Performance Consulting William Rothwell, professor of education, recently wrote a book on performance consulting in order to improve organizational performance in William Rothwell the workplace. Rothwell said that performance consulting is essential because it helps organizations uncover problems with human performance that are occurring and what could be done in response. The book, titled Performance Consulting: Applying Performance Improvement in Human Resource Development, was written by Rothwell along with coauthors G.M. (Bud) Benscoter, a North Carolina-based consultant, and some of Rothwell’s doctoral students: Woocheol Kim, Taesung Kim, Aileen Guerrero Zaballero, and Jong Gyu Park. “The world is filled with problems and opportunities for improvement,” said Rothwell. “Some problems are caused by issues associated with people. Performance consulting focuses on the problems or opportunities for improvement having to do with people.” According to Rothwell, performance consulting focuses on analyzing the causes of problems and selecting the best solutions to address the cause and thereby solve the problem, much like a medical doctor does when it comes to diagnosing medical problems. “Performance consultants are experts at diagnosing problems with human performance,” said Rothwell. “They analyze an organization’s problem, diagnose it, and suggest the solution to solve the root cause.” Rothwell illustrated this with an example of an organization dealing with high turnover.

“Turnover is not the real problem, but is instead a symptom of one or more root causes,” said Rothwell. “Such root causes might include low pay, poor treatment from supervisors, or unreasonable work assignments. A temptation of managers is to apply simplistic solutions to complex problems and confuse causes and effects. Performance consulting tries to change that.” According to Rothwell, performance consulting is important because it focuses attention broadly on the causes of performance problems or on issues in which human performance can be improved. “Performance consulting is geared to increase productivity and decrease needless expenses,” said Rothwell. “It helps organizations build an environment that is conducive to performance, and it matches the most appropriate solutions to problems.” The book is aimed at performance consultants, human resource professionals, and leaders who want to develop more productive workers and create a competitive organization. It offers the strategies and information needed to become a dynamic performance consultant. “The book includes guidelines for implementing performance improvement solutions, which are often identified as performance improvement interventions. These can include options such as training, changing job requirements, giving people better tools, clarifying desired work goals and results, or changing how people are rewarded for what they do,” said Rothwell. “It explains which approaches can offer the solutions that are likely to be most cost-effective, timely, ethical, and socially responsible.” The book was published in 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

— Kevin Sliman

Penn State Education

ShortSubjects Study Finds Racial/Ethnic Disparities in ADHD Diagnosis A study by Paul Morgan, associate professor of special education, and his colleagues Marianne Hillemeier, George Farkas, and Steve Maczuga Paul Morgan indicates that Black children and children in homes where a language other than English is being spoken are less likely to receive an attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis by school entry, despite being otherwise similar to White children on many measured background characteristics. The findings indicate that disparities in ADHD diagnosis begin to occur very early in children’s school careers. The study, “Racial/Ethnic Disparities in ADHD Diagnosis by Kindergarten Entry,” is now available in the online version of The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. It will be included in an upcoming printed edition of the journal. This study extends findings from Morgan’s previous ADHD research published in the July 2013 issue of Pediatrics.

“We were interested in evaluating whether the disparities observed across elementary and middle school in our earlier study were evident as early as the fall of kindergarten, accounting for many factors measured prior to the children entering school,” Morgan said. “Whether these disparities extend to Hispanic children has also been unclear. We find that their initially observed disparities are related to non-English language use in the home,” Morgan said. Analyses of kindergarten teacherreported classroom behavior indicated that neither Black nor Hispanic children displayed less frequent ADHD-related behaviors than White children, suggesting that a lower incidence of ADHD symptomology did not explain minority children’s comparatively lower rates of diagnosis. “One explanation for our findings is that Black parents may be relatively more reluctant to obtain a mental health diagnosis for their children, while language barriers may explain Hispanic children’s lower likelihood of diagnosis. It may also be the case that pediatricians and other professionals are not soliciting developmental concerns as often from minority families.”

A lack of treatment for ADHD may result in some minority children experiencing more learning and behavioral problems as they start school, so that they quickly begin falling behind their peers. “One practical application is that these groups of children may have unmet treatment needs. Pediatricians, psychiatrists, and school-based practitioners should be sensitive to the possibility that cultural and linguistic barriers are resulting in systematic under-diagnosis for some groups of children. Ensuring minority children are appropriately diagnosed and treated for ADHD may require overcoming these barriers,” Morgan said. Providing minority parents with information on recognizing potential ADHD symptoms in their children, as well as encouraging help-seeking behaviors when meeting with professionals, may also help prevent or reduce racial/ethnic diagnosis disparities. “I hope that our findings inform efforts to help all children with ADHD. If untreated, ADHD can very quickly begin to interfere with children’s opportunities for school success,” said Morgan.

— Andy Elder

9th Annual College of Education SCOPE 5K Sunday, October 19, 2014 2:00 p.m. The 5K route begins and ends at Chambers Building. $25.00—Adults/non-students $15.00—Students (college or K-12) FREE—Children 5 and under Proceeds benefit the Summer College Opportunity Program in Education (SCOPE). SCOPE is dedicated to increasing access to the field of education for all high-achieving students. www.ed.psu.edu/educ/scope5k

Short Subjects

Garces represented the Civil Rights Project by presenting findings from research studies she, and others, conducted that support the sixth circuit’s decision for why Proposal 2 is unconstitutional. Justice Sotomayor referenced those findings in the longest, most passionate, and most significant dissent of her career. Her opinion, one of five offered on the ruling, was longer than the other four opinions combined.

Garces Responds to Supreme Court Ruling on Affirmative Action Case The United States Supreme Court on April 22 upheld a Michigan constitutional amendment that bans affirmative action in Liliana Garces admissions to the state’s public universities. Liliana Garces, assistant professor of education and research associate at the Center for the Study of Higher Education, served as counsel of record for the Civil Rights Project at UCLA in an amicus curiae, or friend of the court, brief filed in the case. The 6-to-2 ruling leaves in place a Michigan law, originally known as Proposal 2, which was approved by 58 percent of Michigan’s voters in 2006. That vote amended the state constitution to prohibit discrimination or preferential treatment in public education, government contracting, and public employment.

“I was disappointed in the final judgment reversing the lower court opinion, which had struck down the law as unconstitutional because it created unequal access to the political process. But I was heartened by Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s powerful dissent,” Garces said. “One of the things that I found powerful about her dissent is that she used social science research to support her rationale,” she continued. The case, Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action et al., examined the constitutionality of the Michigan ban. In 2012, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals struck it down, saying it violated the federal Constitution’s equal protection clause. As counsel of record, Garces, who earned a law degree at the University of Southern California School of Law, was the author of the brief and oversaw the official filing to the Supreme Court. Amicus curiae briefs are those filed by individuals or organizations that have an interest in the outcome of a case, but aren’t directly involved in the lawsuit.

“There was a lot of disagreement among the justices about what the rationale for the judgment should be. Fundamentally, they read the guarantees of the equal protection clause differently,” Garces said. “The plurality tried to distinguish this case from prior cases in which the court had found a violation.” “Even Justice Scalia noted that the plurality reinterpreted precedent ‘beyond recognition,’ and Justice Sotomayor agreed. Justice Sotomayor’s dissent lays out what I believe to be an interpretation of the equal protection clause that is in line with prior court decisions and the realities of our society, where race continues to matter.” This wasn’t the first time Garces has participated in a case at the Supreme Court level. She has now served as counsel of record in three amicus curiae briefs for the Supreme Court, including the court’s most recent decision regarding the constitutionality of raceconscious admissions policies in Fisher v. University of Texas and a previous case involving the constitutionality of K-12 voluntary desegregation policies. In the amicus brief she filed in Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action et al., Garces included a couple of her own published research articles. “The findings from these studies were relevant in the case to show the detrimental consequences that bans on affirmative action have had on questions of access and opportunity for students of color,” she said.

— Andy Elder

Penn State Education

ShortSubjects

Students participate in an interactive public performance outside of Pattee Library.

Exploring Social Justice and Democracy Through the Arts Two faculty members in Penn State’s College of Education who use the arts in education to begin dialogues with students about social justice and democracy have recently published their pedagogical practices and research. Kimberly Powell, an associate professor of education and art education, and Stephanie Serriere, an assistant professor of education, each used inspiration from various theatrical forums and techniques that are intended to empower individuals to actively engage issues.

