New Faculty 2011-2012
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The University of Georgia is committed to principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action.
Dean’s Message The University of Georgia College of Educa on is proud to add 22 stellar new members to an already excellent faculty. Since 2008, the College of Educa on has been fortunate to hire 52 outstanding new faculty, including the 22 we will introduce to you in the following pages. Fourteen of our new faculty are tenure track, and eight are career track. These
scholars are recent graduates or faculty from excellent ins tu ons, and they bring with them outstanding knowledge, skills, and abili es, as well as a vision for our college to facilitate our movement into the drama cally changing educa on world. Three of the new faculty are scholars with named professorships: Cynthia Dillard is the Mary Frances Early Professor, Julie Lu joins the Mathema cs and Science Educa on faculty as the Athle c Associa on Professor, and Joseph Tobin is the Elizabeth Garrard Hall Professor in Early Childhood Educa on. The College of Educa on’s outstanding faculty oer contribu ons here and abroad that con nue to be recognized in our professions. The addi on of this new cohort will significantly increase our na onal and global awareness as our faculty become more interna onal while s ll having a major impact on the educa onal experiences of Georgia. Their presence will also a ract and facilitate the recruitment of addi onal highly qualified graduate and undergraduate students to our programs. We are happy to welcome our new faculty and look forward to the strong future they help to create for the UGA College of Educa on.
Arthur M. (Andy) Horne, Ph. D. Dean and Dis nguished Research Professor
The Mary Frances Early Professor of Teacher Education
Cynthia Dillard
Ph.D., Education Washington State University, 1991
Cynthia B. Dillard has been named the inaugural Mary Frances Early Professor of Teacher Educa on at the University of Georgia. The Early Professorship in the College of Educa on was established with an endowment from the Georgia Power Founda on and honors the legacy of UGA’s first African-American graduate, who earned a master’s degree in music educa on in 1962. “We are delighted that such an outstanding professor as Cynthia Dillard has accepted this pres gious professorship and will be bringing her leadership, her excep onal scholarly strengths and her deep commitment to teaching to our community,” said Andy Horne, dean and Dis nguished Research Professor of the College of Educa on. Dillard joins the faculty from The Ohio State University. Her tenure home is the department of elementary and social studies educa on. “I am very excited to be named the Mary Frances Early Professor of Teacher Educa on at UGA,” said Dillard. “Current issues facing educa on in Georgia and across the country are complex and challenging, par cularly for African Americans and those tradi onally underserved by our system of public educa on. This posi on provides an opportunity for me to address these issues in both an innova ve and interdisciplinary way, in collabora on with my colleagues at UGA, public school teachers and professionals in Georgia, and educators across the globe.” Dillard’s major research interests include mul cultural educa on, spirituality in teaching and learning, epistemological concerns in research and African/African-American feminist studies. Most recently, her research has focused in Ghana, West Africa, where she established a preschool and an elementary school.
The Athletic Association Professor of Mathematics and Science Education
Julie Luft
Ph.D., Science Education University of Iowa, 1994
Julie Lu joins the UGA College of Educa on faculty as the inaugural Athle c Associa on Professor of Mathema cs and Science Educa on. The Athle c Associa on Professorship in the College of Educa on was established with an endowment from the UGA Athle c Associa on as part of the Athle c Professorship Ini a ve Fund. “We are grateful to the Athle c Associa on for giving us the opportunity to hire a scholar of Dr. Lu ’s caliber as she will greatly enhance the teaching, research, and service missions of our department through her leadership,” said Denise Spangler, head of the department of mathema cs and science educa on. Prior to coming to UGA, Lu served on the faculty at Arizona State University, University of Arizona and the University of Texas at Aus n. Her areas of exper se are science teacher educa on (both preservice and in-service), mixed methods research, and science teacher beliefs and prac ces. Her current work focuses on beginning secondary science teachers and the development of their knowledge and instruc onal prac ces during science-specific induc on programs. This research reveals the importance of content knowledge during induc on programs and suggests new roles for science educators in higher educa on. Lu is an associate editor of the Journal of Research in Science Teaching and an American Associa on for the Advancement of Science Fellow. In 2010, she was an invited mentor at the South African Associa on for Research in Science, Mathema cs, and Technology Educa on Summer School, and the Associa on for Science Teacher Educa on named her Outstanding Science Teacher Educator of the Year.
