2015 COE Edugator Tailgate

The College of Education hosted an EduGator Tailgate at the Brick Plaza of Norman Hall Saturday, October 3rd. Over a hundred COE alumni and friends gathered together for food, drinks, conversation, and to watch some good ole’ football. The College of Education plans to host future EduGator Alumni Tailgates.

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

To see all of the photos from the event, click here.

Alumni Spotlight: Maryanne Swegles

maryanne2

This EduGator is Literally Going Everywhere – Maryanne Swegles

Maryanne Swegles (BAE ’77) is leaving New England after a 20+ year career in art education to see the United States in her new Airstream Flying Cloud. Maryanne is preparing to take on this new stage in life with her husband, retired Lt. Commander USCG Michael Swegles. Happy travels, Maryanne & Michael! Follow their blog: https://therollingtoaster.wordpress.com/

Go EduGators!

Share your story at https://education.ufl.edu/alumni/update-info/

Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Ann Marie O’Roark

Oroark Congratulations to EduGator, Dr. Ann Marie O’Roark Ann Marie O’Roark (PhD ’74, foundations of education, MEd ‘72) received the 2015 Frances Mullen Award for Distinguished Contributions to International Psychology from the International Council of Psychologists. The award, presented on Aug. 3 at the council’s annual conference in Toronto, recognizes O’Roark for 37 years of leadership to the international association, including serving as president, secretary and director. Go EduGators!

Alumni Spotlight: Deborah Dugan

EduGators Who Are Making a Difference — Deborah Dugan

Deb DuganDeborah Dugan (BAE ‘80) is the current CEO of (RED), a non-profit organization that is working to end the world transmission of AIDS from mothers to their babies. Co-founded by music star Bono, (RED) took on Deborah Dugan as their CEO in 2011. Since then (RED) has partnered up with global corporations such as The Coca-Cola Company, Bank of America and several others in efforts to make the prevention of AIDs easy and accessible on a mass scale. Prior to (RED), Deborah has served as President of Disney Publishing Worldwide, overseeing 275 magazines and publishing for more than 4,000 new book titles. Deborah has written for the Huffington Post and McKinsey’s Social Innovation publication and was also named one of the “100 Most Powerful Women” by Forbes Magazine. Deborah is making us proud – Go EduGators!

Share your story at https://education.ufl.edu/alumni/update-info/

Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Christopher Rampacek

EDUGATORS WHO ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE – Dr. Christopher Rampacek

We are proud of our alum Dr. Christopher Rampacek (BSPE ’77 MEd ’78) for reminding us that the EduGator Nation really is everywhere. For the past two years he has been working on contracted teaching assignments in China, Thailand and Malaysia involving physical education and sport coaching for the U.S. Sports Academy. Christopher says, “It is a great opportunity to represent my country, share my educational passion and influence my students to become better teachers and coaches.”
Go EduGators!

Share your story at https://education.ufl.edu/alumni/update-info/

Christopher R.

St. Augustine EduGator Alumni Reception

The College of Education hosted an EduGator Alumni Reception at The Garden’s at the Oldest Wooden School House in St. Augustine on May 14. Thirty COE alumni and friends gathered together for food, drinks, conversation, and to hear the latest updates on the college’s initiatives. The College of Education plans to host future EduGator alumni gatherings around the state of Florida.

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

To see all of the photos from the event, click here.

17693923115_4868feba84_k

Ohlson collaborating on writing instruction and technology integration project

Tiffany Ohlson (Ph.D. ’11, curriculum and instruction) is using her position as a Research Fellow for Early Learning and Literacy at the University of North Florida’s Florida Institute of Education to collaborate with practitioners and other researchers to design and implement a blended professional learning experience for pre-kindergarten and elementary school teachers on writing instruction and technology integration.

The initiative is designed to gain knowledge about how blended professional learning sessions on literacy, research-based instructional strategies and embedded tablet technology can impact classroom instruction and student achievement; as well as increase teachers’ knowledge and skills in the fields of literacy and technology. Results will be shared at the state and national levels.

Ohlson has presented at international, national, and regional conferences on effective literacy practices and technology integration. She recently wrote a chapter to be published in the third edition of Comprehension Instruction: Research-Based Best Practices due out this summer.

Alumna Awarded Counseling Fellowship from NBCC and Affiliates


Melanie Varney (MAE ’14 & EDS ’14, Mental Health Counseling) was selected for the National Board for Certified Counselors Minority Fellowship Program by The NBCC Foundation, an affiliate of the National Board for Certified Counselors.  As an NBCC MFP Fellow, Varney will receive funding and training to support her education and facilitate her service to underserved minority populations.