Short Subjects

In Powell’s classroom teaching, she has staged public interactive performances on Penn State’s University Park campus where her students portrayed different images of democracy. As a part of the research, student passers-by were invited to share their thoughts on the performance, its meaning, and if/how they would change it in order to help shape new images of democracy. Powell said she had no idea at the time that this exercise would prove to be such a profound experience for both the image-makers and the viewers.

“We have encountered a variety of viewpoints on democracy,” said Powell. “We learned that by involving passers-by, the concept of democracy was endlessly interpreted, created, and contested. Involving others has contributed to rich discussions about images and concepts of democracy in our society.” Powell said that the theater techniques she used are based on a belief that it is important to communicate by using the body rather than speech because it can bypass barriers or filters associated with speech.

“Our experiences are multisensory,” said Powell. “The visual field is not just about seeing. It evokes the other senses. To encourage students to embody an image, and to reflect on an image, is to engage them in the recognition that images are symbolic— representations that they can directly question and confront.” Serriere’s research used photography in pre-K classrooms where students reviewed pictures of actual, same-day classroom activities. For example, one picture was of a boy who was crying because other students told him that he was not allowed to play with them. Using the photos as a platform for conversation, students were then prompted to re-imagine different possibilities that might result in different outcomes by using their bodies to reenact the scenario. This offered Serriere various perspectives on how the students understood what happened and how they envisioned a more ideal or just world. “With images, we can see and talk through each other’s interpretation in a different way,” said Serriere, who added that this exercise can give a new platform of expression to marginalized or underrepresented students. Serriere said this is important because stereotypical concepts were already inescapably and consistently present in the children’s work and play, especially enacted conceptions about gender, class, language, and power. Her efforts aimed to help students explore dilemmas in such stereotypical concepts and understand alternative viewpoints. “I have my interpretations about what’s fair and just in preschoolers’ worlds, but I wanted to hear from them and gain their perceptions of what is right, fair, and just,” said Serriere. “I wanted to explore through photos what they thought they could do about things they may want to change. Young people are often told what to do but not often asked how they would like something to be.”

Left: Students portray different images of democracy during a public performance. Right: A list of brainstormed concepts related to democracy.

Powell and Serriere said that social justice is important to educators because social injustice, big and small, is potentially embedded in school subject matter, the ways educators teach, or the ways in which students engage with one another. “As educators, we believe Kimberly Powell that the choices and actions that we and our students make in our classrooms contribute to the formation of student selves in relation to larger society,” said Powell.

“Encouraging students’ senses of agency relates to engaging their imagination,” said Serriere. “Such experiences of enacting one’s own version of social justice should not be saved for the freedom of a university campus setting but rather can and should begin in early schooling.” Powell and Serriere agree that educating students in the way that images carry messages is important.

“Teachers have the opportunity to help students question Beyond the research, these conventional wisdom exercises have helped regarding images and ways educate and engage of seeing,” said Powell, students in meaningful “so that students become ways, according to Powell. Stephanie Serriere active agents in both the “Through their reading and making of image-making and images rather than merely being passive discussions with us, it is clear that consumers.” the undergraduate students with whom we’ve engaged care about having a voice in democracy, in equal opportunity, and in a fair and representative government,” said Powell.

According to Serriere, these efforts can help create socially conscious students, even at an early age.

The article, “Image-Based Participatory Pedagogies: Reimagining Social Justice,” can be found in the October 2013 edition of International Journal of Education & the Arts.

— Kevin Sliman

Penn State Education

Helping Individuals Become their Best Take any group of College of Education graduates, and initially you will see a wide range of individuals all pursuing their own interests. Upon closer inspection you will find many connections between them that reflect a collective dedication to the expansion and utilization of human capabilities. As we interact with College of Education alumni we consistently find those who are dedicated to helping individuals become their best. Whether they are national-award-winning science and math teachers who are transforming instruction in their schools, or the founder of an organization dedicated to promoting leadership at all levels of society, College of Education alumni are focused on improving the individual which leads to better communities and a better society.

Erin L. Marsh ’05 B.S. Elementary and Kindergarten Education

M.Linn Studios

Second- and Third-Grade Teacher, Pierre Indian Learning Center, Pierre, SD

Since she was ten years old, Erin dreamed of attending Penn State. She reached her goal, graduating in 2005 with a B.S. in elementary education with an early childhood endorsement. During her final semester at Penn State, the College of Education placed her at the Pierre Indian Learning Center in Pierre, South Dakota, for student teaching. She has been there ever since, teaching second- and third-grade mathematics. After completing a three-year mathematics leadership program called South Dakota Counts, her students’ state standardized test scores increased from 57 percent proficient to 75 percent proficient and/or advanced in mathematics. She has since become the school’s first mathematics coach, providing leadership, support, and professional development for all title, special education, and classroom teachers. In 2012, she earned a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction with a math specialist endorsement from Black Hills State University. She was recently awarded the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

“The Penn State elementary education program provided me with one of the most valuable student teaching opportunities in the nation. Its connection with the Pierre Indian Learning Center in Pierre, South Dakota, is one of the best student teaching placements the College of Education has to offer. Teaching Native American students in South Dakota has taught me the value of relationship building. More importantly, this experience instilled the passion to make a difference in the lives of children. My teaching goes beyond academics. I am also a mathematics coach, athletic coach, and mentor for my students. At both Penn State and the Pierre Indian Learning Center I have learned the importance of getting to know my students, building relationships, and in return, building their trust. Once these relationships are built, the possibilities are endless.”

Penn State Education

John C. Foster ’77 B.S. Vocational Industrial Education, ’83 M.Ed. Vocational Industrial Education, ’97 Ph.D. Workforce Education

“I completed my doctoral work thanks to professors Ken Gray, Bill Rothwell, Rich Walters, and Ed Yoder. I left Penn State energized to make a difference in my field. I wanted to help others enjoy the same feelings of pride I had known in my construction years, pride that came from the satisfaction I felt when I turned around at the end of the day and could say to myself, ‘I built that.’ I can’t begin to describe the impact of the Penn State network and the quality and currency of the education I received. Starting my work life as a construction laborer, I never would have envisioned myself teaching students the values of working with one’s hands, working for three different governors, having a network of friends across the nation, and writing three books. Even when I’m far from any Penn State campus, and I see a Penn State sweatshirt and yell ‘We Are’ and get a response of ‘Penn State,’ it makes me think of my experiences, my journey, and my friends.”

Alumni Feature

Dan Z. Johnson

President/CEO, NOCTI, Big Rapids, MI

After high school, John was accepted to a Penn State commonwealth campus, but he instead started working in the construction industry. At night, he took courses at a community college, where he developed an interest in education. A counselor suggested he should teach carpentry in one of the new area vocational technical schools. He contacted Penn State, which had recently started a new program to certify “vocational teachers.” Professor Fred Welch helped him enroll in what is now the workforce education and development program. He taught construction for several years, during which he completed his bachelor’s and a master’s in vocational administration. That degree allowed him to transition into career and technical administration. After earning his Ph.D., he worked for Penn State in career and technical education (CTE) teacher training. He was tapped by then-Governor Tom Ridge to become the director of CTE programs for Pennsylvania. He remained CTE director under Gov. Schweiker and Gov. Rendell. In 2005, he left state service to take the position of CEO of NOCTI, the non-profit responsible for CTE student testing nationwide at the secondary, post-secondary, and adult levels, a position he currently holds.

John C. Mitchell ’94 M.Ed. Counselor Education

In his time at Penn State, John distinguished himself in and out of the classroom. While he was working toward his bachelor’s degree, he was breaking ground as the first AfricanAmerican and male featured twirler for Penn State’s Blue Band. He then earned a master’s in counselor education with a concentration in college student personnel. After he graduated from Penn State, John started his professional career at Bucknell University as a program coordinator in the Office of Student Life. He then accepted a position as resident director at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). He later transitioned to senior admissions counselor and pre-enrollment advocate in the Office of Admissions at UCSB. John then served as dean of admissions and college counselor for STAR Prep Academy in Culver City, California. He is currently director of the Counseling and Scholarships Department at the Fulfillment Fund, where he leads his team in encouraging underrepresented firstgeneration students to apply to and enroll in highly competitive colleges and universities.

