Two Thousand Thirteen
CelebratingÂ
Years
The College of Education: Then and Now
Dean David H. Monk Editor Suzanne Wayne Writers Deborah Benedetti Andrew Elder Kevin Sliman Chris Whitehead Designer Leah Donell Printer Nittany Valley Offset 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 Heidi Capetola Jeremiah Mimms Larry Carretta Ronald Musoleno Tonya DeVecchis-Kerr Sandie Musoleno David Dolbin Pamela Peter Marie Himes Marcia Pomeroy 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 Kristine Otto, Higher Education Program COEalumni@psu.edu, Multicultural Advancement Mary Beth Hershey, Professional Development School Jed Lindholm, Workforce Education Program
Contents Dean’s Message
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The College remains committed to the pursuit of excellence throughout the field of education.
College Celebrates 90 Years
2
A timeline of milestones from the College’s 90-year history
College Updates
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Read about College outreach, programs, faculty awards and activities.
Short Subjects
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A sampling of recent research from the College includes an investigation of the effects of progress reports on standardized test performance, how parents and close friends can affect student binge drinking, the effect of the Marcellus Shale gas boom on local schools, and a new model for the role of arts education in classrooms.
Alumni Features – Dedicated to Serving Others
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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
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Read about recent alumni achievements, updates from the Alumni Society Board, and more.
Gifts to the College The Pennsylvania State University is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to programs, facilities, admission and employment without regard to personal characteristics not related to ability, performance, or qualifications as determined by University policy or by state or federal authorities. It is the policy of the University to maintain an academic and work environment free of discrimination, including harassment. The Pennsylvania State University prohibits discrimination and harassment against any person because of age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, genetic information, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or veteran status and retaliation due to the reporting of discrimination or harassment. Discrimination, harassment, or retaliation against faculty, staff, or students will not be tolerated at The Pennsylvania State University. Direct all inquiries regarding this Nondiscrimination Policy to the Affirmative Action Director, The Pennsylvania State University, 328 Boucke Building, University Park, PA 16802-2801: tel. 814-863-0471/TTY. U.Ed EDU 14-02
Announcements of new endowments given to the College.
On the cover: Background: The Old Beta Theta Pi Fraternity House was the first location of the College of Education. Left: The newly renovated CEDAR Building. Middle: Students attend a literacy class. Right: The Krause Innovation Studio Learn Lab.
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Dean’sMessage The College of Education is celebrating the anniversary of its founding 90 years ago. Back in 1923, as the College was being established, Time magazine hit the news stands for the very first time, Louis Armstrong made his first recording, Yankee Stadium opened its doors, and The Walt Disney Company was founded. A ticket for a Nittany Lion Football game cost $2.50, and the game was played on New Beaver Field, which was located in the proximity of where Chambers Building now sits. Much has changed since 1923, but the College remains focused on its founding principle that Penn State has a special obligation to improve the quality of education at all levels. In the last 90 years, we can say we have done that and more. As enjoyable as it is to look to our past and to see how far we have come, we continue to look forward. We are turning our focus to new and exciting ways of making even more powerful education opportunities available to an expanding audience. The new Center for Online Innovation in Learning (COIL) is a partnership between the College of Education, the College of Information Sciences and Technology, and the World Campus. Currently, COIL is examining how online access can transform education through formal as well as informal learning systems that offer learners badges, certificates, and degrees. We are also preparing significant new programs to be offered online through the Penn State World Campus. Our commitment to serving a broad range of educational phenomena endures. For example, we recently expanded our counselor education graduate program to include a new mental health and schools option, which will become more and more important as school districts address mental health issues for their students. We have also reconfigured our Higher Education master’s degree program to include a College Student Affairs emphasis. Through a groundbreaking partnership with the Office of Student Affairs at Penn State, students in this program are participating in hands-on internships in many areas of the University while completing their studies. The program provides students with varied real world experiences to enhance their preparation.
Dean David H. Monk
We continue to move forward with new facilities in the College to encourage new ways of teaching, learning, and collaborating. In 2012 we opened the Krause Innovation Studio. Earlier this year we completed an $11 million renovation of the CEDAR building (including a complete re-design and upgrade for the CEDAR Clinic). Later this year, we will open a newly renovated mathematics education laboratory. Over the next few years, we are planning to renovate the remaining laboratory spaces in the College. These new facilities position us to offer state-of-the-art preparation programs for aspiring teachers, counselors, psychologists, therapists, and scholars. As we look forward to the future, we are also building new international partnerships. Most recently the College has collaborated with National Taiwan Normal University to establish the Advanced Center for the Study of the Learning Sciences. Likewise, the Center for the Study of Higher Education will now be offering its Academic Leadership Academy in India on a regular basis as part of the “Obama-Singh Knowledge Initiative of the 21st Century” grant that Penn State received along with partners, Rutgers University and Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, India. Personally, it is a great privilege to be Dean of the College as we recognize this milestone in our history. Over the years, I have come to meet so many of our alumni and recognize that their hard work, accomplishments, and support over the years are what truly make this College great. You can be very proud of what your College has accomplished during its first 90 years. As we look to the next 90 years and beyond, I can assure you that the future of the College is bright. I invite you to celebrate this milestone with us. Sincerely,
Penn State Education
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College Celebrates 90 Years The College of Education is celebrating its ninetieth anniversary. In 1921, Penn State President John M. Thomas presented the Board of Trustees with the idea that Penn State had a special obligation Years to improve the quality of teaching at all levels. He asked the Board to create a professional school of education. In 1923, Penn State formed the School of Education in order to fulfill that vision. At that time, it consisted of five departments— Home Economics, Education and Psychology, Agricultural Education, Industrial Education, and Nature Study—and had 359 students enrolled that first year.
Celebrating
Today, the College of Education continues that great tradition by offering students a variety of programs for both undergraduate and graduate work. The College offers seven undergraduate degrees as well as graduate degrees and certificates in numerous nationally ranked programs. This commitment to be among the best has paid great dividends—for the College, our students, and the people served by our graduates. The College comprises four academic departments: Learning and Performance Systems; Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education; Curriculum and Instruction; and Education Policy Studies. Last year, the College had 2,282 undergraduate students at 20 campuses and 1,239 graduate students at all campuses, including online degree programs. The College has been deeply committed to the role that needs to be played by research and evidence in the improvement of the teaching practice from its earliest days, and the faculty’s research findings have transformed the field. “We are at a fascinating point in the history of the field of education, and the College will continue to excel and provide leadership throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and beyond,” said Dean David H. Monk. “Our more than 55,000 alumni have gone on to distinguish themselves throughout the vast field of education.”
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Celebrating 90 Years
Will G. Chambers served as dean 1923
1920 The College of Education’s departments in the 1920s were Home Economics; Education and Psychology; Agricultural Education; Industrial Education; and Nature Study.
tion e of Educa The Colleg rrowes Building Bu moved to 940s. 1 e th g durin to 1937.
Marion R. Trabue was dean from 1937 to 1956.
1930
1940
The College of Education’s departments in the 1930s and 1940s were Art Education; Education; Industrial Education; Music Education; Psychology.
John R. Rackley served as dean from 1956 to 1962.
1950 In the 1950s, the College of Education divided the education department into Elementary, Secondary, and Education Services, which comprised Administration, Higher Education, Counselor Education, Adult Education, Special Education, and Foundations.
The Pennsylvania School Study Council (PSSC) was founded in 1947.
The Colle g located in e of Education w as Fraternit y the Old Beta The first ta House du ring the 1 Pi 930s.
Penn State Education
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Rackle y Buildin g comple was 1963. ted in
CEDAR Building was built in 1970.
Keller Building was completed in 1964.
The College of Education formed the Alumni Society Board in 1969.
1962: Abram W. VanderMeer became dean in 1962 and served until 1973.
1960
1970
The College of Education’s departments in the 1960s were Art Education; Industrial Education; Elementary Education; Secondary Education; Music Education; Psychology; Educational Services.
The College moved into the newly built Chambers Building in 1960.
The A Indian merican Progr Leadershi a p forme m was d in 1 971.
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Celebrating 90 Years
Celebrating
Years
In 1987, the College of Education opened its first comp uter lab in Rackley Building.
l The Professiona ment op el ev Personnel D ar ted st ) C PD Center (P in 1976.
1974: Henry J. Hermanowicz was dean from 1974 until 1989.
1980 The College of Education’s departments In the 1970s and 1980s were Curriculum and Instruction; Occupational and Vocational Studies; Education Policy Studies; Art and Music Education; Counseling; Learning and Developmental Education; Special Education.
The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program was created and established at Penn State in 1978.
e ge The Coll e CEDAR th opened 978. 1 in Clinic
The Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy was created in 1985.
Penn State Education
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Celebrating
Years
The Goodling Institute was formed in 2001. The Center for Science and the Schools (CSATS) was formed in 2004. Rodney J. Reed became dean in 1990 and served until 1998.
The current Dean, David H. Monk, joined the College in 1999.
1990
2000
The College of Education’s departments in the 1990s were Educational and School Psychology and Special Education; Adult Education and Instructional Systems; Counselor Education, Counseling Psychology and Rehabilitation Services Education; Administrative Policy, Foundations and Comparative/ International Education; Curriculum and Instruction; Vocational and Industrial Education.
The College of Education’s departments in the 2000s were Counselor Education, Counseling Psychology, and Rehabilitation Services; Curriculum
ucation The College of Ed ld Campus or W st fir offered its in 1999. master’s program
The SCOP Ep
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Celebrating 90 Years
rogram wa
s started in
2002.
The A m Journa erican l Educa of t came ion to the Colleg e 2004. in
tion of Educa e g e ll o C The se the Krau in 2012. opened io d n Stu Innovatio
2010 and Instruction; Education Policy Studies; Educational Psychology, School Psychology, and Special Education; and Learning and Performance Systems.
