Gene Sheets, who received an education specialist degree from UGA and spent 38 years as a Georgia educator, just can't stay retired. Sheets stepped down in 1996 after serving eight years as superintendent of Peach County schools, but a couple of years later, he agreed to serve as president of the Peach County Chamber of Commerce. After three years on the job, he retired again. But in November, the chamber board asked him to come back, and he agreed. Sheets is featured in a story in the March 27, 2006 edition of The Macon Telegraph. (Fee required)

Athens Tech's surgical technology program is featured in the March 9 Athens Banner-Herald.  Program director Beth Jackson-Streb received a master's degree in education from UGA.

Raymond Akridge, who received his doctorate in education from UGA, began January 2 as the interim principal of North Hall Middle School in Hall County.

Janet Tomlinson, who received her bachelor's and master's in mathematics education at UGA, has been named Oconee County Teacher of the Year, reports the January 4 Athens Banner-Herald.

Alumnus Glenn Caleb Jones celebrated his 95th birthday at the building named in his honor -- the Glenn C. Jones Middle School in Buford, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported November 23. Jones taught for 41 years in Gwinnett County schools.

Jenrette Honored for Air Force Drug Abuse Education Program
Retired U.S. Air Force captain and College of Education alumnus Don Jenrette was recently recognized for his design of a new national drug abuse education program aimed at more than 76,000 airmen and 4,100 civilian employees at 53 Air Force installations across the country.

Shaw Receives University of South Alabama's First Innovative Teaching Award
University of South Alabama education professor and COE alumnus Edward Shaw was recently recognized for his innovative teaching by integrating the Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center into a graduate-level class, aimed at showing future teachers how to bring science alive in their elementary classrooms.

Collins Hill science teacher Mai Yin Tsoi is named Gwinnett County Teacher of the Year, reports the November 4 Gwinnett Daily Post. Tsoi received her doctorate in science education from UGA.

Missy Duncan, new principal of Woodward Academey Primary School in College Park, is featured in an October 20 story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Duncan earned a bachelor's degree in business and a master's in early childhood education at UGA.


Brian Culp, a 2005 doctoral graduate of the College of Education's physical education and sport studies program, has received a statewide award for his dissertation from the Georgia Association of Teacher Educators (GATE).

Mike Gillum, who earned a master's in education administration from UGA, is named principal of East Hall High School.

John Osborne, a two-time graduate of the College of Education, was named the new principal at North Oconee County High School, the May 3 issue of the Athens Banner-Herald reported.



Hall County educator Debbie Clark has been named State Teacher of the Year for 2004-05 by the Georgia Council of Teachers of English (GCTE) reports a story in the April 4 Gainesville Times.

The loss of sight forced former detective William Holbrook to give up his badge, but inspired the UGA alumnus to make a career switch to helping others. See March 14 story in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Michael Moore, who received his doctorate at UGA, announces his retirement as Effingham County School Superintendent after nearly 30 years at the helm, reports the Savannah Morning News.




West Named 2005 Gwinnett Teacher of Year
Deborah D. West was named Gwinnett County Teacher of the Year for 2005. West, a visual arts teacher at Level Creek Elementary School, was chosen as Gwinnett's top teacher from 97 nominees in a system-wide vote of teachers and administration.

The Atlanta Business Chronicle names 50 “Up and Comers: Atlanta's most promising young stars,” mentioning several UGA alumni including COE grad Wytaria Henley (BSED '99).

Steve Piazza, media specialist at Hilsman Middle School and a graduate in instructional technology, has been named Clarke County 2004-05 Teacher of the Year.

Ogawa Wins National Award For Teaching 9-11
Masato Ogawa, a 2001 COE alumnus, was named one of four national winners of the Teaching 9-11 Best Practices Award by the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and Dickinson College in Pennsylvania.

Kendrick Teacher of Year at Greensboro School
David Kendrick, a 2004 COE graduate, was recently named Teacher of the Year at Anita White Carson Middle School in Greensboro.

College Honors Distinguished Alumni

Franklin Shumake, a former deputy state schools superintendent, was named Tuesday as interim superintendent for the Oconee County School System after the sudden resignation of Shannon Adams. Shumake holds a doctoral degree in education from UGA.