Panas Wiwatpanachat

Director of the Counseling and Scholarships Department, Fulfillment Fund, Los Angeles, CA

“My passion has always been and still is to motivate and support someone to achieve their true potential and valued worth. I would not be fully truthful if I did not state that my heart still pumps and my passion still remains with my baton twirling career that has allowed me to share my heart and soul with so many people across the world. Although I still love to perform, I also have a true passion teaching the sport to the next generation. I create opportunities that help expand the image and brand of the sport. And if that isn’t enough of a blessing, I have a job that affords me the opportunity to help students of color that are first in their family to go to college, matriculate and graduate with a college degree. So I am living my purpose to make a difference and leave a legacy of excellence and love. That all started at Penn State. I had a Penn State undergraduate experience that was like no other, but as a graduate student in the College of Education, I had an experience that allowed me to transition into a powerful academic mind that fell in love with the field focused on student development and cross cultural awareness.”

Penn State Education

Sang Hoon Bae ’04 M.S. Workforce Education, ’06 Ph.D. Workforce Education Associate Professor, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea

Sang Hoon Bae attended Penn State with the support of his employer, the Ministry of Education in South Korea. Upon graduation in 2006, he returned to his former position as director in the Ministry, where he was responsible for policy planning and local university support, with the main goal to create and implement education policies at the national level. In 2008, Sang Hoon was appointed as assistant secretary to President Lee Myung-bak of South Korea and assisted the president in making decisions in the area of education, particularly higher education. In 2010, Sang Hoon started his career with Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), a top private university in South Korea, where he currently works as an associate professor and head of the department of education. There he teaches classes in education policy, education administration, and research methodologies. Sang Hoon is the co-editor of the Korean Social Science Journal and was recently awarded a grant to pursue research on vocational education. He remains active as an education-policy adviser to the South Korean government. Throughout his career, Sang Hoon has been recognized numerous times for his outstanding scholarship.

Alumni Feature

Photo courtesy of Sungkyunkwan University

“During my graduate work in the College of Education, I was able to expand my perspectives on education and social issues in relation to education. The studies at Penn State strengthened my research skills and helped me to become a better researcher in my area. My program provided a solid foundation for me, helping me later in my career to create and implement sound and effective education policies for my country.”

Susan C. Bauer ’96 Elementary and Kindergarten Education

“Penn State has provided me with a solid foundation, as well as unique educational experiences that have been key in helping me develop a classroom that uses a hands-on, problem-solving, inquiry-based approach to teaching science. Without the small classes, dedicated and inspiring teachers, and many opportunities to work with students, I would not have been prepared to take on the challenges of today’s classrooms. My studentteaching experience with David Wher most definitely had an impact on my teaching style. His observations always showed me something about my lesson that I was not aware of. He always pushed me to try new things and find new ways of meeting the needs of my students. I also feel the core-content classes in science helped prepare me for a classroom. The hands-on approach was key in learning how to teach science.”

Dan Z. Johnson

Sixth-Grade Teacher, Eyer Middle School, East Penn School District, Macungie, PA

Susan earned her Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education from Penn State in 1996 and immediately put it to use as a teacher in the East Penn School District. She initially taught third grade and then spent the next sixteen years teaching sixth grade. She went on to obtain an M.Ed. in school counseling from Kutztown University. Susan recently won the Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics and Science. She spent three days in Washington, DC, to receive the award and participate in seminars and educational opportunities. She has been voted teacher of the month at Eyer Middle School where she teaches sixth grade. This year, she also won the Educator Excellence Award from the DaVinci Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania. While working as a science teacher, Susan had the unique opportunity to work with Dr. Andrea Harmer from Lehigh University. Together they collaborated on a remote microscopy lab that focused on the use of nanotechnology while utilizing a problem-solving approach. They are currently planning another project for the next school year that focuses on developing habitats for growing coral reefs.

Penn State Education

Yolanda Ramos ’87 M.Ed. Curriculum and Instruction, ’92 Ph.D. Curriculum and Instruction

“My education at Penn State provided me the opportunity to become a bilingual and multicultural educator, knowledgeable on second language acquisition theory, educational and cross cultural research, and student-centered effective instructional approaches. Learning how to best teach and academically support students with other native languages taught me to appreciate the powerful things that come with diversity. My graduate education at the Penn State College of Education helped me help other educators and school leaders to see the strengths, potential, and capacities of students from different ethnic, language and socio-economic backgrounds. I am an equity-in-education advocate thanks to my education.”

Alumni Feature

Deno Kontoulas

Senior Director of Professional Development Services, International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), Greensboro, NC

After earning her Ph.D. from Penn State, Yolanda served as director of bilingual education services for Bridgeport Public Schools in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Several years later, she assumed the role of director of academic services for the Puerto Rico Department of Education. She remained in Puerto Rico but transitioned to the private sector as education solutions manager for Oracle Caribbean. From there, Yolanda joined Microsoft Caribbean as education manager and then academic programs regional manager. Several other positions in the education management industry led to her current position, back in the states, of senior director of professional development services at the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). She leads the development, implementation, and assessment of high quality professional development programs and for building a vibrant and growing portfolio of offerings to meet the needs of educators in the use of technology to support teaching, learning, and leadership.

Beth Akins ’86 B.S. Rehabilitation Education

Veronica Green Photography

Senior Vice President, Landover Associates, New York, NY

After graduation, Beth headed west to San Francisco where she worked for a small firm that consulted on workers’ compensation cases and placed previously injured clients back into the workforce. After two years, Beth took a position with a small start-up firm called Landover Associates, Inc., where she is now a senior vice president. Landover Associates is an executive-search firm that specializes in placing mathematicians, physicists, engineers, and developers in both the finance and high-tech sectors. She is still very involved in account management along with working directly with the candidates that the firm places. Beth is a life member of the Penn State Alumni Association.

“I believe that my training at Penn State in the Rehabilitation Education program absolutely built the foundation for my career. It provided me with the skills to help mentor, plan, coordinate, and execute lifechanging career opportunities. In my current position, I have placed candidates from every corner of the earth and still get special satisfaction when I am working with a fellow Penn Stater. While at the College of Education, I took several counseling courses, which consisted of mock interviews. These were designed to build students’ counseling skills. I feel my biggest takeaway from those exercises was learning ‘the art of listening,’ which for the past twenty-five years has been a skill that has served me well. To understand someone’s circumstances and perspective is paramount to what I do today.”

Penn State Education

Claire Joseph ’74 B.S. Secondary Education

Throughout Claire Joseph’s career, the common thread has been education. After graduation, Claire went on to the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Charlotte where she was a student volunteer coordinator, and later to Queens College where she worked as a part of the library staff. In each instance, Claire continued her education, taking courses in media and library science, accounting, and economics. Claire then joined the Charlotte Area Health Education Center as a media specialist where she helped medical staff and surgeons continue their education. In 1981, Claire became a manager and trainer for First Union National Bank. In this role, she provided professional development and skills training for new technology. In 1985, Claire participated in Semester At Sea, learning about various cultures while taking a voyage around the world. Claire returned to UNC-Charlotte in 2001 as a graduate student, studying technical writing. She joined Optcapital in 2002, where she is currently the managing director of administration. Claire has also volunteered as a tutor for refugees, helping them learn English, assimilate into our culture, and become US citizens. Claire’s plans for the future include teaching English as a second language, continuing her support of immigrants, as well as some of her favorite organizations, such as the Penn State College of Education, Semester at Sea, and A Child’s Place.

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Managing Director-Administration, Optcapital, LLC, Charlotte, NC

“My passion is education. From my College of Education experience to graduate study in linguistics and technical writing, I have learned to appreciate the power of language to help people communicate and thrive. My Penn State experience provided me with the tools to support young professionals through development and mentoring, help those from other cultures who are learning to speak English and becoming assimilated into our culture, and support homeless children who need help to stay in school.”