The College of Education’s departments today are Curriculum and Instruction; Education Policy Studies; Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education; and Learning and Performance Systems.
ing an Teach The Urb ve with Sheppard ti . Collabora s formed in 2007 a w l o o Sch
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CollegeUpdates College of Education Rankings Penn State’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. Ten of the College’s graduate programs appear at least in the top twenty of their respective program rankings, with six programs in the top ten. The College is now ranked 28th in the nation among 278 graduate programs of education identified by U.S. News & World Report. The programs are ranked this year as follows: Vocational/Technical Teacher Education (Workforce Education) . . . . . 2 Higher Education Administration . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Rehabilitation Counseling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Administration/Supervision (Ed Leadership) . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Student Counseling/ Personnel Services . . . . . . . . 9 Educational Psychology . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Education Policy . . . . . . . . . . 11 Elementary Education . . . . . . 12 Secondary Education . . . . . . . 13 Curriculum & Instruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
New Penn State Center Aims to Transform Teaching and Learning Process According to the Sloan Consortium, the United States has seen a 10 percent growth in online enrollments nationally. Penn State, which offers online programs through its World Campus, created a Center for Online Innovation in Learning to help faculty researchers invent, implement, and investigate new technology uses to improve online teaching and learning. “Penn State’s leadership in online education has been recognized nationally, including by recent National University Technology Network and Sloan Consortium awards,” said Craig Weidemann, vice president for Outreach. “The new center will enable Penn State researchers to use the living laboratory of the World Campus to test innovative approaches to online education design and delivery.” The College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), the College of Education, and the World Campus are partners in the center. Three co-directors —Fred Fonseca, associate professor, College of IST; Kyle Peck, professor and research fellow, College of Education; and Lawrence C. Ragan, director of Faculty Development, Penn State Outreach—will engage interested faculty and staff from all colleges and campuses as they explore new approaches in online learning and the effects of those new approaches on what teachers and learners do, how they do it, and what they learn. The College of Education, an early adopter of online education, offered the first online master’s degree through the World Campus in 1999 and now serves more than 1,000 students in a growing mix of professional master’s and certificate programs. Dean David H. Monk said, “The master’s degree in adult education has continued to grow, along with our other programs offered online. The new center will enable Penn State to maintain its leadership role in online teaching and learning, while increasing the number, size and scope of research projects College of Education and other Penn State faculty will be able to pursue.”
— Deborah Benedetti
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New Degree Emphasis Offers Timely Career Training The Penn State College of Education features six master’s degree options for students who wish to pursue careers in various counseling professions as career counselors, school counselors, and rehabilitation counselors. The Clinical Mental Health Counseling in Schools and Communities emphasis is the latest to be added to the Counselor Education’s master’s program. The development of this emphasis is especially important given the emerging national dialogue on school mental health. This master’s degree program focuses on promoting optimal human development, wellness, and mental health through outreach, prevention, and early intervention strategies in schools and community settings.
to maximize the potential of children, adolescents, adults, and families. They also are trained to provide crisis intervention services to schools, families, and communities and promote social change through the development of cross-system collaborations that contribute to school and community improvement initiatives. Counselor trainees are also prepared to pursue national certification and/or licensure as a professional counselor. An added feature of the program is the College of Education’s CEDAR Clinic
where counselor trainees are provided the opportunity to incorporate counseling theory, skills, and techniques into real-world learning experiences. In the CEDAR Clinic, counselors are exposed to role-playing and genuine counseling situations through practicums. Penn State’s College of Education looks to lead the way in preparing graduates to support children in this very important area of mental health.
— Kevin Sliman
Elizabeth Mellin, program coordinator and associate professor of education, said, “I’m particularly proud of this emphasis given its unique focus on children and adolescents and the relationship between learning and mental health.” Mellin added that the program is truly a one-of-a-kind graduate training opportunity. “With the recent national conversation on school mental health, I expect it to be a model for other programs who are looking to promote mental health and support learning in schools,” said Mellin. “This program has developed unique training opportunities with the State College Area School District and is helping us sustain the work of our federally funded school and mental health services grant.” Currently, many local and state governments as well as the federal government are proposing policies pertaining to mental health in schools. In addition, the federal government is proposing significant funding for training master’s level mental health counselors for work in schools. Counselor trainees in this program are prepared for implementing a wide range of culturally responsive, early intervention and intervention services
Penn State Education
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CollegeUpdates CollegeUpdates
Excerpts from the Commencement Address by Jhan Doughty Berry You will lead the way… For those of you in Secondary Education, you will be there to provide the critical educational content needed to prepare students for a global and competitive higher education learning experience. You will employ innovative approaches to your teaching, help your students with disabilities transition from school to work, work closely with parents and families on the education of their students, and even provide your input as organizations like ETS and the College Board shape critical assessments such as the SAT. You will lead the way… For those of you entering Special Education you will be able to work with the whole child—not just his/her IEP qualifying diagnosis. You will help us navigate the new DSM-5 and its role in classifying our children, particularly those on the Autism Spectrum and other disabilities that are being re-defined. You will come up with innovative ways to teach math, science, and social skills, and you will make sure that next to the child’s parents—YOU are his/her best advocate. You will lead the way…
Jhan Doughty Berry
Penn State College of Education May 5, 2013 As a graduate of the College of Education here at Penn State, my friends, you are entering the workforce at an amazing time in history. I know that YOU will lead the way. For those of you in Childhood and Early Adolescent Education, you will enter an environment where over 55 million children are educated each day in
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College Updates
public schools. You will lead us with innovative approaches to teaching and learning by utilizing computer-based approaches for areas such as classroom management to assessing higher-level concepts in math and science. You will use educational games to teach reading comprehension. Your lesson planning will include activities for all children in your classroom regardless of their level of ability.
For those of you in Rehabilitation and Human Services you will lead the way as you provide insight into your clients’ social, psychological, physical, mental, vocational, and family background in a way that NO other professional can. You will provide support to our military personnel returning from duty, provide counseling to individuals with mental health and drug and alcohol issues, help provide accommodations so that individuals may be fully engaged in school and work environments, and provide social support services to individuals and families in community centers. You will lead the way… For those of you in World Languages Education you understand that language is one of the major areas
that unites us as people. You will be there working in educational, corporate, and service agencies to open communication for persons of all backgrounds.
Standards. Most importantly you will be there to educate others that a child’s zip code should never predetermine the quality of his/her educational opportunities.
You will lead the way…
You will lead the way…
For those of you in Education and Public Policy you recognize not only the historical value of what we have done in the field of education, but also how those views inform how we approach education today. Your expertise will help to inform and shape the regional, state and national discourse that we are having on important issues from how to implement the Obama PreKindergarten Plan to the Common Core
My hope for you is • That you thank your parents and family members for taking out second mortgages and loans and cashing in 401(k)s to pay for your tuition so you may complete this journey, • That you lead your lives with both passion and purpose, • That you recognize that life does not rhyme—it is not poetry—so
everything for you will not happen as perfectly or fluidly as you would like, but it will happen at the time that is right for YOU, • And that you continue to lift up others as you climb your personal and professional ladder of success as the journey means nothing if you are not helping others to get there with you. In closing, I thank you for allowing me the honor to speak with you today. This has truly been a full-circle experience for me. You made this New Orleans native and fellow Penn Stater feel right at home and that means a lot to me. Congratulations, Class of 2013!
How many gifts does it take to make a difference? Just one—yours. When you combine your gift—large or small— with thousands of others, you’ll succeed at making dreams come true at Penn State. Every gift counts. To make your gifT Today conTacT:
michelle k. Houser director of development and alumni relations college of education 814-863-2146 mkb117@psu.edu iT’S eaSy To make a gifT online.
Please visit www.ed.psu.edu for more information.
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CollegeUpdates Professional Development School Provides a Year of Teaching Experience Another advantage of the PDS is spending a full school year with a mentor. Jeffrey said her mentor has been her biggest supporter and greatest teacher.
Lauren Jeffrey, a PDS intern, works with a student on a web-based project.
After the diplomas are awarded and the lines of graduates waiting to have their picture taken at the Nittany Lion Shrine have disappeared, most recent Penn State graduates are moving on to new lives. But College of Education seniors who are participating in the Professional Development School (PDS) program are still in State College. These dedicated future educators have committed to a full school year inside local classrooms for their senior year. They began their internship in August, before Penn State classes begin, and end them in June, weeks after their graduation from Penn State. The PDS is an intensive field-based program where learning to teach is accomplished through teaming with a mentor teacher and a university-based educator. Annually, approximately sixty Penn State PDS interns spend their year in State College Area School District schools where these future educators receive extensive training in actual classrooms. Lauren Jeffrey, a fifth-grade intern at Park Forest Elementary, said that she has learned more than she could have imagined throughout the course of the year. “I have learned about the type of educator I would like to become and my values about education, which have
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College Updates
grown and strengthened throughout this experience,” said Jeffrey. “Being in the classroom for the entire year has been the most valuable part of this program. I was able to see my students grow each day and have learned how to adapt and modify lessons based on student needs.” The yearlong classroom experience was what attracted these students to the internship. Andi Zirkle, a first- and second-grade intern at Park Forest Elementary, said the PDS program was what actually drew her to Penn State for her education degree. “I wanted a yearlong experience instead of 15 weeks,” said Zirkle, “because I knew that more time in the classroom would be valuable to me in practical learning.” Becky Oliver, a kindergarten intern also at Park Forest Elementary, said that she has learned a lot about her approaches to teaching. “I have had multiple opportunities to observe teachers,” said Oliver. “This has helped me determine my own teaching preferences. Observing has also shaped me because I am able to model what I do after what my colleagues have successfully used.”
“I think that being in a classroom all year with the same mentor allows you to build that relationship with your mentor, which is important because you feel comfortable when it is your turn to take over the class,” said Jeffrey. “You also know that the feedback you are getting is authentic and will only help you grow as a professional. [My mentor] has helped me grow tremendously throughout the year and has helped me become the educator I am today.” PDS interns also get practical experience with other skills. Zirkle said her internship taught her to be a lifelong learner. “Rather than trying to give us all the answers, PDS has equipped me to be a life-long learner,” said Zirkle. “Being inquisitive about my profession is the best way to grow and develop. [It] also sets a good example for my students.” Oliver added that she learned that it is important to teach the student and not the lesson. “There were several times that I needed to be flexible because the students were not ready for something, or [they] needed more practice,” said Oliver. “Likewise, everyday is different and requires the need for flexibility.” The students said their yearlong experience had fond memories mixed in with their professional development. “My favorite memory is probably the first week that I took over math,” said Jeffrey. “I was teaching a lesson, and one of my students said, ‘Oh! I get it now!’ I think those ‘ah-ha’ moments from my students are some of the best memories. It helps me see the difference I am making with my students.”
— Kevin Sliman
New Center for College of Education to offer Master’s in Evaluation and Higher Education and Student Affairs Education Policy College of Education is pursuing a The Higher Education Student Affairs Analysis Established The new partnership between the College program will follow the successful The College of Education has created a new Center for Evaluation and Education Policy Analysis (CEEPA), with the goals to provide access to external evaluators for research grants; assist with other aspects of the evaluation process, such as helping researchers design their evaluations and write grant proposals; and also provide assistance to faculty in making research more accessible to educators, the public, and policymakers. Ed Fuller, an associate professor in the Department of Education Policy Studies, will serve as the director. “It is almost impossible to get a research grant without having some kind of evaluation component,” Fuller explains. However, researchers don’t always know who to call for an evaluation; so CEEPA is forming a network of expert evaluators whom researchers seeking funding can contact. CEEPA will also look to make quality research more accessible to local policymakers, particularly in the area of education policy. Similarly, the center will work with policymakers to identify research errors, such as incorrect methodologies and conclusions that don’t follow results, and provide a place for policymakers and media to locate quality, peer-reviewed research.
of Education and the Office of Student Affairs to provide a scholar-practitionerfocused higher education master’s degree program. The two-year program will stress the importance of research that engages problems of practice, as well as the analysis of evidence that is the basis of high-quality professional work in student affairs. Graduates of this new program at Penn State will enjoy a comparative advantage in the job market given the program’s emphasis on problem solving using evidencebased practices and innovations.
partnership model the college has developed with the State College Area School District to form the Professional Development School (PDS). In operation for fifteen years, the PDS follows the premise that both Penn State faculty members and professionals in area schools bring useful and relevant perspective to the partnership. In this master’s degree program, personnel from the College of Education and Student Affairs will be full partners in the delivery of the program.
