2020 Insider Magazine by University of Georgia College of Education

2020

The Magazine for Alumni and Friends of the UGA® Mary Frances Early College of Education

MAKING HISTORY Mary Frances Early broke barriers at the University of Georgia and later as a beloved educator who transformed music education across the South.

HIGHLIGHTS ONE QUESTION 20 § TEACHING OUTSIDE THE BOX 26 § SERVING PATIENTS ACROSS PROFESSIONS 30

Thank you for honoring her legacy

On February 25, 2020, the University of Georgia College of Education was officially named in honor of Mary Frances Early, UGA’s first African American graduate and a civil rights icon. Thanks to your support, the College can strengthen diversity and inclusion efforts on campus and provide scholarships for students who, like Ms. Early, have overcome challenges to attend UGA. Thank you for helping us make the UGA Mary Frances Early College of Education a reality!

QUESTIONS ABOUT GIVING? Contact Molly Thomas, director of development and alumni relations, at molly2@uga.edu.

IN THIS

Issue INSIDER § 2020 LETTER FROM THE DEAN 2 COLLEGE UPDATES 3 ALUMNI UPDATES 37 CLASS NOTES 44 ABOUT THE COVER Mary Frances Early poses for a photo for the UGA Graduate School in February 2020. Photo by Nancy Evelyn (B.F.A ’84, A.B.J. ’86)

INSIDER is published annually by the University of Georgia Mary Frances Early College of Education’s Communications Office. ©2020 all rights reserved. MANAGING EDITOR Kathryn Kao (A.B.J. ’13, M.A. ’20) CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Briana Bivens (M.Ed. ’16, Ph.D. ’22), Tonya Cornileus (M.Ed. ’04, Ph.D. ’09), Charlayne Hunter-Gault (A.B.J. ’63), Kathryn Kao, Lauren Leathers, Jen Williams, Sheneka Williams ART DIRECTOR Katie Walker (A.B.J. ’06) CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Alamy Stock Photo, Wingate Downs, Nancy Evelyn, Taylor Gerlach, Claire Jordan, Kathryn Kao, Lauren Leathers, Chamberlain Smith, Katie Walker, Cassie Wright POSTMASTER Send address changes to the University of Georgia Mary Frances Early College of Education, G3 Aderhold Hall, 110 Carlton St., Athens, GA 30602.  To update your contact information with the UGA Alumni Association, please visit alumni.uga.edu and click on “Update Your Information.”

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FEATURES 14 Breaking Barriers 20 26 30

Mary Frances Early (M.M.Ed. ’62, Ed.S. ’67) challenged injustice and expanded access to music education for students across the South. One Question We asked four individuals to answer the question: “What does the naming of the College of Education in honor of Mary Frances Early mean to you?” Teaching Outside the Box These days, innovation takes all manner of shape and form in the classroom. Modern tools and new thinking allow educators to transform learning in boundary-pushing ways. The Faces of Healthcare Meet a handful of our graduates who hold essential roles in allied healthcare and are changing lives in their communities.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHTS

Courtney Kupets Carter (B.S.F.C.S. ’10, M.S. ’13)

Bruce Bracken (M.A. ’77, Ph.D. ’79)

Sydney Jensen (B.S.Ed. ’13)

Gary Powell (Ed.D. ’93)

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FROM THE DEAN

Dean’s Cabinet Edward A. Delgado-Romero Associate dean for faculty and staff services Ellen M. Evans Associate dean for research and graduate education Andrew M. Garber Senior director of finance and administration Stacey M. Neuharth-Pritchett Associate dean for academic programs Anneliese A. Singh Associate dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion

Department Heads Career and Information Studies Lloyd P. Rieber

The legacy behind our name

his special edition of the Insider introduces you to several of our amazing alumni–but none more amazing than Mary Frances Early. On August 16, 1962, Ms. Early earned her master’s degree in music education, becoming the first African American to graduate from the University of Georgia. She broke barriers for graduate students at UGA and opened the doors to a quality education for all when she made the decision transfer from the University of Michigan to help Charlayne Hunter and Hamilton Holmes desegregate the University of Georgia. On February 25, 2020, we became the Mary Frances Early College of Education. Now, all students who graduate from our College will carry Ms. Early’s name with them, and as they progress through their professional careers, they can reflect on her courage and dedication and be inspired to make a positive difference in the world. I want to thank everyone who was involved in making this historic naming a reality. Whether you made a donation or sent us messages telling us what this naming means to you—I thank you, on behalf of our College community, for helping us honor Ms. Early’s lifetime of achievements in such a momentous way. As you flip through our magazine, I hope you are inspired to take on challenges in your life with the same fearlessness and compassion for others as Ms. Early.

Communication Sciences and Special Education Cynthia O. Vail Counseling and Human Development Services Brian A. Glaser Educational Psychology Scott P. Ardoin Educational Theory and Practice P. Gayle Andrews Kinesiology Janet Buckworth Language and Literacy Education Allison U. Nealy Lifelong Education, Administration, and Policy Kathleen P. deMarrais Mathematics and Science Education Roger B. Hill

ENROLLMENT by the NUMBERS

2,230 Undergraduate students

With gratitude,

1,804 Graduate students

Denise A. Spangler Dean

Mary Frances Early College of Education

1,205 Degrees, certificates, and endorsements conferred in the 2018-2019 academic year

College UPDATES

HIGHLIGHTS § MENTORSHIP Q&A 6 § WHERE WORK MEETS PLAY 8 § CAMPUS SAFE SPACE 10

12 “We can acknowledge injustices and create opportunities to speak and advocate for others.”

Students relax in Aderhold Hall’s ground floor elevator lobby. This space was one of several areas updated to reflect the College’s new name.

– Elizabeth Bautista Cárdenas (M.Ed. ’18)

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Above: UGA President Jere W. Morehead, Dean Denise A. Spangler, and Ms. Mary Frances Early read a commemorative plaque highlighting Early’s civil rights activism and achievements in music education. Below: Morehead, Spangler, and Early view the ground floor’s photo of Early ringing the chapel bell.

WONDER WALLS

To commemorate the naming of the College of Education in honor of Mary Frances Early, Aderhold Hall received several exterior and interior updates earlier this year. Visitors to the College will notice new installations on both the ground and first floors of the building. Most notably, an interactive timeline of Ms. Early’s life was installed next to the display case outside of the Dean’s Office. These cases have also been updated with photos, select honors and awards, and some personal belongings of Early’s to highlight her long career as a music educator and her momentous role in desegregating the University of Georgia. Additionally, the elevator bays on the ground and first floors received a visual facelift, featuring photos of Early during her time as a graduate student at UGA, as well as campus scenes and inspirational quotes (from Early herself!) to complement each design. §

Above left: The exterior lettering on Aderhold Hall received an update to reflect the naming of the College. Above: A quote from Early’s 2007 UGA Commencement ceremony is featured on the wall of the building’s first floor elevator bay.

Mary Frances Early College of Education

College Updates

Aderhold classroom gets active learning treatment Above: The display case highlighting Early’s civil rights activism features memorabilia from her time at UGA, including a pennant, her graduation cap, and diploma. Below: Early kneels down to get a closer look at an interactive timeline of her life.

Last fall, a classroom on the ground floor of Aderhold Hall received some major updates to enhance student engagement and provide faculty the flexibility to deliver innovative and effective instruction. Previously, the classroom contained 80 seats that were bolted to the ground, making it difficult for students to collaborate in groups. Today, the renovated classroom features movable tables and chairs on wheels as well as a host of new technologies to allow for more efficient document sharing and display. Other additions to the space include: • Mersive

Solstice Pods for wireless screen sharing

• Ceiling-based

microphones for research projects

• Wireless

microphones for instruction and conference calls throw projectors and document camera

• Interactive

stereo speakers for high-resolution audio

• Ceiling-based

The renovated classroom also better accommodates students with disabilities, allowing for those in wheelchairs access to the front row and those with hearing aids to filter

In fall 2019, a lecture hall on the ground floor of Aderhold Hall was renovated to better accomodate students with disabilities and the changing face of technology in learning. A ceiling-mounted camera allows faculty and students to capture footage of lectures and activities for research purposes. audio directly into their ear piece via microphones in the carpet. “A lot of what we do in the College is certify educators to teach in public schools, so we feel it's important to expose these new teachers to different kinds of technologies,” says Nicholas Holt, director of innovation in teaching and technology in the College. “We can certainly rely upon technology solutions to supplement instruction, but it’s even better if the technology enhances instruction in some way.” §

Number of active learning multi-screen classrooms in Aderhold Hall, River’s Crossing, and Ramsey Student Center

Number of collaborative work spaces for students in Aderhold Hall

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Q&A

SOUND ADVICE

Alumna helps student imagine career possibilities through mentoring

ince UGA launched its comprehensive mentorship program for students and alumni last summer, over 50 graduates of the Mary Frances Early College of Education have developed meaningful relationships with students to help them explore their professional goals or offer advice on how to navigate life on campus. When music education student Will Panter matched with Robin Heinsen through the program’s online platform, he was uncertain about his future career in music education. After receiving regular feedback and advice from Heinsen (B.Mus. ’09, M.M.Ed. ’15), an assistant instructor of music education at the University of Texas, Austin, he found the confidence to move forward as a future educator.

 WILL PANTER, MENTEE AND MUSIC EDUCATION STUDENT How has Robin enhanced your outlook on the field of music education? Robin has shown me the immense flexibility of the field. Because I’ve had the dream of being a band director for so long, sometimes I’m uncertain whether or not I’ve not given enough thought to other avenues. Although I feel wholly confident in moving into this field, Robin affirmed that those

Mary Frances Early College of Education

uncertainties are real and valid. This opened up conversations centered around all the roads I could possibly travel down while still teaching music in a band classroom. She inspired me to search for the perfect path for my passions, even if that doesn’t look exactly how I expect it. What piece of professional or personal advice has benefited you the most? The most influential piece of advice that Robin has given me is centered around reimagining realities and possibilities. In times that seemed

College Updates

How has serving as Will’s mentor changed your outlook on music education and the field at large?

 ROBIN HEINSEN, MENTOR AND ASSISTANT INSTRUCTOR OF MUSIC EDUCATION

Can you briefly describe a memorable mentorship experience that you shared with Will? My favorite moment with Will was when he told me he got the job of music director for a campus production of “Shrek.” Being the music director for a musical requires so much flexibility, creativity, and synthesis of knowledge that extend beyond typical music education training contexts. We had previously talked about his upcoming audition, potential career benefits to pursuing the opportunity, and how his skill set could benefit the production crew, and I knew how passionate he was about the position. I was overjoyed when he sent me the news and even more happy that he ultimately put on a fantastic show!

uncertain or stressful, she helped me realize the possible takeaways of any situation. She helped me take a step back so I could realize the benefits and positive aspects of whatever situation I found myself in. Her perspectives often helped me move forward with a more positive and hopeful attitude. She has inspired me to confidently move into new experiences with the understanding that with the correct mindset, I will continue to grow as a music educator.

How has this mentorship helped you better navigate your academic and professional journey at UGA? Robin’s mentorship has given me not only a wealth of knowledge about the field I am stepping into but also a positive outlook on what my future can look like. Her honesty and transparency has helped me narrow my focus and questions about music education. She created a safe space to discuss my potential areas of growth and has inspired me to look intentionally at myself as a future educator. §

The state of Georgia has a very tight-knit music education community, especially among UGA alumni. Being the only teacher of your subject on your school’s campus—or if you’re lucky enough, one of two—often motivates band directors to nurture this broader network of colleagues who support each other as we all strive to be excellent teachers for our students. I’ve been away from Georgia for three years now, and I miss it! Serving as Will’s (virtual) mentor allowed me to give a small part back to the community I love and that taught me how to be a band director. There’s a lot to be said about Texas band, but it’s not home. That being said, participating in this partnership from out of state has also reminded me of the universality of music education and the musical experience. Will and I had an entirely virtual mentorship, but we always had so much to talk about because of these shared experiences. What have you learned about both yourself and Will after participating in this experience? I teach music education courses at the University of Texas and work with students who are the same age and are taking the same courses as Will. Not only was I able to share with Will any insights or ideas we discussed in my classes, but Will also helped me to think deeper about my own students

Want to be a UGA mentor? Find out how you can help students develop their career interests by visiting mentor.uga.edu.

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EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

Where Work Meets Play When ESPN’s College GameDay announced that the show would be making its way to Athens for the UGA vs. Notre Dame football game last fall, Frank Romano (B.S.Ed. ’19, B.B.A. ’19), knew exactly who to contact to make the show a success. After graduating from the College’s sport management program, Romano began his career in the sports industry as an account trainee with Octagon, a global sports and entertainment content marketing agency. As part of The Home Depot team, his primary responsibility was to manage all 16 College GameDay events around the nation and to contribute to the overall execution of The Home Depot’s title sponsorship from an experiential perspective. During football season, Romano recruited between 10-20 students to volunteer at the event each week, and when he discovered he would be returning to Athens, he immediately contacted Michael Slonaker (M.S. ’17), his advisor at UGA and an instructor in the Department of Kinesiology, to help recruit 16 sport management students to volunteer that Saturday. “My big responsibility was handling volunteers and making sure they were learning from all the different avenues that the show brings to the front because there's a lot of ways this experience can be transferable for these kids moving forward,” says Romano, who currently works for CSE Talent as a talent agent for sports and news broadcasters. “It allows for them to use this experience to get to that next step in the sports world.” For fourth-year advertising and sport management student Dillon Rathbun, the opportunity to work at College Gameday added another eye-opening layer to his college experience—he also volunteered at Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta the previous year. Not only did Rathbun see how the show was set up behind-the-scenes, he also gained knowledge in events management by working at different fan activation stations, including a sign-making tent, photo booth, and backstage with VIP guests.

Mary Frances Early College of Education

Good sports Last year, the Mary Frances Early College of Education created the UGA Alumni Sports Industry Council to connect students in the Department of Kinesiology’s sport management and policy program to the sports business community. Currently, this external advisory board consists of 12 sport industry veterans who help link the students in the program to the sport community through professional mentoring, internship, and employment placement after graduation. To view a full list of board members, visit bit.ly/ugasportscouncil.

“There was not a dull moment from the second we arrived to the crowd of hundreds before the sun was up until the show was over later that day,” says Rathbun. “Having a chance to work on some of the largest stages in sports is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I will forever be grateful for. The combination of learning in both a classroom and on the job is so important to those pursuing a career in sport management. Professors can prepare students to be in a position to succeed in the world of sports, but there are so many things to learn about the industry that can only happen on the job.” During fall 2019, Romano traveled to 16 cities across the country and engaged with more than 97,000 fans as part of the onsite management team for College GameDay. While he admits the constant traveling was tough at times, the lessons he learned on the job challenged him to think critically and to be a more productive worker leading up to the event. Before Saturday morning, Romano had to ensure all materials and premium items for GameDay were shipped to the correct city and venue and that catering and volunteers were successfully booked. “It's truly awesome because you're giving up so much

College Updates

ESPN personalities Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit greet Bulldog mascot Uga X on the set of ESPN College Gameday on Myers Quad before the UGA vs. Notre Dame football game on Sept. 21, 2019. Bottom left: A group of 16 sport management students in the Department of Kinesiology gained hands-on experience in customer hospitality at College GameDay.

