Summer 2019
The official magazine of Western Michigan University’s College of Education and Human Development.
PROFESSIONAL REFLECTIONS UPCYCLED T-SHIRTS Student Rose Soma takes your old t-shirts or flannels and upcycles them into beautiful new fabrics and designs that are eco-friendly and unique.
BETTERING LONG CANE DESIGNS Exercise science professor Dr. Sangwoo Lee will serve as a co-principal investigator on a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grant that will test new individualized cane-use biomechanic techniques for blind cane users.
CONNECT WITH CEHD @WMUCEHD
This magazine is a publication of Western Michigan University’s College of Education and Human Development in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Editor and Designer Nicole Leffler, Marketing Specialist Sr., College of Education and Human Development Editors Caryn Davidson, Graduate Assistant Evaluation, Measurement and Research Val Horwath, Manager of Recruitment and Outreach, College of Education and Human Development Tyler Sonnenberg-Ward, Web Content Specialist, College of Education and Human Development Photography Tyler Sonnenberg-Ward, Web Content Specialist, College of Education and Human Development Courtesy photos provided by: Rose Soma
ON THE COVER Pgs. 22-23 Fashion design and development student, Rose Soma, won first place in WMU’s Starting Gate business pitch competition. Soma received $2,000 for her business and an additional $300 for winning the people’s choice award. Soma’s company recycles textiles to create clothing items, and WMU’s pitch competition serves as a test run for student entrepreneurs wanting to present their original business ideas to potential investors.
TABLE OF CONTENTS MI BOARD OF COUNSELING Pgs. 8-9 Longtime counselor education professor named to MI Board of Counseling
HOLMES HONORS PROGRAM Pgs. 10-11 Inaugural Holmes Honors program cohort finds success at annual AACTE meeting
MI TEACHER OF THE YEAR Pgs. 12-13 CEHD alumna named MI Teacher of the Year for the second consecutive year
LONG CANE DESIGN GRANT Pgs. 16-17 CEHD professor aims to find better long cane design for blind cane users
STUDENT RESEARCH Pgs. 18-21 Prestigious research environment prepares students for success
EDWARD B. FRY BOOK AWARD Pg. 24 Professor of socio-cultural studies wins Literacy Research Association award
COLLEGE RANKINGS CEHD RANKED NO. 3 IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN BY U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT In the newly released U.S. News and World Report 2020 rankings, the College of Education and Human Development at Western Michigan University has been ranked in the top 100 public institutions and No. 3 in the state of Michigan for graduate schools in education. usnews.com
COLLEGE FACTUAL RANKS WMU AND CEHD NO. 30 FOR VETERANS College Factual ranked WMU No. 30 for teacher education subject specific school for veterans of all colleges and universities reviewed and the best in the state of Michigan. collegefactual.com
THANK YOU! CEHD would like to thank you for your donations during Giving Day and the entire academic year. Your contributions helped CEHD to receive more donations than any other academic unit on campus.
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION RANKS CEHD NO. 66 NATIONALLY The National Science Foundation has ranked Western Michigan University as No. 66 nationally for federallyfinanced education related research. The same rankings show that WMU’s College of Education and Human Development ranked No. 3 in the state of Michigan. nsf.gov
DEAN’S MESSAGE Welcome to the 2019 summer issue of Professional Reflections, the official magazine of the College of Education and Human Development at Western Michigan University. As you can see, our college had another successful year. Our talented students, staff and faculty, and esteemed alumni continued to demonstrate excellence and show outstanding accomplishments. Through quality programs and initiatives, we continued to fulfill our mission in developing exceptional education and human development professionals who positively impact our global society. The stories on upcycled t-shirts and the CEHD Holmes Scholars program reveal how talented our students are and their commitment to diversity and sustainability. The recipients of the Rising Star Awards showcase the outstanding potential of our students in scholarship, teaching and/or professional leadership. Our faculty continue to exhibit their talent through scholarly research and professional services. The stories on long cane design, our impact on statewide counseling, emerging scholar and book awards recount the unwavering commitment of our faculty to advancing knowledge through teaching, scholarship, creative works and service. Our college offers a portfolio of high-quality programs that lay a solid foundation for our students to be successful in their careers. The story on our interior design program is a great confirmation of such a statement. Our interior design program has a post-graduation employment rate of 100%. Our alumni are doing exceptionally well in their chosen careers. In this issue, we highlight high-achieving CEHD alumni who won various awards, including the National Art Educator Award, the Michigan Teacher of the Year Award, the CEHD Outstanding Alumni Award, the Golden Apple Award and the Keystone Award. The
quality of CEHD continues to be recognized by external agencies, such as the US News and World Report, National Science Foundation, and College Factual. I hope that we have impressed upon you information about our talented students, staff and faculty, high-quality programs, and outstanding alumni. Thank you for taking time to review the magazine. Best Wishes,
Ming Li, Ed.D. Dean
5 Message from the Dean
interior DESIGN student and program spotlight
