Smagorinsky

Peter Smagorinsky, a Distinguished Research Professor of language and literacy education in the College of Education, has been named recipient of the 2013 David H. Russell Research Award from the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).

The award honors an outstanding work of scholarship or research in language, literature, rhetoric or learning, published during the past five years. Smagorinsky is being recognized for his book titled, Vygotsky and Literacy Research: A Methodological Framework. He will receive the award at the NCET annual convention Nov. 21-24 in Boston.

Smagorinsky was named the 2013 Outstanding Reviewer for Review of Education Research, the journal of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), and Outstanding Reviewer for 2013 by the editors of the American Educational Research Journal - Teaching, Learning, and Human Development. He was named an AERA Fellow in 2010.

Dixon

Dyer

Timothy M. Dixon, principal of Ware County High School, and Merrianne Dyer, superintendent of Gainesville City Schools, received 2013 Crystal Apple Awards, given to alumni in K-12 education who have made a significant impact on student, school, or school district performance.

Dixon (BSEd ’86), of Millwood, was the 2011 Georgia Association of Secondary School Principals Met Life Georgia Middle School Principal of the Year while he was at Waycross Middle School. He was one of three finalists for the national award.

“Mr. Dixon models values, beliefs, and attitudes that encourage others to higher levels of performance,” said Joseph C. Barrow, Jr., superintendent of Ware County Schools.

Dyer (EdS ’97), of Gainesville, was named the 2008 Georgia Distinguished Principal for District 9 by the Georgia Association of Elementary School Principals.

“Merrianne Dyer consistently sets high expectations for both adults and students and is a tireless worker. She leads by example, exhibits character beyond reproach, and naturally displays a compassion and humility often missing in the position in which she serves,” said William Schofield, superintendent of Hall County Schools and recipient of the 2012 Professional Achievement Award.

Professional Achievement Awards

Sta. Maria

Crews

Tena Crews, director of online learning for the University of South Carolina’s College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management, and Rebecca Fatima Sta. Maria, secretary-general (Trade) for Malaysia’s Ministry of International Trade and Industry, received 2013 Professional Achievement Awards, given to alumni in the midpoint of their careers who have demonstrated significant achievements in their fields.

Crews (EdD ’94), of Lexington, S.C., also serves as acting associate dean of academic programs for the college.  She received the National Business Education Association’s 2012 John Robert Gregg Award, the highest honor in business education and recognizes lifetime achievement in the field.

“Drive, determination, and hard work are reflected throughout Dr. Crews’ professional career as a postsecondary educator and administrator, and she has provided significant leadership for important and futuristic educational initiatives,” said Wanda Stitt-Gohdes, professor and associate head of the department of career and information studies.

Sta. Maria (PhD ’00), of Kuala Lumpur, is working to make Malaysia the preferred investment destination among the most globally competitive trading nations by 2020. She provides policy oversight and strives to ensure that the nation continually reviews its incentive package, processes and procedures to facilitate conducting business in Malaysia.

“Dr. Sta. Maria is extremely smart intellectually and practically, has a clear vision of how the world works and a conception of how it should work to benefit all people, and is viewed as a proactive and effective leader,” said Ronald Cervero, associate vice president of instruction at UGA, who served on Sta. Maria’s dissertation committee.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Ross-Gordon

Gordon

Jovita Ross-Gordon and Stephen Gordon, professors in the department of counseling, leadership, adult education and school psychology at the Texas State University-San Marcos College of Education, received the Lifetime Achievement Award as a partner team for outstanding success and significant impact in adult education.

“They are unique as a pair and either one would deserve the Lifetime Achievement Award. Together, they are a powerhouse of accomplishments for the purposes for which we educate,” said Stan Carpenter, dean of the Texas State University-San Marcos College of Education and UGA COE alumnus.

Ross-Gordon (EdD ’85) and Gordon (EdD ’89), of Austin, Texas, met when they were doctoral students at UGA, married, and pursued joint academic careers. The pair developed and implemented Texas State’s first two doctorate programs in education.

Ross-Gordon has authored or co-authored nine textbooks, one monograph, and edited three books. Gordon has authored or co-authored 11 text books, two monographs, and edited two books.

Supervision and Instructional Leadership: A Developmental Approach, which the couple co-wrote with UGA professor emeritus Carl Glickman, has been the field’s leading text for a number of years and is now in its 8^th edition.

Service Award: Special Posthumous Award

Womack

Mary Elizabeth “Libby” Womack is the recipient of the College of Education’s 2013 Service Award (posthumously). The award honors Womack for her service to the College and her community and for her commitment to the advancement of STEM education.