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SUPPORT OUR SPORT MANAGEMENT STUDENTS! The Mary Frances Early College of Education’s Sport Management Support Fund provides experiential learning opportunities for students in the sport management program. Last year, the fund made it possible to transport 40 students to the home ballpark of the Atlanta Braves to learn more about the industry and network with alumni. Make a gift: bit.ly/sportmanagementfund time, and you're putting in so much effort to make these events a success,” he says. “When you put in all that work and all that effort, it just means a lot more to see it all come together on Saturday morning.” On Saturday, Sept. 21, Notre Dame played at Sanford Stadium for the first time in history, and UGA’s victory was made even sweeter for Romano knowing that his student volunteers were there to help inspire passion and energy in the crowd while gaining skills for work in the real world. “There was not a single school that we connected with throughout the year that was able to execute and give students the best possible volunteer experience as well as UGA,” says Romano. “It definitely helps on our end, but it also helps on the students’ end because they get to experience actual sport opportunities.” § Kathryn Kao

Stay up to date with the Mary Frances Early College of Education on social media. On these platforms, you can find information about news and events, faculty research, student profiles, and more. Last year, the College started a new Instagram Highlight called #COERealWorld to showcase our teacher prep students in the field, whether they are participating in local service-learning projects or traveling abroad as part of the Consortium for Overseas Student Teaching. Facilitated by the College’s Office of Experiential Learning, these highlights also allow students to express their appreciation to mentors who have guided them throughout their academic journey. FEATURED INSTAGRAM HIGHLIGHTS Dean-ise: Find out what Dean Spangler does during commencement and other special events. Ambassadors: Follow our student ambassadors as they take you through a day in their lives in the College of Education. Edudawg: Where’s Edudawg? You can spot him on campus and around the world!

16,655

Total number of followers on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Creating a campus safe space

“I found my community with the women of color in my program who love me for who I am and truly believe in lifting up others as they climb,” says Pace, who is pursuing a doctoral degree in counseling psychology. “Most black women who attend a predominately white institution do not have that, and I wanted to be sure there was a resource on campus to connect black women with each other.” Last year, she founded The Healing Circle, a weekly support group that provides a safe space for black women to share their experiences at UGA. Under the guidance of Linda Campbell, a professor in the Department of Counseling and Human Development Services and director of UGA’s Center for Counseling and Personal Evaluation, Pace hopes to transform the way mental health practitioners provide care to black women. Along with counseling psychology doctoral students Ecclesia Holmes (Ph.D. ’22) and Tanisha Pelham (Ph.D. ’22), Pace provides strategies for the group to combat racial trauma, often engaging them in difficult conversations on loss, depression, anxiety, intergenerational trauma, stress management, spirituality, and more. “There is something beautiful about seeing 14 black women come together from all different walks of life for an hour, let their guards down, and just be vulnerable and real,” she says. “It’s the closest thing to true freedom that I have seen in a while.” Pace is a member of the Sankofa Research Team at UGA, which is directed by Collette Chapman-Hilliard,

Mary Frances Early College of Education

an assistant professor in the Department of Counseling and Human Development Services. The team is dedicated to reducing mental health disparities and education gaps in the African descent community. Pace is specifically interested in how race-based experiences impact the mental and physical health of people of African descent and is currently conducting a research study that looks at the way black women define and engage in forgiveness, as well as another study that aims to explore the cultural strengths, mental health, and pathways to academic success of early career black college students. “Our hope is that after we graduate that this sacred space will continue to facilitate awareness and healing for black women as they navigate their life and academic careers,” says Pace. “Our message is always clear—we see you black women, we hear you black women, and most of all, we love and respect you.” § Kathryn Kao

PHOTO BY TAYLOR GERLACH

When Shawntell Pace (M.Ed. ’19, Ph.D. ’22) was an undergraduate student at Auburn University, she often found herself venting her frustrations to a close group of friends. They would congregate in her living room to process life together, often ending up in tears or laughter, but always encouraging each other to tackle the issue at hand. So, when she began her graduate program at the University of Georgia, Pace wanted to create the same sense of community for students on campus.

Shawntell Pace (right) and Tanisha Pelham (left) provide weekly support for black women on UGA’s campus through The Healing Circle, a group Pace founded last year.

College Updates

A Textbook Case Professor’s textbook inspires student to save his village in “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind”

hen a young schoolboy in Malawi, Africa, saw a picture of a windmill on the cover of a science textbook called “Using Energy,” he devised a plan to save his village from a devastating drought. Thanks to an eighth-grade textbook co-written by Mary Atwater, a professor of science education in the Mary Frances Early College of Education, William Kamkwamba was able to reference a variety of diagrams and experiments to power an electric water pump, as well as several light bulbs and radios in an area of Malawi with limited access to electricity. Today, the Kamkwamba’s story is reaching an international audience as a film on Netflix. Based on the New York Times-bestselling book by Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer, “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” premiered on Netflix and in select theaters across the U.S. last year.

“When William and Bryan’s book got the bestseller award, ‘Using Energy’ sold out around the world,” says Atwater, who was honored by the National Association for Research in Science Teaching for her research, leadership, and impact on science education last year. Her book, “Using Energy,” was published in 1995 as part of a multi-grade set of workbooks, textbooks,

and DVDs covering all aspects of the sciences. The film—which won the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival—stars Maxwell Simba as Kamkwamba and is the directorial debut of Chiwetel Ejiofor, who also plays the role of Kamkwamba’s father. §

EXPLORING ECONOMIC JUSTICE This past February, the Mary Frances Early College of Education hosted its 15th annual Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Conference— this time, focused on deep poverty and our community. During the event, participants learned how to translate economic justice into action and engaged in dialogue to address a variety of issues ranging from policy change and community partnerships to alternative economies and mental health and wellness. “For the last four years, we've kept the fires going in exploring equity and justice, and we’re trying to keep those fires lit,” says Annelise Singh, professor and associate dean

Support our efforts!

for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the College. “Economic justice only works if we're motivated to take action and are incorporating those actions into our everyday practices.” Rosie Phillips Davis, the event’s keynote speaker and a professor of counseling psychology at the University of Memphis, shared the latest research on the topic, as well as some of her own personal experiences with deep poverty. The event, which included five breakout sessions and a keynote panel, highlighted all of the work—both locally and politically—required to address and create change in our communities at home. §

Conference panelists Toni-Michelle Williams (not pictured), Beau Seagraves, Elizabeth Cárdenas Bautista, and Rosie Phillips Davis discuss the practical implications of deep poverty work with facilitator Megan Bolado.

The Mary Frances Early College of Education’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Fund supports multicultural and social justice efforts in the College and across campus. Please support us: bit.ly/deifund.

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RESEARCH

Missing Narratives When Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in 2017, a majority of media coverage centered around government recovery efforts and the destruction on the island rather than the experiences of mainland Puerto Ricans who were indirectly impacted by the hurricane. To highlight these missing narratives, alumna Cristalís Capielo Rosario (Ph.D. ’16), an assistant professor at Arizona State University, and alumna Elizabeth Bautista Cárdenas (M.Ed. ’18), a doctoral student in the College’s counseling psychology program, conducted several interviews to study the reactions of the Puerto Rican diaspora in the U.S. “Traumatic stress can be experienced by those with secondary exposure to traumatic events like natural disasters,” says Capielo Rosario, who along with Bautista Cárdenas, received the 2019 Outstanding Contribution to Scholarship on Race and Ethnicity Award from the American Psychological Association’s Society of Counseling Psychology for their work. “After Hurricane Maria, Puerto Ricans in the United States would often take to social media to speak of their sadness, their desperation to talk to family back home, and their desire to help in any way they could.”

Distinguished Alumni Award Winner

Together, they found that participants experienced posttraumatic growth both at the individual and community level. While some people were worried about family members on the island, many secondary stress reactions were influenced by the political status and economic crisis in Puerto Rico. Additionally, their study aims to better equip mental health professionals with information about secondary traumatic stress as a result

of indirect exposure to a disaster, while highlighting how Puerto Rico’s sociopolitical status influences the way communities experience stress and posttraumatic growth. “It is our responsibility to acknowledge these injustices and use our privilege to help those that have been silenced,” says Bautista Cárdenas. “As researchers and clinicians, we can acknowledge injustices and create opportunities to speak and advocate for others.” §

Capielo Rosario received the Mary Frances Early College of Education’s 2020 Early Career Researcher Alumni Award. Read more about her on page 42.

GLOBAL CONNECTIONS Last fall, two professors and 16 sport education students from the University of Jyväskylä in Finland visited the College of Education to discuss their country’s national core curriculum and the latest northern European trends in school physical education. In collaboration with students in the Department of Kinesiology, the group also created a lesson plan, which included a discussion of physical education objectives, an overview of the sports education degree program, and different types of workouts. “Education does not happen in a vacuum, but it is related to the society around us,” says Sami Yli-Piipari, an assistant professor of physical education. “This visit has hopefully supported their understanding about issues that contribute to not only students’ learning, but their profession and society at large.” The visiting students also experienced UGA sports firsthand, including two volleyball games and a football game against South Carolina. §

Mary Frances Early College of Education

Features HIGHLIGHTS § ONE QUESTION 20 § INSTRUCTIONAL INNOVATION 26 § ALLIED HEALTH 30

14 “People recognize me not because I’m so great, but because I had the opportunity to be one of the first people to help students have the courage to come to UGA themselves. – Mary Frances Early (M.M.Ed. ’62, Ed.S. ’67)

Mary Frances Early addresses the crowd at UGA’s naming ceremony held in her honor on February 25, 2020.

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BREAKING BARRIERS

WHEN MARY FRANCES EARLY JOINED CHARLAYNE HUNTER AND HAMILTON HOLMES TO INTEGRATE THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA, SHE HELPED CHANGE THE COURSE OF HISTORY. HER DEDICATION TO EQUALITY AND EDUCATION CHANGED THE LIVES OF THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS AT UGA AND ACROSS THE SOUTH. 14

Mary Frances Early College of Education

A DAY TO REMEMBER

On February 25, 2020, the University of Georgia College of Education was officially named in honor of Mary Frances Early. In celebration of this historic event, Marion Ross Fedrick (B.S.Ed. ’94, M.P.A. ’02, Ed.D. ’22), president of Albany State University, delivered the 20th annual Mary Frances Early Lecture in conjunction with the College’s naming ceremony and plaque unveiling. Other speakers at the event included UGA President Jere W. Morehead, Chancellor of the University System of Georgia Steve Wrigley, College of Education Dean Denise A. Spangler, and Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion and Strategic University Initiatives Michelle Cook. Gov. Brian Kemp and first lady Marty Kemp, both alumni of UGA, were also in attendance. To watch a video of the naming ceremony and lecture, visit bit.ly/MFElecture.

BY KATHRYN KAO

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MARY FRANCES EARLY’S LIFE IS LIKE AN EMOTIONALLYCHARGED SYMPHONY. DEFINED BY A SERIES OF UNIQUE RHYTHMS AND BEATS, HER DETERMINATION, COURAGE, AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS HAVE INSPIRED GENERATIONS OF STUDENTS AND TEACHERS ACROSS THE NATION. Whether she was playing the piano to the clicking rhythm of a metronome or listening to her mother sing carols on Christmas Eve, Early could transport herself—thanks to the power of music—from her childhood home in Atlanta’s Summerhill community to a classical opera house in Italy. In the 1940s, African Americans were prohibited from listening to the symphony orchestra in Atlanta, so Early satiated her thirst for music through other means: the Victrola record player in her living room, the radio on Sunday evenings, and her father’s deep, melodic voice. “Music is something that brings joy,” says Early (M.M.Ed. ’62, Ed.S. ’67), who became the first African American graduate of the University of Georgia in 1962. “That is why I wanted to teach because kids have to read and write. They have to learn social studies and science, but they should also be exposed to the arts. And my belief is that all children can learn, and all of them can learn music. They may only be able to play the rhythm sticks, but if that gives them joy, then you teach them to play the rhythm sticks.” After playing an integral role in desegregating UGA as a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in music education, Early went on to lead a historic and groundbreaking career. She received numerous honors and awards as not only a music educator and director, but also as the first elected African American president of the Georgia Music Educators Association. This past February, she celebrated the official naming of the UGA College of Education in her honor, a recognition she views as the zenith of her career. “I really attribute the honor to my parents who taught me so early that a good education is the pathway to success,” she says. “I think it would inspire young educators and educators-tobe to understand that teachers can reap big rewards, both in satisfaction with their careers and also in unexpected rewards.”

‘I WAS ABLE TO EXPLORE BOOKS’ Born on June 14, 1936, Early often looked to her father for guidance growing up. Despite having only graduated from elementary school, he was successful in several business ventures, which included both a restaurant and a grocery store in Atlanta. Although he died when Early was 12, his nononsense yet practical approach to raising her and her brother John, taught her many life lessons—the importance of saving, the value of owning property, and the drive to persevere in the face of adversity. After noticing Early’s love for music, her parents signed her up for lessons with a pianist who owned a studio directly above the family’s restaurant on Auburn Avenue. Because her father sang at various community events, he wanted Early to be skilled

Mary Frances Early College of Education

enough at the piano to accompany him. “Perceiving my interest in music, they signed me up for piano lessons when I was 8,” Early recalls. “The piano teacher I had was in the studio just upstairs from my father’s restaurant, so I didn’t have to go anywhere except up the steps. I loved to take piano lessons, but the teacher would rap me on the knuckles, and after two years I said to my parents, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’” Although she stopped taking lessons, Early continued to play piano for many more years, resuming lessons in high school and college. While her father encouraged her to pursue music, Early’s mother—who exuded a quiet energy and remained protective of her children well into their adulthoods—inspired equally important passions in Early’s life—books, reading, and education. Because schools were segregated in the South, Early

and her brother, who is only 18 months older, had to attend morning sessions at E.B. Johnson Elementary School. After school, Early remembers walking across the street from her father’s restaurant to the Auburn Branch of the Carnegie Library of Atlanta (the only library for African Americans in the area at the time), where she spent most of her afternoons. “That’s where I spent my time,” says Early. “I thought this is great; my parents paid me too. They didn’t want me at the restaurant during the day and in the early evening hours because they sold beer as well as food; they did not want me in that atmosphere.” So instead of working at the restaurant to earn money like her brother, Early received an allowance to spend countless afternoons reading and traveling to other parts of the world through books. “I spent all this time in the library,”

she says. “And I was able to explore books, books, and more books, as well as do my homework.” By the time Early began attending high school, she had saved enough of her own money—around $500—to purchase a firstline clarinet, an instrument she insisted on playing despite pushback from band directors at two different high schools. One director already had enough clarinet players and another wanted her to play the tuba instead. She eventually landed at Henry McNeal Turner High School where she excelled musically and academically. Because she could already read and play college-level music, Early quickly rose to the top of her class as the school’s first clarinet player and graduated as valedictorian in 1953.