The Elizabeth Garrard Hall Professor in Early Childhood Education
Joseph Tobin
Ph.D., Behavioral Science University of Chicago, 1983
Joseph Tobin has been named the inaugural Elizabeth Garrard Hall Professor in Early Childhood Educa on. The Hall Professorship in the College of Educa on has been established by a bequest from Ms. Hall’s estate. Her love for educa on, respect for intellectual inquiry, and innate pragma sm will be honored through this permanent endowment in the College of Educa on’s department of elementary and social studies educa on. With this professorship, the College hopes to develop new leaders in early childhood educa on that can build upon the important work done by the faculty. This endowed posi on offers the opportunity for a renowned scholar to assume leadership in a department that is moving into the intellectual forefront of teacher educa on. More specifically, the professorship will be used to support the work of a professor in teaching, research, public service, and other professional ac vi es. “Dr. Tobin’s contribu on to the department of elementary and social studies educa on and to the College of Educa on is incalculable,” said department head Ronald Butchart. “He brings methodological sophis ca on, an outstanding record of grantsmanship, and an interna onal reputa on as a leading scholar in early childhood educa on, but he also brings a deep dedica on to high quality graduate instruc on. He will be a wonderful asset.” Tobin’s research interests include studies of preschools in both the U.S. and interna onally, teacher beliefs and prac ces, qualita ve research methods, deaf educa on, children and popular culture, and educa onal anthropology. Tobin joins UGA from Arizona State University. He was named an American Educa onal Research Associa on fellow in 2010.
College of Education at a Glance The University of Georgia’s College of Educa on provides a rigorous academic environment energized by a dedica on to crea ng brighter futures for all. The College has more than 2,500 undergraduate and 2,200 graduate students. We take pride in our programs, world-class research centers and services, and strong community partnerships. Our interna onally recognized faculty and researchers are working across campus, in local schools, and with other universi es to explore and address issues affec ng learning and educa on. Located in Athens, Georgia, on one of the most beau ful college campuses in the United States, the College is a place where teaching, research, and service come together to advance all aspects of educa on.
Departments Communica on Sciences & Special Educa on Counseling & Human Development Services Educa onal Psychology & Instruc onal Technology Elementary & Social Studies Educa on Kinesiology Language & Literacy Educa on Lifelong Educa on, Administra on, & Policy Mathema cs & Science Educa on Workforce Educa on, Leadership, & Social Founda ons
Majors and Programs Sixteen undergraduate majors and 34 graduate programs leading to careers as educators; counselors; psychologists; administrators; researchers; and educa onal, policy, and healthrelated specialists.
National Rankings The University of Georgia’s College of Educa on overall graduate program is perennially ranked among the top of the na on’s public universi es in U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings. Our graduate programs rank individually among the na on’s best in 9 of 10 categories out of 279 ins tu ons.
Graduate Education Programs – U.S. News & World Report (2012) 3rd among public colleges in the South 32nd na onally among public universi es 46th na onally among all universi es UGA COE Top 10 Specialty Rankings 2nd Voca onal Technical 2nd Counseling/Personnel Services 5th Higher Educa on Administra on 5th Secondary Educa on 6th Elementary Educa on UGA COE Top 20 Specialty Rankings 11th Curriculum/Instruc on 14th Educa onal Psychology 16th Special Educa on 19th Administra on/Supervision
Communication Sciences and Special Education
A er spending seven years on the faculty at Ball State University, Ingrid Hinkley joins the communica on sciences program. She supervises graduate clinicians in clinical prac cum and diagnos c lab and teaches the clinical seminar. Her research interests include adult and geriatric rehabilita on of speech, language, voice, and swallowing. Ms. Hinkley earned an M.A. in speech pathology from Ball State University.
Communication Sciences and Special Education
Rebecca Lieberman is a new faculty member in the special educa on program, with an emphasis on ages birth to 5. Her research focuses on play and communica on in young children with au sm spectrum disorders, parent-child interac on, and early interven on. Dr. Lieberman received a Ph.D. in special educa on from Vanderbilt University.
Communication Sciences and Special Education
A er teaching at Troy University and the Atlanta Area School for the Deaf, Christopher Pa erson joins the faculty in the communica on sciences program. He teaches American Sign Language classes and promotes the ASL program for UGA. He also specializes in teacher leadership, special educa on, and deaf educa on. Mr. Pa erson earned an Ed.S. in educa onal leadership from Mercer University.
Communication Sciences and Special Education
Kris n Sayeski has served on the faculty at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and the University of Virginia. Her research interests include determining eec ve instruc onal prac ces for students with highincidence disabili es, measuring teacher quality, and iden fying exemplary prac ces in pre-service and inservice teacher development. Dr. Sayeski received a Ph.D. in special educa on and teaching from the University of Virginia.
Counseling and Human Development Services
Natoya Haskins teaches and advises students in the school counseling programs. Her research focuses on minority counseling students training and prac cal experiences, school counselors’ interven ons with special popula ons, and school counselor advocacy instrument development. Dr. Haskins earned a Ph.D. in counselor educa on from The College of William & Mary.