Originally from Albany, Womack (BSEd ’65) enjoyed a successful career teaching advanced mathematics in secondary education and college and in information technology with Delta Airlines. In 1994, she returned to Albany with her husband, Jim, where they owned and operated Tri State Florist Supply. Jim continues to run the company today.

Among her volunteer activities, Womack worked to boost STEM experiences for local high school students. The Womacks have also established an endowed chair in mathematics education in the College through their estate plans. The chair will support a leading scholar in the field of mathematics education whose work impacts progress in the field nationally and globally.

“Libby’s commitment to the importance of STEM education is a major part of her legacy,” said Aldon Knight, executive director of college advancement for the College of Education. “The College and her community are better because she was who she was. We are deeply grateful to her and to Jim for their generosity and are proud to honor Libby’s work and life in this way.”

Buxton

A University of Georgia College of Education research team has received a $2.65 million grant from the National Science Foundation to test a new teaching model that improves science learning for middle school educating English language learners and perhaps for all students.

Led by UGA faculty member Cory Buxton, a professor in the department of educational theory and practice, the project will further explore and demonstrate the effectiveness of the teaching and learning model he and his COE colleagues have developed over the past three years.

Buxton is the principal investigator for the grant—and the project is focused specifically on increasing competitiveness among Latino populations as well as other English language learners.

Because of unprecedented growth in the Latino population in the U.S. over the past five decades, the international competitiveness of the nation will depend on the academic success of Latino students, Buxton said. Unfortunately, Latinos’ educational attainment has not kept pace. With Georgia among the top 10 states for fastest-growth in and largest share of Latinos, the need for educating English language learners is a critical priority.

The new study will focus on teaching as it influences the critical student transition from middle school to high school.

Buxton and his team worked with students, teachers and parents in three area middle schools to help students improve their science inquiry practices, use academic language in and beyond science class and understand that success in science can lead to broader academic success. The team also designed, tested and refined methods to determine the effectiveness of the teaching-learning model.

“English language learners are often pulled out of class to learn conversational English and miss their grade-level content classes, or they are left to sink or swim with unsupported immersion in all-English instruction,” Buxton said. “We use a co-teaching model, often used with special education students, which involves an English as a second language teacher collaborating with a content-area teacher.”

In the new four-year study, Buxton and his colleagues will focus on teaching as it influences the critical student transition from middle school to high school. The college’s team will work with select area teachers in grades 7-10 with a focus on life and physical sciences, and an emphasis on biotechnology as a critical science, technology, engineering and mathematics field.

“The middle school to high school transition is a period in which many students lose interest in science, and many English language learners drop out of school,” Buxton said. “Our research will help us understand the aspects of professional learning that can support teachers in helping (these students) learn to use science, engineering and academic language practices to gain college and career-ready skills in science.”

In their previous study, Buxton and his team worked with students, teachers and parents in three area middle schools to help students improve their science inquiry practices, use academic language in and beyond science classes and understand that success in science can lead to broader academic success. The team also designed, tested and refined methods to determine the effectiveness of the teaching-learning model.

In addition to Buxton, the project team includes Martha Allexsaht-Snider, an associate professor in the department of educational theory and practice; Zhenqui Lu, an assistant professor of educational psychology; and Allan Cohen, a professor of educational psychology and director of the college’s Georgia Center for Assessment.

Alvermann

Spangler

Two College of Education professors, Donna E. Alvermann and Denise A. Spangler, have been appointed to endowed faculty positions in the College. The endowed positions are named for the late UGA President O.C. Aderhold and his late daughter, Elizabeth (BeBe) Aderhold, who served as a faculty member in childhood education.

Alvermann, a Distinguished Research Professor of Language and Literacy Education, was named the Omer Clyde and Elizabeth Parr Aderhold Professor in Education.

Alvermann is also a Fellow in the Owens Institute for Behavioral Research and an Affiliate Faculty member of the Institute for African American Studies. She is currently the principal investigator on a grant funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop and test a Web tool for improving young adolescents’ literacy skills.

Previously, she was principal investigator and co-director of the National Reading Research Center, a $7.8 million dollar grant collaboration with the University of Maryland and funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Her research has also been supported by the Spencer Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the National Council of Teachers of English and the International Reading Association. Alvermann was elected a Fellow in the American Educational Research Association.

Spangler, professor and head of the department of mathematics and science education, was named the Bebe Aderhold Professor in Early Childhood Education.