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and said, ‘I would have done the same thing, Mary Frances, don’t worry about it,’” she says laughing. “I didn’t believe him, but that was a big relief.” Early began attending Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta when she was a master’s student at UGA, and she attributes much of the strength she gained to weekend trips back home for Sunday sermons with Martin Luther King Jr., who played an integral role in Early’s motivation to help desegregate UGA, along with Charlayne Hunter (now Hunter-Gault) and Hamilton Holmes. In January of 1961, after returning home from her teaching job at John Hope Elementary School, she caught a news segment on TV covering the riot that drove Hunter and Holmes off campus. They were recently admitted to UGA by court order and became the first African Americans to attend the University. Their presence created an uproar on campus, resulting in several protests. “I thought they needed support,” says Early. “They needed a graduate student to open the doors at the graduate level because they had opened the doors to the undergraduate school. My mom was afraid because she knew about the Ku Klux Klan and the dastardly Inspired by her charismatic band things they were doing all over the South. director and her mother, who taught in a We were watching the riot on TV, and she rural one-room schoolhouse before said, ‘You see what’s going on. Do you marriage, Early decided to follow suit and want to put yourself in that situation?’ pursue a career in music education. “I And I said, ‘Mama, I cannot stand on the wanted to be a band teacher,” she says sidelines and wait and watch until with an air of fortitude. “But that was not somebody else solves the problem. I want what ladies did back then. You’re not to be part of the action.’” supposed to teach band—you’re supposed Early, who inherited her mother’s quiet to teach chorus and general music.” And demeanor and strong determination, was while Early did teach chorus and general in the middle of her graduate program in music for many years, she also taught Michigan when she decided to transfer to band, helping to break down barriers for UGA to help integrate the University. not only African Americans, but for Having achieved academically her whole women in the music industry. life—she graduated as valedictorian from Clark College (now Clark Atlanta ‘I WANT TO BE PART OF THE ACTION’ University) in 1957—Early felt confident Above left: During her time at UGA, Early kept a On a warm summer day in 1961, Mary she could help desegregate the University record of her experiences and thoughts as the Frances Early decided to head to UGA’s first African American graduate student to enroll and break down the barriers to a quality post office to mail her mother a note about at the University. Above right: Early sits on a education for all people. an upcoming exam she needed to study But first, she had to make it through the suitcase in the room she shared with Charlayne for. While there, a group of students across Hunter at UGA. This was taken right before Early application process, which lasted five the street began harassing her with racial arduous months. With the guidance and returned home after graduation in 1962. slurs, and after ignoring them for several support of civil rights leader Jesse Hill Jr., minutes, they decided to get Early’s attention another way—by who was a source of encouragement for Early throughout her throwing rocks at her. One of them hit her under the eye, nearly time at UGA, she eventually completed the interview process, breaking her glasses. during which she was asked a number of insulting questions In the heat of the moment, Early picked up the rock and threw about her personal life. At the time, Early had already made a it in their direction, not to hit them, but to break up their ranks. name for herself as a music teacher at John Hope Elementary “When I went home the next weekend, I went to Dr. King’s office School in Atlanta and the questions caught her off guard. after church, and I said, ‘Dr. King, I have erred.’ I told him I had However, she pressed on, applying five months after Hunter and not been nonviolent, and I told him what happened. He laughed Holmes and eventually received an acceptance letter from UGA.

Mary Frances Early College of Education

As a graduate student, Early focused heavily on her studies, often studying over the weekends to keep herself entertained in Athens, where all shops and restaurants were still segregated. Over the course of a year, she concentrated on her goals and dreams and tried her best to ignore spiteful comments made by students. “Although the students were very unfriendly, hostile, and cold, the faculty were supportive,” Early recalls. “All I wanted them to do was to be fair… I wasn’t asking for any gifts. They did not, however, address the students in class who were so hostile. They just ignored them. So, perhaps that was the best way to handle the situation.” Outside of the classroom, Early frequently experienced blatant acts of hate, from having her car vandalized with red spray paint to getting barred in front of the library by a line of students. One night while studying music theory in the fine arts building, a student locked her inside the piano room by blocking the door with a stone. “The students were following suit because it’s much easier to follow the crowd than it is to stand out and make yourself noticed,” she adds. “And I actually felt sorry for them because often you can look into people’s eyes and see what their conviction is. And there were students who when you look them in the eye, they would soften, and you knew they did not believe in this, but they felt they had no choice.” Amid all the hate, however, there existed some small acts of kindness that, while done in secret, spoke volumes to Early. During the spring of 1962, three female students came down to the dorm room Early shared with Charlayne Hunter and told them that they were actually glad Early and Hunter were at UGA and that while they wanted to be friends, the girls were rushing a sorority and were told they would not be invited to join if they were seen talking to them. As a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the first sorority established by African American women, Early could empathize with the students and told them that while she was thankful they reached out, not to come back and risk losing their bids. On August 16, 1962, Early became the first African American graduate of UGA when she received her master’s degree in music education. And while this incredible feat went unnoticed by UGA

“‘Mama, I cannot stand on the sidelines and wait and watch until somebody else solves the problem. I want to be part of the action.’” Charlayne Hunter and Hamilton Holmes are greeted by the press as they walk toward the Admissions Office on Jan. 9, 1961, to enroll as the first African American students at UGA. and the general public for several decades, Early recalls how momentous that day was for both her and her family and friends. “I was one black student among 600 white students,” says Early, who later returned to UGA to pursue a specialist’s degree in music education, graduating for a second time in 1967. “And while I was really invisible, they couldn’t help but see my family and friends because there were 74 of them rolling down Highway 78 in a convoy of cars. I was so glad at that point to be finished and to have achieved my goal of getting my degree.”

‘YOU CAN BE COURAGEOUS’ While eating lunch with a friend at LongHorns late last year, Early noticed two women across the restaurant glancing in her direction. After finishing their meal, the two got up and made their way over to her table. “You’re Ms. Early, aren’t you?” the younger woman said smiling alongside her mother. “I’m a UGA graduate, and so is my mother. I wanted

to thank you for paving the way.” Ever since UGA announced naming the College of Education in her honor last fall, Early has had several similar exchanges with alumni, friends, as well as strangers who empathize with her struggles as a student of color. And while Early views the naming as a pivotal point in her career, her life did not stop after UGA. In fact, it blossomed. From 1962 to 1983, Early taught music for Atlanta Public Schools, including at John Hope Elementary, Wesley Avenue Elementary, and Coan Middle School. Her students learned the fundamental concepts of music and how to play a range of instruments “Teaching music is more than about teaching notes,” says Early. “It’s about teaching teamwork. It’s about teaching personal discipline because you have to go home and practice. It’s about learning how to give yourself to a common cause and see those lessons translate into everyday life.” Despite her many accomplishments and honors over the years, Early continued to face discrimination for the color of her skin and for teaching band as a woman. Because Georgia’s music competitions were still segregated in the early-’70s, Early had to take her Coan Middle School

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band students to a black music festival in Fort Valley, Georgia, to compete with other bands in the Atlanta area. “We got a superior rating, but one of the judges had written on my adjudication sheet, ‘Very fine job, especially for a woman,’” she recalls. “You’re not supposed to talk to judges, but I asked, ‘What do you mean by this?’ and he said, ‘Well, there are not that many females who teach band.’ And I said, ‘Do you realize we study the same curriculum as men? So why would my band be different?’” Undeterred by these comments and after spending several years as a music teacher and supervisor, Early was named the first African American president of the Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA) in 1981. In this position, Early traveled across Georgia to promote music education, encourage more students to audition for All-State musical groups, and enhance diversity initiatives both in schools and on the board of GMEA. Additionally, she served as director of music for Atlanta Public Schools and, after retirement, taught at Morehouse College, Spelman College, and Clark Atlanta University, where she served as chair of the music department for eight years. In both public and higher education, she influenced thousands of students and teachers. Early was asked to share her story with the Graduate and Professional Scholars organization at UGA in 2000—nearly four decades after graduating from the University. She credits her “reintroduction” into UGA’s history to Maurice Daniels, dean emeritus and professor emeritus of UGA’s School of Social Work, who founded the Foot Soldier Project for Civil Rights Studies and produced “The Quiet Trailblazer,” a documentary chronicling Early’s life. “Mary Frances Early is the epitome of an authentic voice of protest who helped to change the course of history at the University of Georgia, in our state, and in our nation,” he says. “Ms. Early’s inspirational story illuminates a courageous trailblazer, pioneer, and bridge-builder in the struggle for social justice. She is one of the founding mothers of a new South—one that makes real the promise of democracy.” In February 2020, the UGA Mary Frances Early College of Education hosted a gala, ceremony, and plaque unveiling to honor Early’s momentous life and career. Donations raised during the naming campaign support scholarships for students who, like Early, have overcome challenges to attend UGA, as well as college and campus activities aimed at strengthening diversity and inclusion. “I’m just blessed,” Early says with a smile. “People recognize me not because I’m so great, but because I had the opportunity to be one of the first people to help students have the courage to come to UGA themselves. And that’s important to me. Martin Luther King Jr. let me know that I was human. You can be courageous or you can be a coward. But the one thing that you have to be is determined. I learned more by coming to UGA. Because of all the things I had to endure as I went through my career, I knew how to handle myself. And I was able to consort with anyone at any level because I learned to persevere.” §

Mary Frances Early College of Education

ONE QUESTION

“WHAT DOES THE NAMING OF THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION IN HONOR OF MARY FRANCES EARLY MEAN TO YOU?” The UGA Mary Frances Early College of Education is honored to bear Ms. Early’s name in perpetuity and to commemorate her legacy of service to others. Thanks to her historic achievement as the first African American graduate of UGA, thousands of students have been able to attend the University and practice what they love on a daily basis. We asked four individuals what the naming means to them.

Friend

CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT

(A.B.J. ’63), Journalist and author; first African American student to attend UGA along with Hamilton Holmes (B.S. ’63)

t should have come as no surprise that Mary Frances Early would join Hamilton Holmes and me as the first black students at the University of Georgia. We had so many things in common, not least parents who refused to allow the lie of separate but equal determine who we were. Like my parents and Hamilton's, the parents of Mary Frances taught her from an early age the importance of education and the role it plays in enabling us, among other things to see

ourselves as first-class citizens and therefore to pursue whatever dreams we dared to dream. I call that armor—the kind that was reinforced at Henry McNeil Turner, the high school Mary Frances attended and graduated from a few years ahead of Hamilton and me. It was there that each of us gained additional layers of armor as we learned about and were inspired by pioneers, like Henry McNeal Turner and women like Ida B. Wells, who fought to ensure the dreams of our people would be realized. And so, it was that Mary Frances, like Hamilton and me, learned well all those lessons, as my and her other classmates used to sing during the Civil Rights Movement, “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Round” by The Freedom Singers. Like Mary Frances, I spent a summer term on UGA’s campus as the lone black student, so I know what it took for her not only to survive, but to prosper and realize her dream so she would be prepared to help others like her pursue theirs. Our history propelled our dreams and was the company we kept— comforting company in an otherwise uncomfortable place. And thanks to her steadfast determination, Mary Frances kept her eye on the prize of becoming an educator to replicate on a vastly larger scale the lessons she learned first in the comfort of her family home. And now, just as she and Hamilton and I learned about Henry McNeil Turner and Ida B. Wells and other pioneers, young people at UGA and generations yet to come will learn of Mary Frances Early and the timeless values she embraced. And while this naming was made during Black History Month, I have always maintained that our history should be widely taught and not be marked for just one month but for 365 days of the year. And so, it will be for generations yet to come on the campus of the University of Georgia, thanks to the naming of the Mary Frances Early College of Education and the reason for it. Thank you, good sister—my pride in you and all you have achieved is boundless! May those generations yet to come learn and prosper from your legacy. §

EVERETT COLLECTION HISTORICAL / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter smile during a news interview after a court order struck down their suspension from the University of Georgia “for their own safety” in Jan. 1961. coe.uga.edu

ONE QUESTION

ALUMNA

TONYA CORNILEUS

FACULTY

SHENEKA WILLIAMS

Associate professor in the Mary Frances Early College of Education’s Department of Lifelong Education, Administration, and Policy

ary Frances Early is a trailblazer who epitomizes courage and class. She is a quiet warrior who yields ringing results. Knowing what I know about Ms. Early’s courage and her career as an educator, it makes me proud to be part of a college community that bears her name. More importantly, I am excited about how the College—in terms of its work and its actions—will reflect Ms. Early’s legacy. I listened to an interview in which Ms. Early described her graduation day from the University of Georgia. She described herself as being the “only black” in a “sea of whiteness.” I listened to that interview, and I felt encouraged by what I see at graduation almost 60 years later. I see a college that graduates the second most doctoral students at the University of Georgia and an increasing number of those graduates are African Americans. I see a more racially and ethnically diverse faculty. More specifically, I am a faculty member in a program in which two African American faculty will join next fall. So, when I think of the College’s naming, I think of continuous improvement. There are areas in which the College needs to be more courageous—such as in the recruitment and retention of African American students, males in particular, and more leadership roles among African American faculty. Regardless, I am optimistic about bigger and bolder strides in the Mary Frances Early College of Education, and I wait expectantly because we have a college community that cannot accept less. At the end of the day, we owe it to the College’s name and to Ms. Early herself. §

Mary Frances Early College of Education

(M.Ed. ’04, Ph.D. ’09) Vice President, Development, Inclusion & Wellness, ESPN

traveled from Connecticut to Athens to attend the naming ceremony of the College of Education in honor of Mary Frances Early. This historic occasion was a fitting tribute to a woman who made a deliberate choice to blaze a trail for people like me who would come behind her and pursue graduate studies at the University of Georgia. I am beyond grateful. When I learned of the circumstances surrounding

GRADUATE STUDENT

BRIANA BIVENS

(M.Ed. ’16, Ph.D. ’22) Doctoral student in the Mary Frances Early College of Education’s Department of Educational Theory and Practice

he naming of the Mary Frances Early College of Education signals a powerful and important step in the history of our College and University. To honor Mary Frances Early—an amazing, brilliant, and brave educator and civil rights activist—is to open ourselves up to being held accountable for the decisions we make each and every day as

Ms. Early’s decision to transfer from the University of Michigan and join her fellow Turner high school alumni, Charlayne Hunter and Hamilton Holmes, in desegregating UGA, I could only think of how brave, tenacious, and compassionate she was and is to set aside her comfort to ensure a path for others. I walked the hallways of the college bearing her name and read of her journey. I smiled, and I cried. I am proud to know her and to be a beneficiary of her legacy. I am also thankful to UGA, President Morehead, Dean Spangler, and all who joined in this effort to recognize history in the making. More importantly, I am inspired by Ms. Early to do my part to pave the way for others who will come behind me. The naming of the College in her honor will be a constant reminder to me that one person can make a difference and everyone should try. §

community members of the College, University, and the city of Athens. I see this naming as a charge to live up to Ms. Early’s legacy of social justice and community-building, even in the face of strong and powerful interests that may try to intervene along the way. I take it as a welcome mandate to conduct my research, scholarship, and advocacy in ways that actively refuse white supremacy, sexism, and xenophobia in all the ways they’re maintained and justified at interpersonal, institutional, and societal scales. Ms. Early’s courage and conviction inspire in me a renewed commitment to movements on UGA’s campus and in the Athens community that are aimed at recognizing and redressing historical harms that persist today, such that we might inspire more just futures that work for everyone. It is an honor to be a student in the Mary Frances Early College of Education. §

1. Athenian artist and community activist Broderick Flanagan exchanges greetings with Bill McDonald, UGA’s dean of students. 2. Early with family and friends during the gala dinner. 3. Veteran television journalist and broadcaster Monica Kaufman Pearson sings Stevie Wonder’s rendition of happy birthday to alumna Dominque Holloman, who served as the event’s master of ceremonies.