— Andy Elder
It’s been 90 years! Help us celebrate at our 2013 Homecoming Tailgate. Saturday, October 12, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Penn State vs. University of Michigan
The Center will also address the disconnect between quality research and practical issues facing education. The Center can help superintendents and school boards sift through the volume of quality research to identify the research most relevant to their needs.
— Chris Whitehead
Outside of Chambers Building $70 – Football Ticket with Tailgate; $15 – Tailgate Only Register by October 1!
www.ed.psu.edu/tailgate/
Penn State Education
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The new entrance into CEDAR building from the shared breezeway with Moore Building shows the newly configured CEDAR clinic.
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L: The breezeway between Moore and CEDAR buildings has an updated look. R: New paint and carpeting in the Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling and Special Education’s administrative offices warms the environment.
Recent Renovations Create New Learning Spaces The College of Education is updating two of its buildings in 2013. First, the CEDAR (Center for Education, Diagnosis, and Remediation) Building has had numerous renovations applied to it and was reopened in May 2013. The CEDAR project was an $11 million investment funded by the University that included updates to all of the systems– water, electrical, telecommunications, HVAC, sprinkler, and alarm– as well as new paint, flooring, and carpeting. A new roof was put on the building, and the connecting corridor between CEDAR and Moore Buildings was updated. All bathrooms and doors throughout the building were upgraded to meet ADA standards. In addition to these updates, the CEDAR Clinic underwent a complete remodel. Additions include a new waiting area and an improved patient conference area that will create more patient privacy.
Gerald Henry, the human resources manager for the College who oversaw the project, said the renovation to CEDAR is a major improvement to the building’s interior and to its outside, which will now have a sitting garden on the north side of the building, improved exterior lighting, and a new Allen Road entrance. The second update is in the Chambers Building where a state-of-the-art mathematics education lab is scheduled to open this fall. This $1.1 million investment will create a cutting-edge learning environment to support the development of mathematics education practice and research in a technologically enriched setting. The new design aims to provide flexible physical space that includes state-ofthe-art video and audio connections to the outside world, built-in recording and display capability, and capacity for direct connections to PK-12 classrooms. The lab will also feature software that will offer the ability to communicate
and collaborate electronically with teachers and students at remote locations as well as between classrooms in the College. M. Kathleen Heid, distinguished professor of mathematics education, and Rose Mary Zbiek, professor of mathematics education, were the primary education consultants on the project. “The new lab will provide new opportunities for studies of mathematics education teaching and learning at the College of Education by providing a state-of-the-art venue for the production and study of digital audio and video records of teaching and learning in mathematics and mathematics education,” said Heid. In addition, the lab would serve as a site to accommodate research by teams of graduate research assistants and faculty working on analyzing interviews and observational data.
— Kevin Sliman
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CollegeUpdates Faculty Appointments
Kathleen Bieschke
Katerina Bodovski
Leticia Oseguera
Soo-Yong Byun
Julia Plummer
Alison Carr-Chellman
Matt Poehner
Ladislaus Semali
Kathleen Bieschke, professor of counseling psychology, has been appointed to head of the Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education. Her three-year term begins on July 1, 2013.
the Department of Learning and Performance Systems. Her second three-year term begins July 1, 2013.
Katerina Bodovski, Department of Education Policy Studies, was granted tenure and promoted to associate professor.
Mark Kissling joined the College as an assistant professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.
Soo-Yong Byun joined the College as an assistant professor in the Department of Education Policy Studies. Alison Carr-Chellman, professor of learning, design, and technology, has been reappointed head of
Simon Hooper
Simon Hooper, Department of Learning and Performance Systems, was promoted to the rank of professor.
Leticia Oseguera, Department of Education Policy Studies, was granted tenure and promoted to associate professor. Julia Plummer joined the College as an associate professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.
Mark Kissling
Carla Zembal-Saul
Matt Poehner, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, was granted tenure and promoted to associate professor. Ladislaus Semali, Departments of Curriculum and Instruction and Learning and Performance Systems, was promoted to the rank of professor. Jeanine Staples, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, was granted tenure and promoted to associate professor. (not pictured) Carla Zembal-Saul, professor of curriculum and instruction, has been reappointed head of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Her new two-year term will begin on July 1, 2014.
EdLion Free Online Seminars for College of Education Alumni Every spring and fall, the College offers a series of online seminars through EdLion. Participants can attend the seminar through a traditional web browser. No special software is needed.
www.ed.psu.edu/educ/edlion
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College Updates
College of Education students attend a session to learn more about educational tools on their notebook computers.
College of Education Renews National Accreditation Penn State’s College of Education recently completed a successful review by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). NCATE is one of the two national accrediting agencies for teacher education in the United States. “We had an incredibly successful review, and I think that’s really something to be proud of,” said Jacqueline Edmondson, the former associate dean for undergraduate and graduate studies in the College. Not only did the College meet all six of the standards assessed by NCATE, but areas such as Field Experience and Clinical Practice were recognized as moving towards ‘Target,’ a level of performance that goes above and beyond the standard. The reviewers were especially impressed with the Professional Development School (PDS) and
features like the annual Teacher Inquiry Conference, in which current student interns share the results of research they have completed during their senior year field experience in local classrooms. NCATE reviewers called the PDS and its conference a “model for other programs.” Reviewers also noted the College‘s impressive faculty. “[Our faculty] are the people who are setting the standards for the whole field. They’re writing the textbooks that people are using across the country, and they’re doing the research that is informing the field in really critical ways,” said Edmondson. The NCATE accreditation is remarkable, because it is not a requirement for teacher preparation programs in Pennsylvania. “We choose to do this because it demonstrates that we are meeting national standards,”
Edmondson said. “It helps Penn State be a part of the conversations around what counts in the certification of education professionals.” Still, the College refuses to rest on its laurels. “There are always areas we want to change and improve,” said Edmondson. Public schools are changing. Communities are changing. The economy changes. Everything changes. So there is always something to improve. We do a lot of work with assessment. We have different committees and groups looking at our data, and I think we do a really thoughtful job making changes based on the data that we collect.” Teacher education programs in the College of Education have been accredited by NCATE since January 1, 1965.
— Chris Whitehead
Penn State Education
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CollegeUpdates International Partnership will Advance Learning Sciences
Delegates from NTNU visited the College in May for a planning session.
Penn State University and National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) have developed a collaboration to establish the Advanced Center for the Study of the Learning Sciences. Under a proposal funded by the Taiwan National Science Council, center researchers will devise ways for educators to keep pace with rapidly changing information and technology in society. Behavioral and neuro-cognitive research will serve as focal points for the center’s work. The center has several goals, including enhancing research capabilities, cultivating young scholars, recruiting outstanding researchers from the world and strengthening industry-university cooperation, with the ultimate goal of establishing this center as a worldrenowned center in the field of the learning sciences, with special emphasis on language acquisition, scientific literacy, science learning, and learning technology.
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College Updates
The work on language mastery and scientific literacy will have important educational and societal implications for communicating across cultures, analyzing and integrating information, and developing knowledge systems. Enhanced knowledge systems allow learners to excel in their efforts to perform comprehension, communication, cooperation and coordination tasks and to resolve problems in various environments. An important emphasis for the center will be Chinese language learning. There is an increasing demand for Chinese language education within the United States as well as in the globalized world. By combining the fields of neuro-cognitive research and behavioral aspects of world language education, the center will make contributions to the learning sciences. Research activities will take place at both NTNU and Penn State, and the institutions will develop collaborations
with related research centers in Asia, Europe, and the United States. The ultimate goal is to develop into a top transnational research center worldwide with multiple dimensions, including a theoretical framework and applications at multiple sites. Penn State and NTNU are sister universities. In addition to the approximately forty researchers at NTNU who are Penn State alumni, researchers from both universities will have regular and extensive exchange visits. At present, more than twenty faculty members from NTNU and a similar number of scholars from Penn State are contributing to center activities, including faculty members from the College of Education, the College of the Liberal Arts, and the College of Information Sciences and Technology.
— Andy Elder
ShortSubjects Progress Reports Can be Detrimental for Test Performance Elementary and secondary schools rely on standardized tests for an accurate measure of their students’ progress. A study by Roy Clariana, professor of education, reveals that feedback given to certain types of learners actually erodes their standardized test scores. Those schools that provide test preparation for their students and then provide feedback may be undermining the efficacy of those tests for some students. Wyoming Area School District in northeastern Pennsylvania and its superintendent, Ray Bernardi, wanted to ascertain Roy Clariana what cost effective measures were available to improve middle school students’ performance on the state Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) test. He worked with Clariana to conduct the study. Clariana’s investigation focused on the influence of progress reports on students’ discretionary test preparation effort over a nine-week period and also on their actual test achievement. Achievement-Goal Theory proposes two kinds of achievement goals: performancegoal orientation and learning- or mastery-goal orientation. A learning-goal orientation can be thought of as learning for the sake of learning, or becoming a “life-long learner,” which is what most teachers hope their students will become. “Our premise is that the current strong focus on PSSA testing establishes a context that wrongly aligns more with a performance-goal orientation,” Clariana said. “Further, progress reports reinforce a performance-goal orientation.” The investigation was conducted through an individualized and extensive computer-based system from Compass Learning for individualized PSSA test preparation, which is a performance-oriented context. An individualized computer-generated progress report was randomly sent home to parents of some students—an approach that perhaps doubly reinforces a focus on testing—while for other students, no progress report was prepared, providing a ‘no report’ control. The study revealed that progress reports of computer-based work sent home to parents only slightly positively affected test performance for performance-oriented and for low-achieving goal-oriented students. However, for those students with a high learning-goal orientation, progress reports negatively affected effort and PSSA-test performance. “The findings also hold an obvious important point for practice. The ubiquitous use of outcome feedback in schools and organizations may be eroding performance for learning-oriented students and, to be effective, should be examined for congruence with individual motivations for task engagement,” Clariana said. “Our findings suggest that unsolicited outcome feedback should not accompany tasks that otherwise encourage a learning-goal orientation. For multiple-goal tasks in which individual motivations may vary, helping individuals choose their most valued type of feedback represents one way to match feedback type to individual goal orientation. Alternatively, providing both process and outcome feedback to all individuals may avoid overemphasis, and associated negative effects, on a potentially incongruent form of feedback.” The experimental investigation was published in the November 2012 Journal of Applied Social Psychology.
