Your Story, Your Impact
Stakeholder’s Day 2025
Few gatherings at Norman Hall showcase the College of Education’s activities and accomplishments like the annual Stakeholders Day. On March 7, the highly anticipated 2025 event commenced, reconnecting donors, alumni and friends with the college community. Esteemed attendees from around the state spent time with faculty, staff and students to hear about UF’s most recent educational impacts and learn more about the college’s affairs.
Dean Glenn Good welcomed guests with gratitude before introducing Joe Glover, Interim Provost for the University of Florida. Glover discussed the successful implementation and future expansion of the university’s AI initiative, strengthening UF’s leadership in artificial intelligence. He also highlighted the development of the new Jacksonville graduate campus and emphasized the importance of ongoing partnerships and strategic planning as the community transitions to a new university president.
The event’s theme, “Your Story, Your Impact,” was introduced by Executive Director of Advancement Jim Burke, who polled the audience about their favorite stories to demonstrate the lasting effect of storytelling. Guests mentioned “The Screwtape Letters”, “Stone Soup”, and other classic novels and folktales. Associate Dean of Personnel Affairs and Student Engagement Erica McCray followed with the narrative archetype of the hero’s journey, wherein a protagonist embarks on an adventure, confronts challenges, experiences transformation and returns to positively impact their community. Similarly, the EduGator community confronts challenges, adapting and advancing to effect meaningful change in the field of education.
Three major impact stories were presented by the faculty, staff and students involved. The first was AR Expeditions, a new augmented reality mobile app being developed by a multidisciplinary team composed of members from the college’s E-learning, Technology and Communications department, researchers from the Equitable Learning Technology Lab, the Lastinger Center for Learning’s New Worlds Reading team and students from P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School. The team is researching and developing the app to encourage students to read more books and increase literacy conversations between striving readers and their families as part of the state legislated New Worlds Reading Initiative.
Before breaking for lunch, McCray returned to the stage to facilitate a group activity, where participants were encouraged to reflect on their memories from the College of Education and write them down. Guests were invited to place their sticky note memories on three posters, each representing two-decade periods from 1965 to the present, weaving a visual timeline of over half a century of Norman Hall nostalgia.
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The second major impact story was presented by Seyedahmad Rahimi, assistant professor of educational technology, after being introduced by the namesake and benefactor of his endowment, Dr. Diane Haines (B.A.E., ’64). Rahimi spoke on “failing forward,” or reframing each of his past defeats as a springboard towards success. Beginning with his memories of persisting through repeated failure during his high school wrestling career, he spoke about carrying that same grit and tenacity through his academic journey as both a student and professor. His approach of failing forward most recently paid off with a $500,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for an AI-powered learning tool called ProductiveMath.
In the spirit of showcasing our next generation of educators, Associate Dean of Academic and Student Affairs Elayne Colón hosted a student panel discussion. Students shared their motivations for choosing the College of Education, key lessons learned from influential EduGator mentors and ways they hope to contribute to their community. Each student emphasized the importance of support, their passion for education and the impact they wish to make in their future careers.
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Tara Mathien, clinical assistant professor of early childhood education, and Jane Cheshire, education sciences student, delivered the third and final impact story. They discussed some of the ongoing internationalization efforts at the college, including the new study abroad program to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands that Mathien launched last summer. Cheshire was in the program’s first cohort of participants and described the personal and professional impact of the experience, which ultimately inspired her to pursue a master’s degree.
Participants enjoyed breakout sessions throughout the day featuring several topics, including:
Participants enjoyed breakout sessions throughout the day featuring several topics, including:
Guardians of the Gulf
Julie Brown (M.Ed. ‘06, Ph.D. ‘14), associate professor of science education, and Kent Crippen, Ph.D., associate professor of STEM education, spoke on their Guardians of the Gulf curriculum. This place-based education project, funded by the Gulf Research Project, engages 6th to 8th grade students in tackling local socio-environmental challenges while learning about marine animal conservation.
CSEveryone Center
The CSEveryone Center for Computer Science Education hosted a session featuring interactive coding and robotics demonstrations for guests. The center’s Director of Computer Science Outreach and Implementation, Don Miller, facilitated along with research scientist Meize Guo, Ph.D., and post-doctoral associate Alexis Cobo, Ph.D.
School of Human Development and Organizational Studies in Education
Several faculty from the School of Human Development and Organizational Studies in Education gave a comprehensive overview of the various programs housed within. Associate Professor Chris Curran and Clinical Assistant Professor Walter Balser highlighted the educational leadership and policy program, while Associate Professor Justin Ortagus spoke on the higher education administration and policy program and the Institute of Higher Education.
Suicide Intervention & Prevention and Intervention Network
Laura Shannonhouse (B.S. ‘03, M.Ed. ‘09, Ed.S. ‘09), associate professor of counselor education, and Joni Splett, associate professor of school psychology, presented on the efficacy of suicide intervention training for K-12 school personnel and the Prevention and Intervention Network for Youth, Families, Schools, and Communities.
As the event came to a close, Dean Good delivered remarks on the state of the college. He reiterated the university’s focus on AI and the college’s contributions to AI in education, and he expressed his appreciation for all those who have bolstered the successes of the EduGator community. The dean emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, ongoing research and crucial philanthropic support, all vital to UF’s ability to address societal issues and advance education for all.
The event wrapped up with Burke introducing a memorial video for the beloved Norman oak tree, which was lost to Hurricane Helene in September of last year. An iconic fixture in the Norman courtyard for over a century, the tree witnessed countless study sessions, outdoor lessons and at least one wedding before it was felled. As the video played, audience members watched in near-reverent silence, undoubtedly reminiscing on their own UF memories. The tree’s seeds were planted in hopes they can be used in the redesigned courtyard, growing alongside future generations of EduGators.