For interior design student Ashley Walters, her chosen field is about more than just designing interiors. “Interior design is about supporting culture, enhancing business value, solving problems, and positively impacting the health and well-being of people’s lives,” she shares. In addition to learning software programs, building code requirements, and industry terms and practices, Walters has learned thought process skills that help her provide the reasoning behind her design solutions. “Ashley has always been a critical thinker, but she has grown into a creative critical thinker in the four years she has been in the interior design program,” explains Beth Jarl, one of Walters’ instructors. Walters was nominated for the International Interior Design Association Student of the Year award by the Michigan IIDA Chapter president, a faculty member of a competing university. The nomination is viewed as a huge complement to Walters’ abilities and growing stature within the industry. “Being an IIDA member has taught me how important it is to network, make connections and put yourself out there. Once I began becoming more and more involved, my con6 Interior Design
fidence grew so much and my people skills improved immensely,” says Walters. As a leader in the IIDA student organization at WMU, she has participated in many IIDA events and helped support others to join the organization by holding a fundraiser to help pay their membership fees. In addition to her coursework, Walters has participated in numerous design charrettes, taking 2nd place at one, and has been nominated to compete at the NeoCon charrette in Chicago. “She is an excellent team player, bringing strength and organization to every team project she has encountered,” says one of her professors, Mary Beth Kennedy Janssen. She also studied abroad in Greece, which gave her a new perspective on people, place, and life and helped her gain appreciation for the designers who came before her.
INTERIOR DESIGN IS ABOUT SUPPORTING CULTURE, ENHANCING BUSINESS VALUE, SOLVING PROBLEMS AND POSITIVELY IMPACTING HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF PEOPLE’S LIVES. Ashley Walters, interior design student
ABOUT WMU’S INTERIOR DESIGN PROGRAM
The study abroad program, Western Roots of Interior Design in Greece, is offered to students in WMU’s interior design program.
100% 100% of interior design graduates from WMU were employed in their field within three months of graduation (based off 2017-18 graduates).
14 : 1
There is a 14:1 student-tofaculty ratio in the interior design program, allowing for one-on-one instruction and hands-on learning.
wmich.edu/familyconsumer
CREATING AN
IMPACT COUNSELING ON STATEWIDE
LONGTIME FACULTY MEMBER APPOINTED TO MI BOARD OF COUNSELING
Dr. Stephen E. Craig, professor and unit director of the counselor education program in the Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology, has demonstrated an outstanding record of professional achievement and excellence as a clinical supervisor and counselor. It is because of his exceptional reputation that Dr. Craig was appointed to the Michigan Board of Counseling by former Governor Rick Snyder. The Michigan Board of Counseling has both regulatory and disciplinary responsibility to oversee the practice of more than 9,000 professional counselors in Michigan. The board consists of 11 voting members, six professional counselors, one mental health professional and four public members. Dr. Craig, who has been appointed as a professional member, will represent individu-
als engaged primarily in providing counseling techniques, behavior modification techniques or preventive techniques to clients. “I consider it a great honor and privilege to serve the people of Michigan through my appointment to the Board of Counseling. I have always considered research, teaching, and practice to be complementary rather than isolated activities, each of which informs and strengthens the other. Serving in this capacity allows me to apply much of what I have learned over the past 20 years,” Dr. Craig states. In addition to his responsibilities as a full professor at WMU, Dr. Craig is a Licensed Professional Counselor who continues to practice on a limited basis at River City Psychological Services in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He brings a wealth of clinical and supervision experience to his teaching at WMU. Since becoming a faculty member in 1999, Dr. Craig has taught over 90 graduate-level courses, representing 15 different course preparations. Of his more than 40 refereed presentations at professional conferences, at least 50% of them involve collaborative work with doctoral and master’s level students. In addition to teaching, Dr. Craig has served as co-principal investigator or co-project director on grants totaling over $1 million dollars from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic
Growth, and Michigan Rehabilitation Services. Most recently, Dr. Craig served as co-principal investigator with two professors from the WMU College of Health and Human Services (Dr. Tiffany Lee; Denise Bowen, MA, PA-C) on a three-year, $526,192 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grant from SAMHSA. The three-year-project was completed in 2018 and focused on preparing both area health professionals and students in clinical mental health counseling, counseling psychology and physician assistant programs in Screening Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment for people with problematic substance use. As a result of this project, 131 students and 199 area health professionals received training in SBIRT. As unit director of counselor education, Dr. Craig has also prepared two self-studies for accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. The counselor education program at WMU is the oldest CACREP-accredited program in the state of Michigan, a distinction the program first earned in 1983. “Dr. Craig demonstrates an outstanding commitment to professionalism, high academic and teaching standards, and the ethical and compassionate treatment of students, clients and professional colleagues. He is an excellent teacher, supervisor and counseling professional who serves as a role model for our students. He will be a valued member and contributor to the counseling board,” Dr. Patrick Munley, CECP chair states.