— Andy Elder
Penn State Education
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ShortSubjects Marcellus Shale Gas Boom has Uneven Results for Schools Kai Schafft, associate professor of education, along with colleagues in rural sociology, conducted a survey of school district administrators Kai Schafft in all the public school districts in the Marcellus region, and conducted follow-up group interviews in Pennsylvania’s Northern Tier—an area heavily affected by Marcellus drilling. The study, “Educational Administrator Perspectives on Boomtown Impacts within Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale Region” will be published in an upcoming issue of Society & Natural Resources. “CTCs are booming. They’ve gotten lots of attention from the industry, and from Pennsylvania students and residents interested in retooling their skills to match the requirements of the gas industry,” Schafft stated.
Students at the Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science & Technology are preparing for welding jobs with drilling companies in the Marcellus Shale.
For the past five years, Pennsylvania residents have been regaled with predictions of new-found wealth that the Marcellus Shale gas boom would produce, and for some individuals these predictions have become reality. However, for the forty-nine career and technology centers (CTCs) and 309 K-12 school districts within the Marcellus footprint, the outcomes have been more uneven.
However, this work revealed that while the development of Marcellus Shale has significantly changed the focus and activity of CTCs, shale gas development hasn’t necessarily resulted in benefits for Pennsylvania school districts. Further, while school district respondents in areas with high drilling activity report significant local economic activity, they report that little, if any, benefit is accruing back to schools. To the contrary, it has triggered a variety of related concerns in some districts—particularly for those in the closest proximity to drilling activity: • Problems with road congestion, damage, repair, and schedules, as well as public safety, • Significantly tightened housing markets, dramatic increases in housing rental costs, and increased residential insecurity and homelessness,
• Concerns regarding water quality, and especially in cases in which district buildings rely on well water, • Concerns regarding recruitment and retention of key staff (e.g., bus drivers) when district salaries can neither keep pace with nor match gas industry-related salaries. To share research findings and discuss the implications with local educators and community stakeholders, the Center on Rural Education and Communities, in collaboration with The Pennsylvania School Studies Council, held a one-day Marcellus conference in March 2012 to focus on unconventional gas development in Pennsylvania. Titled “Understanding & Preparing for Marcellus Shale Impacts in Your School District,” the conference attracted more than 100 participants from Pennsylvania school districts, with other attendees from New York and Ohio. “’Vo-tech’ is no longer perceived as an educational ‘second-class citizen,’ but rather as a means of acquiring high-paid gas-industry jobs associated with industry build-out,” Schafft stated. “However, the opportunities associated with new Marcellus-related job opportunities need to be balanced against the relative uncertainty and volatility within the gas industry as well as the longevity of jobs associated with the initial build-out.” “A pressing—and difficult—question,” Schafft said, “is how the shorter term economic boom of Marcellus development can be strategically managed so that Pennsylvania schools and communities can maximize their opportunities for long-term social, economic, and environmental sustainability.” Schafft and his colleagues are continuing work in this area through a new research project funded by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania in which they are documenting the multiple social, institutional, and economic impacts of Marcellus Shale gas development.
— Andy Elder
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Short Subjects
Students attend a Pre-K art class on the Penn State University Park campus.
Rethinking the Arts and Young Children Gail Boldt, associate professor of education and affiliate faculty member in Women’s Studies, has co-edited a new book that explores the Gail Boldt important role that the arts play in the classroom. The book is a teachereducation text titled Young Children, Pedagogy and the Arts: Ways of Seeing. Both Boldt and her co-editor, Felicity McArdle from Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, believe that a heavy emphasis on various arts including visual arts, movement and dance, and music as part of a strong, integrated literacy approach can benefit children in the classroom. “In this book, we brought together work by scholar-practitioners who are all interested in rethinking the arts and young children,” said Boldt. “They share a commitment to research that enriches the curriculum and the learning
experiences of all young children and their teachers. They also share the conviction that learning is enhanced through a curriculum that has a strong focus on the arts.” Boldt added that as a research method, the arts can prove a powerful means for generating rich data that is usable by teachers and researchers. “As several chapters in the book demonstrate, working with children engaged in artistic modes of exploration, expression, or production can make learning and thinking visible in a direct and immediate way not available through more traditional research methods,” said Boldt. “Additionally, many of the chapters demonstrate how the arts can expand ways of experiencing, knowing, and communicating the world and ourselves, and can challenge more traditional notions of literacy, learning, and learners.” Boldt hopes this book will convey to future teachers the crucial role that the arts play in the classroom.
“When the arts are pushed to the periphery of education policies and practices, students are denied artistic methods and modes to develop and articulate their knowledge, experiences, feelings and perceptions,” said Boldt. “Likewise, teachers are denied artistic ways of teaching and learning that can in fact enhance literacy and numeracy outcomes, which are so much the focus of the current testing craze. Teachers are reporting nationwide that with reading and math as the primary focus of highstakes testing, the arts have been largely eliminated from school curriculum. Yet the evidence is mounting that this narrowing of curriculum is producing worse outcomes for student learning across multiple domains.” Several Penn Staters contributed chapters to the book. Boldt co-authored a chapter with Kortney Sherbine, a Ph.D. candidate in the College of Education. Christine Marmé Thompson, a professor of art education in the Penn State College of Arts and Architecture also wrote a chapter. The book was published in April by Routledge.
— Kevin Sliman
Penn State Education
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ShortSubjects
Expressing Concern About Student Binge Drinking Can Influence Student Choices Jeff Hayes, a professor of counseling psychology in the College of Education, helped conduct a study and cowrote a journal Jeff Hayes article on alcohol consumption of college-aged students. The study focused on how students who had people in their lives who expressed concern about alcohol consumption were more likely to be concerned about their own alcohol consumption. The consequences of binge drinking on college campuses can be dire, both for the student and others, according to Hayes. He pointed to a statistic that more than half of college students who sought counseling reported drinking alcohol at a level considered to be “hazardous” by the World Health Organization. Hayes said that one of the goals of this study was to educate professionals who work with students, which he hopes
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Short Subjects
will result in better student engagement and more effective outreach programs. The other goal of this study was to raise awareness of friends and family of students who abuse alcohol. “We found that students who were not distressed about their binge drinking did not have other people who expressed concern to them about their alcohol consumption,” said Hayes. “On the other hand, when a friend or family member expressed concerns to a student about her or his excessive drinking, it can help the student reflect on their alcohol consumption and begin to take steps to reduce it.” Hayes said that this study grew out of both professional and personal interests. “My concerns about binge drinking stem from multiple perspectives,” said Hayes. “As a licensed psychologist, I often hear about the effects of binge drinking on students’ academic performance, on their relationships, and on their mental and physical well-being. As a parent of three teenagers, including one in college, I am aware of and concerned about the ingrained culture of binge
drinking among adolescents. Finally, as a researcher, I am disappointed by the preponderance of data indicating that existing efforts to curb binge drinking among college students are modestly successful, at best.” The data for the study were gathered through the Center for Collegiate Mental Health, which is a network of nearly 200 university counseling centers across the United States, and which is organized and run centrally by an interdisciplinary team of researchers at Penn State, including faculty members and students in the Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education in the College of Education. The research team at Penn State analyzes data sent from college counseling centers throughout the U.S. and provides useful information back to practitioners in the form of webinars, annual reports, conference presentations, and articles. Hayes wrote this piece with James M. Graceffo, Caitlin Chun-Kennedy, and Benjamin D. Locke. It can be found in the Journal of College Counseling.
— Kevin Sliman
Focused on Serving Others
At first glance, it may seem like the College of Education offers a diverse collection of degrees and programs. But our distinct and varied programs all share a unified focus on helping people become their very best. Likewise, the alumni of the College leave Penn State with a sharpened focus on service to others. All of the alumni we are featuring this year are dedicated to teaching and serving others. In their own unique ways their careers are focused on people.
Penn State Education
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Executive Director Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center Upon graduating from Penn State, Kim became a professor and later, an associate dean at Ohio State (OSU). She then moved to a joint appointment between OSU and the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) in 1999 to help design an exhibition area for children at the new COSI museum. Soon thereafter, Kim became the vice president of education for COSI, and in 2009, she became the chief strategy and operations officer there. Currently, Kim is the executive director of the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (SEEC) in Washington, D.C., where she is able to pursue her passion of changing the way people view early childhood education by overseeing the SEEC’s three school sites and its activities for children ages two months through kindergarten. During her career, Kim has received the following recognitions: the Noyce Foundation Leadership Fellow in April 201011, the Who’s Who Among American Teachers in 2000, and the Outstanding Young Women of America in 1999.
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Alumni Feature
’90 Ph.D. Curriculum and Instruction
Dan Z. Johnson
Kimberlee Kiehl
“Penn State exposed me to a wide variety of people and ideas and provided experiences that have been vital to my success. Perhaps most importantly, my Ph.D. advisers instilled in me a set of values and beliefs about early education and the success of all children, and gave me the opportunity to participate in a variety of coursework that provided me with a varied and broad background. This solid academic background has informed all of my ideas about what education for young children can and should be. It also gave me the confidence and the opportunity to try new ideas, explore a wide variety of content, and develop my own ideas based on research and data. The faculty challenged me to think critically and broadened my understanding of topics that continue to serve me in my work today. I still consider my doctoral advisers as some of my top mentors.”
’74 M.Ed. Counselor Education, ’85 D.Ed. Counselor Education
Steve Tressler
W. Terrell Jones
Vice Provost for Educational Equity Penn State Terrell is responsible for leading the implementation of the University’s strategic plan that embraces and supports diversity and programs that provide access to non-traditional student populations. Terrell has also worked for Lock Haven University (LHU) as the vice president of academic affairs. Prior to that he was the LHU assistant director of admissions and residential life. He has many years of service on the Forum on Black Affairs at Penn State, and he chaired the Centre County Human Relations Commission. Terrell has been an author and speaker on the subject of cultural diversity and cross-cultural communication, and he has taught courses at Penn State on race relations and cross-cultural counseling. He was awarded the Way Pavers Award in 2012 for contributing to and supporting diversity initiatives at Penn State. He is also a member of the James B. Stewart Society, a giving society in the department of educational equity.