Francis (Frank) Sisti ’66 B.S. Secondary Education Executive Director, The Systemic Leadership Institute, Phoenix, AZ Christopher Barr 2014

Frank’s career has taken him from the US Army to his current role as executive director of The Systemic Leadership Institute. During his military career, Frank served in numerous leadership positions, including leading infantry soldiers in Vietnam, on demilitarized zone security in South Korea, and, later, in staff director roles on two commissions for President Reagan. He was also recognized with a number of military awards, including The Bronze Star Medal and The Legion of Merit Medal. During his time in the military, Frank earned a master of science and a master of military arts and science. He went on to a number of software organizations, helping them improve in areas such as project management, risk management, and software leadership. It was during this time that he began working toward his doctorate in management in organizational leadership, which he earned in 2012. Frank returned to his military roots when he joined the US Air Force Space and Missile System Center in 2004 as a chief of the software division. He continued his career as the chief software engineer for the Aerospace Corporation in El Segundo, California. While at Penn State, Frank was affiliated with many University groups, including the Penn State Pershing Rifle Company, Penn State Scabbard and Blade, the men’s glee club, and the chess club.

“My Penn State undergraduate degree provided the bedrock of my multiple careers and for my passion for applying and studying leadership in people and organizations. The College of Education program influenced the most pivotal aspects of my personal, ethical, and determination standards. During my studentteaching assignment, I grew to understand how important it is to provide whatever support one can provide for those who are less fortunate, yet are striving to do the right thing. This underlying precept of defending the underdog has remained with me and provided guidance in all endeavors that I have undertaken. All my life, I have had an underlying passion for the complexities surrounding leadership. I have devoted the main thrust of my personal and professional life to taking all steps I can in order to further the science and art of leadership. The establishment of the Systemic Leadership Institute is just the next step in that devotion.”

Penn State Education

Jenny Lee ’97 M.Ed. Counselor Education Vice-President of Customer Relationship Business Development, Ellucian, Centreville, VA

Following graduation, Jenny worked as an academic advisor at Penn State. Then she was recruited to a company called Datatel in Fairfax, Virginia, which focused exclusively on higher-education technology solutions. She began her career there as a solutions consultant where she was responsible for demonstrating the entire suite of Datatel products, working her way up to managing that same team by 2007. In 2012, Datatel became Ellucian when it combined with SunGard Higher Education. During that transition Jenny became vice president of customer relationships business development. In her new role, she manages a large team that helps customers solve the business problems unique to higher education and assists customers with strategic planning as it pertains to their technology roadmaps. She is a proud Penn Stater who grew up going to Nittany Lion football games. One of her fondest memories was at her Penn State graduation when alumni were asked to rise, and she turned around to see her father, a Penn State alumnus himself, standing in the crowd with her.

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Erik Dobecky

“My Penn State degree in Counselor Education had a focus on leadership development. That coursework helped me to prepare for my career, specifically in my current role where I manage, mentor, and coach a large team. I revisit the coursework in leadership development that I had at Penn State and routinely put it to use. As a professional, what I always work toward is developing people. I consider it a personal win when someone on my team succeeds and when our customers succeed.”

Rip (William Bernard) Scherer ’75 M.Ed. Education Administration

“I began my pursuit of a master’s directly after finishing my undergraduate work at William and Mary. I had no previous practical work in education other than my student-teaching. I probably was not really prepared to be in some of the classroom situations that I was in, with men and women of extensive levels of teaching and administrative experience. I was impressed how so many of my classmates reached out to assist me. Likewise, almost the entire faculty worked with me to help bridge the gap between my lack of experience in the educational system and the degree I was pursuing. Their willingness to reach out and assist me had a profound and long-standing impact on me. I also learned a great deal about motivating and dealing with people— peers, subordinates, and superiors. The most important aspect of my graduate education in the College of Education was focusing on developing a leadership style; finding out who I was and how I could best lead. That has been a constant throughout my career and has carried through to my present position. Discovering the importance of leadership in all aspects of my life, finding my leadership style and capabilities, and implementing all that I learned into my career has been critical to any success that I might have realized.

Photo courtesy of UCLA

Associate Athletic Director-Football, University of California, Los Angeles, CA

When Rip graduated from William & Mary, he thought he would follow in his father’s footsteps as a high school football coach and, eventually, an administrator. With that thought in mind, it was only logical to retrace his dad’s steps at Penn State, where Rip Scherer, Sr. was a letterman on the football team and a 1949 graduate. While Rip Jr. was pursuing his master’s in education administration, he served as a graduate assistant for the Penn State football team under coach Joe Paterno. With Paterno, he learned many of the skills needed to build a prolific coaching career of his own. In a career that spanned thirty-eight years, Rip coached in just about every capacity along the coaching spectrum in the collegiate and professional ranks. He has run the show as a head coach (at James Madison and Memphis). He has been second-in-command as an assistant head coach (at Georgia Tech, Alabama, Colorado, and the Cleveland Browns). He has been an offensive coordinator (at Georgia Tech, Arizona, Kansas, and Southern Mississippi) and a quarterbacks coach (at North Carolina State, Virginia, Louisiana State, and the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers). And he has been both a running backs coach (at Hawaii) and a coordinator of football operations (at Arizona). Rip is now an associate athletic director for football administration at UCLA.

Penn State Education

Ronyelle Bertrand Ricard ’06 Ph.D. Higher Education

“The academic rigor of my training equipped me with the tools to work in a number of areas in higher education, university, and professional association settings. My degree gave me a comprehensive understanding and appreciation of how colleges and universities work. Penn State’s Center for the Study of Higher Education has an impeccable reputation and earning my degree from such a prestigious institution has afforded me many opportunities and given me great credibility. I had brilliant professors who not only taught me the importance of theory, but perhaps more importantly, how theory meets practice. I have always been passionate about HBCUs and Penn State gave me the support and allowed me the opportunity to explore these institutions in an empirical and systematic manner. These institutions have great value, and I believe they are a critical piece to the larger higher-education puzzle. I am a strong advocate for these colleges (as well as other minority-serving institutions), and I will continue to highlight their mission and give a voice to their historic successes and untapped potential.”

Alumni Feature

Luckett Portrait Studio

Special Assistant to the Chancellor, Southern University, Baton Rouge, LA

After graduation from Penn State, Ronyelle accepted a full-time position with the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE), where she had worked as an intern while completing her dissertation. A year later, she was hired by the Howard University president to serve as coordinator of its universitywide Reaffirmation of Accreditation Initiative. It was an excellent opportunity for Ronyelle because her graduate research focus was on historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). After she completed that project in 2009, with the unqualified reaffirmation of the nation’s largest and most complex HBCU, she was reassigned as coordinator for the Presidential Commission on Academic Renewal (PCAR). PCAR was the structured process in which faculty, students, staff, and external scholars engaged in a thorough evaluation of the university’s undergraduate, graduate, and professional academic programs and made recommendations to the President for strategic adjustments. In 2012, Ronyelle and her family relocated back to Louisiana, where she accepted a position as special assistant to the chancellor at Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge.

AlumniInformation How can I get involved with the College of Education? We need volunteers, student mentors, and goodwill ambassadors for the College. You can also support the College through financial donations.

Service with the Alumni Society is an Opportunity to Support the College Patricia Best ’89 D.Ed. CN ED, president of the College of Education Alumni Society Board, describes the activity of the alumni society as nurturing and supporting the Patricia Best culture of excellence in the College of Education: “As a wise Navajo educator said, ‘If we do not water the seeds of our culture, they will wither and die.’ He was describing educational efforts to preserve customs, traditions, and knowledge for the benefit of current and future generations.” “The future focus of our strategic plan is in supporting the values of the College of Education and Penn State, in nurturing those precious seeds through our service, recognitions of excellence, and philanthropy,” said Best. “We understand that that which is not valued, supported, and preserved through the active, intentional efforts of the leaders of the group rarely survives and seldom thrives.”