Groundbreaker Honoring a Georgia

On February 24, 2020, the UGA College of Education hosted a gala dinner honoring Mary Frances Early for her groundbreaking civil rights leadership and her influence on music education. Early’s family and friends, as well as donors, students, and alumni of the College attended the event at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education & Hotel.

4. U.S. District Court Judge Steve C. Jones laughs with Early in the Magnolia Ballroom before dinner. 5. Early smiles while Michael Thurmond, chief executive officer of Dekalb County, delivers the event’s keynote address. 6. College of Education dean emeritus and UGA Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus Andy Horne shakes Early’s hand.

7. Dean Denise A. Spangler welcomes gala guests. 8. Dean emeritus and professor emeritus of UGA’s School of Social Work Maurice Daniels smiles at Early, who he “reintroduced” back into UGA’s history. 9. Albany State University president Marion Fedrick listens to a solo performance at the event. Fedrick delivered the 20th annual Mary Frances Early Lecture the following day. 10. Early greets two children at a table during dinner.

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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Maximum Amplitude



Courtney Kupets Carter enjoys a challenge. In 2017, she faced her biggest challenge yet: leading the GymDogs to success as the head coach of UGA’s gymnastics team. While she had thought about accepting other coaching positions, none of them ever felt quite right. So, when the position for head coach at UGA opened up—a role she’d coveted since her days as a GymDog herself—she immediately submitted her name for consideration. When she was offered the position, some questioned her lack of coaching experience. But her team was overjoyed—many had followed her gymnastics career since her days competing in the 2004 Olympic Games. “As a gymnast, you have your team’s support, but it’s really up to the individual athlete,” she says. “As a coach, I’m looking at every single piece of it—making sure everyone’s Courtney feeling good, looking at their Kupets Carter energy, demeanor, skills, how injuries are healing, and so many sticks the more pieces on different levels.” landing from Since taking the helm, Kupets GymDog to Carter (B.S.F.C.S. ’10, M.S. ’13) head coach has brought the GymDogs to new heights. In her first year as head coach, she led the team to seventh place in the NCAA. In 2019, UGA received its highest seasonopening score since 2007, and Kupets Carter was named the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association’s Southeast Regional Coach of the Year. During the 2019 season, the GymDogs brought in an average of 10,102 fans per meet, the highest in program history. Kupets Carter’s gymnastics career began when she was 3 years old, and she quickly rose to the top of the sport. She reached elite gymnastics status in 1999 and became a back-to-back U.S. national champion in 2003 and 2004. Her success landed her a spot on the U.S. Olympic team in 2004. While competing in Athens, Greece, Kupets Carter contributed to the team’s silver medal and earned

Mary Frances Early College of Education

Head GymDogs coach Courtney Kupets Carter watches a bar performance during a meet against Auburn at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Georgia, on February 2, 2020.

herself an individual bronze medal on the uneven bars. “I had a minor injury during the Olympics—a slight fracture in my hip,” she says. “We didn’t know it at the time; it just felt like a pulled muscle. But I kept going—I wasn’t going to stop for anything, but it was difficult. I look back at pictures, and I can still feel the pain, which is definitely overshadowed by the medals and the team.” Following the Olympics, Kupets Carter joined UGA’s gymnastics team in 2005 and began her collegiate career under the leadership of decorated head coach Suzanne Yoculan. Carrying over her professional success to UGA, the GymDogs won a team national championship in 2006, and Kupets Carter

Courtney Kupets Carter (B.S.F.C.S. ’10, M.S. ’13) Degree program: Kinesiology

Current position: Head coach of the University of Georgia women’s gymnastics team Lives in: Athens, Georgia

PHOTO BY CHAMBERLAIN SMITH

won the individual all-around, uneven bars, and balance beam national titles. Now 33, her face is on the center of the arena wall in Stegeman Coliseum along with several other UGA athletic legends. Serving as the head coach of a team she was once a part of is a surreal experience for Kupets Carter, who received her master’s degree in kinesiology in 2013. “When I look at myself as a competitor and an athlete, I felt I did my best at giving everything I had both inside and outside the gym—so whatever happened, happened,” she says. “As a coach, I’m preparing my athletes for those moments.” The GymDogs’ staff consists of a trainer, nutritionist, strength and conditioning coach, academic counselor, and

three coaches, including Kupets Carter. The team practices four days a week and typically competes once a week. The biggest challenge of coaching for Kupets Carter is also what she loves most about her job: preparing for the unknown. Whether she’s adjusting the competition lineup based on injuries or helping an athlete work through a personal issue, Kupets Carter handles each situation with grace and patience. “They say your biggest gift is your biggest weakness,” she says. “I would love for my plan to just work out the way I’ve planned. But at the same time, I love challenges. It’s one thing I thrive on best. I feel like when tough situations happen, I’m ready. I’m not looking backward.” § Lauren Leathers

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TEACHING OUTSIDE THE BOX By Lauren Leathers

ince the University of Georgia College of Education was founded in 1908, a lot has changed, including our name and the technology available to teachers in the classroom. However, one thing remains consistent—whether our alumni are teaching complex subjects, developing innovative curricula, or conducting cutting-edge research, they all share a common goal: to improve the world around us. David Jackson, an associate professor in the Department of Mathematics and Science Education, joined UGA’s faculty nearly 30 years ago and recalls the technological resources available when he arrived at UGA and how current technologies have reinvented how we educate students today. “When I first started at UGA, I was teaching students how to do word processing on the Apple

Mary Frances Early College of Education

II computer, which was considered a new skill for most people, some of whom had probably never even seen or heard of a computer,” he says. “Fairly large aspects of several of our teacher education programs—the middle grades program is probably the biggest example—are very different from the way they were 10 years ago, let alone 20 or 30.” Melisa “Misha” Cahnmann-Taylor, a professor in the Department of Language and Literacy Education, has worked at UGA for more than 18 years. In her class, writing cultures of poetry for creative educators, she teaches language educators how to incorporate poetry into their foreign language curricula to better engage students. “My audience are people who love language,” says Cahnmann-Taylor, who received her M.F.A. in poetry from New England College. “Typically, the people who love language and train to be language teachers learn the kind of scientific renderings of how languages work and linguistic understandings, all of which I’ve been trained in, but my love of language took me to the aesthetics of language as well.” Cahnmann-Taylor encourages her students to express themselves through language using channels ranging from poetry and technology to visual art. Additionally, she often uses multimodal storytelling to express poetry artwork, including Google docs and tangible items, to share poetry with audiences. Jackson and Cahnmann-Taylor, like many professors and alumnae of the College, are pushing education into the future. After graduating and entering the next chapter of their lives as teachers, many of our alumni are using these innovative ideas as resources in their classrooms to enhance instruction and deliver lessons in THESE DAYS, INNOVATION TAKES more engaging ways.

ALL MANNER OF SHAPE AND FORM IN THE CLASSROOM. MODERN TOOLS AND NEW THINKING ALLOW EDUCATORS TO TRANSFORM LEARNING IN BOUNDARY-PUSHING WAYS.

LEARNING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Nowadays, many school-aged children have a wealth of information at their fingertips and unlimited technological tools in the form of cell phones, iPads, and computers. But what several students don’t have is the chance to experience the world. David A. Phillips (B.S.Ed. ’03), a seventh-grade science teacher, and Christan Price Hattaway (B.S.Ed. ’12), a seventh-grade math teacher, led the Greenbrier Middle School’s STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) competition team to the 2019 International Young STEAM Maker Competition in Hong Kong. STEAM is an educational approach to learning that uses science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics as access points for guiding student dialogue and critical thinking. The six students competed internationally against 111 K-12 teams and brought home several awards, including second place in the overall STEAM Maker exhibition and presentation; as well as second place for best performance; second place for problem solving; second place for most talented; and third place for most creative. The theme of

the competition was sustainability in future cities. “To say that we are proud would be the biggest understatement possible,” Phillips says. “These kids work hard and want to make a difference. The trip was nothing short of amazing.” The Greenbrier students who participated in the competition traveled to Hong Kong together on a 35-hour flight. To compete with local teams, the students needed to create projects that were not only creative and technologically innovative, but also durable so they could remain in one piece on the long flight to China. We had to explain to the airport TSA what this project was,” Hattaway says, laughing. “One student had a giant aquarium that their team was using as the base structure for their whole project. That student took the aquarium on the plane as her carry-on item, and as for the rest of the materials, we were kind of limited to portable things that could fit in a suitcase.” The Greenbrier Middle School team presented two different projects. One was a miniature car based on the maglev train system, which uses two sets of magnets—one to levitate the train up off the track and a second to move the elevated train forward, while another was a model of a self-sustaining house that collects rainwater. “Basically, the rainwater drove a generator that produced electricity for the house,” Phillips says. “That’s the one that ended up taking home the big prize. The students were on top of the world. It was truly a team effort.” The selfsustaining house, which won second place overall, collected rainwater to produce clean, usable water while simultaneously spinning a turbine to create electricity. “We understood why this project did so well once we got out and about in Hong Kong,” Hattaway adds. “The housing situation is so densely packed—there’s so many people in one place fighting for resources. It wasn’t uncommon for a two-bedroom apartment to house three or four families.” In addition to the original STEAM Makers competition, students were also divided into randomly assigned groups at the event to test their critical-thinking skills. The students were required to work with their new groups to create a roller coaster with provided materials. Student Carissa Veriato was part of the team that placed third overall in the spontaneous challenge. Each team was given a drill, screws, and a kit that came with connectors and thin plastic tubes to build the roller coaster. After time was up, students tested their roller coasters by seeing if a marble could travel the entire length of track. “It was actually a lot more challenging than I would have thought, especially because of the language barrier,” Veriato says. “Besides the Greenbrier students, none of the competitors spoke English, so most communication was nonverbal. Each member of the Greenbrier group was separated and placed on a different team.” The teams’ teachers were also invited to participate in the international STEAM teacher competition. Philips gave a TED Talk-inspired presentation about the benefits of STEAM education, for which he received second place. “The biggest takeaway from this trip was seeing how the kids handled adversity,” Phillips says. “That’s something we can never really teach them in the classroom.”

“Nowadays, many school-aged children have a wealth of information at their fingertips and unlimited technological tools in the form of cell phones, iPads, and computers. But what several students don’t have is the chance to experience the world.”

David Phillips, Christan Price Hattaway, and the Greenbrier Middle School STEM competition team proudly display their school’s flag after landing in Hong Kong on July 14, 2019. LEARNING THROUGH LANGUAGE In 2004, Sydney Lumbreras Clifton (B.F.A.’12, A.B. ’12, M.A. ’14, Ed.S. ’19) visited Ecuador. It was love at first sight and a catalyst for her newfound passion for Latinx culture and eventual fluency in the language. “I knew teaching Spanish was what I also wanted to do forever,” she says. “I bought a little Spanish dictionary and kept it in my purse at all times.” Since then, Lumbreras has received four degrees from the University of Georgia—two in Spanish, one in art, and another in education. She’s fused her passion for Latinx culture with her love of the arts to create a classroom experience unlike any other: the dual immersion program at Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary School, where she teaches first grade as a dual language immersion teacher. Currently, the program consists of cohorts ranging from preschool through third grade. “In language acquisition research, we found that younger children tend to be very capable at attaining languages,” Lumbreras says. “Human beings automatically have an ability to learn language, which is why we do it without really much thought or effort. It’s kind of a natural thing.”

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Dual language immersion, when done early, capitalizes on children’s natural ability to learn a second language with many students becoming competent speakers. The program at Oglethorpe is unique in that it aims to teach an equal amount of Spanish-speaking and English-speaking heritage students in the classroom. “You have two groups of people that are able to give to each other, help each other, and grow in this community even though they’re coming from two different language groups,” Lumbreras says. Halfway through her undergraduate degree program in art, she tacked on a Spanish double major. The daughter of an educator, her mother received a degree from Texas A&M University in curriculum and instruction. But Lumbreras still wasn’t sure whether she wanted to pursue academia or become a full-time artist. “As a young person, I was very shy and thought, ‘That will never be me,’” she says. “But I got out of UGA, and as a master’s student, I taught several classes. Once I got the hang of teaching, it actually went well, and I applied to several teaching positions.” After graduating with her master’s degree in Spanish literature, Lumbreras taught Spanish at Haymon-Morris Middle School and Westside Middle School in Winder, Georgia, and later got alternatively certified as a Georgia TAPP teacher, a classroombased program with multiple paths for candidates to complete teacher preparation and earn a clear, renewable professional certificate from the Northeast Georgia Regional Educational Service Agency. “I wanted to make sure that whatever I did, I was making a positive difference and making other people’s lives better to the best of my abilities,” she says. “I found that teaching was exactly that.” A self-described nerd at heart, she enrolled at UGA once more to receive her specialist degree in education, where she met Cahnmann-Taylor. While taking Cahnmann-Taylor’s poetry course, Lumbreras taught her own students a unit on writing quintillas, a Spanish poetry form consisting of five eight-syllable lines. “I decided to take a chance and try a creative writing mini-unit in two of my classes,” she said. “I expected to have to explain the poetic vocabulary terms used, such as stanza, line, and rhyme scheme, but my amazing students immediately shared the definitions as we began to discuss them.” She began the process by researching and selecting a poetic form from Spain, which she felt would be both challenging and manageable for her students. When she landed on the 16-century poetic form, she scoured the internet to find examples that were both age appropriate and inspiring as her students began the writing process. After this, she created a presentation for her students to further explain the structure of a quintilla, possible rhyme schemes, and examples to analyze. Lumbreras also allowed her students to use online dictionaries and syllable counters on their computers as they crafted their poems. Her students were required to write a poem in English and then, in the following class, write one in Spanish. “That was the first time I felt like I taught my students in a way that worked really well,” says Lumbreras. “I wrote an article about it for Misha’s class and the essay ended up getting published in Teachers and Writers Magazine last year. “The biggest takeaway I got from Misha is that I can be an artist, a Spanish speaker, and a passionate, lively person, while bringing joy and energy to my classroom.” Lumbreras says the students enjoyed the process,

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“Las rosas de Guadalupe” by Sydney Clifton Lumbreras 9 X 12 inches Ink and colored pencils Displayed at the Lyndon House Arts Center’s juried exhibition show MODERN TECHNOLOGICAL RESOURCES LIKE ONLINE DICTIONARIES AND SYLLABLE COUNTERS HELPED LUMBRERAS’ STUDENTS WRITE QUINTILLAS, A SPANISH POETRY FORM FROM THE 1500’S. READ ONE BELOW:

Red Fox by Sarah Swiftly in the dead silent night by the trees, a splash of brown-red twinkles through the brush as she fled Small mouse in her jaw, brought to sight The brown-red young glad to be fed

as it was a break from their normal routine. Instead of working on vocabulary and grammar activities, they engaged with the lesson on Google slides and then worked on their quintillas during class. “Some of my students definitely got stuck and needed more help to push forward or work through a bumpy period, but many were really great writers and had a lot of fun,” she says. “There were a whole range of topics which spanned from love poems, fishing, football, and the absurd. Overall, it was an amazingly positive experience.” As a young a teacher, Lumbreras considers this lesson a success. She’s learned to never underestimate language learners, to not be afraid of finding ways to connect her passions to the classroom, and that second language instruction should be structured, but flexible. “Trying something new in my class, I gained several new perspectives,” she says. “I discovered how much joy I find in coaching my students’ creativity. Knowing them and their perspectives made me a better teacher, one who is more capable of serving them to the best of my ability.” §

inclusive and representative population. Specifically, for the BBCS, he ensured that images portrayed a diverse representation of gender roles, races, and ethnicities, ALUMNI while also depicting children using corrective devices, SPOTLIGHT such as glasses, wheelchairs, crutches, and casts. “The tests being used early in my career depicted all able-bodied white people and weren’t inclusive, socially sensitive, or appropriate in many ways,” says Bracken. “And so, my first mission as a test developer was to create test materials and normative samples that reflected the population, which was largely unheard of at the time.” Since its release in 1984, Bracken’s BBCS has undergone several revisions and improvements, including a version focused on testing conceptual knowledge expressively rather than receptively, so students are challenged to put Bruce Bracken developed a widely-used test their responses into words and sentences rather than to assess students’ understanding of basic simply pointing to the correct answer. After publishing concepts the BBCS, Bracken co-developed and co-authored the Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test (UNIT), which uses nonverbal cues and gestures to assess intelligence Throughout his nearly 40-year career as a school without the bias of English language proficiency. The psychologist, Bruce Bracken helped transform the UNIT is administered to a wide range of children in the landscape of educational and psychological testing of United States and internationally, including children of children, adolescents, and adults. immigrants and nonnative speakers, selective and Soon after graduating with his doctoral degree from the elective mutes, as well as children who have autism, UGA Mary Frances Early College of Education’s Department deafness, neurological issues, and language-related of Educational Psychology, Bracken (M.A. ’77, Ph.D. ’79) learning disabilities. obtained a contract to develop the Bracken Basic Concept “This test was the first 100% nonverbally administered Scale (BBCS), his first test focused on measuring children’s comprehensive assessment of intelligence, and the understanding of basic language concepts. “Most people aren’t primary reason for its development was because we have aware that the intelligence tests we routinely administer had an abundance of individuals coming into our country to preschoolers are often replete with basic concepts that that speak English as a second language or not at all,” says young children don’t understand,” says Bracken, professor Bracken, who developed the test with Steve McCallum, a of educational foundations at The College professor at the University of Tennessee, of William & Mary. “So, the first issue you Knoxville. Bracken is currently working have to consider when developing an early on the fourth edition of the BBCS, as well childhood measure is the extent to which as a host of other projects, including the the child understands the test directions.” creation of a new early childhood While examining other assessments assessment with Western Psychological available at the time, Bracken found that Services. many tests were difficult for pre-K students, “My career’s work has been all about not because of what the test measured, but inclusion, social equity, and fairness, because of the concepts that were included in especially in test construction, the test directions—concepts that were often assessment, and in helping people feel difficult for most 3- to 4-year-old children to they are an important part of society,” he grasp. “My test helped professionals identify says. “When minority children take a test concepts that children didn’t know, but it also and every picture in the test depicts only helped the field grow in the sense that we white boys and girls, it has to make them Bruce Bracken have largely stopped producing test directions feel somewhat discounted and (M.A. ’77, Ph.D. ’79) that include concepts beyond the child’s age disenfranchised. And whether those Degree program: or developmental level,” he adds. feelings transfer into a lack of examinee Educational psychology Another area of concern for Bracken was the motivation or a sense of self-deprecation lack of diversity portrayed in test images at that inhibits their test performance, I Current position: School the time. Many assessments featured artwork don’t know for certain, but I wanted to psychologist and professor of that depicted either no people of color or rule out that possibility and offer a more educational foundations, The people of color in very stereotypical ways. welcoming testing experience for College of William & Mary These insensitive images prompted Bracken everyone.” § Kathryn Kao to incorporate artwork that reflected a more Lives in: Williamsburg, Virginia

The Man Behind the Test

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THE FACES of

HEALTHCARE

By Kathryn Kao

THE UNSUNG HERO

Tabani Richards, Assistant athletic trainer hen two heavyweight wrestlers collided with each other at a high school tournament, one player fell to the ground and lost sensation in both his arms and legs. Tabani Richards quickly initiated emergency action plans by calling an ambulance and placing the player on a spine board so he could be transported to a nearby hospital. These life-changing accidents are every athletic trainer’s worst nightmare. While Richards (B.S.Ed. ’09) was shaken by the event, his passion and dedication for helping athletes stay safe and healthy ultimately resulted in a full recovery for the student. “Every athletic trainer takes cervical spine injuries very seriously,” says Richards, who is an assistant athletic trainer for the Buffalo Bills, a professional football team based in New York. “We practice emergency scenarios to prepare for these kinds of things.” While his work schedule varies depending on the day and season, it’s not uncommon for Richards to work seven days a week when training camp starts in midJuly. With over 50 players on the roster and only five athletic trainers on the team, he is often responsible for rehabilitating multiple players at a time, taping and stretching their limbs before and after practice. While a majority of his work requires face-to-face interaction

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ALLIED HEALTH ENCOMPASSES A BROAD GROUP OF HEALTH AND WELL-BEING PROFESSIONALS who use scientific principles and evidence-based practices to diagnose, evaluate, and treat patients with a range of disabilities, injuries, and disorders. Read the stories of just a few of our graduates (one is now practicing law!) who are responsible for delivering essential health services in their communities. with the players, Richards also develops treatment plans, completes paperwork, and logs medical information for players to ensure the team’s database is up-to-date. Because he is constantly with the players before, during, and after practice, many of them view him as not just their athletic trainer, but as someone they can confide in. “We’re probably the closest people with these athletes,” says Richards. “Often, we’re the first person they come to, whether they have something going on physically or mentally in their

world or if they have relationship issues or car problems. We get to really develop some special relationships with these guys just based on trust. They trust us and they value us, and if I don’t know the right answers to something, I’m going to steer them in the right direction.” While an undergraduate student at UGA, Richards fell in love with athletic training when he took a class with teaching assistant Jake Resch (Ph.D. ’10), who is now an assistant professor at the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education and Human Development. Resch’s obvious passion, dedication, and excitement for the field inspired Richards to take all of the prerequisite courses for the athletic training program in the Department of Kinesiology. In 2014, Richards earned his master’s degree from the University of Kentucky where he studied the effects of exercise programs on the strength and endurance of baseball pitchers. Along his academic and clinical journey, Richards met Ron Courson, UGA’s senior associate athletic director and a pioneer in sports medicine. Courson played a vital role in rehabilitating several UGA athletes, including former baseball players Jonathan Taylor and Chance Veazey—both of whom suffered severe spinal cord injuries. Courson also helped rehabilitate Devon Gales, a former Southern University football player who was left paralyzed from the waist down after a kickoff return against UGA in 2015. While tragic, all of these accidents, as well as the way Courson handled each case, served as an example for Richards. After Richards graduated from UGA, Courson helped him land a summer internship with the San Francisco 49ers. He would later go on to work for several NFL teams including the Chicago Bears and now the Buffalo Bills. Before joining the Bills in 2018, Richards served as a medical observer for the Southeastern Conference, watching for potential head injuries in football players from the stands and serving as a medical liaison for the SEC’s baseball tournament. Daily communication between athletic trainers and the sports medicine team, says Richards, is critical to forming accurate assessments and ensuring injured players receive the best care. When a football game needs to stop because of an injured player, Richards

along with the Bills’ head athletic trainer Nate Breske, must determine the severity of the athlete’s injury in real time. “We want to take our time while respecting the game, but we definitely do what’s right by the athlete to get an accurate assessment,” says Richards. “It’s a competitive field and we want to win, but we’re definitely going to do what’s best for that person. We’re not going to put somebody in harm’s way if we feel like it’s not safe for them to continue.” While athletic trainers often operate behind the scenes without praise, the joy of helping players get back on the field after they’ve undergone surgery and rehab is rewarding enough for Richards.

TENACITY IS WILLPOWER

Candice Branche, Newton County Magistrate Court Judge; former needs assessment director

ith a versatile career spanning from healthcare and pre-K education to counseling and now law, Candice Branche finds it hard to root herself in one place for too long. Whenever a new passion blossoms in her life, she pursues it wholeheartedly, whether that’s conducting psychiatric evaluations for patients, operating a daycare in South Carolina, or pursuing her juris doctor from Mercer University after spending 10 years in the healthcare industry. Branche (A.B. ’90, M.Ed. ’92) can pinpoint her life’s interests to three main areas—mental health, drug and alcohol addiction, and juveniles. While her path from community counseling to law is an untraditional one, the lessons she learned

along her professional journey heavily inform the way she now conducts her duties as the associate probate court judge and full-time magistrate court judge of Newton County. After she received her master’s degree in community counseling from the UGA College of Education, Branche kicked off her career in mental health at CPC Parkwood Hospital in Atlanta. “The second I left the program, I got a job in the hospital’s intake office conducting first initial assessments,” she says. “I eventually took over the department where medical necessity certifications for managed-care companies are conducted.” At only 24, Branche became the hospital’s youngest director of needs assessment, supervising a staff of over 25 therapists. In this role, she conducted psychiatric and chemical dependency evaluations and discharge planning for patients. Additionally, she directed the institution’s referral program for all physicians, therapists, and contracted employees and served as the hospital’s liaison to Spellman College for students with mental health issues. Branche spent just over 10 years in the healthcare industry, eventually moving to South Carolina where she continued to work in private psychiatric hospitals as a clinical director, conducting evaluations to diagnose and commit involuntary patients into treatment centers. It was during this time that she learned the value of working with a diverse group of people from different cultures and communities and to not make assumptions about their lives. “All these experiences and working with all these types of people and scenarios made me who I am today,” she says. “You have to meet people where they are, and as a therapist, I realized that not everybody’s had your life experience.” While Branche treated patients from all walks of life, she felt especially drawn to the children she worked with while on the job. However, she knew she had to intervene before they were hospitalized to make a more effective and positive impact on their lives. By buying Gazebo School Daycare in Summerville, South Carolina, Branche and her husband, who also worked in mental health, could provide a safe and nurturing environment for young students living in stressful situations. For 10 years, their private

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school served over 100 underprivileged children. When her husband passed away in 2004, Branche moved back to Georgia with her two young children and decided to cross off some items on her bucket list, one of which was to obtain a juris doctor and become a prosecutor. “This was a challenge and I had everybody saying, ‘Why would you go to law school? When you graduate law school, you’re going to be 41,’” she says. “And I would tell everyone, ‘Well, I’m going to be 41 in three years either way. I can be 41 and an attorney. I don’t think that’s going to hurt me.’” Law school was a challenge, both in terms of the subject matter and the new technologies available to her as a student, but she persevered and graduated from Mercer University in 2010. Even before she passed her bar exam, Branche was offered a prosecuting job in the Newton County District Attorney’s office and began practicing full-time after she became a state bar member a couple months later. “I was a very different type of prosecutor,” she says. “That’s because I was coming from a counseling background, so I realized I needed to protect the community and the victims. I also felt that because I’m an officer of the court, I had a duty to protect the defendants and make sure their rights were not violated. The overall good is to give them the services they need, so hopefully, they don’t reoffend and to monitor them, so that the community is safe.” After prosecuting numerous felony cases involving child molestation, murder, and sex crimes, Branche was named deputy chief assistant district attorney and continued to conduct trials for misdemeanors and major felonies in the Superior Court. Additionally, she was responsible for all charges presented to juvenile court, which included approving petitions, negotiating pleas, writing motions, and conducting restitution. While she is a strong proponent of holding guilty defendants accountable for their actions, Branche continues to advocate for the rehabilitation of individuals with drug and alcohol addictions, especially juveniles who often reoffend in her court and have underlying mental health issues. To address the cycle of jailing individuals for the same charges over and over again, she helped start the Newton County Adult Felony Drug Court in 2013 and eventually became a trainer and consultant for the National Drug Court Association. Branche travels to other courts across the nation to hold best practices workshops for existing drug courts in their circuits with the ultimate goal of keeping people from reoffending due to drugs and alcohol.

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A SHARED PASSION

Jennifer Alexander and Katie Smith, Behavioral analysts

riple Dawgs Jennifer Alexander and Katie Smith have an innate advantage when it comes to their work in behavioral analysis. Both are former special education teachers who worked at the same elementary school, and both are natural problem-solvers, a necessary and invaluable trait when it comes to assessing and treating students with challenging behaviors. Alexander (B.S.Ed. ’06, M.Ed. ’10, Ph.D. ’14) and Smith (B.S.Ed. ’07, M.Ed. ’09, Ph.D. ’14) met each other while they were pursuing their master’s degrees in special education from the UGA Mary Frances Early College of Education. Almost immediately, the two clicked. “I think that’s when Jen and I figured out how well we work together,” says Smith. “I can still remember doing our first interview together, and Jen asked a follow-up question that I would have wanted to ask. By working together as a team, I feel like we realized, ‘Oh, we can solve the problem much quicker if we’re doing it collaboratively.’” Today, the pair work together on a daily basis, applying their experiences in the classroom with the clinical knowledge they gained in graduate school to form the best support plans for their clients. In 2013, the two co-founded Comprehensive Behavior Change in Duluth, Georgia, an organization that offers a variety of services, including

staff development, training and treatment recommendations, program improvement, and more, to help improve the lives of students with disabilities. The organization currently serves over 25 school districts in the metro Atlanta area, as well as several school systems in rural Georgia. By helping teachers, instructional coaches, paraprofessionals, and administrators develop effective intervention plans and classroom management techniques, the two hope to influence the students they were most naturally drawn to in their own classrooms. Because Alexander and Smith serve clients with a range of disabilities, from autism spectrum disorder and ADHD to those who are visually impaired or deaf, their process of individualized evaluating and intervening is tailored to the needs of each student, school, district, program, or classroom. As a result, their work schedules vary drastically from day-to-day; one day, they could be driving to a school for a follow-up session on an existing intervention plan, while on another, they could be hosting a training workshop for principals and teachers. “In one district, we’re mapping out plans for their elementary school to support classroom management, as well as teaching educators how to get kids to love being in their classrooms,” says Alexander. “By using proactive and preventative methods, we can ensure challenging behaviors don’t occur as frequently.” A common approach the two use to assess and treat challenging behaviors is to conduct a comprehensive functional behavior assessment. This involves conducting indirect assessments (gathering information, reviewing data and notes, and interviewing staff sources), descriptive assessments (directly observing a child and recording the cause and consequence of a behavior), and functional analysis (testing a hypothesis to form a decision based on factors related to a child’s behavior). Alexander and Smith also provide functional communication training for students who struggle with expressing their needs verbally and as a result, exhibit problem behaviors.

Ultimately, their goal is to eventually work themselves out of a job, so students and teachers can be successful in class without their support. While some cases may last several years, the small milestones their students make along their journey with Alexander and Smith are what keep the two motivated and engaged. “When a kid has their first day with zero problem behaviors, we’re celebrating and watching the data—and when there are several in a row—we know we’re making traction, but at the same time, it’s heartbreaking when things don’t move as quickly,” says Alexander. “But the feeling we all get when we know a kid is making that progress is what keeps us going.” Smith echoes similar sentiments: “When a kid learns something academic, it’s exciting, but it pales in comparison to a student who was super aggressive and no longer is, and now their parents can take them to the grocery store, or they can go to a restaurant with their family, or they can eat in the cafeteria with their friends and participate in PE. I think those life changes for a child and those collateral impacts on their family opens up a whole new world.”