Spangler’s research focuses on the development of pre-service elementary school teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching. She has published her work in the Journal for Research in Mathematics Education and the Teachers College Record. She has garnered grants from both the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Spencer Foundation. She is currently the principal investigator of a $1 million NSF grant designed to increase the number of high-quality mathematics and science teachers in high-needs school districts.

Spangler, a member of the UGA Teaching Academy, has been recognized for her work with UGA’s Richard B. Russell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and a Lilly Teaching Fellowship.

Spangler has been involved with several national policy efforts focusing on mathematics assessment and teacher preparation standards in association with the American Statistical Association, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators and the Conference Board of Mathematical Sciences.

In addition to her work at UGA, Spangler is in her third term as a member of the Clarke County School District Board of Education, where she has served as vice president.

The special appointments, approved by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia earlier this year, are among three positions established with funds in a gift bequest from the estate of O.C. Aderhold, former UGA President (1950-67) and dean of the College of Education (1947-50).   The third appointment is held by Allan S. Cohen, professor of educational psychology and director of two major assessment and research centers in the College of Education, who was named the Omer Clyde and Elizabeth Parr Aderhold Professor in Research Methodology in 2011.

Vang deadlifting at Junior Worlds with Club Powerlifting alumnus Brooks Conway coaching him.

College of Education student James Vang came home ranked fourth in the world in his age group and weight class after competing in the International Powerlifting Federation’s Junior World Championships in Killeen, Texas.

Vang, a junior from Bethlehem majoring in health and physical education, placed fourth in the 20-23 year-old age group and 145-pound weight class in his international debut for the U.S. National Powerlifting Team at the Aug 26-Sept. 1 event.

Powerlifting is a strength sport that consists of three attempts at maximal weight on three lifts: squat, bench press and deadlift. The squat is a weightlifting exercise in which one squats and stands while holding a weighted barbell supported by the back of the shoulders. The bench press is an exercise in which one lays on his or her back, lowers a weight to chest level, and then pushes it back up until the arms are straight. The deadlift is an exercise in which one lifts a loaded barbell off the ground from a stabilized, bent over position.

A native of Appleton, Wis., Vang has only been lifting for about two years at UGA. In the competition, which drew lifters from 32 countries around the world, Vang was not only representing Wisconsin and UGA, but also the Hmong-American people.

“Being able to lift on the team as the first generation of Hmong people is a stepping stone not only for me in the sport, but also for Hmong-Americans as a whole,” he said.

Vang bench pressed 369 pounds, deadlifted 545 pounds and finished with 573 pounds on the squats for a total of 1,488 pounds.

“James appears to bring the same dedication to his powerlifting that he does to the classroom,”
said Bryan McCullick, professor and coordinator of the physical education program in the department of kinesiology.

Vang made the U.S. National Powerlifting Team by competing and being at the top of his weight class in two national meets.

But how did he become interested in powerlifting?

“I was always a lifter at heart, but just didn’t have any connections with anyone who knew about powerlifting. When powerlifting comes to mind many people think of the Olympics, but the Olympic lifts and Powerlifts are two totally different cultures,” said Vang.

In December 2011, Club Powerlifting at UGA held the Strongest Dawg competition which featured the squat, bench press and deadlift.

“I didn’t know what the deadlift was at first, but since it consisted of the bench and squat, I decided why not learn the deadlift as well and compete in it,” said Vang. “After two or three months of training for that meet at UGA, I won and met Mark Freeman, who is a UGA graduate student and head coach / president of the UGA Powerlifting Club.

“He guided my entire powerlifting career after that to Collegiate Nationals and I won there. He introduced me to many people who were heavily involved in powerlifting like Sherman Ledford and Brooks Conway,” he said.

After he graduates, Vang said he hopes to coach weightlifting classes at a high school or higher level education environment.
 

Adams

Williamson

College of Education faculty members Elaine Adams and Jimmy Williamson were named 2013 Educators of the Year for their respective divisions at the Georgia Association for Career & Technical Education Annual Summer Conference.

University of Georgia College of Education faculty members Elaine Adams and Jimmy Williamson were named 2013 Educators of the Year for their respective divisions at the Georgia Association for Career & Technical Education Annual Summer Conference.

Adams, an associate professor in the department of career and information studies, was recognized as Georgia Marketing Education Association’s Educator of the Year.

Adams teaches instructional strategies, assessment, human resource applications, and community and work-based learning. Her research focuses on pre-service and in-service teacher development, instructional strategies and academic community learning. Adams received her Ph.D. in vocational and technical education from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. She joined the UGA faculty in 1996.

