Fall/Winter 2012-2013 - School of Education - University of Pittsburgh

UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGHSCHOOL OF EDUCATIONllnesspolicyglobalmotivationleFALL 2012NEWSrshiplearningwellnesspolicyglobalivationleadershiplearning Shaping welpolicyglobalmotivationleadethe NextiplearningwellnesspolicyglobalmoCenturyEngaging People on a Regional,National, and International Scaleationleadershiplearning wellneslicyglobalmotivationleaderslearningwellnesspolicyglobalmotivonleadershiplearningwellnesspolglobalmotivationleadershipleingwellnesspolicyglobalmotivatileadershiplearningwellnesspolicyglmotivationleadershiplearninllnesspolicyglobalmotivationlershiplearning wellnesspolicygloba

UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGHwellnesspolicyglobalmotivationleaSCHOOL OF EDUCATIONFALL 2012NEWSdershiplearningwellnesspolicyglobalmotivationleadershiplearning Shaping wellnesspolicyglobalmotivationleaderthe NextshiplearningwellnesspolicyglobalmotCenturyEngaging People on a Regional,National, and International Scaleivationleadershiplearning wellnesspolicyglobalmotivationleadershiplearningwellnesspolicyglobalmotivationleadershiplearningwellnesspolicyglobalmotivationleadershiplearningwellnesspolicyglobalmotivationleadershiplearningwellnesspolicyglobalmotivationleadershiplearningwellnesspolicyglobalmotivationleadershiplearning wellnesspolicyglobalOn the cover: For the front cover design,six words were selected that exemplifythe school’s ongoing goals. They aremotivation, wellness, learning, global,policy, and leadership.Table of ContentsFeatures ....................................................4School News ...........................................15Faculty and Staff News...........................20Alumni News...........................................25In Memoriam ...........................................31PUBLISHERAlan LesgoldEXECUTIVE EDITORSJohn ConroyJere GallagherCOMMUNICATIONS MANAGERStacey RosleckART DIRECTORRainey Opperman DermondPRODUCTION MANAGERChuck DinsmoreEDITORIAL ASSISTANTSNiki KapsambelisSarah Jordan RosensonThe University of Pittsburgh is an affirmative action, equalopportunity institution. Published in cooperation with theDepartment of University Marketing Communications.UMC78256-1012From the DeanKeeping Quality UpWhile Keeping Costs LowAlan LesgoldLike all of higher education, theUniversity of Pittsburgh Schoolof Education is challenged bythe rapid pace of change in our society.Whether we are considering whatresearch we should be supporting,what programs we should be offering,or who we should hope to recruit asstudents, we must continually attendto the changes taking place around us.As the school continues into its secondcentury, here are just two of the waysin which we are responding to changesin the world of education.First, there is the much more universalneed for schooling. In the past, schoolsoffered an education to all. For somewho desired higher status or upwardmobility, schooling worked—at leastin part. When it failed, the failure oftenwas due to inadequacy in how specificconcepts and skills were taught.Consequently, it made sense to focusa lot of our efforts in the School ofEducation on the effective teachingof each subject matter. We remainexperts in that area.However, the need for a strong educationis widespread, and having a goodeducation no longer provides as muchcertainty of having a good life. In somecommunities, there are many examplesof people who worked hard in schoolbut are jobless, either because of shiftsin the global economy or because ofother barriers to good jobs such as racialdiscrimination. Moreover, schoolingcompetes in today’s world with all kindsof distractions, both real and virtual.At the same time, the social cost isextremely high to communities with highnumbers of students who fail to learnsufficiently in school.Recent studies show that individualswith less than a high school educationreceive more over the course of a lifetimein direct payments from government thanthey contribute in taxes. And that doesn’teven count indirect costs that arise whenpeople without adequate income needhealth care or when people without jobprospects resort to illegal activity. Forindividuals and society as a whole, thecost of not excelling in school is risingquickly—as are, unfortunately, thefactors that dilute motivation.2SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