Pictured: Dr. Patrick Munley
Dr. Patrick Munley, chair of the Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology has served on the Michigan Board of Counseling since 2011 when he was appointed by former Governor Rick Snyder. In 2013, Dr. Munley was elected as the board’s chairperson and will conclude his second fouryear term of service on June 30, 2019.
I HAVE ALWAYS CONSIDERED RESEARCH, TEACHING AND PRACTICE TO BE COMPLEMENTARY RATHER THAN ISOLATED ACTIVITIES, EACH OF WHICH INFORMS AND STRENGTHENS THE OTHER. Dr. Stephen Craig, CECP professor
9 Impact on Counseling
AACTE
HOLMES HONORS PROGRAM
INAUGURAL HOLMES HONORS PROGRAM COHORT ATTENDS AACTE ANNUAL MEETING
“There are faculty doing what I want to do, who look like me.� WMU Holmes Honors Program student
10 AACTE Holmes Honors Program
The College of Education and Human Development now has an approved American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education Holmes Honors Program. The program provides support to undergraduate students from underrepresented populations in teacher education programs by providing networking, leadership, and professional development opportunities, mentoring, and career support. The inaugural cohort is made up of the WMU Future Educator Program Pickard Family Fund and Advia Scholars. The students meet twice per month as a group, meet one on one with their FEP coordinator, Marcy L. Peake, and volunteer weekly in Kalamazoo Public Schools. Five members of the cohort, Daven Carter, Jovaughn Carver, De Shaun Cornelius, Sarah Giramia and Marcus Moore had the opportunity to attend the 2019 AACTE Annual Meeting/ Conference in Louisville, Kentucky in February where they
2019
The experience of attending the conference had an impact. “I have never been in a room this full as a member of the majority,” said one attendee, and “there are faculty doing what I want to do, who look like me,” said another. The scholars also learned important lessons about becoming a teacher like the importance of taking time to maintain one’s personal well-being, to be clear and direct when discussing behavior with students, and the importance of research in improving the field of education.
RISING STAR AWARD This annual award recognizes an undergraduate, master’s and doctoral student in the College of Education and Human Development who demonstrate outstanding potential in scholarship, teaching and/or professional leadership at Western Michigan University.
UNDERGRADUATE
attended various sessions and networked with professionals from across the country including WMU faculty, staff, and CEHD Dean, Dr. Ming Li. The group even ended up presenting unexpectedly when the presenter of a session regarding the experiences of Black and African American teacher preparation students canceled.
The CEHD is committed to creating a diverse teacher preparation pipeline, and the addition of the Holmes Honors Program strengthens the opportunities available to diverse teacher preparation students at WMU. Alex Bohr, secondary education
61
WMU is only one of two institutions in the state of Michigan to participate in any of the three Holmes programs offered.
Deniz Toker, teaching English to students of other languages
DOCTORAL
ONE of TWO
MASTER’S
WMU is one of only 61 institutions around the nation that participate in the Holmes Honors program.