Melanie Varney received her Master’s and Specialist degree, both in Mental Health Counseling, in 2014 from the University of Florida.  During her time at UF, Melanie received the Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling’s (AARC) 2013 Master’s Exemplary Research and Practice Award.  Currently, Varney is a doctoral student in the counselor education and practice program at Georgia State University in Atlanta.  Her research areas include social privilege and oppression, the experiences of students of color in counseling programs, systemic racism, the long-term effects of racism, and intersectionality.

To read the press release, click here.

Outstanding Higher Ed. Alum Receives Tenure and Promotion

David Horton, Jr. (PhD ’09, Higher Ed. Admin) recently received tenure and a promotion to Associate Professor with Ohio University.  His teaching and research areas include the organization, governance and funding of higher education, multicultural development, diversity in higher education, the persistence of community college students, and the academic success of student-athletes.

Dr. David Horton received his PhD in 2009 in Higher Education Administration from the University of Florida and in 2011, he won the award for Outstanding Young Alumnus.  Horton came to UF with a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in History from Dallas Baptist University. During his doctoral studies, he worked as a recruiter and assistant in the College of Education’s office of outreach, recruitment and retention. He also received funding to attend the College Sports Research Institute’s annual meeting. He credits much of his success to his involvement in athletics, saying, “My participation in athletics taught me that hard work does pay off, and that you get out of life what you put into it.”

horton

NSF fellowship is just the latest achievement for UFTeach alum Xavier Monroe

Xavier J. Monroe, a 2013 UF graduate, belongs on a UFTeach student recruitment poster.

And that’s even before he was awarded a prestigious Graduate Research Fellowship in STEM education and learning research recently from the National Science Foundation.

While Monroe was still a UF undergraduate double-majoring in civil engineering and history, and also minoring in African Studies, the College of Education in 2011 enrolled him in yet another degree program–its new UFTeach mathematics education minor.

For someone with Monroe’s drive, what’s one more degree program, right?

The UFTeach minor degree programs in math or science education together are one of the pillars of the college’s STEM education reform strategy. The goal of UFTeach is to enlist top science, technology, engineering and math majors and prepare them to teach effectively in one of those vital STEM disciplines at the middle or high school grade levels.

Monroe personifies what UFTeach is all about. After simultaneously earning all four UF degrees—the two majors and both minors, the east Gainesville native and former Florida Academic Scholar went on to obtain his master’s in educational leadership and policy a year later from the University of Michigan.

He’s now poised to start his second year of Ph.D. studies in educational policy at Stanford University, coinciding with his selection as an NSF Graduate Research Fellow.

After Monroe completes his doctorate, he said he’d like to become a college professor and conduct education research in areas such as school transformation, policies and practices that will improve student achievement, the role of family and community partnerships with public schools, and issues of equity and access in STEM education, particular for underrepresented minorities.

Monroe said he’s grateful for the impact that UFTeach has had on his education philosophy and career path.
Monroe poses with a group of kids he met in Kano, Nigeria, where he conducted research as a UF undergraduate.

Monroe poses with a group of kids he met in Kano, Nigeria, where he conducted research as a UF undergraduate.

“The level of training and guidance from UFTeach equipped me with tools to succeed in the classroom as a pre-service teacher and in my local community work as an after-school instructor,” Monroe said. “This was also the beginning of my transition to the education field.”

“Education requires a great sense of humility, passion and the ability to partner with families and communities to best meet the needs of students, particularly our most vulnerable students,” he added.

Monroe said he vividly remembers something that UF STEM education instructor Kent Crippen said one night in class: “Students do not need your sympathy, they need you to teach them in ways that help to address the issues they face.”

Monroe’s fellowship was one of only 16 awarded by NSF in STEM education and learning research. The fellowship will support his study of the influence of teachers relating teaching content to the cultural backgrounds of their students.

Associate professor Crippen said Xavier’s fellowship award “is a significant accomplishment for a UFTeach alumnus and demonstrates the scope and broader impact of the program.”

CONTACTS
SOURCE: Xavier Monroe, monroexj@stanford.edu
SOURCE: Kent Crippen, UF College of Education; 352-273-4222; kcrippen@coe.ufl.edu
WRITER: Larry Lansford, communications director, UF College of Education; 352-273-4137; llansford@coe.ufl.edu;