With our Convocation Ceremony approaching, it is an exciting time at the College of Education at Illinois. This weekend we will graduate more than 400 students who have been well prepared to succeed in careers in education and beyond. I have no doubt they will make many innovative contributions to society. If you are not attending our convocation on May 12, you can still enjoy the celebration by following us on Twitter (@edILLINOIS) to see photos and videos of graduates and their families on this happy day.
One reason why our graduates are sought after is the opportunities they have to take part in discussions about important issues of equity, diversity, and outreach. Our Dean’s Diversity Lecture series brought distinguished scholars from across the country to Illinois to discuss the impact of these issues on campuses and in society. Our final talk of the year was given by Cynthia B. Dillard, who focused on equity as a way to increase and sustain diversity within education as a mandate for research. Her lecture was supplemented by student and alumni panelists who generously shared their stories and insights to an appreciative and engaged audience. We look forward to bringing more of these important voices to campus next year.
As the semester comes to a close, we are proud of the many awards and recognition our faculty and staff members received over the past year. Honorees were recognized internally at our annual Spring Faculty Meeting, and many more were honored throughout the year by the campus and by organizations nationwide. View all of the 2017-18 awardees.
Ruth Nicole Brown and Eboni Zamani-Gallaher are examples of two of our faculty whose considerable outreach and decades-long research demonstrate why this is such a special place to learn, teach, and conduct research in. Brown received a Whiting Public Engagement Fellowship that will expand her Black Girls Genius Week project, and Zamani-Gallaher was named a Senior Scholar of the American College Personnel Association.
We have been fortunate to have special education professor Michaelene Ostrosky in our college since 1997. She is one of three accomplished scholars—and the first woman—from the College of Education to receive the prestigious Grayce Wicall Gauthier Professorship in Education, a campus award that was established by an Illinois alumnus in 1995. Dr. Ostrosky’s investiture took place in early May and was a special event to behold.
Special Education associate professor Hedda Meadan-Kaplansky, was honored in February as a University Scholar thanks to her efforts in teaching and service. Congratulations also to two of our other campus awardees: Liora Bresler received the Campus Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Mentoring, and David Zola received the Campus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. Read more about all of the honorees of the Campus Awards for Excellence in Instruction.
A new Instructional Design MasterTrack™ Certificate Program is a first for the College as we are the first and only college to offer the program through Coursera. Given learners’ increased interest in free-standing certificates, as well as the demand for our college’s expertise in instructional design, this is an opportunity that will benefit many.
Our open-rank search for TIER-ED (Technology Innovation in Educational Research and Design) faculty yielded an immense pool of talented scholars. We look forward to introducing them to you and welcoming them to campus soon.
In National Science Foundation research news, Stafford Hood, Denice Ward Hood and Marlon Mitchell are collaborating on the PATHS-UP ERC project, and Bill Cope is leading a campus study that could improve education and create better doctors thanks to on-the-spot assessment, feedback, and scalable metrics.
Finally, our ninth annual Graduate Student Conference addressed global issues in education that can only be solved if we are willing to meet them head on, as Dr. Linda Herrera so eloquently related in the piece “‘Uncertain times’ in education.”
Moments of uncertainty often lead to novel improvements. As society continues to grapple with enormous challenges, you can be assured that we at the College of Education are meeting those challenges and working to fulfill our shared values and commitment to the transformative power of education.
Thank you for your continued support of the College of Education at Illinois.
Yours in Orange & Blue,
James D. Anderson, Ed.M. ’69, Ph.D. ‘73
Dean and Edward William and Jane Marr Gutgsell Professor of Education