TEN The Holmes Honors program at Western Michigan University will serve ten undergraduate students in fall 2019. Lisa Garcia, educational leadership
state’s
TOP
educator award
SECONDARY EDUCATION ALUMNA NAMED MICHIGAN’S TEACHER OF THE YEAR FOR 2019-2020
For the second year in a row, the Michigan Department of Education has selected a Western Michigan University alumna as its top teacher. Cara Lougheed (B.A. ‘96, English: Secondary Education), a teacher at Stoney Creek High School in Rochester Hills, was surprised May 8 when interim state superintendent Sheila Alles named her the 2019-20 Teacher of the Year during an all-school assembly. “Ms. Lougheed has an incredible ability to forge meaningful relationships with those around her, whether it’s students in her English class, or college students she’s mentoring to become our next generation of educators,” Alles said. “She cares about their long-term success, both inside and outside the classroom, and provides them with the tools necessary to be lifelong learners. She is an inspirational educator who truly embodies what it means to put students first.” Governor Gretchen Whitmer added, “Ms. Lougheed has dedicated her life to helping our students get ahead. Throughout
12 MI Teacher of the Year
her more than two decades of teaching, she has touched countless lives and inspired her students and colleagues. Michigan is a great state because of the dedicated teachers like Cara who work tirelessly to make sure their students get a great public education. I’m proud to congratulate her on her outstanding service to our state, and I am committed to making sure Cara and teachers everywhere are treated with the respect they deserve.” Outside of the classroom, Lougheed has served as a social studies teacher leader, building activities director, district union representative and a National Education Association delegate. She has worked collaboratively with colleagues and administrators to write curriculum, design an attendance incentive program for students, and contribute to various projects aimed at increasing student connectedness and improving school culture. Lougheed’s selection comes after a months-long, multi-level competitive process. She was one of more than 400 teachers nominated for the award in the fall of 2018. The field was narrowed twice, and Lougheed was named one of the state’s 10 Regional Teachers of the Year in April. Of the 10 finalists, Lougheed was chosen to receive the state’s top honor. She was one of two WMU alumnae to be included as this year’s regional top 10. The other graduate was Katie Farrell, a first-grade teacher at Bauer Elementary in Hudsonville Public Schools. As the state’s newest top teacher, Lougheed will chair the Michigan Teacher Leadership Advisory Committee, which is comprised of each year’s cohort of regional teachers of the year. She also will have a nonvoting seat on the State Board of Education during its regular monthly meetings.
ALUMNA RECEIVES NATIONAL AND REGIONAL AWARDS Dr. Cindy Todd (Ph.D. ‘10, Educational Leadership), professor and chair of the art education program at Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University, is the recipient of three separate 2019 National Art Education Association awards, including the prestigious National Art Educator Award, given annually to one NAEA member for extraordinary achievements and service of national significance. Dr. Todd also received two NAEA awards at the regional level: the Western Region Art Educator Award and the Western Region Higher Education Art Educator Award for outstanding service and achievement of regional significance. Previously, Dr. Todd was named Michigan Art Education Association’s 2015 Teacher of the Year and has a background teaching K-12 art in Michigan public schools.
XQ SUPER SCHOOL Currently, Dr. Todd is a key contributor to the Grand Rapids Public Museum High School, a recipient of a $10 million dollar grant award. The grant, awarded through the XQ Super School Project, is a nationwide contest created by Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Collaborations with GRPS staff allowed Dr. Todd to play a large role in the school’s blending of design thinking methodologies, Common Core and additional K-12 standards.
EMERGING
SCHOLAR
LITERACY EDUCATION EXPERT HONORED AT CAMPUS-WIDE AWARDS CEREMONY
“She has been doing far-reaching, impactful work in literacy.” Excerpt from nomination materials
14 Faculty Research
Dr. Selena Protacio focuses her investigations on the literacy motivation and engagement of English learners. Her publications related to that rarely researched area are filling an important gap in the literacy literature. A key aim for Dr. Protacio is to reach teachers, given that they are the ones most likely to impact the lives of English learners. As one nominator put it, “she has been doing far-reaching, impactful work in literacy,” and “her dedication to improved literacy outcomes for English language learners and immigrant families is unmatched.” Protacio has been making significant contributions to her field, most recently as the principal investigator for a $2.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education awarded in 2017. The project is providing professional development to 160 in-service and 44 pre-service teachers to better prepare them to address the needs of English learners, ensuring that Protacio’s reach will be felt for many years to come.
RESEARCH IN THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching classifies Western Michigan University among the nation’s fewer than 200 research universities. Through research and scholarly activities, the faculty, staff and students of the College of Education and Human Development are committed to advancing knowledge in the areas of education and human development and supporting the WMU mission and vision of being a discovery-driven institution.