Michelle K. Houser

To learn more, contact: Michelle Houser Director of Development and Alumni Relations College of Education 814-863-2146 mkb117@psu.edu

The College of Education Alumni Society is comprised of more than 19,000 members and provides a means for alumni to come together and to help to improve the College and the University. According to Best, the society contributes by nurturing the continuing interest of graduates in the future of the College, serving as an informal source of feedback and advice to the leadership of the College, and engaging in efforts that result in improvement of the quality of the programs of professional preparation. Any College alumni who are members of the University Alumni Association are also members of the College Alumni Society. Getting involved with the Alumni Society is as easy as visiting the College of Education’s website, contacting Phil Hoy, the assistant director of alumni relations, or talking to anyone who serves on the Alumni Society Board. Alumni involvement can take many forms. Alumni can run for a position on the College Alumni Society Board,

which oversees the activities of the Alumni Society. However, alumni can get involved in a variety of ways with varying levels of commitment. For instance, the Alumni Student Teacher Network is an exciting program for alumni. The College has three regional student-teaching sites. Alumni in these areas interact with student teachers through networking, training sessions, and a culminating celebration at the end of the school year. Alumni can also join any of the six Affiliate Program Groups. These groups have a common interest in a specific program area in the College, namely, higher education, educational leadership, multicultural advancement, workforce education, American Indian Leadership Program, and the Professional Development School. The Alumni Mentors Program is the newest opportunity for alumni to serve as mentors to College of Education students. “Engaging with students is often mentioned as one of the favorite parts of being involved in the Alumni Society. Those connections remind us of why our efforts on behalf of the College are so important,” Best said. The Alumni Society is not only beneficial for the alumni themselves, but for the future and quality of the College of Education. For Best, the two major areas in which the Society positively affects the College of Education are recognizing excellence and generous philanthropy. Annually the Alumni Society recognizes distinguished alumni through various awards. The board and society members also contribute to scholarships and special initiatives, to endowments for programs, improvements for facilities, and other areas. “It is invigorating and rewarding to be part of a board that shares a common commitment to contribute to a culture of learning and excellence. That is why I became, and remain involved with the Alumni Society Board,” said Best.

— Amanda Dash

Penn State Education

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College Alumnus Recognized by White House as a Champion of Change

We have great news and want to share it with you! Find us on social media to stay connected to the College!

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Kevin Clark (left) works with a student in George Mason University’s Center for Digital Media Innovation and Diversity.

Kevin Clark ’94 Ph.D. INSYS was recently honored at a White House ceremony as a Champion of Change. He was recognized for his innovative approach to providing access and diversity in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields.

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Clark is the director of George Mason University’s Center for Digital Media Innovation and Diversity and a professor in the College of Education and Human Development. “I was completely taken aback because this was something that I never expected. I do the work that I do because I want to positively impact the lives of youth in traditionally underserved communities, not to get awards. I was humbled and very appreciative of this honor,” Clark said.

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“The best part of the event was the opportunity to meet the other honorees who I probably wouldn’t have met normally. They were brilliant and amazing in their own right and I enjoyed learning about their work and exploring ways to collaborate and support each others’ efforts,” Clark continued. Clark’s recent activities have focused on the use of video-game design to increase interest in STEM careers.

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“I think my research that utilizes video-game design and robotics to motivate elementary, middle, and high school youth to participate in STEM disciplines and careers was of interest to the White House,” Clark said. “Additionally, I think my work around diversity in children’s media and its connection to education and engagement were also a factor.” Clark earned a B.S. and an M.S. in computer science from North Carolina State before coming to Penn State to pursue a Ph.D. in instructional systems. “Penn State’s instructional systems program was the perfect melding of my computer science background and my interest in education,” Clark said.

— Andy Elder 38

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a Maryland State Department of Education Service-Learning Fellow.

Brad Hoffman

Brad Hoffman, Alumni Award Winner, Is Transforming Education Brad Hoffman ’99 EK ED has spent his entire professional life teaching. From impressionable elementary school students to entrenched Fortune 500 executives, Hoffman has instructed across the learning spectrum.

“I was truly surprised and deeply honored. To have the recognition of my alma mater for professional excellence is a wonderful joy that I share with my colleagues, family, and friends,” Hoffman said.

Hoffman is currently the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of My Learning Springboard, Inc., which he launched with his wife, Faya Gene Hoffman, in 2009. My Learning Springboard, Inc. is a comprehensive multidisciplinary educational consulting company and learning concierge® service having a transformational impact on the field.

“I’m grateful to have launched my teaching career from Penn State’s College of Education; its core values are the bedrock of my professional practice. It has always been ahead of trend, and this foundation served me well as a springboard to my career. Most importantly, my Penn State experience emphasized the critical importance of being a reflective practitioner, a metacognitively tuned-in educator, a good listener, and a collaborative professional.”

My Learning Springboard helps families and schools construct and manage private teams of experts focused on educational consultation, which includes academic support, enrichment teaching, test preparation, special education advocacy, professional development, teacher mentorship, and curriculum development. The company is growing rapidly with more than 350 educational and related service professionals located in New York City, Washington, DC, Palm Beach County, Florida, and the surrounding metro areas of these locations. Because of his impact on the field at such a young age, Hoffman has been named an Alumni Achievement Award winner by the Penn State Alumni Association.

Hoffman began his career as an elementary school teacher in Maryland, where he taught in both rural and suburban settings with Frederick County Public Schools and Montgomery County Public Schools. At Somerset Elementary in Chevy Chase, Maryland, Hoffman worked closely with the Somerset Education Foundation, his faculty, the principal of his school, and community stakeholders to fund and implement a strategic Service-Learning curriculum for grades K-5. For this successful curriculum development and implementation, he was appointed

After seven years in the classroom and completing a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction, Hoffman was recruited by Time Inc. in New York City as a Talent Development Specialist charged with conducting needs assessments and designing executive education across the company. During his tenure at Time Inc., Hoffman helped to launch Time Inc. University and to help executives navigate the rapidly changing publishing and media landscape from 2006 to 2011. His responsibilities included organizational development, leadership training, mentorship programs, and employee engagement. Hoffman was also responsible for strategic recruiting and summer internship programs for undergraduate and MBA students interested in consumer marketing and finance careers. Hoffman received two Time Consumer Marketing Achievement Awards related to an India Off-Shoring Test Pilot program and another for Time Customer Service Process Improvement. In addition, his team accepted the Corporate Commitment Award from the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation on behalf of Time Inc. Simultaneously, Hoffman and his wife were growing My Learning Springboard and, in 2011, New York Magazine named My Learning Springboard “Best Specialty Tutoring Company.” This achievement was the tipping point for Hoffman to exit Time Inc. and to begin focusing full time on the growth of his own company. “Collaborating with families, schools, and related service professionals to achieve success for each student, however that success is defined, gives me great pleasure,” Hoffman said. “As CEO of My Learning Springboard, I love that each day presents new challenges in the ways we differentiate and target our approach to meet the specific learning needs of each student. We get to see our students evolve as learners and become an extended part of their families, which is incredibly gratifying.”

— Andy Elder Penn State Education

AlumniInformation Alumni Achievements

’01

Shana McKee Davis ’01 B.S. SECED was recently honored with the 2013 Milkin Educator Award for South Dakota. Shana is an English/Language Arts teacher at the T.F. Riggs High School in Pierre, South Dakota. She is a former Army reservist and received a leadership medal for service in Iraq. Shana runs the after-school program and is the high school’s summerschool director. She is a member of the Community/Law Enforcement/ School Team investigating alternatives to detention, and leads the Riggs Student/Teacher Assistance Team. She also works with the US Department of Labor, providing test cases of students who combine work and school.

’01

Gaye Ranck Jenkins ’01 M.Ed. ADTED is employed by the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit as a WATCH Project Academic Specialist. The WATCH Project provides assistance to income-eligible individuals interested in careers in Nursing and the EMS professions in ten counties in central Pennsylvania. As well as financial assistance, each participant is assigned to a coach who provides career counseling both while in training and up to six months of employment. In addition to her full-time position at CSIU, Gaye is an adjunct faculty member at the Pennsylvania College of Technology where she teaches sociology.

’03

Chinelo Okparanta ’03 SECED has been named one of four finalists for a prestigious mentorship with Booker Prize-winning novelist Michael Ondaatje through the Rolex Mentor and Protege Arts Initiative. This initiative pairs promising talents with world-renowned masters for a year of creative collaboration in seven artistic disciplines—dance, film, literature, music, theatre, visual arts, and architecture. Alongside the other finalists in the literature category,

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Chinelo will be interviewed by Ondaatje, who will select one of them as his protegé. The selection will be announced in May.