COMMUNICATION IS KEY

Jill Rodibaugh, Speech-language pathologist

ill Rodibaugh developed an interest in speech at a young age. Growing up with an uncle who stuttered inspired her to pursue speech-language pathology at the UGA Mary Frances Early College of Education.

The Triple Dawg received her bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders, as well as a master’s and specialist degree in speech-language pathology from the Department of Communication Sciences and Special Education. After observing several speech-language pathologists practicing in the field, Rodibaugh’s (B.S.Ed. ’01, M.Ed. ’03, Ed.S. ’08) passion for helping individuals communicate more effectively solidified. Initially, she planned to work with stroke patients with language disorders caused by neurological injuries. However, after completing her clinical training at an elementary school, she experienced a change of heart. “A lot of times with young students, we do a lot of play therapy,” says Rodibaugh. “We use the toys to play games, and we ask them to ‘put it on the house, put it in the house, or put it beside the house,’ so whenever we can incorporate therapy into their play, it’s easier to keep their attention and is more meaningful to them.” Immediately after graduating with her master’s degree, Rodibaugh began working at Holsenbeck Elementary School in Barrow County as a speechlanguage pathologist. Without a guiding coordinator, she initially felt overwhelmed by her new caseload, but she quickly learned to approach each challenge with a flexible mindset to help each individual student, in grades ranging from pre-K to 5, meet their unique speech goals. With approximately 60 students to assess, Rodibaugh could treat a range of disabilities in a single day, from those with articulation, language, and fluency issues, to more serious cases involving students with traumatic brain injuries and cerebral palsy. “A lot of times, we use augmentative and alternative communication and assistive technology with these students,” she says. “We teach them what those symbols mean and to point to certain pictures on their output devices to gradually grow their length of utterance. Kids who can’t hit the button because of their fine motor skills can use the device’s eye gaze technology.” Before forming an intervention plan for her students, Rodibaugh must assess their phonological development, which all children experience as they learn to form and use speech sounds to communicate language.

Oftentimes, students form shortcuts in their speech, leaving out letters in words to make speech easier. However, while most children eventually grow out of this stage, others need therapy to correct their speech. “For example, some students leave out the ‘s’ in ‘star,’ and they might just say ‘tar,’ which for them developmentally is a lot easier,” she adds. “So eventually over time, in normal development, that would correct itself, but sometimes those processes persist beyond when they should and that’s when therapy is warranted.” In 2009, Rodibaugh was named Holsenbeck Elementary School’s Teacher of the Year. During her time there, she also served as a special education staffing coordinator, providing special education training, coordinating referrals, managing grade level meetings, and mentoring teachers. In 2013, she became the district special education coordinator and lead speechlanguage pathologist of the Barrow County School System. Rodibaugh is responsible for leading three elementary program specialists, 18 speech-language pathologists, and nine elementary schools in the evaluation and treatment of students with disabilities. “When I first started my job as a speech-language pathologist, I was trying to figure it all out on my own,” she says. “I remember my first day and wondering, ‘Where do I start?’ and I don’t want someone else to feel that way. That’s why I meet with my SLPs every month and depending on our agenda, I usually let them add some items on there if there’s something they want to talk about because a lot of times, they may be in a school by themselves and they don’t have anybody to bounce ideas off of.” Rodibaugh’s leadership at the county level includes developing and delivering professional learning on a variety of topics. She also serves as the school system’s hearing and vision coordinator, providing trainings for school nurses on how to administer testing procedures. While her responsibilities are more administrative now, Rodibaugh continues to treat young students with communication disorders on a one-onone basis at a private practice in the afternoons. She enjoys helping both her patients and their parents implement strategies to enhance speech at home. §

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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Sharing Her Story



When Sydney Jensen louder, someone has to listen.” took the stage at TED Jensen’s video generated over last year, she had one 100,000 views in less than two hours, thing on her mind: To communicate and today, has over 1.6 million views. her passion for teacher wellness After her talk was posted on TED. to educators around the world. com last October, Jensen received Almost immediately, her video, hundreds of messages from teachers which was posted on TED’s website, across the nation via Facebook and generated attention from people Twitter. These online hubs are a place across the country who could relate to for teachers to learn about secondary her call for teacher support, especially trauma and compassion fatigue and for those at risk of to discuss different “secondary trauma.” support plans in their Sydney Jensen In New York, Jensen buildings and school advocates for (B.S.Ed. ’13) shared her districts. “The best part teacher support personal experiences as of hearing from so many a teacher and explained teachers all over the systems in her how educators often popular TED talk world is knowing that absorb the emotional my talk resonated with weight of their students. them,” says Jensen. “It According to a recent Gallup study, makes it feel like I did something that she says, teaching tied with nursing matters, and that is really special.” as the most stressful profession in Like many teachers, Jensen’s the U.S. with experts citing stress as first year in the classroom was a a major constraint on mental health. learning experience, not because “My TED talk was me sharing my of her students, but because of the story,” says Jensen, who currently lack of communication and support teaches ninth grade English at from her school’s leadership team. Lincoln High School in Nebraska. “I After the school year ended, Jensen don’t pretend to have the answers, felt drained, but not discouraged. but I want the conversation to She applied to a different position happen. With every conversation and landed her dream job as a I get to have with another person ninth-grade English teacher and who’s experiencing this, we are instructional coach at Lincoln High. growing the swarm. And it’s not “If the first year in a classroom about me, it’s about these collective doesn’t turn out the way you had voices, and as those voices grow anticipated, don’t give up on it right

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Educator Sydney Jensen gives a TED Talk in New York about teachers at risk of “secondary trauma” and how schools can support their mental health and wellness.

away,” says Jensen. “Just because it’s your first job doesn’t mean it needs to be your last—you have to find the space that fits you.” Five years after finding her place in the classroom and helping her students achieve both academically and emotionally, Jensen was named Nebraska’s 2019 Teacher of the Year. Along with the other 56 teachers honored by the national program, Jensen traveled to Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, California, as well as to Washington, D.C., Denver, New Orleans, and New York as an ambassador

Sydney Jensen (B.S.Ed. ’13)

Degree program: English education Current position: Ninth grade English teacher and instructional coach, Lincoln High School Lives in: Lincoln, Nebraska Check out her Ted talk! bit.ly/sydney-jensen

for the teaching profession. During a storytelling workshop in Palo Alto, California, Jensen volunteered to speak about her experiences as a teacher and was later approached by another UGA College of Education alumnus, Logan Smalley (B.S.Ed. ’06), who was in the audience. Smalley, the founding director of TED-Ed, asked Jensen to submit a proposal to deliver a TED talk on any topic she felt passionate about, and the rest is history. Since then, she has spoken at numerous events across the

country, including at the University of Nebraska, the Nebraska State Education Association, the National Educators Association, Sevenzo, and more. While Jensen enjoys using her platform to share the importance of mental, social, and emotional health support for teachers, her passion lies in the classroom where she is dedicated to implementing restorative practices for her students. During communitybuilding discussions in class, students are encouraged to share their views on topics ranging from their favorite scents

to personal tattoo ideas, which Jensen tries to connect back to her lesson plans. “It’s so important to teach kids how to communicate with people that they don’t agree with necessarily,” says Jensen. “These are skills that they’ll need to be successful in the workforce and in society. I think that’s a really powerful way for kids who don’t see themselves as similar to some of their peers to find those commonalities, and it reinforces the idea that we’re all human beings.” § Kathryn Kao

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“This was my first exposure to I/O psych, and I was immediately drawn into this ALUMNI previously unknown branch of SPOTLIGHT psychology,” he says. “I became fascinated by the application of psychological theories and principles to organizations and the workplace, and I decided to nix my med school path.” Powell pursued his newfound passion for I/O psychology, receiving a master’s degree from the University of New Haven in Connecticut. While Gary Powell uses psychology there, he focused on training and development, which led him to foster a productive learning to the University of Georgia’s culture for federal employees instructional technology program in the Mary Frances “When little kids are asked, ‘What do Early College of Education. you want to be when you grow up?’ During his time at UGA, Powell they typically respond with, ‘I want to enjoyed taking multimedia and be a policeman, I want to be a fireman, or I want computer-based training (CBT) to be a doctor.’ As we grow and mature, we start classes where he learned how to become more specific. Well for me, that more computers can be used to deliver specific was a psychiatrist,” says Gary C. Powell. instruction to learners. In 1993, Powell (Ed.D. ’93) started off as a pre-med he became the first African psychobiology major as a freshman at Drew American student to graduate University in Madison, New Jersey. However, from UGA’s doctoral program when he took an industrial/organizational (I/O) in instructional technology. psychology class as a senior, his life changed forever. “That was before all the rich multimedia and online courses,” he says. “CBT was very rudimentary; there were no graphics—it was just text Gary Powell in on a monochrome screen, his Omega Psi and interactions were pretty Phi fraternity much just multiple-choice jacket. Throughout questions. It’s nothing college, he was like what we see today.” a member of the Today, Powell works fraternity, which in Washington, D.C. as a was founded on training officer for the October 28, 1972. Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration

Enhancing Skills



Gary Powell (Ed.D. ’93) Degree program: Learning, design, and technology Current position: Training officer for the Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration (at FEMA) Lives in: Washington, D.C.

(FIMA), a component of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), where he administers several learning, training, and development programs. In this role, he created a pilot mentoring program that provides resources for FIMA employees at all levels to connect with seasoned mentors, achieve their professional goals, build stronger networks, and enhance their skills and knowledge. Currently, 15 mentor and mentee pairs are participating in the pilot program, which Powell says is going very well. “I've always believed that the greatest asset to any organization, regardless of size or industry, is its people… its human capital,” he says. “Because of that, it's important to provide our staff with innovative, engaging, and robust learning and development opportunities which improve our proficiency, productivity, and readiness to take on future challenges. It’s the only way to build a world-class workforce.” Powell also serves as the project manager of FIMA Learning Journey, a comprehensive learning and development strategy that focuses on core capability building across several crosscutting skills and competencies. Simply put, the eight-month program is an enterprise-wide training program—the first of its kind at FIMA—where everyone in the organization, regardless of their rank, tenure, or role, can master critical knowledge, skills, and abilities to help FIMA accomplish its mission. Powell says FIMA is planning to graduate its first class by the end of this fiscal year. “I am determined to create a thriving learning culture where everyone is committed to enhancing their capability to do their very best work,” says Powell. § Lauren Leathers

Alumni

HIGHLIGHTS § SCHOLARSHIP OPENS DOORS 38 § A SCIENTIFIC SPOTLIGHT 41 § CLASS NOTES 44

49 “I want to be a champion who understands how to challenge high-performing students to reach new heights.” Built in 1971, Aderhold Hall was named after O.C. Aderhold, who graduated from UGA in 1923 and served as the 17th president of the University.

–Tiffany Smith (B.S.Ed. ’10)

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GIFTS AT WORK

Scholarship secures a future educator

ome people need to search for their passions in life, but others, like Sabrina Alyson Morales, are born knowing their calling. Morales always knew she wanted to be an educator. At first, she planned on teaching art, but in high school she realized mathematics was a better fit because of the numerous math topics in her high school’s curricula. She also admired the way her math teachers could make intimidating subjects more digestible for students. “You can teach so many different program levels in high school, such as Advanced Placement, on-level, and remedial,” she says. “One of my teachers taught math to Englishlanguage learners. There are so many ways you can help different types of people learn.” After graduating high school, Morales set her mind on attending the University of Georgia for many reasons, one being the Double Dawgs program, which allows students to receive both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in five years. Because the Mary Frances Early College of Education will soon offer a Double Dawgs program in mathematics/mathematics education, Morales hopes to apply to the College next fall. However, the cost of attending UGA has always been an issue. Thanks to the Paul Sheehy Commitment Scholarship Fund, a need-based scholarship created through UGA’s Georgia Commitment Scholarship program for first-year undergraduate students, she could attend her dream school with secured finances. The program also includes resources to support student success. “This scholarship allowed me to attend UGA,” Morales says. “Also, the scholarship

An aspiring teacher always knew her calling… she just needed help to accomplish her dreams

Mary Frances Early College of Education

seminar class has helped me so much. I didn't even know where the main library was before this course. It’s helped me realize there are so many tools available around campus. I also get to meet students who are in a similar financial situation—I even met someone from my hometown.” Without this kind of financial support, Morales, and many students like her, are unable to attend college. The Paul Sheehy Commitment Scholarship is renewable for up to four years and allows Morales to focus on her studies and passion for helping others. She is a member of several UGA organizations, including MathCounts, where she mentors local middle school students and teaches them math, and UGA-Clarke Central High School Peer Tutoring, where she assists students and observes teacher strategies. “I've always heard people say, ‘You're either an English-brained person or math-brained person,’” says Morales. “Growing up, my two best subjects were English and math. I want to help my students realize that they don't just have to pick one.” § Lauren Leathers

COLLEGE’S COMMIT TO GEORGIA SCHOLARSHIP CAMPAIGN at a glance This program matches donations of $50,000, $75,000, or $100,000 to establish undergraduate need-based scholarships.

$3.9 million Total funds raised (matched gifts from UGA Foundation included)

15 Number of donors

34 Number of need-based scholarships created

29 Number of student scholarship recipients

Alumni Updates

Stay in touch with us! Find out how you can connect with our students and enhance our programming. Whether you live in Athens or on the other side of the world, our development and alumni relations team is dedicated to helping you build meaningful connections with our students and faculty.

WHY I GIVE

LISA SHEEHY'S STORY

“I knew that supporting a student with financial needs who had a passion for the same acts of service and learning that my dad had, was a way to honor him,” says Lisa Sheehy, a retired teacher who funded the Paul Sheehy Commitment Scholarship. Sheehy’s love of mathematics stemmed from time Lisa Sheehy spent in the UGA Mary Frances Early College of (above right) Education’s Department of Mathematics and Science Education. She loved it so much, in fact, she became funded the a Triple Dawg, earning three degrees in mathematics Paul Sheehy education (B.S.Ed. ’89, M.Ed. ’95, Ph.D.’04). Commitment Her father, Paul Sheehy (1941-2017), lived a life full Scholarship to of courage, love, and service. He flew 100 missions in honor her father, Vietnam, raised two daughters, spent his career as a Paul (above left). Delta pilot, and was an avid skier, triathlete, and role model to many. “My father was a lover of education,” she says. “When he retired, he began taking courses through the University System of Georgia. He studied Spanish literature and spent a great deal of his retirement working with people who spoke Spanish and wanted to learn to speak English better.” Through this scholarship fund, her father’s legacy can reach other lovers of education and provide students the opportunity to dedicate their service and passion to learning. §

Molly Thomas Director of development and alumni relations molly2@uga.edu 706-542-2893 Robby Poister Associate director of development rpoister@uga.edu 678-491-9445 Haley Avery Associate director of alumni relations havery@uga.edu 706-542-0390 Haley Watts Development and alumni relations coordinator haleyw@uga.edu 706-542-2267

GIVING in FY19

(July 1, 2018-June 30, 2019) at a glance

$4.7 million

Total giving in FY19 (up 46% from F18)

$412K

Corporate and foundation support

$441K

Annual giving Up 17% from FY18

$4.2 million Major gifts

$3.3 million Planned gifts

2,362

Total donors

862

New donors

1,500

Repeat donors

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DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Thomas Reeves and his wife Trisha at UGA’s 2020 Founders Day Luncheon.