$39,489,000
2018-2019 CEHD EMERGING SCHOLAR Dr. Stephanie Burns, the 2018 CEHD Emerging Scholar Award recipient, scholarship focuses on counselor professional identity, an important topic for a relatively young field that is still struggling to obtain public recognition separate from psychology and social work. Over the last five years, she has published six journal articles that research various aspects of professional identity to better understand the phenomenon and provide specific direction for moving forward. Her most recently published article, Evaluating Independently Licensed Counselors’ Articulation of Professional Identity Using Structural Coding, received The Professional Counselor’s 2017 Outstanding Scholar Award. Burns also researches ethical decision-making by licensed professional counselors. The Emerging Scholar Award recognizes one individual with outstanding scholarly accomplishments and the potential for continued excellence. The recipient must be a full-time faculty member in CEHD at WMU.
SUBMITTED IN 2017-2018
$9,079,000
AWARDED IN 2017-2018
$4,420,000
RESEARCH EXPENDITURES IN 2017-2018
2018-2019 CEHD DISTINGUISHED SCHOLAR
In 2017-18, CEHD accounted for approximately 35% of the University’s total external funding submissions, the highest among all colleges and other entities.
Dr. Brooks Applegate, the 2018 CEHD Distinguished Scholar Award recipient, has made vast and innovative contributions to educational research on assessment and statistical modeling. His extraordinary analytic skills and interdisciplinary scholarly insights substantially contribute to the investigation of how psychometric principles fit in a larger research context. His national collaborations cross a wide range of disciplinary areas including psychology, neuroscience, medicine and physician education, and his work has been widely published in top ranked journals such as the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, the Journal of Abnormal Psychology and NeuroImage. Applegate also contributes to numerous grants, where he plays a variety of roles ranging from statistician, core evaluator, co-investigator and principal investigator. In 2016, he was awarded the Excellence in Discovery: Research and External Funding over $1 Million for 5 years by Western Michigan University.
35%
wmich.edu/education/about/research
In 2017-18, CEHD accounted for approximately 38% of the University’s total external funding awards, including a $12.5 million project, one of the largest grants ever awarded at WMU.
38%
wmich.edu/leadership/hil-grant
The Distinguished Scholar Award recognizes one individual with a body of outstanding scholarly accomplishments that has had an impact on the field. The recipient must be a full-time tenured faculty member with a minimum of seven years of service in CEHD at WMU.
BETTER
LONG CANE DESIGN AND BIOMECHANICS FOR BLIND CANE USERS
EXERCISE SCIENCE PROFESSOR SERVES AS CO-PI ON $432,166 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GRANT 16 Faculty Research
Dr. Sangwoo Lee, assistant professor in the Department of Human Performance and Health Education, will serve as co-Principal Investigator alongside Dr. Dae Shik Kim, associate professor in the Department of Blindness and Low Vision Studies at Western Michigan University, on a $432,166 grant funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The project, entitled, “Better Long Cane Design and Biomechanics for Blind Cane Users,” is an extension of previous research which yielded better long cane designs and new individualized cane-use biomechanic techniques for blind cane users. The grant will test the new design and practice in a real-world setting.
The aim of the research is to increase reliable detection and avoidance of walking path hazards and thus reduce the incidence of falls, which can lead to lower mortality, a decreased number of emergency room visits and hospital admissions, and an improved quality of life. The grant seeks to determine the factors that affect the reliable detection of hazards such as sudden changes in walking surface texture, drop-offs and obstacles. As co-PI, Dr. Lee is in charge of two areas. First, he is responsible for measuring and analyzing forearm muscle fatigue using a wireless electromyography system. Second, he will help conduct a three-dimensional motion analysis, the data from which will be integrated with the forearm muscle fatigue data. Combing a 3D motion analysis that captures the movements of cane and hand with an EMG that measures the electric properties of the forearm muscles is expected to provide better insight into how blind individuals experience forearm muscle fatigue while walking for a prolonged duration with a cane and how the fatigued forearm muscles change the biomechanics of cane and hand. Dr. Sangwoo Lee has been an assistant professor of exercise science at Western Michigan University since 2015, where he has twice received the Most Valuable Professor Award. He has co-authored fourteen articles and one book, and has given nineteen presentations and fourteen poster presentations during his academic career. His research interests include biomechanics of resistance exercise. He holds certification as a sports performance coach for USA Olympic Weightlifting.
Pictured: Cindy Borja (left) and Megan Doorlag (right)
PRESTIGIOUS RESEARCH PREPARES STUDENTS FOR SUCCESS
The College of Education and Human Development at Western Michigan University has been awarded over $14.3 million in federally-funded grant dollars in the last two academic years and was ranked No. 66 nationally for federally financed education related research by the National Science Foundation. This learner centered, discovery driven and prestigious research environment affords CEHD students the opportunity to engage in authentic research experiences that help them prepare for a lifetime of success. A former elementary administrator and teacher from Colorado, doctoral assistant Jeremey Andrick, works with Drs. Patricia Reeves and Jianping Shen on the High Impact Leadership Project, funded by a $12.5 million grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Education—one of the largest WMU has ever received.