’07 ’08

John Y. Jones ’07 Ph.D. EDTHP has accepted a new position as assistant professor of education at Truman State University, Missouri’s designated public liberal arts college. Elizabeth Clark ’08 M.Ed. CSA received both the ERAPPA Rising Star Award and the ERAPPA President’s Award from ERAPPA, the Eastern Region of APPA—The premier professional development organization serving educational facilities professionals in the northeast and eastern Canada. Beth has been active in ERAPPA since 2004 and currently serves as the organization’s vice president for annual meetings. Beth continues to work as a Budget Analyst in the Administrative & Financial Services Division of the Office of Physical Plant at Penn State’s University Park campus.

’09

Henry Brzycki ’09 Ph.D. EDTHP recently published a book. The Self in Schooling: Theory and Practice - How to Create Happy, Healthy, Flourishing Children in the 21st Century has earned the “Recommended New Book” honor and distinction by the American Counseling Association (ACA). Henry also was a keynote speaker at the Learning and the Brain Conference in February 2014. Henry is president of the Brzycki Group and founded The Center for The Self in Schools, an outreach project to empower psychological and physical well-being in K-16 schools through personalized learning plans, freshman seminars, academic curricula, socioemotional programs, and professional development of teachers, counselors, principals, and superintendents. He has consulted to the United

States Department of Education on personalized learning and 21st century emerging models and best practices.

’10

Lori McGarry ’10 Certification is the Pennsylvania winner of the National History Teacher of the Year award. The award, co-sponsored by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, requires a creativity and enthusiasm for teaching, which Lori displays in her classroom every day. Lori, a fifth grade teacher at Park Forest Elementary, received a $1,000 award and an archive of books and historical resources presented in her name to her school library.

’12

Meghan Gaffney ’12 M.Ed. CSA is the assistant director of student involvement and fraternity & sorority life at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. She continues to serve The LeaderShape Institute as a co-lead facilitator and served as the facilitator for National Session #2 in July 2013.

’13

Travis T. York ’13 Ph.D. HI ED is the winner of the 2013 International Association for Research on ServiceLearning and Community Engagement Dissertation Award. The IARSLCE Dissertation Award annually recognizes a dissertation that advances research on service-learning and/or community engagement through rigorous and innovative inquiry. Travis recently became an assistant professor of Higher Education at Valdosta State University’s department of Curriculum, Leadership, and Technology.

Submit your own note online! www.ed.psu.edu/educ/ alumni-friends/alumni-notes

Nominate Outstanding Alumni for Alumni Society Awards! The College of Education Alumni Society supports five awards that are presented each year to graduates who have distinguished themselves in their profession. To nominate someone who you think is worthy of this recognition, please fill out and submit the nomination form with a statement explaining the reasons for your nomination. Alumni Excellence Award

Outstanding Teaching

Outstanding New Graduate

This award is the highest honor bestowed upon alumni of the College of Education. It is awarded to recognize career-long, sustained excellence of contribution and achievement in the nominee’s chosen profession.

This award recognizes the classroom teacher. Selection is made on the basis of overall excellence in teaching methodologies, knowledge of subject matter, and ability to inspire students.

This award recognizes recent graduates who have distinguished themselves in their new careers. Selection is made on the basis of an individual’s advancement and excellence in a new job, in or out of the field of education.

Specific criteria: (1) Nominees will be evaluated for significant contributions to their chosen profession (in or out of the field of education) over the span of their career, for a period of fifteen years or more; (2) The nomination should include clear, compelling, and documented evidence of excellence through contributions to the nominee’s chosen field as exemplified in leadership, innovation, commitment, and/or service; (3) Nominee must be a graduate of the College of Education (certification, baccalaureate, or advanced degree).

Specific criteria: (1) Nominee must be employed full time in the teaching profession; (2) Nominee must be a graduate of the College of Education (certification, baccalaureate, or advanced degree).

Leadership & Service This award recognizes those alumni who have distinguished themselves in their chosen professions, in or out of the field of education. Selection is made on the basis of leadership and service within a career, a community, or to society in general. Specific criteria: (1) Achievement in a chosen field, in a community, or in society; (2) Nominee must be a graduate of the College of Education (certification, baccalaureate, or advanced degree).

Specific criteria: (1) Outstanding contributions to and achievements in a new job; (2) Nominees must be graduates of the College of Education (baccalaureate) within five years of the date of nomination.

Service To Penn State Award This award recognizes those alumni and friends who have made significant contributions of time and talent to the College and/or the University. Specific criteria: (1) Nominee will be evaluated on the basis of demonstrated commitment and dedication to enhancing the objectives of the College and/or the University.

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College of Education Alumni Society Awards Nomination Form Select Award Category:

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2013 Alumni Society Award Winners To nominate an alumnus/a, complete the form above and mail it along with your nomination statement to: The Penn State College of Education Attn: Alumni Society Awards 247 Chambers Building University Park, PA 16802-3206 814-863-2216 Nominations received before January 31 each year are reviewed as a group. Awards are presented in a ceremony each fall. Nominations may be made at any time. Self-nominations are welcome. www.ed.psu.edu/educ/alumni-friends/ award Standing Lâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;R: George Santiago, Jr., Henry Laboranti, Max Besong, and Lawrence Mussoline Seated Lâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;R: Eleanor Graham Savage, Karen Drosinos, Nicole Birkbeck, and Kasey Phillips 42

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and between all constituencies of the College of Education, including faculty, students, staff, former faculty, friends and family, and alumni of the PDS program within the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Since the start of the APG, the group has planned and staged two successful PDS alumni reunions, which were held in State College. It has also created and distributed a PDS alumni newsletter of all its happenings. Its most important agenda item was to use social media networks to spread the word about the group. “After setting up a Facebook page, we are close to reaching 400 members. This avenue has been the most successful when it comes to connecting with our past PDS interns,” Hershey said.

Andi Zirkle ’13 EK ED works with a student while completing her internship in the PDS program.

Affiliate Program Group Helps Promote, Support Professional Development School The Professional Development School (PDS) is a collaborative student teaching program between Penn State and the State College Area School District through which Penn State pre-service teachers participate in a full-year internship experience in classrooms in the school district. However, the PDS community includes many more individuals than just Penn State pre-service students. It also involves veteran teachers, administrators, graduate students, and university faculty all working together. The PDS goals are to enhance the educational experiences of all children, ensure high-quality inductions of new teachers into the profession, engage in furthering professional growth as teachers and teacher educators, and educating the next generation of teacher educators. The PDS Affiliate Program Group (APG) is designed to provide services,

promote and support the program, and provide leadership to current and past participants in the program. “We hope to serve as a mechanism for encouraging and attracting former PDS participants and others to remain connected in a very concrete way. We help to promote the PDS program and serve as a vehicle for constant and on-going promotion of PDS,” said the president of the group, Mary Beth Hershey ’05 EK ED. Hershey also said the group provides leadership for the program and profession, and its members serve as role models by demonstrating the ideas of leadership, service, and ethical conduct. Jim Nolan ’83 Ph.D. C I, Henry J. Hermanowicz Professor of Teacher Education and co-facilitator of the Professional Development School, started the APG in 2006. Its aim was to unite and facilitate interaction among

“It is a convenient way to stay in touch, share current teaching ideas/ philosophies, advertise/announce open teaching positions, and keep all members informed about upcoming PDS events. PDS alums are teaching all over the country, so we are seeing many alums benefitting from the connections that are made through our Facebook page.” The PDS Facebook group can be found at www.facebook.com/ groups/81560056182/. “If you are a former PDS intern please join our Facebook group page,” Hershey said. “We also would like to focus on connecting with and supporting current PDS students. Providing guidance and advice throughout their PDS experience is just one of our goals. We are excited about the future of our group and look forward to building upon our evergrowing PDS alumni community.” Contact Hershey at MaryBeth.Hershey@ gmail.com or Nolan at jimnolan@psu. edu if you are interested in becoming a future board member. Watch a video about the PDS program in the College of Education: www. youtube.com/watch?v=OMVs9n2dL_4

— Andy Elder

Penn State Education

Gifts to the College Payne Family Trustee Scholarship in College of Education of the Payne’s willingness to support this initiative, the University will match 10 percent of the initial principal in perpetuity, which will further extend the impact of the Payne family’s gift. The Trustee Matching Scholarship Program was implemented as part of the For The Future campaign and will no longer be available after June 30, 2014.