Counseling and Human Development Services
Linda Hughes a ends staffing in the Center for Counseling and Personal Evalua on and consults with prac oners. She teaches a pharmacology class for graduate students. Her research interests include pharmacy, medica on therapy management, pediatrics, effects of drugs, adverse reac ons and drug interac ons on pa ents’ behavior. Dr. Hughes received a Pharm. D. from the University of Colorado.
Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology
A er four years as a library media and technology specialist in local schools, Christa Deissler joins the faculty as the school library media program coordinator. She also teaches two courses per semester and advises students in the SLM program. Her research interests include school library media educa on and K-12 technology integra on. Dr. Deissler earned a Ph.D. in instruc onal technology from the University of Georgia.
Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology
Meg Hines is a faculty member in the gi ed and crea ve educa on program. She also coordinates the GCTWeb online programs. Her research interests are related to developing appropriate curriculum for gi ed and talented students and the underachievement of gi ed students as it relates to school experience. Dr. Hines received a Ph.D. in educa onal psychology from the University of Georgia.
Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology
Laura Lu’s research interests include longitudinal data analysis, structural equa on modeling, computa onal sta s cs, robust methods, and missing data analysis. Dr. Lu earned a Ph.D. in quan ta ve psychology from the University of Notre Dame.
Elementary and Social Studies Education
Jim Garre has taught several courses at UGA in teacher cer fica on programs. His research focuses on teacher educa on within the secondary social studies and inquires into the ways in which social and personal knowledge are mediated within the contexts of classroom life and teacher educa on. Dr. Garre received a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruc on from Michigan State University.
Elementary and Social Studies Education
Be na Love joins UGA a er serving on the faculty at Northern Kentucky University for two years. Her research interests include urban educa on, black girlhood, popular culture, hip hop feminism, media literacy, queer theory, and qualita ve methodology. Dr. Love earned a Ph.D. in educa on policy analysis from Georgia State University.
Kinesiology
Prior to coming to UGA, Kevin Byon spent two years on the faculty at the University of Southern Mississippi. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in sport business prac ces, sport marke ng, and sport consumer behavior. His research interests include sport tourism, sport consumer behavior, and sport marke ng. Dr. Byon received a Ph.D. in health and human performance from the University of Florida.
Kinesiology
James Zhang joins the sport management program as professor and director of the Interna onal Center for Sport Management. His areas of specializa on are the study of sport consumer behavior, the study of sport organiza onal behaviors, and research design, measurement, and sta s cs. Dr. Zhang earned a doctor of physical educa on degree from Springfield College in Massachuse s.
Language and Literacy Education
Silvia Noguerón-Liu teaches courses in the reading, wri ng, children’s literature and digital literacies programs. Her research interests include studying the nature of access to technology for culturally and linguis cally diverse students and the incorpora on of digital tools in family literacy prac ces. Dr. Noguerón-Liu received a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruc on from Arizona State University.
Language and Literacy Education
Lou Tolosa-Casadont serves as the world language program coordinator. Her research interests include teacher educa on, heritage language learning, reading and wri ng in a second language, and language curriculum design. Dr. Tolosa-Casadont earned a Ph.D. in foreign language teacher educa on from the University of Georgia.
Mathematics and Science Education
A er spending eight years on the faculty at Cornell University, Barbara Crawford joins the science educa on program. Her research addresses the inconsistency between the nature of scien fic inquiry and the classroom teaching of scien fic inquiry. Dr. Crawford received a Ph.D. in science educa on from the University of Michigan.
Mathematics and Science Education
Marsha McCrary’s research focuses on iden fying key factors that impact mathema cs instruc onal coach effec veness. She is interested in the rela onships among instruc onal coach efficacy, prac ces, and outcomes. Dr. McCrary earned a Ph.D. in mathema cs teacher educa on from Georgia State University.
Program Evaluation Group
Karen DeMeester came to UGA from Florida State University’s Learning Systems Ins tute, where she was research faculty and a principal inves gator on a U.S. Department of Educa on grant to integrate technology into rural schools and communi es in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. Dr. DeMeester earned a Ph.D. in English language and literature from Florida State University.
Torrance Center for Creativity and Talent Development
Prior to joining the UGA faculty, Sarah Sumners served as adjunct faculty at Mississippi University for Women. Her research interests include pre-service teacher selfeďŹƒcacy, civics, and dual excep onali es. Dr. Sumners is pursuing a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruc on from Mississippi State University.
G-3 Aderhold Hall Athens, GA 30602 Phone: 706.542.6446 Fax: 706.542.0360 Email: coeinfo@uga.edu Web: www.coe.uga.edu
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