“This experience reassured me that teaching is what I want to do for the rest of my life.” Cindy Borja, secondary education student
18 Student Research
“I moved to Michigan with the intent of earning my Ph.D., but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do after receiving it,” shared Andrick. “Working on the project and coordinating instructional rounds for 76 schools has shown me a new path. This experience, in conjunction with learning and practicing the core tenets of the HIL Project, has transformed my thinking about sustainable change in our elementary schools.”
“Having the opportunity to participate in research has helped me to develop my identity as a scientist.� Megan Doorlag, secondary education student
Pictured: Jeremy Andrick
Pictured: Deniz Toker
“Working on these projects gave me exposure to realworld research, which made me more confident in seeking a career in this field.” Qi Zhang, evaluation, measurement and research student
Pictured: Qian Wang (left) and Qi Zhang (right)
For education majors Megan Doorlag and Cindy Borja, the opportunity to take part in the Pathways to Science Teaching Summer Institute allowed them to practice authentic science by helping design and conduct a research study on water quality in local streams that the team ultimately presented at the Geological Society of America’s annual conference. The institute is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation led by Drs. Heather Petcovic, Steven Bertman, Todd Ellis, Stephen Kaczmarek and Paul Vellom. To students Qi Zhang and Qian Wang, applying the research skills they learned in their evaluation, measurement and research classes to authentic research has been a great learning experience. Zhang and Want are working with Dr. Jessaca Spybrook on grant-funded research to develop a user-friendly webtool that will help researchers plan cluster randomized trials and combines three separate design considerations: generalizability, power to detect the average treatment effects and power to detect moderator effects.
An international graduate student and graduate assistant from Turkey pursuing a M.A. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, Deniz Toker works with Drs. Selena Protacio, Susan Piazza and Virginia David on Project English Language and Teacher Education. The project provides a rigorous and comprehensive professional development program for both pre-service and in-service teachers working with English language learners. Toker has undergone continuous inter-rater reliability training on the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol Model so he can help observe teacher participants in their classrooms. The teachers are scored on thirty items ranging from lesson preparation to assessment. “I firmly believe that this opportunity has made me a well-rounded graduate student who has developed professional skills ranging from academic research to inter-personal communication,” explained Toker. “I feel like I have gained a whole different perspective with regard to academia.” 21 Student Research
ONE
UPCYCLED T-SHIRT AT A TIME
Ever wonder what happens to the old clothes you donate that you are pretty sure no one else wants either? Rose Soma, fashion design and development major and president/owner of Rose Soma, LLC did. What she found is that, chances are, they get shipped to another country (typically in Africa) where they flood For Destinee Almore Hannah Hultink, stuthe local clothing marketand and make it difficult for that dents in the youth and community country’s textile industry to flourish. development The problem program thesome College of Education andput Human is so greatinthat countries have even bans Development at Western Michigan University, inon the import of second-hand textiles. That’s where terning within. the Kalamazoo Youth Development Soma comes
(KYD) Network has been as impactful for them as Soma old youth t-shirtsand or flannels and upcycles it has takes beenyour for the families they serve.