The Payne Family

J. David Payne ’81 EMS and his wife Letitia Payne have pledged $50,000 to establish the Payne Family Trustee Scholarship in the College of Education. The endowment provides financial assistance to undergraduate students enrolled in or planning to enroll in the College of Education at Penn State who have demonstrated a need for funds to meet their necessary college expenses. The Paynes were able to take advantage of the Trustee Matching Scholarship Program, which was established to encourage the creation of endowments to provide essential support for needbased scholarships. In consideration

David’s passion for education and his connection to Penn State began when his father, a teacher, was offered a fellowship at Penn State to earn his doctorate in elementary education. A young David and his four siblings moved with their mother and father to Penn State where David’s mother earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education and his father earned his doctorate. David’s parents went on to have long careers as passionate educators in the Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, area. “My parents still have people that they taught in elementary school sending them gifts at the holidays,” David recalled. “There are very few careers where you can have that kind of impact on people’s lives. It always puts me in awe of teachers.”

He said he considers himself lucky to now be in a position where he can give back to education and that he believes that education sets the stage and the foundation for every other profession. “Without educators, there won’t be engineers, there won’t be doctors, there won’t be anything else that we need,” David said. “The expectation is that Penn State is going to train great teachers. That is why I wanted to create this scholarship.” David began his career with Getty Oil Company in Santa Maria, California. He has held various engineering and management positions in California, Trinidad and Tobago, Louisiana, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand. David has been the vice president of Drilling and Completions for Chevron since 2006 and is based in Houston, Texas. David is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and has served in various roles for local chapters. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Houston Food Bank. David is also an enthusiastic supporter of Southwest Schools, an innovative charter school in Houston.

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Gifts to the College

Mary and Victor Dupuis Scholarship in Education Though Mary worked extensively with graduate students, her greatest passion has always been with undergraduates in teacher preparation programs. Mary designed this scholarship specifically to help these undergraduate students afford an education at Penn State.

Mary Dupuis

Mary Dupuis ’71 Ph.D. C I has directed $100,000 in her estate plans to establish the Mary and Victor Dupuis Scholarship in Education. The endowment supports full-time undergraduate students enrolled in or planning to enroll in the College of Education.

“I want these students to graduate feeling that they are free to make decisions about their futures that don’t necessarily relate to massive student loans,” said Mary. “They should be able to look ahead and take whatever positions they want without having to worry about finances.” Mary is a professor emerita of education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Penn State and former director of teacher education and associate dean for undergraduate programs at the College of Education. Mary also served as the director of academic affairs at

Penn State’s DuBois Campus. Mary previously held faculty positions at Northern Illinois University and Purdue University and was a secondary English and reading teacher in Georgia and Indiana. Mary is a consultant in the areas of writing, reading, and language across the curriculum. She has consulted with many school districts as well as colleges and universities, including Morehead State University, Lehigh University, St. Joseph’s University, York College, Marywood College/ University, Robert Morris College, University of Pittsburgh, and others. She has also done speciality consulting with Indian schools, with a focus in reading and writing curriculum, including the Kayenta Indian School, the Pierre Indian Learning Center, the Payallup Schools, and Hays Schools.

Margaret and William Kirkey Award for Creative Education

William and Margaret Kirkey

Margaret “Peg” Kirkey and her husband William “Bill” Kirkey ’63 BUS have pledged $20,000 to establish the Margaret and William Kirkey Award for Creative Education. The endowment honors and recognizes outstanding creativity in teaching by an undergraduate student majoring in an early childhood education degree program.

The Kirkeys believe that the best way to engage this generation of students in the learning process is to immerse them in a creative, tech-savvy classroom environment. Through Peg’s time as a teacher and Bill’s volunteer work at their church in Christian education, they have found that every student learns in a different way. The Kirkeys believe, however, that nearly every student in this generation understands and responds to technology and creativity in the classroom.

and information technologies. Before her senior year, Peg left Penn State to be with her husband. She completed her B.S. degree in elementary and kindergarten education at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 1973.

“It seems that education today is focused on meeting the requirements of state and national examinations,” said Peg. “It is important to us that students enjoy learning and that they have creative teachers who make school fun.”

The Kirkeys have two children and three grandchildren. Their daughter, Heather DeLancey, is a ’90 BUS graduate, and is now a high school math teacher. Their eldest grandson is currently a sophomore at Penn State in the College of Engineering, and their granddaughter, Lauren, will be a freshman in the College of Nursing next fall.

Bill graduated from Penn State in 1963 and went on to work for DuPont for forty-three years in several industries including manufacturing

Peg continued to follow her husband’s career and taught in many schools across the country. Peg currently serves as a member of the Dean’s Development Council at the College of Education at Penn State.

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Gifts to the College doctoral students and is funded by the National Science Foundation. Kathleen has served on the Board of Governors for the Mathematical Association of America and on the Board of Directors for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

Rose M. Zbiek

M. Kathleen Heid

Glendon is a professor emeritus of education at Penn State. Prior to his twenty-seven years of teaching at Penn State, he was a high school and middle school mathematics teacher in Illinois and Wisconsin and taught at the University of Iowa. His mathematics education activities focus on the mathematical understandings of secondary mathematics teachers and the impact of technology on mathematics teaching and learning. He has co-directed or has been a research associate on six NSF-funded research and curriculum development projects.

Glendon W. Blume

Heid, Blume, Zbiek Mathematics Education Graduate Endowment Faculty Members M. Kathleen Heid, Glendon W. Blume, and Rose M. Zbiek ’92 Ph.D. C I have established the “Heid, Blume, Zbiek Mathematics Education Graduate Endowment” with royalty funds from Concepts in Algebra: A Technological Approach, a mathematics curriculum on which they collaborated with mathematics educators at the University of Maryland. This endowment will enrich the College of Education at Penn State by providing funds to support graduatelevel mathematics education programs, courses, and students who are pursuing these studies and opportunities. Kathleen, Glendon, and Rose are enthusiastic about the opportunity to support graduate students in the mathematics education programs. They hope that this gift will inspire doctoral students in developing research and ideas that will propel these students to understand better how mathematics is best taught and learned. With their

advanced degrees, mathematics education doctoral students will assume research or teaching positions at institutions of higher education and become national and international leaders in the field. “The graduate program has been very important to us,” said Kathleen. “We take great pride in our graduates and what they are able to do.” Kathleen is a distinguished professor of education in mathematics education at Penn State. She taught high school and early college mathematics prior to her thirty years in Mathematics Education at Penn State. She is coprimary investigator of the ComputerIntensive Algebra project that developed and conducted research on the mathematics curriculum and coprimary investigator of the Mid-Atlantic Center for Mathematics Teaching and Learning that has provided major funding for mathematics education

Rose is a professor of education in mathematics education at Penn State and director of graduate studies for curriculum and instruction. She is a former Pennsylvania mathematics and computer science teacher, but joined the Penn State faculty in 2002 after ten years of teaching mathematics and mathematics education at the University of Iowa. Her scholarly interests focus on how teachers and students leverage their mathematical understanding when reasoning and representations in technology-intensive environments at the secondary and college levels. She is the series editor for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Essential Understanding project and is a member of the NCTM Board of Directors.

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Gifts to the College

Dr. Nancy Baird Graduate Student Award in Curriculum and Instruction Nancy Baird ’69 HHD, ’94 Ph.D. C I has pledged a bequest of $20,000 to establish the Dr. Nancy Baird Graduate Student Award in Curriculum and Instruction. The award supports graduate students pursuing degrees in Curriculum and Instruction who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement. Nancy has elected to early activate her award. To early activate a bequest, the donor agrees to provide annual support to be used for the purpose of the endowment. By choosing this option, Nancy will experience the impact of her gift during her lifetime, receiving letters from her award recipients and interacting with them at College events. Nancy’s passion for education at Penn State began with her parents, Leonard Baird ’41 AG and Anna Olson Baird ’41 HHD. Nancy’s mother was

a home economics major, but considered herself an educator and inspired three of her daughters to become teachers. When her husband passed away in 1996, Nancy’s mother established an endowment at Penn State to support undergraduate students in home economics and dairy husbandry in Nancy Baird alternating years.

