Angel Rodriguez, a UF doctoral student in higher education leadership, recently received the R. Irene Craney Fischley Endowed Teaching Chair at Broward College in South Florida.

Rodriguez has been teaching science, including anatomy and physiology, biology, environmental science, and oceanography at Broward College since 1993. This is his second endowed teaching position at the college.

As an endowed teaching chair, Rodriguez will receive a $7,500 program stipend and a $2,500 professional development stipend. He was one of seven professors at Broward College to be selected for the honor.

In November, Rodriguez received Kappa Delta Pi’s C. Glen Hass Laureate Scholarship in Instructional Leadership. The $1,500 award is only given to applicants from the University of Florida doctoral program. Rodriguez was profiled last year by the College of Education as one of the “Six to Watch” students as recommended by UF education professors. In 2011, Rodriguez received the UF Presidential Service Award. He previously received the UF college’s Maxwell and Doris King Scholarship and this year the James L. Wattenbarger Scholarship, named for the former professor who helped create Florida’s community college system.

The UF College of Education recently hosted two of its most accomplished graduates in Higher Ed Admin., brothers Max King (EDD ’56) and Charles King (MED ’63)—both pioneers in the state and national junior college and community college movement. Max King was the founding president of Indian River Junior College and headed Brevard Community College for 30 years; he was the first Floridian ever recognized (in 1989) as America’s top administrator in higher education by the American Association of University Administrators. His brother, Charles King, was the the founding president of Southwest Virginia Community College for 40 years before retiring in 2007.

Pictured here, Charles (left) and Max chat about their experiences and life’s work with student cohort members of the UF Institute of Higher Education

The UF College of Education Seminole County EduGator Reception was held at the home of Dr. Tina (Ed.D ’99) & Dr. Joseph Calderone in Longwood, FL on February 27, 2013.  Alumni guests were able to reconnect with fellow Gators and hear about the exciting things happening at UF.

Thank you to all our alumni and guests who were able to attend this event!

To see more photos from the reception, click here.

Jessica Funk (MED ’10, Elementary Ed) tells us about her career after graduation.  Jessica joined the Peace Corps shortly after earning her degree from the University of Florida.  She now teaches to children in Mbala, Zambia in Africa for 10 hours a day, focusing on literary instruction.  One challenge she faces is preparing the children in grades 8 and 9 for their upcoming national exams so that they can continue their education in high school.  Jessica is pictured below with some of her students.

Lauren O’Hara May (M.Ed ’09, Early Childhood Ed.) teaches Kindergarten at St. Pius Catholic School in Jacksonville, FL.  She is also the Vice President of Athletics for the Gator Club of Jacksonville.  Her class recently participated in “College T-shirt Day” and photographed her students as “Future Gators”.