As a result, there is a greater need forresearch and new practices aimed atensuring that students remain engagedin school and persist in doing andcompleting hard assignments.To address these needs, we in the PittSchool of Education have been recruitingnew colleagues to help us do more aboutmotivation, engagement, and persistence.Our recent motivation and engagementconference helped us focus on theseareas, and now we have several greatcolleagues joining us who devote theirwork to motivation issues. Some of ourcolleagues have done work related tostudying motivation for a while, includingTanner Wallace, assistant professorin the Department of Psychology inEducation, and John Jakicic, professorand chair of the Department of Healthand Physical Activity, who studiesmotivation to stay physically active.Shannon Wanless, assistant professorin the Department of Psychology inEducation, joined our motivation talentpool last fall, and Ming-Te Wang arrivedthis September. We also are close torecruiting another more senior colleaguewho will work on both motivation andinstructional technology, and the oddsare good that our next Helen S. FaisonChair in Urban Education also will dowork on motivation.Another huge challenge that weare addressing is the cost of highereducation. While economists can explainwhy higher education costs have risenfaster even than health care costs, thefact remains that costs now exceed thecapabilities of many families, and careerand education decisions increasingly aremade based upon personal wealth ratherthan motivation to be useful in a particularcareer. For us, there also are challengesdue to a shortage of teaching jobs insome specialties in Western Pennsylvaniacombined with programs in other partsof the state and nation offering freetuition and salary to attract new teachers.While job availability is temporary,cost issues will continue.We have made a number of changes toour teacher preparation programmingto deal with the cost issue. In the past,when the state added new requirementsfor teacher preparation, we added newcourses. This past year, we redesignedour Master of Arts in Teaching programto bring it from the current level of 48–51required credits back to 36 credits, whichaligns with top schools of educationnationally. This change reduced the costof tuition by 25 percent and also reducedthe number of months a student mustbe with us full time. At the same time,we added a number of new contentcomponents to ensure that every teacherwe prepare is ready for the challengesof current schooling, including studentdiversity and special needs, as well asfor the core aspects of teaching eachsubject area and encouraging a productiveclassroom environment.We also are slowly moving fromplacements of small numbers of internstudents in each of a large number ofschools to the development of allianceswith a smaller number of school districts.These districts can be education’s equivalentof medicine’s teaching hospitals.Falk Laboratory School has always hadthat status of being a “teaching school,”but now it is joined by Pittsburgh BrashearHigh School. At Brashear, our students willbe part of the Pittsburgh Public Schools’improvement efforts, will be mentored by aselect group of top teacher-coaches, andwill even take one or two of their coursesin the same building after Brashear studentsleave for the day. We, in turn, will providesome added professional development tothe Brashear staff.Our goal, overall, is to sustain the Schoolof Education as a top provider of qualityteacher preparation while also doingeverything we can to control the total costof a Pitt education. This will be a challengebut a challenge for which we are ready.Honoring this commitment will benefitthe future generations of teachers seekingto learn and prepare at the Pitt School ofEducation over the next 100 years.Alan Lesgold, Professor and Deanwww.education.pitt.edu 3

FEATURESConference Helps Students Preparefor Professional PresentationsEveryone involved with academiaknows they will be conductingmany presentations during theircareers to further their credentials andeducation as well as share researchwith colleagues and peers. This is whythe Council of Graduate Students inEducation (CGSE) is hosting a semiannualconference to help students practicetheir presentation skills in a lowpressuresetting.Past demonstrationshave included topicssuch as “Coteachingin Inclusive SecondaryEnglish Classrooms”and “What Kind ofTutoring Does the After-school Tutor Need?”CGSE has been holding the conferenceannually for the past 17 years, but itwas decided in 2011 that the eventwould be held twice a year. The fall 2012conference took place on November 1,and the spring conference is scheduledfor Thursday, March 14, 2013.About four weeks before the conference,an individual or small group must submita proposal for a paper, poster, or panelthat will then be peer reviewed bymembers of the School of Education.In the past, participants have typicallybeen doctoral students, but the conferencealso is open to students pursuinga master’s degree.Throughout the morning and afternoonof the day of the event, those who senta paper or wanted to be involved witha panel will present before a generalaudience of the school and boardmembers. Each presentation lastsapproximately 15 minutes, followedby a 5–10-minute questionand-answersession.Past demonstrationshave included topicssuch as “Coteachingin Inclusive Secondary English Classrooms,”“SupportingPreschoolers’ Growthin Self-regulation: The Role of TeacherSocialization and Classroom Management,”“Influence of Physical Activity as a Youthon Psychosocial Perceptions of PhysicalActivity as an Adult,” and “What Kindof Tutoring Does the After-schoolTutor Need?”Then, in the evening, a reception isheld in the Colloquium Room in WesleyW. Posvar Hall at which hors d’oeuvresand wine are served and the posters,accompanied by the students who createdthem, are displayed around the room.Anyone who is interested in a particulartopic can then approach the presenterin a casual setting.CGSE members see the conference asan excellent opportunity to strengthentheir presentation abilities for largerconferences as well as a forum toshare information across variousdepartments in the School of Education.Anyone interested in finding out moreinformation or participating can e-mailthe CGSE Conference Committee atcgseconference@gmail.com.SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONwww.education.pitt.edu4SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONwww.education.pitt.edu