them into beautiful new fabrics and designs that are eco-friendly andthe unique. process consists hit“It has been mostHer awesome way tooflearn ting the thrift store racks, laying out her finds, cutting new things,” explained Almore, a family studies them up, and putting them back together to make major who finished her time at Western by comsomething brand new. One upcycled t-shirt at a time, pleting an internship NetSoma is chipping away atrequirement the 16 millionwith tons KYD of textile work. “The most thingevery is theyear. trainings waste produced in meaningful the United States
I’ve received in mindfulness, community building, and Roseactive Soma, listening, LLC turnedcultural a profitbias during its implicity.” first year in business, and the model was recognized for its promise at the 7th K.C. O’Shaughnessy BusiAlmore works toannual promote family engagement ness Pitch Competition and Showcase, sponsored strategies within the member organizations of KYD by WMU’s Haworth College Business, wherecapaciSoma Network, a non-profit thatofstrives to build 22 Upcycled
won both first place and the people’s choice prizes. The fashion merchandising and design program at WMU helped Soma turn a long time love into something she can make a living doing. “I’ve loved making clothes all my life and would always just wing it and capacity youth cut thingsand up, continuously which I still likeimprove to do, but now develI know opment the Kalamazoo area my so the right organizations way to do thingsintoo which has improved they can says better serve has aprovided designs,” Soma. Sheyouth. has alsoShe learned lot about coaching services to fifteen member organizahow the fashion industry works and plans to minor in tions over the course of hertosummer-long internentrepreneurship in addition her fashion merchandising andalso design degree. ship and worked directly with a caseload of
five families that were referred to KYD Network Long term, Somamember would lovegroups. to continue her through their “Werunning connect business and develop additional clothing lines. She them with other organizations and point them plans to continue educating people about textile towards resources, then continuously check in waste and hopes to be able to expand her business to see how things are going and how the resourcand her ability to reduce that waste as her business esgrows. are “Iworking,” saidmy Almore. She helped love running business andhas it definitely families school food, been housing feels like find the right thing programs, for me. I’ve always pasand speech services, among other needs. sionate about making clothes and as long as itFor reAlmore, this experience has&been invaluable in mains fulfilling both creatively financially, I’d love to preparing her for a job search this fall. She hopes continue running my business as a career.” to work in juvenile justice or family services.
Visit RoseSoma.com to see more of her work or follow her shop and on Instagram, @shoprosesoma. Hultink, a youth community development
WHEN I SIT DOWN TO MAKE CLOTHING, I COULD BUY FABRIC NEW. BUT IF I CAN MAKE THE SAME THING WITH REPURPOSED MATERIALS, WHY WOULDN’T I DO THAT? Rose Soma, fashion merchandising and design student
KIGEZI WOMEN AND CHILDREN HEALTH Soma is partnering with the Kigezi Women and Children Health Initiative to help rural women in Uganda increase their earnings, household income, and purchasing power. Soma is working on sponsoring sewing machines so the women can sew garments to sell at their local market and will soon be implementing a new line of shirts where $10 per shirt sold will benefit the organization. In the future, she plans to include them in her business model and teach them her upcycling techniques so they can take the secondhand textiles flooding their clothing market and create the patchwork fabrics she currently makes herself.
Edward B. Fry
BOOK AWARD
Dr. Jill Hermann-Willmarth, professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Educational Studies in the College of Education and Human Develop at Western Michigan University, was recently awarded the Edward B. Fry Book Award for her book Reading the Rainbow: LGBTQ-Inclusive Literacy Instruction in the Elementary Classroom by the Literacy Research Association. The Edward B. Fry Book Award is awarded to a book which has advanced knowledge about literacy, displays inquiry into literacy and shows responsible intellectual risk taking. The award is presented at the Literacy Research Association annual conference.
READING THE RAINBOW Drawing on examples of teaching from elementary school classrooms, this timely book for practitioners explains why LGBTQ-inclusive literacy instruction is possible, relevant and necessary in grades K–5. Reading the Rainbow is designed to be interactive, providing readers with opportunities to consider these new approaches with respect to their own classrooms and traditional literacy instruction.
24 Faculty and Staff Awards
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT FACULTY AND STAFF AWARDS END OF THE YEAR RECOGNITION Esprit De Corps Award Tyler Sonnenberg-Ward Staff Excellence Award Darcey Stevens Multicultural Advocate Award for Global Engagement Dr. Jennifer Foster Multicultural Advocate Award for Promotion of Diversity Dr. David Szabla Mary L. Dawson Teaching Excellence Award Dr. Stephen Craig Part-Time Teaching Excellence Award Dr. Steven Sanocki Strengthening Community Connections Award Dr. Jim Lewis Trailblazer Award Dr. Selena Protacio OTHER AWARDS Outstanding Professional Award, Administrative Professional Association, WMU Andrea Bau Service Excellence Award, International Textile and Apparel Association Dr. Barbara Frazier Barbara K. Townsend Emerging Scholar Award, Council for the Study of Community Colleges Dr. Regina Garza Mitchell Semi-Annual Make a Difference Award, WMU Melissa Holman Staff Semi-Annual Appreciation Award, CEHD, WMU Val Horwath and Melissa Holman
CEHD DIRECTOR OF ADVISING IS HONORED WITH STATE-WIDE ACADEMIC ADVISING ADMINISTRATOR AWARD Chris Robinson, director of undergraduate admissions and advising in the College of Education and Human Development at Western Michigan University, is the recipient of the 2019 Michigan Academic Advising Association Academic Advising Administrator Award. The 2019 Academic Advising Awards are presented to individuals and institutions within Michigan who are making significant contributions to the improvement of academic advising. The MIACADA is an organization of professionals from colleges and universities concerned with the intellectual, personal and career or vocational advising needs of students within the state of Michigan. Robinson is receiving the award for her strong leadership, dedication to staff and students and demonstrated record of success as an academic advising administrator. Support for her nomination included personal stories of Robinson’s impact on staff and students. The award was presented at the MIACADA Region Five conference held March 13-15 at the Renaissance Center in Detroit, Michigan.