“I believe that getting an education is a lifechanging experience because it provides opportunities and different ways of thinking. It was for me. I believe it is incumbent upon us to do everything we can to make a student successful and continue to search for ways to provide good experiences for students in order for us, as a nation, to remain competitive internationally. The College of Education provided me with an amazing group of mentors and advisers who helped guide me and provided a framework for my education. I was exposed to many different perspectives through my interactions with faculty. In fact, one of my advisers prompted me to focus on diversity, which has been important, as each job I have had has required me to know more and be competent in this area.”
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’92 B.S. Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management, ’96 M.Ed. Instructional Systems
Sheri Geoffreys Photography, Inc.
Jennifer Hrzic
Project Manager/Parts Management Integrator Northrop Grumman After completing her undergraduate degree at Penn State, Jennifer started on a career path that would eventually lead her back to Penn State as a coordinator of information systems for Housing and Food Services. She earned her M.Ed. in Instructional Systems and then went on to work for Becton Dickinson and Company and Accenture where she performed SAP implementations for Fortune 500 companies and the federal government. In 2004, Jennifer started working with Northrop Grumman as a training coordinator and, later, training manager. Currently, Jennifer is a project manager and parts management integrator working on the James Webb Space Telescope, which is a large, infrared-optimized space telescope. Jennifer has also been a coach for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program where she trained individuals to complete marathons, which helped raise money for research.
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Alumni Feature
“Without my Penn State College of Education degree, I would not be where I am today. The skills and experience that I received prepared me for the application of my education in the corporate world. I loved the experience that my master’s degree program offered. It was unique, and I had the privilege of knowing all the individuals in my program. I enjoyed that the professors treated the students as equals. Both the students and professors spent hours in and out of the classroom as colleagues, mentors, and friends. It was a wonderful network of support that helped me to succeed. In addition, my adviser had a lot of insight and guidance that helped to set up my career path going forward. Having wise and experienced advisers and mentors in the College of Education is something that I am very thankful for to this day.”
Thomas Gorman
Steven Lin ’05 B.S. Elementary and Kindergarten Education
Assistant Principal Fairview Elementary School Steven accepted an offer to teach from Chesapeake Public Schools immediately after graduation from Penn State. The district made a pitch to him at a job fair during his junior year. He spent eight years as a fifthgrade teacher at E.W. Chittum Elementary School before recently accepting a position as the assistant principal at Fairview Elementary in Roanoke (Virginia) City Public Schools. He earned a master’s in educational leadership from George Washington University (GWU) in 2009. He is in the midst of obtaining his doctorate in education administration and policy studies from GWU. This year, Steven was honored as the E.W. Chittum teacher of the year, as well as the city’s elementary school teacher of the year. He proudly wore a Penn State pin to the ceremony and a Penn State tie to give his speech. “Penn State not only did a great job of teaching me how to teach, but why I teach and having pride in my profession—the idea of professionalism. Being in the Professional Development School (PDS) program, I came out of it feeling like I had earned my stripes. I took pride in having to start my internship before Penn State classes started, in getting my degree in May and then going back to work to finish the school year. Even before then, my professors taught me a lot about social justice, the importance of morality in education, and a lot of interesting things beyond just how to teach kids. I teach with a chip on my shoulder a lot of times. I’m not grumpy, I just don’t think teachers get enough respect. I take a lot of pride in staying late in the classroom, in staying up late to grade papers, in doing the extras beyond the curriculum.”
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Wally Richardson
’96 B.S. Administration of Justice, ’03 M.Ed. Higher Education
Director, Football Letterman’s Club Penn State
Kevin Seifert
Wally exhibited excellence on and off the football field as an undergraduate at Penn State. Not only did he set several records as a twoyear starter at quarterback, he was chosen three times as Academic All-Big Ten, and he was awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. After three years in the NFL and one year in the XFL, Wally returned to Penn State as a graduate assistant in Penn State’s Morgan Academic Support Center for Student-Athletes while he earned his master’s in higher education. In 2003, he was hired full time as an academic counselor at the Morgan Academic Support Center, where he worked until 2007. From there he moved on to the Rankin Smith StudentAthlete Center at the University of Georgia. He stayed there for four years and then accepted the position of associate director of football academic support at the University of North Carolina. He is now returning to his college roots, having accepted the position of director of Penn State’s Football Letterman’s Club.
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Alumni Feature
“The graduate program in higher education made sense. My thinking at that time was that I didn’t want to coach, but I wanted to be involved with athletics. People talk about it all the time, that pro athletes have a hard time transitioning from their playing careers to post-playing careers. Penn State was there for me when I was going through that transition. The higher education program allowed me to figure out what I wanted to do. It made a lot of sense to me to get involved with academic counseling of athletes. I was always a pretty decent student, and that offered a good combination of the two. I was working with studentathletes, helping them reach their academic goals.”
’08 B.S. Elementary and Kindergarten Education Dan Z. Johnson
Keely Gray
Teacher Isaac A. Sheppard Elementary Keely graduated from Penn State and began working for the School District of Philadelphia in West Philadelphia teaching second grade. Today, Keely teaches third grade at the school where she did her student teaching, Isaac A. Sheppard Elementary. Keely’s classroom is a model classroom for Children’s Literacy Initiative, which is a non-profit that works with teachers to transform instruction with the goal of closing the literacy achievement gap. In 2012, Keely earned her master’s degree with an English as a Second Language (ESL) program specialist certificate from the Universidad del Turabo in partnership with Penn State. While she was a student, Keely was involved with THON, and she served on its hospitality committee. Keely plans on continuing her education by pursuing professional development including a reading specialist certification in order to provide the best literacy instruction possible to her students.
“My Penn State experience in the College of Education prepared me for my career in teaching. The classes that I took gave me a lot of knowledge, but it was my student teaching experience that gave me the greatest training. By student teaching at Sheppard, I gained so much knowledge and experience, and my love for working in an urban school was revealed to me. Without Penn State, I would not have had the same experience. The College of Education helped me to identify my passion, which is working with students in highpoverty, disadvantaged areas, and instilling in them a love of learning that they will take with them through their lives in order to have a successful future. I want to provide all students with the best instruction and an environment where they feel happy, safe, and loved. I am so thankful to Penn State to have been able to participate in the urban education student teaching option at Sheppard Elementary. It truly helped shape my career.”
Penn State Education
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Joe Appel
Suzie McConnell-Serio
’88 B.S. Elementary and Kindergarten Education
Head Coach, Women’s Basketball University of Pittsburgh Suzie is that rare athlete that has enjoyed nearly as much success on the sideline as she did on the court. After starring for the Lady Lions while pursuing her elementary and kindergarten education degree—and establishing several NCAA Division I records that still stand today—she enjoyed a robust post-collegiate playing career. She contributed to two Olympic teams from her point guard position, winning gold and bronze medals. She also played three decorated seasons for the WNBA’s Cleveland Rockers. As a coach, Suzie returned to her Pittsburgh roots from 1990 to 2003 at Oakland Catholic High School. Under her tutelage, Oakland Catholic won three state championships and was runnerup twice. From 2003-06, Suzie coached the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx where she won the 2004 WNBA Coach of the Year honor. For the next six years Suzie served as head coach at Duquesne University, leading the Dukes to the postseason in her last five seasons. In April, she accepted her current position at the University of Pittsburgh. In 2008, Suzie was elected to the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
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Alumni Feature
“I haven’t been in a classroom, per se, for a long time. But going through the education program prepared me to teach every day, whether it’s high school, college, or the WNBA. I am a teacher, a teacher of the game. I teach, as most coaches do, beyond the classroom. In that role I am utilizing my degree. On the court, I am interacting with my team; that’s a classroom. At Penn State, one of the most miserable teaching experiences I had turned out to be one of my most helpful. I had to teach a song to my peers, and I can’t carry a tune to save my life. It wasn’t my most pleasant memory, but it really helped me in developing confidence in public speaking. Getting up in front of my peers to teach lessons has helped me in what I’m doing now.”
Joe Appel
Adam Nye ’10 B.S. Education and Public Policy Manager of Making Experiences Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh Ever since he graduated in 2010 with a B.S. in education and public policy, Adam has been busy finding unique ways to put that degree to use. He started in Pittsburgh, where he was a museum educator and manager-on-duty at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh (CMP). At the same time, he served as a youth outreach coordinator for Dreams of Hope Youth Arts Organization. In August 2011, he was promoted to Manager of Making Experiences at CMP, which includes managing the staff and coordinating the programs and activities of MAKESHOP, a maker space for children and families to make things by combining old and new technologies. MAKESHOP was recognized in TrendsWatch 2012, a publication of the American Association of Museums. Last year, Adam earned a master’s in social and comparative analysis of education at the University of Pittsburgh. He also serves on several committees, including the Allegheny Intermediate Unit’s Center for Creativity and the Association of Children’s Museums.
“My career path has been serendipitous. I began in the teacher education program, but I felt I wanted to make a bigger difference than just one classroom. The EPP program was announced at the end of my sophomore year and was said to be a degree for people who wanted to be involved in education, but outside of the classroom. It was a very small cohort in spring 2008, so I received a lot of attention from my advisers and my professors. I was also able to be flexible with my courses, which gave me a great grounding in educational policy and practice. That gave me the foundation for my future. My advisers were absolutely amazing. I still call on Dr. Larry Boggess, Dr. Dana Mitra, and Dr. Angela Duncan for their guidance and support. The amazingly inspirational people and projects in the College of Education are what truly made my college experience a great one.”
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Jessica Baith Gregory ’03 M.Ed. Counselor Education
Washington-Lee High School During the spring of her second year in her master’s degree program at Penn State, Jessica attended an education job fair where she interviewed with an Arlington County administrator. A month later, she was a high school counselor in Arlington, Virginia. For the next eight years she worked in that position during which she earned a M.Ed. in school leadership from George Mason University. That degree, coupled with her master’s from Penn State, enabled her to be promoted to the Director of Counseling Services, the position she holds today.
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Alumni Feature
“I have wonderful memories of my years in the secondary school counseling program. The skills and abilities that I cultivated through the Penn State Counselor Ed program allowed me to jump right into a high school counseling position. I didn’t realize how much I learned until I was actually working and honing these skills. Life is different now that I am supervising counselors and not working with a caseload, but I get to make differences in student lives in a different way. Each day I realize that this is the right career path for me. ”
Dan Z. Johnson
Director of Counseling
’82 D.Ed. Higher Education
Dan Z. Johnson
David Reed
President and CEO United Methodist Home for Children Since his days as an undergrad, David has served his two strong callings: religion and education. He is an ordained deacon and elder in the Central Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church (UMC). He began his pastoral ministry at Elimsport UMC while a senior in college. After seminary, he was appointed to the Fairview Charge in the Williamsport area, where he served for seven years. He was then appointed to the Otterbein UMC of Boiling Springs, where he served for 24 years, more than doubling the size of the congregation. In 2006, David became the president and CEO of The United Methodist Home for Children (UMHC), Inc., in Mechanicsburg. UMHC operates a residential care program for abused, neglected, and abandoned children. Throughout his professional career, David has served on a number of church boards and agencies, as well as community-based organizations, including membership in and chair of the state-wide Commission on United Ministries of Higher Education and Campus Ministry.