Williamson (BS ‘86, MEd ‘90, PhD ‘99), an academic professional associate in the department of career and information studies, was recognized as the Georgia Health Science Technology Association’s Educator of the Year.

Williamson teaches and administers the College’s alternative teacher certification program. This program serves career professionals that are transitioning to teaching Career and Technical Education in grades 7-12. Williamson received his Ph.D. in instructional technology from UGA. He joined the UGA faculty in 2001.

The awards recognize career and technical educators who provide significant contributions to professional associations and career and technical education programs for youth and adults.

The two UGA faculty members were among 23 career and technical educators honored during the July 2013 conference in Atlanta.

Ellen Evans, an associate professor in kinesiology and director of the new UGA Health and Physical Activity Center. Photo by Paul Efland

For more than 30 years the University of Georgia Fitness Center has provided supervised exercise programs for adults with heart disease and training for students to work as exercise specialists in cardiac rehabilitation programs.

Now, the center based in the College of Education and located in the Ramsey Center, has transitioned into a contemporary fitness program with a new mission and a new name—the UGA Center for Physical Activity and Health.

Ellen Evans, its new director and an associate professor of exercise science in the department of kinesiology, is leading the Center’s transformation. The Fitness Center was first established in 1980 by Harry Duval, a professor in the department of physical education in the College of Education. It was designed as an outreach program which also served as a teaching/learning lab for student practicums and internships.

“I worked in the Fitness Center as a PhD student when it was a Phase III cardiac rehab center,” said Evans. “Through the years, it has only served two of the university’s three missions—teaching and service. Now, we will be serving all three missions—research, teaching and service.”

The Center has also broadened its mission to include programming for various populations with an emphasis on the prevention and management of chronic diseases and conditions which benefit from physical activity.

Evans (PhD ’98) is the perfect person to lead this transition. She earned her doctorate in exercise science at UGA under the guidance of Kirk Cureton, professor and head of the department of kinesiology. She is a recognized researcher in body composition and exercise. Since joining the UGA faculty in 2010, she has secured $1.8 million in new external funding, $1.3 million as principal investigator.

Lauren Peterson, a second-year graduate student in kinesiology from Twinsburg, Ohio; leads a step aerobics class at the UGA Center for Physical Activity and Health.

Evans says the changes she is bringing to the UGA Center for Physical Activity and Health will benefit individuals from the Athens community as well as UGA researchers, faculty, staff, and students. “The goal is to provide community outreach programs and learning opportunities for our students while simultaneously providing infrastructure for research in physical activity,” said Evans.

“Employee health and wellness programs, which always include exercise, are of high interest because the health benefits translate into a more productive employee and reductions in health care costs,” said Evans. “We plan to reach out to UGA employees. We want the Center to be a resource for the “Working Dawgs” who prefer a smaller fitness facility with greater one-on-one attention. Right now, we’re the best-kept secret on campus for faculty and staff. For about a dollar a day, members receive a very comprehensive program.”

The Center is an excellent option for individuals who prefer a high trainer-to-participant ratio and/or a higher level of supervision for safety reasons.

“In addition, the social aspects of membership are really important. Social support is a primary reason why many people adhere to an exercise program,” said Evans.

There are exercise sessions in the early morning, mid-day and early evening on weekdays. The Center offers group-based exercise classes for cardio-respiratory endurance, muscle strength and flexibility and individualized personal training is also available.

Evans says her work in developing the Center for Physical Activity and Health really excites her because it’s a vehicle through which she can have the most impact to help people enhance their health through physical activity.

“It’s on my professional bucket list,” she said. “When I’m dead and gone my goal is that UGA will have an established Center with sustainable physical activity programs that will make a difference in people’s lives.”

For more information, visit: www.coe.uga.edu/CPAH/
or contact uga.cpah@gmail.com

 Sept. 16 Columns story

Sandmann

Lorilee R. Sandmann, a College of Education faculty member, has been named the new editor of the University of Georgia’s Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement.

A leading scholar in the field of the scholarship of engagement, Sandmann assumed the role Aug. 15 after the retirement of Trish Kalivoda, long-time JHEOE editor and associate vice president of public service and outreach at UGA.

Sandmann is a professor in lifelong education, administration and policy in the College of Education and has been involved throughout her career in major educational and institutional change processes promoting and institutionalizing community engagement. Among her achievements, she was co-director of the Clearinghouse and National Review Board for the Scholarship of Engagement, serves on the National Advisory Panel for Community Engagement of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and is the recipient of 2013 Distinguished Research Award by the International Association for Research on Service Learning and Community Engagement.