Power Publishes New Book
Alumna Susan C. Power, a professor of art at Marshall University, has released a new book titled, "Early Art of the Southeastern Indians: Feathered Serpents & Winged Beings."






Patrick's First Novel Published
What do you get when you combine a coming-of-age tale with a small-town murder mystery? You get The Night She Died, the first published novel by UGA College of Education alumna Jennifer Patrick.

Abigail Jordan’s grandfather came to America on a slave ship. Her mother was nearly killed trying to vote. The Ku Klux Klan burned a cross in her family’s yard. And she endured unpleasant confrontations with students and faculty while studying at UGA.





Ashley Burke, a third-grade teacher in Barrow County, has been named a semi-finalist in Georgia's Teacher of the Year competition, making her one of the top 10 teachers in the state.





Lissa Phelps, who received her bachelor's and master's degree in early childhood education from UGA, is named Morgan County teacher of the year, reported the Morgan County Citizen.






Gov. Sonny Perdue appointed COE alumna Janet Oliva as the new head of the troubled state Division of Family and Children Services on November 18. Oliva has earned two degrees at the COE -- a master's in 1998 and a doctorate in 2003, both in adult education.

Elizabeth Ross Hubbell, who graduated with a BSEd in early childhood education in 1995, was one of four finalists for Technology and Learning magazine's 2003 Ed Tech Leader of the Year.

Brill Named 'Young Researcher of Year' in Ed Technology
    Jennifer M. Brill, a 2002 doctoral graduate of the College of Education’s instructional technology program, recently received the “Young Researcher of the Year” award from the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT).

A story in the October 6, 2003 Augusta Chronicle features COE alumna Terri Washer, top teacher at Crossroads Academy.


COE alumna and Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent Janet Oliva  was appointed by Gov. Sonny Perdue to serve as a special assistant to the commissioner of the Department of Human Resources.
     Oliva has earned two degrees at UGA -- a master's in 1998 and a doctorate in 2003, both in adult education. She is the first GBI agent to have received a doctorate.
Atl Journal-Constitution:
September 26, 2003
September 27, 2003

COE alumna Flora Tydings, who received her EdD in occupational studies at UGA, is featured in a September 27 story in the Athens Banner-Herald as she wraps up her second month as the new president of Athens Technical College.





Janet Oliva, a doctoral graduate of adult education and special assistant to the state Human Resources commissioner, talks about her effort to solve problems in child welfare offices in Douglas, Paulding and Muscogee counties in a front page story in the November 6 Atlanta Journal-Constitution.


Alumna's Wedding Dress Design Wows NBC Today Audience
    Anne Barge Clegg is making quite a name for herself as one of the nation's leading bridal gown designers. One of her designs was declared an audience favorite on the NBC Today show during the summer feature, Today Throws a Wedding.



Burtons Attend Peabodys
    Maxine Hubbard-Burton and her husband, Robert, of Athens were the honored guests of the College of Education at the 62nd Annual George Foster Peabody Awards held May 19, 2003 in New York City.


Dan Hunter will take the helm of the Classic City Performance Learning Center, Clarke County's new non- traditional high school - a non-punitive alternative program that will target dropouts and students at academic risk - when it opens in the fall.





Alice V. Sampson received the 2003 Rural Education Dissertation of the Year award from the American Educational Research Association.

Jayasri Ghosh,  who earned her doctorate in educational psychology and gifted education from UGA, is named new director of a private school in Tacoma, WA.





COE alumna Christine Register (Ed.D. ‘01) is named the Clarke County School District Teacher of the Year.  She is a gifted education instructor at Barnett Shoals Elementary School.


A story in the January 20 Richmond (IN) Palladium-Item, quotes Kevin Rome, assistant vice chancellor for student life and diversity at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis, Rome, speaking at an event honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., said that charity and character should be taught, and that youth must learn to help communities.




Debra Smith, an educator for 26 years and now an elementary school principal in Hall County, is featured in an August 12 Gainesville Times story. Smith received a specialist degree from the COE.