Alum presented with Teaching Excellence Award

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Lyle McKinney, a 2010 UF doctoral graduate in higher education administration, was recently awarded the University of Houston’s 2014 Teaching Excellence Award.

McKinney is an assistant professor of higher education and faculty-in-residence at UH.

This award isn’t McKinney’s first recognition as a top teacher. In 2013, he received the UH College of Education Research Excellence Award and also was one of four assistant professors across the state of Texas to serve as a Faculty Fellow of the Greater Texas Foundation.

He said his goal is to help shape public policies and institutional practices that raise the chances of success for community college students. He said he benefitted from UF COE’s national reputation as one of the best at preparing highly effective community college educators.

“UF gave me this great opportunity as a student to immerse myself in meaningful research,” he said. “It built a confidence that kind of snowballed.”

As a member of the Houston Gator Club, McKinney still feels closely linked to the Gator Nation. He said he gains a deeper appreciation for the knowledge and motivation his alma mater provided as the years go by.

“I want to take the knowledge I’ve gathered from UF and use it to improve the lives of others,” he said.

 

UF Higher Ed. Alumna named YTC Dean

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UF higher education administration alumna Monique Perry was recently appointed dean of enrollment services at York Technical College. York Tech is a two-year community and technical college outside of the Charlotte, North Carolina area.

As dean, she oversees student recruitment and admissions, academic records, the college-wide call center, and financial aid.

She earned her Ed.D. in higher education administration with a concentration in community college leadership from UF in 2013.

“The depth of knowledge, exposure and the support of the UF network I developed there helped make me competitive for my current position,” Perry said. “Our program focused on developing us as a total package.”

Perry’s research interests include the impacts of the multi-generational workforce on higher education and its ability to attract and retain future leaders, especially millennials. Her dissertation at UF included research on millennial faculty workplace preferences and their impact on job satisfaction.

“My legacy is to not only help develop people in higher education, but also make sure that I contribute to programs, initiatives and guidelines that help make students successful,” she said

Ed Leadership Alum Wins National Principal of the Year

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Jayne Ellspermann (MED ’84, Education Leadership) became the principal of West Port High School soon after it opened in 2003. Ellspermann’s dedication to the students of West Port has resulted in higher FCAT scores and many seniors earning Associate’s degrees from Central Florida before graduation. The National Association of Secondary School Principals has named Jayne Ellspermann the 2015 National Principal of the Year.

Jayne Ellspermann earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Georgia in 1977. In 1984, she earned her Master’s degree in Education Leadership from the University of Florida. For the full Ocala Star Banner article, click here.  Alumni Accolades article here.

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photo credit: Alan Youngblood/Star-Banner

 

Alum Is New Director of FJCC

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Stephen Masyada (MEd ’02, Social Studies Ed & PhD ’13, Curriculum & Instruction) became the Director of the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship in August 2014. The Florida Joint Center for Citizenship is a combined effort of the Lou Frey Institute of Politics and Government and the Bob Graham Center for Public Service. His primary focus is on professional development relating to civics education in Florida. Dr. Masyada previously worked for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction as a Social Studies Education consultant.

Dr. Stephen Masyada is currently the President Elect of the Council of State Social Studies Specialists. He earned a BA in History in 2000, a MEd in Social Studies Education in 2002, and a PhD in Curriculum & Instruction in 2013 from the University of Florida. While pursuing his PhD, Masyada taught Social Studies in Levy County. He is also a former teacher of the year at Williston High School, 2003-2004.

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Higher Ed Alum Is New President of PCC’s Desert Vista Campus

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Dr. Morgan Phillips (EDS ’00 & EDD ’02, Higher Ed. Admin) is the new president of Pima Community College’s Desert Vista Campus in Tucson, AZ.

Dr. Phillips has served as the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs at Southeastern Community College in Whiteville, N.C., since 2012. He is responsible for all the college’s academic programs and student development functions, as well as its technology operations and accreditation efforts.

Dr. Phillips served as Southeastern’s Vice President of Curriculum Instruction for six years before assuming his current position. His two decades’ experience in higher education includes serving as a faculty member, department chair, and academic dean at Valencia Community College in Orlando, FL.

Morgan holds a Doctor of Education degree in Higher Education Administration from the University of Florida.  In 2007, Morgan Phillips was the UF Institute of Higher Education Outstanding Graduate.

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UF alum Neuhard named president of FSCJ Kent campus

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Ian Neuhard (Ed.D. ’13) will be the new president of the Florida State College at Jacksonville’s Kent campus beginning July 14.

Neuhard, who has served as dean of baccalaureate programs for the past seven years at Indian River State College in Fort Pierce, Fla., said his experience at UF provided the impetus for landing his new position.

“Earning my doctorate last year was a key aspect of my successful candidacy,” he said. “I have the faculty at the College of Education to thank for all the hard work, advice and assistance they provided as I worked to complete the program and achieve this next important step in my career.”

Neuhard majored in higher education administration at UF. He received his master of professional studies degree in community services administration from Alfred University in New York in 1997.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in English language arts education at the University of Central Florida in Orlando after receiving an associate in arts degree from Valencia Community College, also in Orlando.