“Earnest Boyer, in the inaugural issue of the journal, first wrote about the scholarship of engagement. It is indeed an honor to be leading the JHEOE’s editorial team to continue the strong tradition of being the premier vehicle for new knowledge and critical conversations in the field,” said Sandmann. “One of our goals is to reach an even wider audience around the world and advance the global dialogue about the scholarship of outreach and community engagement.”

The journal will begin accepting new manuscripts for peer review and publication consideration on Sept. 1. All article submissions should be original and unpublished work that contribute new knowledge to the field while aligning with the mission of JHEOE. Additional information on submission requirements as well as access to current and back issues can be found at http://openjournals.libs.uga.edu/index.php/jheoe/index.

About the Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement

JHEOE has been published by the University of Georgia since 1996 and serves as a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal to advance theory and practice related to all forms of outreach and engagement between higher education institutions and communities. The Journal is a partnership of UGA’s Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach, Institute of Higher Education and College of Education.

Williams

Sheneka Williams, a faculty member in the College of Education, has been selected by the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education as a member of its 2013 class of the Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP).

Williams and 20 other selectees will attend monthly colloquiums for nine months to broaden their understanding of the policy process in education and related issues. Members will also attend a national policy seminar in Washington, D.C.

Williams, an assistant professor in the department of lifelong leadership, administration, and policy, teaches graduate classes in educational policy analysis and school/community relations. Her research focuses on student assignment policies, school governance and its impact on school communities, and magnet schools and desegregation.

She also currently serves as associate director for policy and advocacy for the University Council for Educational Administration, a national consortium of higher education institutions focused on advancing the preparation and practice of educational leaders.

Williams received her Ed.D. in educational leadership and policy from Vanderbilt University.  She joined the UGA faculty in 2007.

Cuban

Larry Cuban, a professor emeritus of education at Stanford University and a national expert on teaching and school reform, will be the keynote speaker at the University of Georgia College of Education’s sixth annual State of Education conference on Thursday, Sept. 19 at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education.

Cuban will speak on “Three Decades of School Reform and Classroom Practice: The Big Picture,” at 9 a.m.

Cuban has taught courses in the methods of teaching social studies, the history of school reform, curriculum, instruction and leadership. He has been faculty sponsor of the Stanford/Schools Collaborative and Stanford’s Teacher Education Program. Before becoming a professor, Cuban taught social studies in urban high schools, directed a teacher education program that prepared returning Peace Corps volunteers to teach in inner-city schools and served seven years as school superintendent in Arlington, Va.

Davis

Greene County School Superintendent Barbara Pulliam Davis will deliver a luncheon address at 11:45 a.m. titled, “Courage to Share the Vision.”

Davis, Greene County School Superintendent for the past five years, has worked to increase student achievement through innovative programs such as an elementary school violin program; an International Baccalaureate (IB) middle school program and a high school IB Diploma Program. College and Career Readiness programs have been enhanced as high school student participation has increased in dual enrollment courses. Before coming to Greene County, Davis was the first woman to serve as school superintendent in Clayton County and was a school superintendent in St. Louis Park, Minn.

Rotherham

Andrew Rotherham, a national educational reform advocate, will speak on national education policies at 1:30 p.m.

Rotherham is a co-founder and partner at Bellwether Education, a non-profit organization working to improve educational outcomes for low-income students. He also writes for TIME magazine about education issues as well as the blog Eduwonk.com and is the co-publisher of Education Insider, a federal policy research tool produced by Whiteboard Advisors.  Rotherham served at the White House as Special Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy during the Clinton administration and is a former member of the Virginia Board of Education.

The day-long event will also feature more than a dozen UGA faculty members and other experts discussing trends and issues related to P-16 education including topics such as creating safe and welcoming schools, student assessment, teacher and leader evaluation systems, and professional ethics in education.

The conference will conclude with a distinguished panel of speakers discussing, “What IS the State of Education in Georgia?” The panel includes:

• Joseph Barrow, superintendent, Fayette County Schools; president, Georgia School Superintendents Association
• Stan DeJarnett, director, Georgia Vision for Public Education
• Ron Hopkins, board chair, Jefferson City Schools; president, Georgia School Boards Association
• Mike Waldrip, vice president of operations, Benson’s Hospitality Group, Athens

The event is open to the public. For more information or to register online visit: http://tinyurl.com/state-education