“My commitment and desire to support organizations that are important to me is a family value that I learned from my parents,” said Nancy. “Being at Penn State helped me develop a sense of my identity, and that is an important gift that the University gave me. I have to give back.” Nancy’s career has included positions in public and higher education, banking,

and hospital administration. Throughout her career, Nancy has continued to rely on the philosophy and skills acquired at Penn State in the College of Education. Nancy is currently the Director of the Graduate Program in Professional Education at Notre Dame College in Cleveland, Ohio.

Nancy is also the vice president of the board of trustees for Court Community Service, which offers an alternative to incarceration for non-violent offenders, and the chair of public radio station WSKU’s Community Advisory Council. Since 2001, Nancy has also served as a consultant to the Cleveland Federal Community Leadership Institute, an annual leadership-training program for federal employees.

David H. Nicholson Graduate Fellowship in Adult Education and recognizes outstanding graduate students who have been admitted to Penn State as candidates for a graduate degree in Adult Education in the College of Education with a focus of study in adult or family literacy.

Eunice and Warren Askov

Distinguished Professor Emerita of Education Eunice “Nickie” Askov and her husband Warren H. Askov established the “David H. Nicholson Graduate Fellowship in Adult Education” with an outright gift in 2009. The cost for graduate education, however, continues to rise. Recognizing this challenge, Nickie and Warren have decided to document their intentions to augment their endowment with an estate gift. The endowment, which is named for Nickie’s father, supports

“We would love to see more students interested in the area of adult and family literacy,” said Nickie. “This scholarship will be able to help at least one student every year develop a passion for this kind of education.” Nickie is the former co-director of the Goodling Institute for Research in Family Literacy and the Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy. She was also the first Literacy Leader Fellow at the National Institute for Literacy in Washington, DC, carrying out research related to skill standards and workplace literacy. Nickie was inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame in 2004 and then into

the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame in 2007. She has researched and published extensively in adult, family, and workplace literacy. She led in the development of the first master’s degree (in adult education) offered by the Penn State World Campus and was instrumental in developing the Ph.D. in adult education at Penn State. Warren completed an M.Ed. and did additional graduate work in Human Development and Learning at the University of Wisconsin and certification in School Psychology in the College of Education at Penn State. He worked as a school psychologist with area schools and later directed reading and study skills in the Learning Assistance Center at Penn State. Nickie and Warren reside in State College. They have two children and four grandchildren.

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Gifts to the College Pamela and James Arbuckle willingness to support this initiative, the University will match 10 percent of the initial principal in perpetuity, which will further extend the impact of the Arbuckles’ gift. The Trustee Matching Scholarship Program was implemented as part of the For The Future campaign and will no longer be available after June 30, 2014.

James and Pamela Reese Arbuckle

Pamela “Pam” Reese Arbuckle ‘66 SECED and her husband Lt. Col. James “Jim” Arbuckle ‘64 AG have given $50,000 to establish the James and Pamela Reese Arbuckle Trustee Scholarship. The endowment supports undergraduate students who have demonstrated need for funds to meet their necessary college expenses. The Arbuckles were able to take advantage of the Trustee Matching Scholarship Program, which was established to encourage the creation of endowments to provide essential support for need-based scholarships. In consideration of the Arbuckles’

In a recent speech to high school students, Jim shared a story about a pair of rubber work boots that he wore as a kid growing up on a small dairy farm. Years later, he found himself wearing very similar boots on a dream vacation to Antarctica. He told the students that he never thought he and his wife would have been able to do the things they have been able to do in their adult lives. He says that he attributes some of his success to the assistance that he and Pam received as students at Penn State. The Arbuckles are passionate about helping people and paying it forward. “We want to make life easier for our students,” Pam said. “We want them to achieve their goals and to complete their college careers. I define success as having choices among things that are desirable to you—that is what we want to give these students, choices,” Jim added. They understand the immense financial burden that

pursuing these opportunities can place on undergraduates, and they hope to relieve some of that stress with this scholarship. Jim was a career US Air Force officer. During their time in the Air Force, the Arbuckles were stationed around the world, including assignments in Japan, England and Germany. Pam was a French teacher and also served on numerous scholarship committees. After twenty-eight years of service, Jim and Pamela retired to Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Nebraska. Pam serves on a pre-school board of directors and is a member of P.E.O. and Questers, two international organizations that award scholarships, grants, and loans that enable individuals to complete or further their education. In his retirement, Jim continues to fly for the Nebraska Civil Air Patrol and also builds homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Arbuckles are also experienced travelers. They have visited more than 100 countries on all seven continents and have circled the globe several times. The Arbuckles have a son in Washington and a daughter in Nebraska who is a teacher. They have three grandchildren.

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Gifts to the College

Elizabeth Skade Middleton and John Middleton Trustee Scholarship in Education

John Middleton and Elizabeth Skade Middleton

Elizabeth “Betty” Skade Middleton ’63 EK ED and her husband John Middleton have given $50,000 to establish the Elizabeth Skade Middleton and John Middleton Trustee Scholarship in Education. The endowment supports undergraduate students who have demonstrated need for funds to meet necessary college expenses.

The Middletons were able to take advantage of the Trustee Matching Scholarship Program, which was established to encourage the creation of endowments to provide essential support for need-based scholarships. In consideration of the Middletons’ willingness to support this initiative, the University will match 10 percent of the initial principal in perpetuity, which will further extend the impact of the Middletons’ gift. The Trustee Matching Scholarship Program was implemented as part of the For The Future campaign and will no longer be available after June 30, 2014. The Middletons are passionate about supporting future teachers and ensuring that they have opportunities to grow and succeed at Penn State. They understand the immense financial burden that pursuing these opportunities can place on undergraduates, and they hope to relieve some of that stress with this scholarship.

“We want the best and the brightest students to become teachers because they will educate the next generation,” said Betty. “We hope that with this scholarship, these students can go abroad, student teach, and explore the endless preparatory opportunities that Penn State provides. We look forward to helping them succeed.” Betty grew up in New Jersey. After graduation, she taught elementary school in New Jersey, Michigan, Nebraska, and California. Betty left fulltime teaching to raise their three sons, but she continued to substitute teach in California. Betty most recently served as a member of Penn State’s Alumni Council from 2003 to 2009. John is a 1963 graduate of the United States Naval Academy and earned his Master’s degree in Engineering at Stanford University. John and Betty reside in Newport Beach, California. They have five grandchildren. Their oldest granddaughter wants to become a teacher.

Dr. Virginia J. Crider Teaching Award Dr. Virginia J. Crider ’62 M.Ed. ED has pledged $20,000 to establish the Dr. Virginia J. Crider Teaching Award. The endowment supports outstanding students that have demonstrated professional promise as teachers during their student teaching experiences. Virginia has elected to early activate her endowment. To early activate a bequest, the donor agrees to provide annual support to be used for the purpose of the endowment. By choosing this option, Virginia will enjoy the impact of her philanthropy during her lifetime, receiving letters from her award recipients and interacting with the students at College events. “Having worked with 509 studentteachers during my career,” said Virginia, “I’ve found that students who are transitioning to become full-time

According to Virginia, the professors and fellow students that she met during her studies inspired her to become a better educator. Virginia considers her time at Penn State to be a highlight of her educational growth as a teacher.

teachers need additional money.” Virginia saw that students struggled to pay for necessities like professional wardrobes and portfolios, materials for classroom activities, and registration fees for professional development sessions. Virginia is excited to be able to ease the financial burden of this transition for deserving students.

Virginia is retired from a thirty-one-year career as a professor. Before becoming a professor, Virginia was a home economics teacher for eleven years in the public schools of Pennsylvania and Ohio. She has been taking water-color painting classes for two years and is “loving every minute of developing a new talent that I didn’t realize had been hidden all these years.”

Dr. Virginia J. Crider

She hopes that her gift will allow young teachers to focus on “experiencing the daily fun, enjoyment, and satisfaction of seeing their students achieve.” Virginia earned her M.Ed. degree over the course of five summers and one fall semester at Penn State.

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