“The program in higher education was wonderful academic preparation for my career in non-profit management. I was drawn to the program because of its flexibility. It allowed me to focus on certain aspects I was most interested in pursuing. The higher education faculty were strong academics in their own right and also had a way of relating to the students individually. They really wanted to help us in our own specific career goals. I concentrated on board governance for my dissertation, and that has really served me well. I’m now in charge of a faith-based corporation, and what I learned about governance has been put to good use.
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’96 M.Ed. Instructional Systems, ’98 Ph.D. Workforce Education President SkillPoint Consulting, Inc. Marsha joined Development Dimensions International (DDI) in their Washington, D.C., office as an executive coach after graduating from the Penn State College of Education. She then joined Capital One as a vice president of human resources where she oversaw the leadership acceleration group. She was later promoted to managing vice president of human resources where she led a team of human resource generalists. Now, Marsha runs her own consulting firm. She works to help executives achieve their full potential through coaching and training, which is in line with her life goal of creating one-on-one relationships that lead to transformational change. Marsha teaches university courses in HR development and develops coaching certification programs for her clients to assist them in creating internal executive coaches. Marsha and her husband, Steve, also offer their expertise to an organization, called Safe Families, where they not only open their home to children in a crisis situation, but also enhance the organization professionally by helping the program become more effective. “At Penn State, I received a diverse set of skills, and I was connected to a network of faculty, advisers, and classmates, all of which has become a springboard for my consulting firm. My degrees from the College of Education helped prepare me to immediately step into any role that I chose, from faculty member, to researcher, to corporate leader. I have used the skills and training that I received from the College daily, from designing and delivering training, to executive coaching and organization development. All of these skills have been very helpful to me in my career. I received, and still do receive, support from the faculty, which has been a continual boost in my career.”
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Alumni Feature
David Wilks
Marsha King
David Wilks
Stephen B. King ’98 Ph.D. Workforce Education
Adam Nye
Vice President of Talent and Leadership Effectiveness Allstate Insurance Prior to coming to Penn State, Steve worked in operations roles for Worthington Industries. To make the next step in his career, Steve decided to pursue his doctorate at Penn State’s College of Education. Upon graduation, Steve worked as an independent consultant in the Washington, D.C., area, and then joined Management Concepts as executive director of the leadership and management division. From there, he joined Constellation Energy as their chief learning officer. Currently, Steve is vice president of talent and leadership effectiveness at Allstate Insurance in Northbrook, Illinois, where he is responsible for leadership development, enterprise learning, and performance and succession management. Steve has also written two books on learning and performance improvement, one of which was with his wife, Marsha, and Penn State professor and mentor, Bill Rothwell. Steve has taught HR and development courses for different universities. He and Marsha have also taught graduate courses in Hong Kong and Singapore.
“My mission is to unleash the full talent and leadership potential of people with whom I work and interact, whether at Allstate, in the college classroom, or in a volunteer capacity. Many of the tools and skills that I use as I work to achieve this goal can be traced back to the Penn State College of Education and the experiences I had there. My wife and I were able to go through the doctoral program together. Happy Valley is such a utopia for school and life, and I am very grateful that I was able to experience it with Marsha. It was tremendous. Our program featured intensive weekend classes where we would spend three days immersed in our work and studies with our professor and sharp, highquality classmates. These were great courses and experiences that helped prepare me as I made the career transition into learning and development.”
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AlumniInformation Message from the Director of Development and Alumni Relations 90 Years of Innovation in Teaching and Learning This year, the College of Education is celebrating its 90th anniversary. This is quite a milestone! From one-room schoolhouses back in 1923 to the technology-laden classrooms of 2013, the decades have been marked by transformative changes in the field of education. Children look to Google and Wikipedia rather than conventional encyclopedias to research a topic or report; notebook computers have replaced paper notebooks; and Smartboards have replaced blackboards. Children today learn a new language by speaking to and learning from a native speaker on the other side of the world though an instantaneous telecommunication connection. Through all of these changes, the College of Education has remained at the forefront of teaching and learning. We continue to be a pioneer in this field and are proud to point to our significant record of success. Whether it’s preparing our students, conducting important research, or contributing to communities, we are providing leadership at Penn State, in the Commonwealth, and beyond.
Michelle K. Houser
Our remarkable transformation over the years is thanks, in part, to the increase in private philanthropy. I’m proud that we have such a well-developed culture of philanthropy here at Penn State. On a University level, nearly 100 of our student organizations are devoted to philanthropy and service pursuits—that is an impressive number and a wonderful point of pride for the University. We encourage our students to carry forth this commitment to service into their careers and communities as it an important part of our identities as Penn Staters. As alumni you can help promote this culture of philanthropy, as well, and I hope you’ll direct your support to the students and programs at the College of Education. Penn State is entering the remaining year in the For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students, and the College has experienced an outstanding demonstration of support during this time. But there is still more to be done, and we need you. If each of our alumni gave just $5, we’d amass roughly $275,000 in donations, translating into a huge impact for our students. Today’s students become tomorrow’s leaders, and our alumni very clearly demonstrate the power of a degree from the College of Education. Over the course of our 90 years, we have graduated many accomplished individuals. I’m continually inspired by each of your contributions to this field and the many lives you affect along the way. This year alone, four of our alumni are being recognized by the University and the Penn State Alumni Association for their distinguished contributions to the field of education. On the following pages, you’ll read about more of our alumni who are channeling their passion for the College into tangible gifts to benefit our students and programs. They are helping us maintain the formative experiences, unique opportunities, and important research that are the hallmark of the College. There has never been a better time to support the College of Education. Show your pride by making a gift today and help us remain a leader for the next 90 years. For the Glory, www.ed.psu.edu/ educ/giving
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Alumni Information
Michelle K. Houser
Alumni Achievements
Congratulations to the following alumni on their career success.
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Herbert S. Cohen ’59 Edu recently had his book, Snap Out of It, made into an e-book. The book deals with three powerful, well-established behavioral techniques for dealing with stress, anxiety, weight-related issues, and bad habits. He would like to express his gratitude for the career path that Penn State helped establish. Reynold (Ron) Rahmer ’77 VOIED is the owner/operator of Valley Forge Specialty Ad Company & Handyman Ron, LLC. Ron taught night school at Middle Bucks Vo-Tech School, Bucks Community College, and Montgomery County Community College. He retired from the U.S. Navy Reserves in 1991 and became a Navy draftsman and Navy-certified instructor. He is also a retired General Electric senior project engineer. Jennifer Shandor Spade ’91 EK ED is the Youth Services Coordinator at Honey Brook Community Library in Honey Brook, Pennsylvania. Jennifer has served on the Board of Directors for the Penn State Alumni Lancaster County Chapter since 1996, and is past president of that chapter.
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David B. Pushkin ’95 Ph.D. C&I is currently an independent writer and research consultant based in New Jersey. After suffering a permanent spinal cord injury nearly six years ago, David is a strong advocate for Americans with Disabilities. He serves as chairperson on multiple professional boards. David is proud of two recent books Philosophy of “Packer” Pedagogy: Vince Lombardi, Critical Thinking and Problem-Based Learning and Adapting in an INADAPTABLE World. With three more books in the works, David hopes that his recent publications will instigate a new level of conceptual change and a powerful statement that productivity is not impaired by disability.
Susan Faircloth ’96 M.Ed. SPLED, ’00 Ph.D. EDADM completed a Fulbright Senior Scholar award in spring of 2012 with Victoria University of Wellington in Wellington, New Zealand. Susan’s research focused on special education programs and services for students in New Zealand’s indigenous Maori population. Pedro Cevallos ’99 M.S. C&I earned his doctorate in educational leadership from UCLA. He is an educational consultant who has worked with school districts in Florida, Pennsylvania, and California. In the summer of 2012, he was named Executive Director of College Bridge, a non-profit organization whose mission is to increase college access and persistence for under-represented students.
Joseph A. Mazza, Jr. ’00 EKED has been an elementary school principal in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, for six years. In May 2013, Joe will graduate with a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. Before graduation, his inquiry team will travel to Helsinki, Finland, for a week to study their education system through the lenses of students, teachers, parents, and leaders.
Norene M. Sniezek Moskalski ’00 Ph.D. HI ED is the author of Nocturne, Opus 1: Sea Foam, an international fact-based thriller where Drs. Kate and Jake Connors investigate a normally passive waterborne bacteria affecting humans. Their exciting race against time spans continents in search of the rogue scientist who genetically modified the bacteria that could lethally affect an entire generation. Brian Beabout ’08 Ph.D. INSYS was named the 2013 Emerging Scholar Award by the Educational Change special interest group of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). This award is given annually to early career scholars who demonstrate “original and significant scholarship related to educational change.” Bradley Cox ’10 Ph.D. HI ED is an assistant professor of higher education at Florida State University who was recently named an Emerging Scholar by the Association of College Personnel Administrators (ACPA). The Emerging Scholars Program honors and supports individuals with an early record of scholarship and who show potential for future contributions to scholarship in student affairs and higher education. ACPA is one of the two leading associations of college student affairs professionals in the U.S.
Submit your own note online! www.ed.psu.edu/educ/alumni-friends/alumni-notes
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AlumniInformation James T. Harris III Receives Distinguished Alumni Award The Penn State Board of Trustees has selected James T. Harris III ’88 D.Ed. to receive the University’s highest award for an individual, the Distinguished Alumni Award. The award salutes the achievements of outstanding alumni whose personal lives, professional achievements, and community service exemplify the objectives of their alma mater.