A TRAILBLAZING CAMPAIGN

Thanks to the generosity and support of our dedicated students, staff, faculty, friends, donors, alumni, and more, funds from the campaign to name the University of Georgia College of Education in honor of Mary Frances Early are already at work. Most notably, scholarships for deserving students are opening the doors for generations of UGA students to come. Below are some key fundraising highlights from this historic campaign. $1.6 million $2.9 million

Total funds raised from 945 donors

$411,966

Funds raised for student scholarships and support of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in the College and across UGA

$500,000

Funds raised to elevate the Mary Frances Early professorship to a distinguished professorship

Tribute gifts made by over 18 areas on campus, including: Alumni Association Black Alumni Council College of Family and Consumer Sciences College of Pharmacy College of Veterinary Medicine Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Georgia Fund Georgia Museum of Art Graduate School Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication Hugh Hodgson School of Music

$400,000

Lead gift from President Morehead to create four new Georgia Commitment Scholarships

Number of Ms Early's former students who contributed funds in her honor

Mary Frances Early College of Education

Office of Instruction School of Law School of Social Work Student Affairs Student Alumni Association Terry College of Business Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources

Rising to the occasion Last year, the retired faculty group in the Mary Frances Early College of Education created a new need-based scholarship for deserving students in the College. Led by Sylvia Hutchinson, Andy Support students Horne, and Tom in need Reeves, the Retirees in Help our retired Support of Education faculty group cement (RISE) Georgia their legacy in the Commitment College with a gift Scholarship to need-based aid: successfully raised bit.ly/ugarisefund $52,750 from 27 donors by the end of 2019. The UGA Foundation matched the scholarship, thus doubling the endowment, the award, and the impact on the recipient. The RISE Scholarship will be awarded to its first student this fall and will cover the full cost of a four-year degree.

“It was a great honor for me to join the RISE Scholarship campaign with two of my longtime College of Education heroes, former associate dean Sylvia Hutchinson and dean emeritus Andy Horne. Our focus first and foremost has been on helping students in need, and what better group to help with these students than the wonderful group of UGA College of Education retirees who remain engaged with this great College. Thank you to all who have already given so generously, as well as to the College retirees who will surely donate in the future.”

–Thomas C. Reeves, professor emeritus of learning, design, and technology

Alumni Updates

Making science personal

Linda Purvis shows a chicken to middle and high school students who visited the University of North Georgia campus during a one-day poultry science workshop.

CLASSROOM KUDOS

Science in reach A merging of interests Linda Purvis (B.S.A. ’02, M.S. ’07, Ph.D. ’19), an assistant professor at the University of North Georgia (UNG) and alumna of the College’s doctoral program in science education, played a vital role in creating the poultry science program at UNG in 2011. Today, the program— which she launched with no faculty, course materials, or scholarship money—has 85 students. Since then, she has secured more than $40,000 in grants from the U.S. Poultry Foundation and—thanks to donations from local poultry companies—gives

out about $8,000 per semester in scholarships. “I’m really passionate about helping students figure out what they’re really good at and helping them find a job and a career that will fit that,” says Purvis. In recognition of her achievements, Purvis received the 2019 Young Alumni Achievement Award from the UGA College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in poultry science. She also holds a master’s degree in veterinary medicine from the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine. §

To help her students grasp complex scientific concepts, Chelsea Sexton (B.S.Ed. ’14), a former science teacher at Kennesaw Mountain High School and a current doctoral student in the College’s science education program, added a unit on pathogenic pollution to her AP environmental science class and partnered with an environmental engineer to develop a disinfection experiment that connects global drinking water security with students at home. “So much of the content in these courses is directly related to their lives—understanding water and air pollution, how ecosystems and humans interact, and how the values people prioritize shape their choices,” said Sexton, who was Sexton and her students named Georgia’s 2019 High pose for a photo after School Science Teacher of the collecting dirt samples for Year by the Georgia Science Teachers Association. “I facilitate a soil and sediment lab. their understanding that knowing science is cool and Distinguished being able to share their knowledge is paramount to Alumni Award achieving their goals.” Winner Sexton says her students feel Sexton received the more invested in the content Mary Frances Early and practices of the subject if College of Education’s she lets them take ownership of 2020 Early Career the information they learn. Last Practitioner Alumni fall, she started the next chapter Award. Read more of her life as a doctoral student about her on page 42. in the College’s Department of Mathematics and Science Education, where she plans on focusing even more on the practical and clinical applications of teaching and education and hopes to learn more about the research and theory of science education. §

OLLI CELEBRATES A QUARTER CENTURY OF LIFELONG LEARNING Founded in 1994, OLLI@UGA in the Mary Frances Early College of Education celebrated its 25th anniversary this past year. In 2009, the organization—which supports lifelong learning in Athens and the surrounding communities—changed its name from Learning in Retirement to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute after it received an endowment from the Osher Foundation. To celebrate this milestone, the organization hosted several events throughout the year, including a membership picnic at Flinchum’s Phoenix in September and a Halloween luncheon at George’s Low Country Table in October. “During this time, we gave members a chance to reflect on and record how important OLLI is in their lives, whether it’s from the classes and trips they have taken or by the social connections they have made,” says Tim Meehan, executive director of OLLI@UGA. “We look forward to serving Athens and northeast Georgia for the next 25 years. We would like to thank UGA and the Mary Frances Early College of Education for all their support.” To support OLLI@UGA, visit: bit.ly/ugaolligiving, or to join, visit bit.ly/joinolliuga. coe.uga.edu

2020 DIS TINGUISHED

A L UMNI AWA RDS This year, seven graduates and a professor emeritus of the Mary Frances Early College of Education received Distinguished Alumni Awards for demonstrating exceptional career achievements or service and philanthropy to the College. The awards honor both practitioners and researchers in the early and mid-points of their careers and also include lifetime achievement awards and an award for outstanding service. Our 2020 honorees are listed below. For full bios, please visit bit.ly/mfecoealumniawards.

EARLY CAREER—RESEARCHER

Cristalís Capielo Rosario (Ph.D. ’16) Assistant professor, Arizona State University College of Integrative Sciences and Arts

Cristalís Capielo Rosario investigates how individual, interpersonal, cultural, and sociopolitical determinants affect the health of Latinx individuals, particularly Puerto Ricans. At Arizona State University, she leads the Psicología Latinx en Acción or PLENA Lab, where she and a group of students research how sociocultural factors and intersecting identities influence the psychological wellbeing of Latinxs and African Americans. Capielo Rosario works with several organizations, including Puente Arizona and Boricuas at Arizona, to coordinate efforts to assist Latinx immigrants.

MID-CAREER—PRACTITIONER

Julio Rojas

(Ph.D. ’03) Associate professor, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine

EARLY CAREER—PRACTITIONER

Chelsea Sexton

(B.S.Ed. ’14) Former science teacher, Kennesaw Mountain High School Chelsea Sexton is passionate about teaching and supporting students

Mary Frances Early College of Education

and teachers across the country. As a science teacher, she worked with students across a spectrum of abilities and taught a variety of subjects, including biology, AP environmental science, advanced research methods, and more. In this role, she helped mentor and guide student presentations for scholarships at several independent research conferences, including the International Science and Engineering Fair and the Georgia Junior Science and Humanities Symposium.

Devoted to advancing the understanding of addiction, Julio Rojas’ work in the field of addiction, mental health, and trauma spans nearly three decades. In 2005, he joined the University of Oklahoma’s College of Medicine, where he co-founded and directs the OU Physicians ExecuCare Program, which helps evaluate and treat stressed, distressed, and impaired healthcare professionals. Rojas’ research on workforce development gaps in the treatment of addiction, mental illness, and trauma is funded by the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

Alumni Updates

MID-CAREER—RESEARCHER

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT—PRACTITIONER

(Ph.D. ’05) Professor, University of Florida College of Education

(Ed.D. ’92) Superintendent, SavannahChatham County Public Schools

Kakali Bhattacharya’s scholarship aims to advance the study of education as it relates to the experiences of students and communities of color. She believes higher education needs to be reformed to create equitable structures and opportunities for those who are minoritized. In addition to advancing methodological, pedagogical, and epistemological perspectives and practices for effective education research and instruction, Bhattacharya also explores technology integration in social and learning spaces and is deeply immersed in arts-based and contemplative approaches in qualitative inquiry.

After serving as principal of Savannah High School and a superintendent in Dayton, Ohio, M. Ann Levett moved into higher education leadership positions at Antioch University, Middle Georgia State University, and Yale University. Throughout her tenure, she coordinated school-university partnerships across the U.S. and led school reform efforts in several European cities. Since returning to Georgia, Levett has held many key positions at the state level while maintaining her positions in national and international organizations. She is a published author, speaker, and a consultant on several international education projects.

MID-CAREER—RESEARCHER

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT—RESEARCHER

(B.S.Ed. ’01, M.Ed. ’02, Ph.D. ’05) Professor, Teachers College, Columbia University

(M.Ed. ’90, Ph.D. ’92) Dean and professor, Texas A&M College of Education and Human Development

Kakali Bhattacharya

Mariana Souto-Manning

From a critical perspective, Mariana Souto-Manning’s research examines the inequities and injustices in early childhood teaching and teacher education and (re)centering methodologies and pedagogies on the lives, values, and experiences of minoritized people of color. Additionally, she critically examines theoretical and methodological issues and dilemmas of conducting research with communities of color, attending to issues related to colonization, assimilation, and oppression in schooling and society. Souto-Manning is the author of 10 books and has authored or coauthored over 75 peerreviewed journal articles.

M. Ann Levett

Joyce Alexander

In 2015, Joyce Alexander was named the sixth dean of Texas A&M University’s College of Education and Human Development. Alexander, who also serves as the Reta Haynes Dean’s Endowed Chair and a professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, brought her passion for education to Texas A&M, demonstrating a strong track record of innovative and collaborative academic program development, support for timely undergraduate graduation rates, research support for faculty, and fundraising for the future of the College.

OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD

Carl Glickman

Professor emeritus, UGA Mary Frances Early College of Education After joining the University of Georgia’s faculty in 1979, Carl Glickman founded the Georgia League of Professional Schools, a nationally validated network of K-12 schools devoted to the democratic learning of all students. Over the years, Glickman authored 16 books on school leadership, supervision, democracy, and the moral imperative of public education. Recently, Glickman and his wife Sara, a former Clarke County middle school teacher, established a significant endowment in the Mary Frances Early College of Education called The Glickman Challenge Project-Based Learning Grant to support faculty who are collaborating with school-based practitioners to improve active learning in schools with a high percentage of low-income students.

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Class Notes

Professional updates and achievements in the past year from our graduates 1970s

travel agency specializing in ocean and river cruise lines as well as hotel and luxury tour companies.

Marilou Braswell (BSED ’78) is the director of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ cheerleading ministry.

David Cady (MED ’76) released a nonfiction book in July 2019 titled, “Religion of Fear: The True Story of the Church of God of the Union Assembly,” published by the University of Tennessee Press.

Judson Fears (MED ’71) received the Professional Outdoor Media Association’s 2019 Pinnacle Award for his book, “The Scouting Guide to Survival,” published by Skyhorse Publishing. This is Fears’ third book to win a Pinnacle Award, the association’s top national book award. He has written 33 books and has published over 6,200 magazine articles. Judy Norman (BSED ’78) is approaching four years since opening her successful storefront travel agency Classy Destinations in Macon, Georgia. Her company is a preferred Sandal-certified

Mary Frances Early College of Education

Judi Reiss (BBA ’70, MED ’72) was elected Bucks County’s prothonotary and was a candidate for Pennsylvania’s First Congressional District.

1980s Matt Arthur (BSED ’83, MED ’91, EDS ’93) was named executive director of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission in December 2019. Donna Blalock (BSHE ’86, MEd ’87), a retired family and consumer sciences teacher at Colquitt County High School, works for the Swisher International Sunbelt Ag. Expo’s Farmer of the Year program, which provides recognition for a select group of American farmers.

Betsy Bockman (MED ’84 EDS ’92), principal of Henry W. Grady High School, led the biggest gains in student achievement in all traditional Atlanta middle schools in 2019. The school’s proficiency in English and language arts grew from 56% in 2016 to 72% in 2019 and proficiency in math rose from 37% to 54%. Bonnie Cramond (PHD ’82) received the 105th Birthday Torrance Lifetime Creativity Award from the International Conference on Knowledge, Innovation, and Enterprise in December 2019. The award recognizes her decades of work, dedication, and steadfastness in the field of creativity and giftedness. Elaine Dasher (ABJ ’89, MED ’96) received the Fulbright Award for Global Classrooms, a year-long professional development opportunity for elementary, middle, and high school teachers. Irmgard Klopp (MED ’84) retired from working as a service agent for flag carrier Lufthansa at the airport in Stuttgart, Germany after 31 years.

Maureen LeBoeuf (MED ’86, EDD ’94) published her book, “Developing Your Philosophy of Living and Leading One Moment at a Time.” LeBoeuf retired from the U.S. Army in 2004 after 28 years of service.

1990s Kelli Bivins (AB ’97, MED ’02, EDS ’11) received the Fulbright Award for Global Classrooms, a year-long professional development opportunity for elementary, middle, and high school teachers. Mel Bolling (BSED ’94) is a forest supervisor for the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, which covers over 3 million acres in southeastern Idaho. He worked for the U.S. Forest Service for 25 years. Jason Branch (BSED ’97, MED ’98) received the Bill Barr Leadership Award, one of the most prestigious honors from the Georgia School Superintendents Association. Brian Culp (BSED ’99, EDD ’05) was named a Fellow of the National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education. He is a faculty member at Kennesaw State University.

Alumni Updates

AWARDS and HONORS

Doug Dixon (MED ’90, PHD ’97) released his new book, “Beyond Truman: Robert H. Ferrell and Crafting the Past,” in May 2020. Kelly Hall (BSED ’92) is a kindergarten teacher who works at Elbert County Primary School, which won the Georgia School Boards Association’s 2019 Leading Edge Award. The award recognizes the success of Hall’s transitional kindergarten classes, which offer students an additional year of early education to promote their success in school. Eric Hart (MED ’99) received his doctoral degree in global sport leadership development from East Tennessee State University in May 2019. He was named the deputy athletic director at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in December 2019. Chris Hightower (MED ’96) is the institutional accreditation liaison and director of institutional effectiveness at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas.