Elementary Ed Alum Wins ISTE Technology Innovation Award

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Caitlin McLemore (BAE ’09 & MEd ’10, Elementary Ed) was part of a team that won the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) SIGLIB (library special interest group) Technology Innovation Award for 2014. According to the ISTE website, ”ISTE presents this award to one team consisting of a school librarian and collaborating teacher, from one primary school (K-5) or its equivalent, each year. We’re looking for teams that have planned a collaborative project involving technology, received support from administration, and successfully executed the project with supportive data and evidence for others to replicate the project.”  Caitlin and her colleague, Melissa Powers, submitted lesson plans and artifacts from a lesson they implemented with 4th grade teachers about civil rights utilizing resources including VoiceThread and Google Apps. Caitlin and Melissa were awarded several prizes including cash to purchase technology resources for the school and a free trip to the ISTE conference in Atlanta in July.

Caitlin McLemore was the Media Technology Integrationist at Currey Ingram Academy, a K-12 independent school in Brentwood, TN for students with learning differences, from 2012-2014. She will be starting a new position as Technology Integration Specialist at Harpeth Hall, an all-girls independent school for grades 5-12 in Nashville, TN in August.  In 2009, Caitlin graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Florida.  The following year, she graduated with her Master’s degree in Elementary Education, with a specialization in Education Technology.

ISTE Official Press Release: http://goo.gl/wY4xBi
Tennessean Article: http://goo.gl/53IuxM

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Alumna creates Tutoring Program for Children

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A few years ago Kerri Saulnier (MEd ’97, Special Education), a teacher at The Schenck School in Atlanta, GA saw a need and filled it. In 2009, Saulnier founded the pro bono tutoring program, Schenck Helping Individuals in Need Excel (SHINE), for students with reading difficulties. SHINE’s one-on-one tutoring is provided at no charge to children ages 5 to 15 with documented reading difficulties and demonstrated financial need. All SHINE tutors are volunteers. “Any teacher will tell you that it’s thrilling to teach a child to read,” says Saulnier, SHINE director. “Effective reading intervention and remediation can be very expensive and hard to find. Through this community outreach, SHINE tutors are dedicated to lighting the candle of reading against the darkness that illiteracy will mean over a child’s lifetime.”

Saulnier was also the winner of the 2010 Service Award from The Georgia Branch of the International Dyslexia Association for her tutoring program. The award is “in appreciation and recognition of dynamic and creative leadership in education and outstanding efforts to promote and encourage literacy, reading, and student achievement.”  Kerri Saulnier earned her Bachelor’s degree in 1996 and her Master’s Degree in 1997 from the University of Florida, with a concentration in Special Education.

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Ed Leadership Alum is Florida’s Principal of the Year

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Jayne Ellspermann (MED ’84, Education Leadership) became the principal of West Port High School soon after it opened in 2003.  Ellspermann’s dedication to the students of West Port has resulted in higher FCAT scores and many seniors earning Associate’s degrees from Central Florida before graduation.  The Florida Association of School Administrators (FASA) has named Jayne Ellspermann principal of the year.  During FASA’s upcoming 2014 summer conference on June 18, Jayne will receive her award.

Jayne Ellspermann earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Georgia in 1977.  In 1984, she earned her Master’s degree in Education Leadership from the University of Florida.  For the full Ocala Star Banner article, click here.

ellspermannphoto credit: Alan Youngblood/Star-Banner

SPC honors EduGator alumna-donor Helen Gilbart

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St. Petersburg College has honored UF College of Education alumna Helen Gilbart with its 2014 Outstanding Alumna Award.

Gilbart graduated from St. Petersburg Junior College (renamed SPC in 2001 when it began offering baccalaureate degree programs) in 1964 with her associate in arts degree. After earning her bachelor’s and master’s in education from UF in 1965 and 1967 respectively, she returned to SPJC as a faculty member at its Clearwater campus where she later became the program director for humanities, fine arts and communications.

In receiving the SPC honor, Gilbart was described as “a true example of a life-long educator and advocate of student success.” She has published several student reading skills and test preparatory manuals and was one of the founding members of SPC’s Women on the Way resource and support center to help women succeed in college. With her late husband Donald Gilbart (BAE ’52, MEd ’63), she was one of the early members of the SPC Foundation’s Legacy Society.

The Gilbarts have provided endowments and scholarship support over the years for both SPC and UF’s College of Education. In 2008, the UF college formed the Gilbart-Olsen Education Technology Endowment with a joint $100,000 donation from the Gilbarts and alumna Norma Olsen (BAE ’76, MEd ’80). The COE last fall used endowment funds to purchase 20 iPads for pre-service teaching students to use in their technology integration courses, helping them develop the skills necessary to teach schoolchildren how to effectively use and learn from technology.

“I think back on my days in Norman Hall with so much pleasure,” Gilbart said. “I received my best direction and influence from professors who inspired me to want to help those children and college students who have no way to help themselves without a helping hand from people like me. I always hope that others will want to pay it forward, too, by donating to UF and (the College of Education).”