OUTSTANDING ALUMNI AWARDS
The CEHD Outstanding Alumni Award is one of the University’s highest alumni awards and is given to alumni who bring distinction to their alma mater through professional achievements and who have enjoyed a high level of success in their careers. Three award recipients were honored at the inaugural WMU Night of Excellence on Friday, Oct. 5.
GOLDEN APPLE AWARD
GOLDEN APPLE AWARD
Dr. Manuel Brenes (Ph.D. ‘12, Evaluation, Measurement and Research) is a recently-retired principal of San Juan Diego Academy, a 100% Latino K-8 school in Wyoming, MI.
Tracy Daniel (B.S. ‘87, Physical Education; M.A. ‘94, Physical Education) is a physical education instructor and coach at Comstock Public Schools, where she has taught for the past 26 years.
27 Alumni Awards
Lloyd Dean (M.A. ‘78, Educational Leadership) is president and CEO of Dignity Health, one of the nation’s largest health care systems with 10,000 physicians and 60,000 employees. Dean is responsible for management, strategic direction and governance of Dignity Health, including $17 billion in assets. A passionate advocate for health care reform, Dean was actively engaged with the White House Cabinet on health care issues during the Obama administration and directly participated in health care reform discussions with the former president during the formation of the Affordable Care Act. In 2018, Dean was ranked No. 20 in Modern Healthcare’s “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare” and is consistently named to Modern Healthcare’s “Top 25 Minority Leaders in Healthcare.” Rochelle Gores Fredston’s (B.S. ‘05, Textile and Apparel Studies) reputation in fashion has been featured in local and national media, including Harper’s Bazaar, Women’s Wear Daily, Vogue.com, C Magazine, New York Post, the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. As a philanthropist, Fredston is the founder and president of Learning Lab Ventures, a non-profit focused on disrupting generational poverty through providing intensive after school education and enrichment programming for children ages
5 to 19 who are living well below the federal poverty line. Learning Lab Ventures aims to enable high-achieving, underrepresented students to graduate from top colleges equipped with the degree, skills and experience they need to excel in the workforce and beyond. Fredston’s philanthropic efforts have raised over $17 million since 2008, helping to support over 300,000 disadvantaged youth and their families in Los Angeles. Dr. Robert Simmons III (B.S. ‘97, Elementary Education) is CEO of the See Forever Foundation and the Maya Angelou Schools in Washington, D.C. Dr. Simmons leads a nationally-renowned network of schools singularly focused on supporting young people who have been pushed out of the traditional schooling system, while also leading one of the most prominent efforts to reform the juvenile justice system. As a nationally-recognized scholar and expert on racial equity and urban education, Dr. Simmons has lectured and delivered workshops throughout the United States and Europe. He has been asked to comment on racial equity and a variety of education issues on national media outlets including CNN, as well as local media outlets in Baltimore, Detroit, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Dr. Simmons was named by Black Enterprise as the Modern Man’s Advocate for Black Men.
Pictured: Rochelle Gores Fredston, CEHD Outstanding Alumni Award recipient. Gores Fredston was unable to attend the October event.
GOLDEN APPLE AWARD
KEYSTONE MERITORIOUS AWARD
Dr. John Severson (B.S. ‘87, Secondary Education; M.A. ‘94, Educational Leadership; Ph.D. ‘13, Educational Leadership) is superintendent of the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District.
Dr. Kenneth Schmidt (M.A. ‘03, Counseling Psychology) is executive director of Trauma Recovery Associates and pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Church in Portage, MI.
College of Education and Human Development Office of the Dean 2301 Sangren Hall 1903 W. Michigan Ave. Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5229 Continuing the Tradition of Success
Learn about the program inside!
interior
DESIGN Interior design at WMU is a multi-disciplinary course of study that includes courses in art, business and interior design. This comprehensive program addresses the aesthetic, functional, historic and social aspects of the interior design profession. Hear from student Ashley Walters inside this issue on what she loves about the program.