 | Summer 2006 |
Letters: Stephen P. Barbus, Dean of the College of Education
Dear College of Education Alumni,
I would like to offer greetings from everyone in the College of Education. We are excited about this opportunity to communicate with you through this Alumni Online Newsletter. A great deal has happened the last few years in the COE and I will keep with the spirit of electronic communication and be succinct.
It is hard to believe that this August will mark the third year that the COE has occupied the Regional Education Center. Faculty, students and staff have settled into this state-of-the-art facility quite easily and we are taking full advantage of what it has to offer. If you haven’t had the opportunity to see the building, please contact us. We would be pleased to show you YOUR Regional Education Center.
The faculty of the College of Education continue to be engaged in a wide range of important and fascinating scholarship activities:
- Dr. Anne Tap was selected by NASA as one of ten educators nationwide to become a Stardust Fellow. The Stardust spacecraft traveled over 3 billion miles on a mission to capture interstellar dust particles, including flying with in 150 miles of comet Wild 2. Dr. Tapp witnessed the construction of the spacecraft in 1997 and was invited to be present in Houston when scientists examined and discussed the 4.5 billion year old particles this past year.
- SVSU and the College of Education received a $1.5 million endowment to establish a fellowship for educational leaders from the Gerstacker Foundation. The Gerstacker Fellowship will select 12 individuals each year for an intensive year-long experience designed to expand and enhance leadership skills. Utilizing a weekend format and involving faculty from across disciplines, the fellowship will culminate with a visit to sister institutions to meet and work with educators in East Asia. The Fellowship will begin in August 2006 with the inaugural cohort.
- Drs. Susie Emond and Gretchen Owocki piloted in 2005-2006, the College of Education’s Literacy Center. The program works closely with school districts’ at-risk readers by utilizing the capstone experiences of our MAT-Reading students. The Literacy Center worked closely with Carrollton Schools in the initial year and plans are underway to expand the program during the upcoming academic year.
- Drs. Doug Hansen and Helene Lusa each recently received a Title II A(3) Improving Teacher Quality grants from the U.S. Department of Education; Dr. Hansen works with the professional development of math and science teachers and Dr. Lusa will prepare principals to lead literacy teaching and learning in their buildings.
- The Math and Science Center, under Dr. Walt Rathkamp’s leadership, has been very active in the professional development of math and science teachers. They have received nearly a million dollars a year in the last two years through Title II A and B funding in support of enhancing teachers’ skills and knowledge in light of changing standards.
- In the last couple of years the College of Education’s faculty have presented their scholarship across the country and world, including Ireland, Switzerland, Ukraine, China, Japan, India and Canada. Dr. Susan Hillman recently completed a successful sabbatical in India, working with our sister institution BVVS in Bagalkot, Karnataka.
- Dr. Robert Meadows, a member of the College of Education for the last 33 years, announced his retirement effective this spring. It is quite likely that if you attended the COE at any time during those 33 years you know Bob and so you share in our gratitude to him for his contributions to the college.
- The College of Education will welcome three new faculty members for the 2006-2007 academic year. Dr. Josh Ode will join the Kinesiology Department. He is a graduate of SVSU and was most recently at MSU. Dr. Abigail Jewkes, of the University of Michigan will join the Teacher Education – Early Childhood program and, Dr. Byung-In Seo will be a member of Teacher Education – Middle and Secondary Education teaching literacy. She comes to us from the University of Illinois – Chicago.
- This past year, with great sadness, we said good-bye to Dr. Sally Edgerton-Netke, who passed away on August 5, 2005. Sally had been with SVSU since 1987 and was the “mother” of our Early Childhood program and the individual responsible for much of our recent success and growth at our Macomb Regional Center. Her compassion, hard work and commitment are greatly missed but we enjoy the fruits of her life’s work every day in the College of Education.
The College of Education has established a brand new department this year, Educational Technology & Development. The department is chaired by Dr. Elizabeth Hansen and will direct the MAT in Instructional Technology as well as offer the COE’s technology courses and many new professional development programs. This new department joins the COE at the same time that we added online courses to our Fall 2006 schedule. We will be offering increasing numbers of online courses in all programs in the upcoming years.
The college’s off-campus programming continues to grow. In addition to our graduate programs at the Macomb Regional Center (dedicated in 2003), we offer an undergraduate program in Elementary and Secondary Education in Port Huron, in partnership with St. Clair County Community College(SC4). A new and exciting development at our SC4 location is our recent agreement with Lambton College in Sarnia, Ontario, across the bridge from Port Huron. This coming year, Canadian students will be joining their American counterparts earning a degree from SVSU to teach elementary education.
The College of Education’s growth and success has come from the very hard work, support and dedication of many individuals over the last 40 years. Our growing reputation comes from all of you, the teachers and leaders that studied here then went on to productive careers. The College of Education is entirely judged by the success of its graduates. Judging by the reputation we have earned over the years, we would like to thank all of you for your contribution to your communities and thus to the College of Education.
We wish you all the best of luck and continued success. Please keep in touch.
Most Sincerely,
Dr. Stephen P. Barbus, Dean
College of Education