James T. Harris III
Harris earned his doctorate in higher education administration from Penn State’s College of Education in 1988. He attained a master’s of educational administration from Edinboro University in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, in 1983, and a bachelor’s degree in secondary education/comprehensive social sciences from the University of Toledo in 1980. All three universities have recognized Harris as a distinguished alumnus. For the past eleven years, he has served as the president of Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania. He is only the ninth president in Widener’s 191-year history. Previously, he was president of Defiance College in Defiance, Ohio, where he was named one of the top fifty character-building presidents in the United States by the John Templeton Foundation. Harris was also vice president at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, and at the College of Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati. Harris was named an Alumni Fellow in 2003 by the Penn State Alumni Association. The College of Education has recognized him twice, in 2001 with an Excellence in Education Award and in 1996 with an Alumni Leadership and Service Award. Harris is nationally recognized for his work in civic engagement. In 2011 he was awarded the Chief Executive Leadership Award by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education. He serves on multiple boards in leadership positions including vice chair and a member of the executive committee of the National Campus Compact; the leadership committee of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education; the steering committee of the National Anchor Institutions Task Force; and is the current Chair of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania. Since 2002, Harris has been a member of the faculty of the Management Development Program and the Management and Leadership in Education Program at Harvard University. He is the author of more than 20 articles on higher education. In 2012 he co-authored the book Academic Leadership and Governance of Higher Education with Bob Hendrickson, Penn State professor of higher education; Jason E. Lane ’02 M.A., ’03 Ph.D., the director of education studies and senior fellow at the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government at State University of New York; and Richard H. Dorman ’80 M.Ed., ’90 D.Ed., the president of Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. — Andy Elder
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Alumni Achievement Award Winner Continues to Actively Engage Students Rebecca West Burns the idea that teaching ’02 EKED, ’08 M.Ed., should actively engage ’12 Ph.D. is a life-long students. “We ask learner. From her days kids to sit for so long as a kindergartner in school,” said Burns, purchasing school who feels that getting supplies for the play students of all ages schoolhouse in her actively involved is basement, to her crucial to education. current drive to find As her career and new ways to engage education progressed, students and educators, Rebecca West Burns Burns expanded on this 2013 Alumni that idea as she develAchievement Award oped programs geared at engaging winner has been thinking about students. As a sixth-grade teacher at education for most of her life. These Gilbertsville Elementary in eastern days, as an assistant professor at Pennsylvania, she developed the Outthe University of South Florida, door Learning Classrooms Project, an she shares her passion for learning, outdoor space where she could not technology, and community with her only teach science, but have students education students. experience it.
Creating a space where people can share, listen, understand, and find resolutions is her idea of real education.
Burns said she knew she wanted to be a teacher from a young age. She partly credits her sixth-grade teacher, Joel Frantz, for that. In high school, Burns had the opportunity to participate in a high-school teachingassistant program where she worked with Frantz, who helped demonstrate to Burns, once again, how teaching could be interesting and interactive.
Later, as a Ph.D. student in the College of Education, Burns codeveloped “Turning Learning Inside Out,” a culture-changing, professional-development program at Park Forest Elementary in State College, Pennsylvania, that solicited educators’ input and empowered them to learn from one another while building community.
Since these early experiences, Burns has remained dedicated to
Community is foundational to education according to Burns.
Burns recognizes that her Penn State education helped her become a successful educator, citing professors and advisers who helped her rethink teacher education. Now she is helping future educators rethink learning by challenging them to explore not only community and technology, but also new ideas that could possibly enhance the educational experience for future students.
In addition to building community physically, Burns also is passionate about building community virtually, using technology to promote participation and enhance education. As a student, she loved tweeting questions and class notes to start discussions with classmates and instructors. As a consultant at the Krause Innovation Center at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, California, Burns worked on technological innovations for the classroom. She encourages her current students to use technology to expand their learning experience by having them take advantage of website space and blogging opportunities.
— Kevin Sliman
Did you use Career Services at Penn State?
If you had an education credentials file with career services that became inactive on or before December 31, 2005, it will be purged from Career Services records on January 1, 2016! If you would like to re-activate your file, please follow the instructions found at: studentaffairs.psu.edu/ career/credentials/reactivate.shtml
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AlumniInformation News from the Alumni Society Board of Directors Changes are occurring on the College of Education’s Alumni Society Board of Directors, which provides direction and support to the College’s Alumni Society, which is made up of some 19,000 College of Education alumni. The Alumni Society Board works to stimulate the continued interest of all former students and to provide a means for alumni to come together to help improve the College and the University. Marie Himes ’12 M.Ed.; Larry Carretta ’78 SECED; Tracy Hinish ’83 EK ED, ’89 M.Ed.; Michael Meyer ’99 M.Ed.; Sandie Musoleno ’78 SECED; and Christine Merritt ’90 SECED have been elected to the College’s Alumni Society Board of Directors along with Erica Walters ’04 EK ED and Jeremiah Mimms ’08 C&I, ’10 M.Ed., who will continue on the board as incumbents.
Save the date! Philadelphia Regional Alumni Event Friday, October 18, 2013 7:00–9:00 p.m. Manayunk Brewery & Restaurant
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Alumni Information
Erica Walters
Jeremiah Mimms
Himes said she is very interested in furthering the work of the College of Education Alumni Society Board in the area of student-alumni relations. Himes, a fall 2011 Outstanding Student Teaching award winner, said she recognizes the value in fostering meaningful and longlasting connections between Penn State students and alumni in the College of Education. Himes recently moved to North Carolina with her husband after teaching social studies in the Bald Eagle Area School District. Carretta, a former science and physics teacher and current president of Holt, Ramsey Pump & Equipment Co., said he appreciates the education that he received from the College as it has equipped him with leadership skills, motivational skills, and classroom management skills that enabled him to successfully transition into the business world. Carretta has served on various boards and committees, including volunteering with the Greater Pittsburgh Alumni Student Teacher Network, and said he would like to use his experience to give something back to his alma mater. Marie Himes
Larry Carretta
Tracy Hinish
Hinish is an assistant executive director at Tuscarora Intermediate Unit who said she is interested in becoming more involved with Penn State in order to serve and show her support for the University. She has worked with a number of professional organizations throughout her career including serving as vice president for the south central Pennsylvania Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and on the executive board of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators Women’s Caucus. Hinish said she feels her experience with those groups as well as her experience in education will help her be able to give back to Penn State as a Board of Directors member.
Meyer, a school counselor at Onslow County Public Schools, North Carolina, said he is interested in helping other schools become a success. Meyer, a 2012 College of Education Alumni Society Leadership & Service Award winner, oversees his school’s Social-Organization and Service Club. He said he looks forward to sharing the benefits of philanthropic programs with other schools.
Join the College of Education on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn! 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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Musoleno, a science teacher with the Central Bucks County Michael Meyer School District, currently has two children, one who just graduated from the College and another who is currently a student in the College. She said she has a strong desire to use her skills and service as a way to give something back to the College. She said she believes that her leadership skills and dedicated work ethic will be an asset to the Board.
www.facebook.com/ PennStateCollegeOfEd
Sandie Musoleno
Merritt is an English teacher and reading coordinator who works with a number of interns, professors, and graduate students through her school district’s partnership with Penn State’s Professional Development School. She said she is excited to work with even more professionals as a member of the Board of Directors. Merritt was awarded the College of Education’s Alumni Society 2012 Outstanding Teaching Award and was also named Educator of the Year by State College Magazine in 2002, 2003, and 2006.
http://linkd.in/11NOgPZ
Christine Merritt
— Kevin Sliman
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AlumniInformation
Workforce Education graduates teach students at the Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology.
Calling all Workforce Education and Development Alumni! The Workforce Education and Development (WF ED) Affiliate Program Group (APG) is designed to provide alumni with the opportunity to team with former classmates and current Penn State students in the WF ED program for networking, career development, mentoring, and much more. The College’s Workforce Education and Development program is highly recognized and was recently ranked as the 2nd best program of its kind by U.S. News & World Report. The goal of the Workforce Education and Development Program alumni group is to promote excellence, opportunity, and leadership among professionals in the workforce education and development field including, but not limited to, those employed in secondary or postsecondary education institutions,
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Alumni Information
social services industries and employee groups, and private businesses. The WF ED APG traces its roots to 2005 and the leadership of its first president, Patrick Gerity ’71 B.S., ’87 M.S., ’99 Ph.D., and Bill Rothwell, professor of workforce education and development. In 2006 and 2008, the group organized reunions to gather alumni together to network, exchange ideas, and discuss the latest trends in their chosen fields. In 2010, the WF ED APG organized a symposium that included a select group of speakers and a variety of discussion groups. A small group of workforce education alumni recently met to formulate ideas to ramp up activity. Phil Hoy, assistant director of alumni relations, and Heather Winfield, assistant director of development, are helping to guide the effort.
“Workforce education alumni have a strong affiliation to the program and want to share their appreciation by giving back,” Hoy said. “They would like to interact and connect with our current students to help prepare them for their future careers.” The WF ED APG is planning an event to connect alumni with current students. One of the many proposed activities would be a series of career roundtables where students could engage faculty, graduate students, and alumni in informal professional discussions. “There is such a vast array of possibilities that a workforce education degree offers,” Hoy said. “Our alumni want to make sure our current students are exposed to as many of those possibilities as they can.”
— Andy Elder
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 chose profession (in or out of the field of education) over the span of their career, for a period of 15 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:
0 Alumni Excellence Award 0 Outstanding Teaching 0 Leadership & Service 0 Outstanding New Graduate
0 Service to Penn State Award
Candidate Information Name
Home Email
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Business Email
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Education from Penn State (Include degree and grad year) Nominator Information Name
Home Email
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2012 Alumni Society Award Winners
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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/alumnifriends/award Seated L-R: Marie Himes, Alyson Miller, Maura Keasey, and Joyce Graham. Standing L-R: Robert Todd Kilmer, Christine Merritt, David H. Monk, Jonathan Klingeman, and Michael Meyer.
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Alumni Information
Gifts to the College Susan and David Boyer Award in Science Education activate a bequest the donor agrees to provide annual support. By choosing this option, the Boyers will enjoy the impact of their philanthropy during their lifetime, receiving letters from their award recipients and interacting with the students at our events. The Boyers said that they hope their gift encourages a teacher candidate in science, citing a shortage of qualified teachers in the field.
David and Susan N. Boyer
Susan N. Boyer ’71 SECED and her husband David J. Boyer ’71 SECED, ’78 M.Ed. have pledged $25,000 to establish the Susan and David Boyer Award in Science Education. The endowment supports undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in Science Education. The Boyers have elected to early activate their endowment. To early
“Even though we worked in social studies and mathematics during our careers,” they said, “we both appreciate the importance of scientific achievement for our country and the influence that public school science teachers can have in this regard.” Susan and David met at Penn State in the Redifer Dining Hall in South Halls. Susan studied abroad in Durham, England, and did her student teaching in Santiago, Chile. While at Penn State, David served as a big brother to a family from Bellefonte,
and enjoyed hunting and fishing with his friends. They are life members of the Alumni Association. David founded the Baltimore Area Alumni Admissions Committee, and Susan served as president of the College of Education Alumni Society. They both remain involved in activities at nearby Penn State York. David spent his career teaching social studies to grades six through twelve in the Baltimore County, Maryland, public schools, and he was a very successful mock trial team coach. He retired in 1998. Susan taught high school mathematics also in Baltimore County and later taught at the community college and university levels. She ran a teacher preparation program at the University of Maryland College Park and then worked at a private education foundation before retiring in 2006. She is now working as Executive Director of the York County (PA) Honors Choirs.
Read this Magazine Online!