Three College of Education alumni were named to UGA’s most recent 40 Under 40 list. Released in the summer of 2019, the list celebrates the personal, professional, and philanthropic achievements of UGA graduates who are under the age of 40. Colin Muething (B.S.Ed. ’07, M.Ed. ’09) serves in several positions, including as a licensed psychologist at the Marcus Autism Center in Atlanta, a program manager of day treatment in the Center’s Severe Behavior Program, and an assistant professor in Emory University’s Department of Pediatrics. At the Marcus Autism Center—one of only five National Institutes of Health Autism Centers of Excellence in the country—Muething specializes in treating the most severe forms of problem behavior, such as aggression, self-injury, and destructive behaviors. Cindy Quinlan (B.B.A. ’02, M.Ed. ’03, Ed.S. ’09) is a marketing education teacher at Brookwood High School in Gwinnett County, where she teaches entrepreneurship and workbased learning. Her passion for education inspired her to teach with a non-profit organization called REAL LEDGE, whose mission is to advance and promote change to create economic development opportunities. Over the years, Quinlan has trained and consulted over 200

educators from around the world, which inspired her to launch EntrepreNOWship, which focuses on improving student performance, engagement, and growth by infusing entrepreneurial mindsets in K-12 education with mindset training for educators, high-quality experiential learning, and rigorous curricula. JaNaè Taylor (M.Ed. ’03, Ph.D. ’07) works with clients with a wide range of mental and behavioral issues, including anxiety, depression, anger, and race-based trauma. She is the creator and host of Minding My Black Business, a podcast that provides black entrepreneurs with information on running a business, as well as how to manage their physical and mental health. As a licensed professional counselor, she provides culturally-sensitive services tailored to the needs of all people with a focus on the black community. Taylor serves as vice chair of the Hampton Roads Black Area Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors—a nonprofit that promotes group economics through professional development and community empowerment—as well as the Iota Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, a sorority established by African American college women. ¡

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WHERE ARE OUR ALUMNI?

for her work in STEM/ STEAM education. She also received the 2019 Professional Achievement Award from Georgia Southern University and was inducted into the Alumni Honorees Society. Lastly, she received an Award for Excellence in Leadership by Savannah State University.

Edudawgs never bark alone, no matter where they end up after graduation. With nearly 60,000 alumni around the globe, our graduates are improving lives and making a difference in their communities, whether they’ve decided to stay in Georgia or have moved abroad. Check out our alumni heat map to see where your peers have laid down roots!

WA ND

OR ID

NY WI

SD WY

MI PA

IA NE

KY NC TN

MI TX

40,996

HI P.R.

GUAM

U.S. VI

ALUMNI in the ARMED FORCES

0-9 10-49 50-99 100-199 200-299 300-399 800-899 900-999 1,000-1,999 2,000-2,999

Americas

TOP 3 GLOBAL COE ALUMNI POPULATIONS

36 Europe, Canada, Middle East, Africa

60 44 37 Taiwan

China

South Korea

17 Pacific

FIND YOUR LOCAL ALUMNI CHAPTER If you’re interested in volunteering, socializing, or growing as a professional with your peers, visit alumni.uga.edu/find-chapter.

Mary Frances Early College of Education

Tamara Thomason Manchester (BSED ’98) is the lead art educator in the Jackson County School System and teaches at East Jackson Comprehensive High School in Commerce, Georgia.

1990s, continued E. Paulette IsaacSavage (EDD ’99) was inducted into the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame in Belgrade, Serbia in 2019. She has written several publications related to adult religious education and black churches. Marie Levett (EDD ’92) was named the 2019 STEM/STEAM Advocate of the Year by the Georgia Department of Education

Ilka McConnell (AB ’98, MPA ’04, PHD ’13) was named director of the Economic Development Department in AthensClarke County. This department serves as the primary point of contact for industries, large commercial developments, site location consultants, and state economic development organizations interested in developing, expanding, or locating businesses in Athens-Clarke County. Susan Morris (BSED ’90, MED ’93) moved to Columbus, Georgia, after teaching overseas for 25 years. She is now a history and social studies instructional systems specialist for the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity’s Southeast District. In this position, she provides professional learning, coaching, mentoring, and assesses the system-wide effectiveness of social studies instruction for Southeast District schools.

Alumni Updates Elizabeth Mundin (BSED ’95) was selected as the director of middle school admission at The Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida. Maria Ray (BSED ’92) teaches English at Opelika High School in Alabama. Jamie Smith (BMUS ’97, MMED ’99) is the director of bands at DeKalb Academy of Technology and Environment in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Lynn Stallings (PHD ’95) was selected as the honors program director at Auburn University at Montgomery in Alabama. Jon Stuart (BSED ’92, MED ’94) led the men’s track and field team at the University of Southern Mississippi to its first top 25 NCAA Championship finish. Judi Wilson (MED ’93, EDS ’95) was named dean of Augusta University’s College of Education.

2000s Akilah CarterFrancique (MED ’04, PHD ’08) received the Sean Adams Courageous Activist Award during the 2019 Black Student Activists Summit. She is also president of the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport. Jamie Eckstein (BSED ’05) moved to New York City to pursue her dream of being a stand-up comedian after working as a high school teacher at

South Cobb High School in Austell, Georgia. She graduated from Teachers College, Columbia University with a master’s degree in education policy, specializing in K-12 education. Eckstein now works at Educators for Excellence in New York as a senior outreach director. Lesley Graybeal (AB ’07, MA ’07, PHD ’11) was named director of servicelearning at the University of Central Arkansas. Daniel Kirk (PHD ’08) was named dean of Winona State University’s College of Education in Minnesota. Wenhao Liu (PHD ’02) was named a Fellow of several organizations, including the National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education, the American College of Sports Medicine, and SHAPE America. Katie Martin (BSED ’09), a middle school teacher at the Atlanta Youth Academy, was honored by the Atlanta Braves organization as a Community Hero for her decade of teaching math; starting a mentoring program at her school with more than 80 mentors from the community; creating a girl’s running club to promote health, fitness, and positive self-image; and taking her students on a trip each year to Tennessee. The Braves donated tickets for her students to attend the game and gifted her school $1,000.

Michael Nixon (MED ’00) is the executive director of the Georgia High School Mock Trial Competition and a member of the National High School Mock Trial Competition’s board of directors, which helped host the National High School Mock Trial Championship in Athens. This included high school students from 46 states. Jamie S. Parker (MED ’00, EdS ’04) was named an ICON agent with eXp Realty.

David Phillips (BSED ’03) and Chrissy Price Hattaway (BSED ’12) led the Greenbrier Middle School STEM team to compete at the International Young STEAM Maker Competition, an engineering competition held at Lingnan University in Hong Kong. The team won several awards and placed second in the STEAM Maker exhibition. In October, Phillips was named the 2019-2020 Columbia County Teacher of the Year and has entered the competition for the 2020-2021 Georgia Teacher of the Year. Check out their story on page 26.

Sandria Stephenson (PHD ’08) is the immediate past president of the Georgia Association of Accounting Editors and is currently program chair on the board of the Southeast American Accounting Association. She is also the founder and executive director of Help Doctoral Students Retreat, an initiative that helps graduate students and lifelong learners achieve their educational endeavors.

Five companies linked to the College of Education were included on UGA’s 2020 Bulldog 100 list. This annual recognition honors the fastest-growing businesses owned or operated by UGA alumni. ADD’s Personal Care Pharmacy, Bogart, Georgia (Rachel Florence, B.S.Ed. ’05): Athens Discount Drug is known for its old-fashioned lunch counter, variety of gifts, USPS postal service, and medical care. BOS Security, Inc., Athens, Georgia (Nathan Carmack, A.B. ’67, M.Ed. ’72): BOS Security specializes in providing both human security guards and virtual guarding for clients across the country. Buckhead Beans, Atlanta, Georgia (Matthew Ades, A.B. ’94, M.Ed. ’96): Buckhead Beans delivers fresh, locally roasted artisan coffees and organic teas to offices in the Atlanta area.

AWARDS and HONORS

FTM Travel, Brentwood, Tennessee (Christy Shadday, B.S.Ed. ’93): FTM Travel specializes in booking Disneythemed vacations, including Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, Adventures by Disney, and Disney’s Aulani resort in Hawaii. The Southern Coterie, Sea Island, Georgia (Cheri Leavy, B.S.Ed. ’97): The Southern Coterie is an online resource for Southern creatives and entrepreneurs to create, connect, and collaborate. §

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Alumni Updates Megan Brock (PHD ’18) is a lecturer and academic coach in the Division of Academic Enhancement at the University of Georgia. She celebrated her one-year anniversary as a faculty member this past January. Larry Cloud (MED ’10) was named the director of new student orientation in the Office of Admissions at the University of Georgia.

Joseph Cooper (PHD ’13) released a new book, “From Exploitation Back to Empowerment: Black Male Holistic (Under)Development Through Sport and (Mis) Education,” published by Peter Lang. Michael Darke (BSED ’15) is starting an online master’s degree program in instructional technology at Georgia Southern University.

She is currently the principal of Greensboro Alternative Education School in Georgia. Zach Garrett (MED ’17) entered his fourth year as a video production teacher at Riverside Military Academy in Gainesville, Georgia, where he started the program from scratch—raising over $50,000 to fund equipment purchases and construct a video production studio on campus. The program now has a combined enrollment of over 60 cadets, spanning over five classes, which is 15% of the Academy’s population. The broadcasting course Garrett teaches produces a bi-weekly news show, “Eagle News Network,” that reaches more than 25,000 viewers per semester. Laura Gray (MAT ’15) was named STAR teacher of Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology, as

Ayca Fackler (MA ’18) received UGA’s Graduate Education Advancement Board Fellowship, a merit-based scholarship, last fall. Barbara Fuqua (MED ’10) received her doctoral degree in education with a focus on teacher leadership from Kennesaw State University last December. .

Mary Frances Early College of Education

well as STAR teacher of Gwinnett County Public Schools. She developed a new math course with the state called “Programming Concepts of Linear Algebra” and presented a seminar at the Georgia Association for Career and Technical Education Conference last summer. Sydney Jensen (BSED ’13) is an English and language arts teacher at Lincoln High School in Nebraska, where she was named Nebraska’s 2019 Teacher of the Year. She delivered a TED talk last year that amassed more than 1.2 million views and can be viewed at go.ted.com/ sydneyjensen. Check out her story on page 34. Kevin Mendez (BSED ’19) started a new job with Techtronic Industries as a sales and marketing representative in the Savannah area.

“My time teaching English in South Korea has allowed me to grow as both an educator and a person. My passion for bringing different

cultures and narratives into the classroom grew exponentially as I found ways to bridge American and Korean culture. As a future history teacher, learning new perspectives was an invaluable experience. Whether I was at school or in my homestay, I learned how to better communicate with others, despite a language barrier. I will always carry with me the lessons I learned in Korea as I begin my journey as an educator in our evermore interconnected, global world.” –Hannah Sharpe (BSED ’19, AB ’19, MED ’19)

Brandon Parham (BSED ’15) completed his master’s degree in educational leadership from Kennesaw State University. Ashlee Perry (MED ’10, CERT ’18, PHD ’18) was named the Clarke County School District Secondary Counselor of the Year. She also received the district’s Golden Apple Award for her positive contributions to the school district. Chelsea Sexton (BSED ’14) was named Georgia’s High School Science Teacher of the Year by the Georgia Science Teachers Association. She taught science at Kennesaw Mountain High School. Check out her story on page 41.  Hannah Sharpe (BSED ’19, AB ’19, MED ’19) graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in history and a combined bachelor’s/master’s degree in social studies education. She received the Fulbright English teaching assistantship award and will spend her Fulbright year teaching at an all-boys high school in Mokpo, South Korea. Melissa Shivers (PHD ’11) was named vice president for student life at Ohio State University. Shivers previously served as vice president for student life at the University of Iowa. She is also an adjunct associate professor of educational policy and leadership

studies and spent a year as interim associate vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Tanner Stines (BBA ’10, MED ’14) was named senior associate athletic director at McNeese State University in Louisiana. Brittany Williams (CERT ’19, PHD ’19) received the 2019 Dissertation of the Year Award from the Southern Association for College Student Affairs. She is an assistant professor for educational leadership and higher education at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. Whitney Young (MED ’11) completed her doctoral degree in curriculum, instruction, and assessment from Walden University. She recently became the assistant principal at W.J. Cooper Elementary School in Gwinnett County.

Have something to share? We want to hear from you! Email Haley Avery, associate director of alumni relations, at havery@uga.edu.

ONLINE LEARNING

Championing Growth Professional educator Rita Pierson once said that every child deserves a champion—an adult who will never give up on making them the best they can be. School teacher Tiffany Smith, who leads the K-5 literacy lab at Thomasville Heights Elementary School in Atlanta, lives by this advice wholeheartedly. To continue championing her students, she knew she needed to grow her love and understanding of reading instruction. “In my classroom, my students know that I am their champion,” says Smith (B.S.Ed. ’10), who also serves as a site director for Purpose Built Schools Atlanta (PBSA), a network of high-performing schools in Atlanta’s lowincome communities. Alumna Tiffany “I am that person who Smith pursues empathizes with their dyslexia teaching feelings and circumstances certificate to better and pushes them to serve students their full potential. My classroom and curriculum are specifically designed to reflect my role as a champion in my students’ lives.” When she discovered that The Zeist Foundation was funding the first two cohorts of teachers from the PBSA network to pursue UGA’s Graduate Certificate in Dyslexia online, Smith immediately jumped on the opportunity to continue her education in the Mary Frances Early College of Education. “One of the main benefits of online classes is the flexibility that it provides the learner,” she says. “I am able to take classes and complete the work as it fits best with my busy life and teaching schedule while immediately putting the knowledge and skills I am acquiring into my teaching practice.” Thanks to the guidance and leadership of associate professors Jennifer Lindstrom and Kristin Sayeski, co-directors of the online certificate program in the Department of Communication Sciences and Special

Online student Tiffany Smith reads a Dr. Seuss book to her students. Smith fits learning into her schedule through online classes. “As a result of this program, I’ve been able to close student learning gaps and help them grow in their ability to read for enjoyment, resulting in a life of achievement, hope, and freedom,” she said. Education, Smith has learned how to provide more timely and effective interventions for her students with reading disabilities, including dyslexia, a neurobiological, language-based learning disorder characterized by difficulties with accurate or fluent word reading. With this certificate, Smith hopes to not only develop her students’ love of reading, but to share her newfound knowledge with parents and educators alike, so they can serve as cochampions of her students outside of the classroom. As a K-5 literacy teacher, Smith wears many hats at her school, serving as a member of PBSA’s inaugural leadership class, sponsor of the Junior Beta Club, and a newteacher mentor through the CREATE Teacher Residency

Program at Thomasville Heights Elementary School. “I want to be a champion who quickly identifies areas of deficits in a student’s reading performance, so gaps can be closed before frustration and fear of failure sets in for students, forever changing the trajectory of their life,” she says. “I want to be a champion who understands how to challenge high-performing students to reach new heights with their reading. I want to be a champion who possesses the skills to inspire children’s love of lifelong reading that propels them through high school, college, and the careers of their dreams. I want to be a champion who shares my knowledge of reading instruction with others, so all our students experience the success and enjoyment that reading affords.” § Kathryn Kao

CONNECT WITH YOUR PASSION AND ADVANCE YOUR CAREER ONLINE! With 10 online degrees, 6 certificates, and 3 endorsements, the Mary Frances Early College of Education leads the University of Georgia in online offerings to advance your career. We offer a variety of programs available to educators, instructional leaders, and others who want to expand their knowledge of teaching and research from the comfort of their homes. Learn more: coe.uga.edu/academics/online

Mary Frances Early College of Education 110 Carlton St., G3 Aderhold Hall Athens, GA 30602

“We have to activate ourselves and take on the responsibility to help make this world the kind of place it can be.” – Mary Frances Early

2020 Insider Magazine

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