Dr. Joseph Bondi (BS ’58, MED ’64, EDD ’68) passed away on Tuesday, January 8th. He is the former mayor of Temple Terrace and a longtime educator. His daughter, Pam Bondi, is the Florida Attorney General.
Joseph Bondi served two two-year terms as mayor from 1974 to 1978 following a stint on the Temple Terrace City Council from 1970 to 1974. He also served as the first chairman of the Hillsborough County Council of Governments.
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Gator Nation U is your connection with the University of Florida. Join us for an informative weekend filled with fun and fellowship. Experience our new UFAA Leadership Academy, connect with faculty and classmates and re-live your days as a student.
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Ella Mae (Beasley) Schenck, a long time resident of Alachua County, Florida passed away on December 27, 2012 at the age of 95. Mrs. Schenck earned her degree in education from the University of Florida in 1950. She was the first principal at Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Elementary School in Gainesville, Florida.
Ella Mae Schenck taught for many years at Waldo Elementary School in Waldo, FL. During her educational career, Mrs. Schenck was a teacher, reading supervisor, elementary supervisor, and eventually, a principal.
Mary Hausch (BAE, ‘71) is the winner of The Gainesville Sun’s 2012 Spirit of Gainesville Award for her contribution to the arts. Hausch is the producing director and co-founder of the Hippodrome Theatre in Gainesville. The award recognizes talented individuals for their significant contribution to the city. Since graduating from UF, Hausch helped found the Hippodrome and continues to lead the theatre’s educational and art programs. She also produces, directs, or acts in many of the theater performances.
“I feel that through my role as an artist and administrator, I can help integrate arts into the lives of so many people, I can help assure the survival of theatre as a vital art form and help create the audiences of tomorrow,” Hausch says.
UF math education professor Tim Jacobbe also was nominated for the Spirit of Gainesville Award for his leadership and volunteering with Caleb’s Pitch, which he founded. The group arranges memorable experiences for children and families confronting serious childhood diseases.
Gator Nation Education: UF & Duval County Schools Partnership Reception was held at Timmy’s Playroom at the Dreams Come True Foundation in Jacksonville, FL. Timmy’s Playroom is part of the Tim Tebow Foundation, which partners with Dreams Come True to fulfill the dreams of children with life-threatening conditions.
Check out our photos from this past Wednesday’s alumni outreach event.
Monique Perry (Ed.D ’13, Higher Ed.) recently was appointed Director of Strategic Communications and Marketing and Chief Public Information Officer for York Technical College. She will oversee marketing, employee communications, presidential communications, media/public relations and the Speakers Bureau for all three YTC campuses. Perry is believed to be the first minority appointee in this position. She previously worked at the college as a Communication/English instructor and academic adviser.
Perry wrote in an email, “I cannot forget how my UF professors and other members of Gator Nation helped lay the foundation for me to get this opportunity. Your core lessons to us about not just focusing on our academic matriculation in the program, but balancing that with building relationships, focusing on consistent job performance, and maintaining contemporary knowledge immediately set me apart from my peers, allowing me to bring value-add and knowledge that positioned me for this opportunity.
Perry is currently pursuing a PhD in Higher Education Administration at UF and is expected to graduate in 2013. Her primary research centers on the impacts of the multi-generational workforce on higher education and its ability to attract and retain future leaders.
Last Friday evening, the College of Education hosted a Cajun-themed Homecoming Celebration for alumni, faculty, and friends in the Norman Hall Courtyard. Attendees were able to meet Dean Glenn Good and reconnect with fellow alumni before heading to Gator Growl. This year we had authentic Cajun cuisine, live music by N’awlins Po Boyz, and beer from our local Swamphead Brewery for our guests.
Click here to see pictures from the event. Click here to see a video from the event.
This year’s EduGator Homecoming Celebration was a success! We look forward to seeing everyone again next year!
Go Gators!
UF College of Education alumna Kassie Erenstoft was named the Dr. Theron Trimble Teacher of the Year among elementary school teachers by the Florida Council for the Social Studies.
The council is a professional organization of social studies educators aimed at promoting social studies instruction in the state.
Erenstoft graduated in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the College of Education. She has been teaching at Spessard L. Holland Elementary School in Bartow, Fla., since 2006. In 2011, Erenstoft was a finalist for Brevard County’s Teacher of the Year award for her engaging and meaningful classroom techniques and her role in connecting teachers with best practices across the district.
Sheri Porubski (M.Ed 2002, English Education) recently accepted a new position as Coordinator of the Teacher Incentive Fund for the Duval County Public School District. Sheri initially worked for Samuel W. Wolfson High School as an English teacher in Jacksonville, Florida, but soon became the first AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) teacher in the city, and eventually held the title of AVID Coordinator.
Sheri has been featured in local television and news articles, including The Florida Times-Union, that covered her program. She was also featured in a video about the Bill and Melinda Gates EXCELerator Grant that provided the initial funding to bring AVID to Duval County. She has also served as a mentor teacher to close to a dozen pre-interns and interns, as well as novice teachers.
Sheri Porubski credits UF’s College of Education for much of her accomplishments. “I would never have been able to plan and execute professional development events for hundreds of people if I did not have the confidence that I gained through earning my degree from such a fine institution. I was well-prepared to tackle both teaching and leadership roles for the past seven years thanks to the thorough instruction and practical application opportunities the college provided,” she states.
The Teacher Incentive Fund is a multi-million dollar federal grant designed to assist the many high-need schools throughout the city of Jacksonville through individualized professional development, data analysis, and teacher performance pay.
We had a successful Grand Guard event this year, celebrating the 50th reunion class of 1962. The alumni and their guests had the opportunity to have lunch at Norman Hall with Tom Dana, Associate Dean and Theresa Vernetson, Assistant Dean. The former education students were able to spend time with other classmates and listen to some of the new research and highlights that are taking place with the College of Education today.
When asked: What advice would you give to new or prospective teachers? The Grand Guard attendees suggested:
1. Take the time to listen to children; sometimes it’s better to throw out the lesson plan and “just listen”. You don’t know what’s going on in their lives outside of school.
2. Don’t listen to what other people say about a student in your class, make your own observation.
3. Take advantage of every opportunity you have while you’re here at the College of Education.
4. Don’t forget your personal exercise…you can work out a million problems while walking around the block.
5. Teach proper keyboarding skills so your students don’t “hunt and peck” when using the computer.
Pictured: Robert and Anne Carlson, Ed and Barbara Johnson, Assistant Dean Theresa Vernetson, Loretta Dow, Associate Dean Tom Dana, Bill and Elaine Pannell, and Sybil Catala.
Class of 1962: Anne Carlson, Barbara Johnson, Loretta Dow, Elaine Pannell, and Sybil Catala.