Now you can read and share Penn State Education online! If you would like to discontinue delivery of printed materials to your home and, instead, receive an e-mail alerting you when the College has published anything online, please e-mail EdMagazine@psu. edu. Include your first and last name, and graduation year with the subject line: “online magazine only.” Scan the QR code or visit the website address below to link to the online version, download a PDF to your e-reader, make comments, and share this magazine with others. issuu.com/pennstateeducation
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Gifts to the College Robin E. Gilden Scholarship in Education endowment supports undergraduates planning to enroll in a teacher preparation program. Robin said that she believes it is important to give back to the College of Education. She had a part-time job as a student and used loans to pay for her education, so she understands that strain. Robin said she is proud to be able to ease that financial burden for deserving students.
Robin E. Gilden
Robin E. Gilden ’72 EK ED has pledged $50,000 to establish the Robin E. Gilden Scholarship in Education. The
“I feel I have been successful in my teaching career, and I could not have done it without Penn State,” said Robin. “I love the College of Education and the experience I had there. I acquired many skills that I used in my classroom every day.” Robin said she knew she wanted to go to Penn State since she was 5 years old.
Some of her fondest memories of Penn State include the Friday night mixers, her favorite children’s literature course, and good times playing cards at the HUB with her friends. Robin also recalls how Penn State helped her mature and grow through what she called the very turbulent years surrounding 1970. Robin taught first through fourth grade for the West Allegheny School District for 33 years until her retirement in 2005. She served on a drug and alcohol prevention program for elementary students, and on a drug and alcohol intervention program for high-school students. She also helped pilot a cooperative learning program in school districts as a trainer. Today Robin enjoys traveling and spending time with friends and family.
8th Annual College of Education Cycle-Thon & 5K Saturday, October 5, 2013 10:00 a.m. 9-Mile Bike Route and 5K Run/Walk Routes begin and end at Chambers Building $25.00 adults/non-students $20.00 college students $15.00 K-12 students FREE 5 and under Proceeds benefit the Summer College Opportunity Program in Education (SCOPE). Increasing access to the field of education for all high-achieving students www.ed.psu.edu/educ/ cyclethon/
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Gifts to the College
James T. and Mary C. Harris Endowed Student Research Fund James T. ’88 D.Ed. and Mary C. Harris have pledged $100,000 to establish the James T. and Mary C. Harris Endowed Student Research Fund.
James T. and Mary C. Harris
pe n n Stat e o n l i n e
The research fund will support Ph.D. and D.Ed. students pursuing degrees in higher education and conducting research in civic and community engagement.
“Universities are one of the few places in the world where people from all different backgrounds are brought together, and it is our responsibility as educators to make sure we use this unique environment for the betterment of larger societal goals,” Harris said. “My experience has been that once students have an opportunity to experience and interact with people from diverse backgrounds and who have opinions that may be different from their own, those students grow, mature and are more likely to be active participants in our democracy when they are adults. As young adults, students make mistakes, which is OK because the path to higher learning or to a better democracy is sometimes messy, and students need an opportunity to grow intellectually, morally, and spiritually without judging them too harshly.” Harris said his time at Penn State was especially motivating. Every professor in the higher education program was an expert in his or her field of study. He remembers it being quite exhilarating to be in a class with professors who had national, if not international, reputations in their fields. He was especially influenced by Bob Hendrickson, who was Harris’ advisor and dissertation chair and then a mentor and friend. “Mary and I both attended the same undergraduate institution, but we never really knew school spirit or a sense of one community until we stepped on the campus at Penn State,” Harris said. “Our experience at Penn State was life changing and set us both on a path we never would have anticipated prior to attending. The people at Penn State from the president, Dr. Bryce Jordan, to the faculty, to my fellow students were simply outstanding and brought out the best in each of us. When you are surrounded by talented and gifted people it makes you want to excel and not let others down.” After holding vice president positions at The College of Mount Saint Joseph in Cincinnati and Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, Harris accepted the president’s position at The Defiance College in Defiance, Ohio, when he was just 35. After eight years at Defiance, Harris moved to his current position, as president of Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania, in 2002. Among his many honors and distinctions, Harris has been recognized four times by Penn State. This year he was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award. In 2003, the Penn State Alumni Association named him an Alumni Fellow. In 2001, the College of Education presented him with the Excellence in Education Award. In 1996, the College honored him with its Alumni Leadership and Service Award.
Debra Lampert-Rudman Master of Education in Children’s Literature
Be exceptional
™
There is no substitute for books in a child’s life; it’s the reason Debra Lampert-Rudman had 4,000 books donated to homeless families. As community relations manager for Barnes & Noble, Debra creates opportunities to get books into the lives of children. Penn State’s online master of education degree program in children’s literature has given her the skills to develop more literacy programs for at-risk children. “I believe this degree will open doors and help me have an impact on the future of children’s literature and literacy,” she says.
Read Debra’s story and learn more at:
www.worldcampus.psu.edu/exceptional Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce. U.Ed.OUT 11-0665/11-WC-310djm/jmf/sss
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Gifts to the College Susan and Kevin O’Leary Graduate Endowment in Language and Literacy Education and Susan and Kevin O’Leary Teaching Awards in the College of Education Kevin received his bachelor’s in history in 1971. That same year, Susan earned a bachelor’s degree in education.
Kevin and Susan O’Leary
Kevin ’71 HIST and Susan O’Leary ’71 EK ED have made a leadership gift to the Colleges of Education and Liberal Arts with a commitment of $2 million from their estate.
Looking for news about old friends? Our Alumni Updates are online! Visit the site, check up on friends, and let us know what you are doing while you are there. www.ed.psu.edu/educ/alumnifriends/alumni-notes
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Gifts to the College
The endowment creates the Susan and Kevin O’Leary Graduate Endowment in Language and Literacy Education which will support graduate students in language and literacy education. The endowment also creates the Susan and Kevin O’Leary Teaching Awards in the College of Education which will support innovative teaching in the College of Education. It also supports an early career professor in history and provides for similar teaching awards in the College of the Liberal Arts. “Our Penn State professors inspired us to pursue fulfilling careers in business and education, and in return, we want to uplift future generations of innovative teachers at the University,” Kevin and Susan said. “We are personally aware of the many challenges facing teachers today, and we want to help them pursue even greater success in teaching students at Penn State and beyond.”
Kevin and Susan are owners of Sunrunner Alaska Corporation and founding partners in Alaskan Leader Fisheries, the largest and most successful longline fishing fleet and processor in the country. Both businesses are the top producers of Pacific cod in the Bering Sea to supply Asian and European customers. Kevin is one of the most successful independent business owners in Alaska. He helped facilitate major policy changes to maintain a competitive business environment balanced with sustainability and safety as a member of the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council, from 1995-2001. Susan serves as treasurer and secretary of Sunrunner Alaska Corporation. She taught school in Kodiak, Alaska, for fifteen years and volunteered as a tutor. Currently, Susan is a volunteer tutor and mentor with a foster child program and tutors several students at the local elementary school when the couple is at their winter residence in Arizona. Named a Penn State Alumni Fellow in 2007, Kevin serves on the Liberal Arts Development Council. He and Susan have two sons, both proud employees of Sunrunner. The O’Learys have supported both colleges over the years, including the establishment of an undergraduate scholarship in memory of Kevin’s mother who was a teacher until her retirement at age 72.
Wickland Family Scholarship in Recognition of Jennifer Wickland Zahuranec The endowment supports outstanding undergraduate students of at least junior standing with financial need and interest in community service. It is in tribute to Ed and Paula’s daughter, Jennifer ’96 EK ED, a teacher at Benner Elementary School in the Bellefonte Area School District. Her father said Jennifer had expressed a desire to teach from an early age. “One day we were talking with Jennifer, and she said, ‘You and Mom gave me the best gift ever; I graduated with no debt.’ Then we looked around and all we saw were young people struggling. Kids are graduating with a mountain of debt every year,” Ed and Paula stated.
The Wickland family, Ed and Paula (top), with daughter Jennifer (bottom left) and son Teddy ’10 Lib Arts (bottom right).
Edward ’61 BUS and Paula Wickland (William & Mary ’70 B.A., Villanova ’72 M.S.) have pledged $250,000 to establish the Wickland Family Scholarship in Recognition of Jennifer Wickland Zahuranec.
“The light bulb came on when Jennifer said she graduated with no debt. We thought, ‘the College of Education is where our gift belongs.’ At the end of the day, the future of this country lies with education. One generation passes the torch to the next. If one student graduates each year with little or no debt we will have achieved our goal.” Ed said his most profound experience at Penn State occurred before he even enrolled. He accompanied a friend who had been accepted to the University on a trip to University Park for a counseling day. Ed had been considering offers from several Ivy League schools as well as several major public institutions. He
had a chance to explore the campus and downtown and knew immediately that Penn State was where he wanted to continue his education. Ed met informally with his friend’s counselor and gained conditional acceptance to Penn State, which was formalized immediately. Ed spent most of his career in the healthcare publishing industry, managing professional reference units of the Times Mirror Corporation and CBS Publishing, and retiring as Executive Vice President and Group Publisher of a professional reference group at Simon and Schuster. Thereafter, he founded Wickland & Associates, LLC, a consulting firm to the medical publishing industry. He has served as a member of Penn State’s Grand Destiny campaign committee. He is a member of both the Golden Lion Society and the Mount Nittany Society. Ed spent eight years as a member of the Smeal College of Business Alumni Society Board, serving two years as a member of the Executive Council. Paula has spent her entire professional life as an actuary (FSA), specializing in health care benefits. She’s a former principal of Towers Perrin, which merged in January 2010 with Watson Wyatt to form the current firm Towers Watson. Paula is a senior consultant with Towers Watson.
Alumni-Student Teacher Network Remember that FIRST “first day of school?” You know…the one in which you faced a class of strangers, with a new diploma in your pocket, and a whole bunch of butterflies in your stomach? You have learned a lot since then. Share your knowledge. Join the College of Education Alumni-Student Teacher Network. Contact Phil Hoy: phoy@psu.edu or 814-863-2216 Mentor a new teacher. Catch up with old friends. Serving student teachers in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and the Centre Region.
www.ed.psu.edu/educ/alumni-friends/alumni-society-1/ alumni-student-teacher-network
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The Penn State College of Education and the Penn State Alumni Association announce:
Varying Educational Practices— Insights from England and France 2014 Alumni Tour May 13-22, 2014 The travel itinerary will include visits to local schools and universities, historical and cultural sites, and government educational agencies. Make plans to join us. Tour fees of $4,049 includes airfare, transportation, and hotels. Early booking discounts are available until August 31, 2013. For reservations, call Go Ahead Tours at 800-438-7672, reference number: 30633714. www.alumni.psu.edu/travel
, Pam, join my wife l il w u o y e p I ho n this e host you o and me as w al sites of education r u to l u tf h g insi and France. in England
Dean David
H. Monk