FEATURESEducation Community Gathers to DiscussLearning Motivation and EngagementAs part of its centennialcelebration, the University ofPittsburgh School of Educationhosted a research conference in early2011 titled Designing for MotivatedLearning. The school designed theconference to reflect its interest increating a better understanding ofprograms that help to develop, build,and sustain student motivation.The conference brought together adiverse group of 11 nationally recognizedscholars who shared their ideasand research with a broad audience ofschool alumni; Pitt faculty and students;members of the local philanthropiccommunity; and school practitioners,including superintendents, principals,and teachers. The scholars, rangingfrom urban sociologists to learningscientists, presented topics such asways to reform school systems, howidentity develops, how motivationresearch can and cannot inform practice,the role of motivation in literacy acquisition,motivation in physical activity, andhow schools need to better account forlearners’ interests both in and out ofschool. Question-and-answer sessionsallowed presenters to respond toaudience concerns.As theconferenceunfolded,severalpresentersnoted thatalthough theybelieve thatmotivationis critical todevelopmentand educational success, the nationalconversation focuses too often onlearning, assessment, and accountability.Daniel Edelson of the National GeographicSociety addressed this issue directlyin his talk, titled “Design of MotivatedLearning: Bridging the Cognition/Motivation Research Gap.” He notedthat although progress has been madein developing motivational theories overthe last few decades, there hasn’t beenas much success in applying and testingmotivation research in applied learningenvironments—whether they are in orout of the classroom. His hope is that theeducation community will place as muchfocus on understanding why and howpeople learn as it currently does onwhat they learn.The School of Education has recognizedthe importance of motivation and engagementand has hired two new facultymembers with backgrounds specific toSCHOOL OF EDUCATIONthese areas. Shannon Wanless fills aneed in the early childhood educationfield, bringing expertise in the areaof self-regulation as well as crossculturalwork in an attempt to measurepredictors of success. Ming-Te Wang’swork represents a combination of strongqualitative methods developed throughhis field experience and observations,such as which components of theschool environment best facilitate orundermine adolescent engagement.It is clear from the conference andnational trends that as learning becomesmore voluntary, lifelong, and ubiquitous,educators require better ways tounderstand, characterize, and design forengaged learning. The hope is that boththis conference and the focused interestin motivation brought by new facultymembers joining current faculty will helpto make the School of Education a nationalleader in motivation research in a varietyof settings and in developing designsthat better support the concept.The conference presentations as wellas question-and-answer sessions areavailable online and can serve as aresource for those who were unable toattend the conference. They are availableat http:// tinyurl.com/4xnnepo.www.education.pitt.eduwww.education.pitt.eduSCHOOL OF EDUCATION 5

FEATURESThe School of Education Celebratesa Century of Academia“ The slightestimprovementeither in thepage or inthe methodof readingmeans a greatservice to thehuman race.”— E.B. HUEY,ONE OF THE SCHOOL OFEDUCATION’S FOUNDERSAttendees enjoyed dinner, which was followedby music and dancing.More than 200 faculty, staff, alumni, and friends gathered to celebrate the School of Education’s100th anniversary at Carnegie Music Hall.When the University ofPittsburgh School ofEducation was establishedon February 3, 1910, little did its foundersknow that during the next 100 years,their creation would result in tens ofthousands of teachers, researchers,administrators, educators, and overalldifference makers. To honor this 100thanniversary achievement, more than200 School of Education staff, faculty,alumni, and friends gathered togetherin April 2011 at Carnegie Music Hallfor the Centennial Celebration Gala.The event featured a cocktail receptionon the balcony, followed by dinner andSCHOOL OF EDUCATION the year’s www.education.pitt.edualumni awards, and culminatedwith music and dancing provided by2011 doctoral graduate Jorge Delgadoand his band, Bésame.Following the reception, Universityof Pittsburgh Chancellor Mark A.Nordenberg made a few remarks, andthen the school’s dean, Alan Lesgold,gave a toast that echoed a sentimentsimilar to E.B. Huey’s about makingdifferences that have long-lasting effects:“We prepare those who will lead in childcare; those who will manage the affairsof schools, school districts, universities,and colleges; and those who will helpteach us all to lead healthier lives.”6SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONwww.education.pitt.edu

FEATURESThe School of Education typically honorsthe outstanding accomplishments of itsalumni with recognition at the annualAlumni Awards Reception but in 2011instead presented the awards at thegala. Criteria for these awards includeprofessional achievement, commitmentto the continued success of the Schoolof Education and the University ofPittsburgh, and public service to theadvancement of the education field.The awards include Distinguished Alumni,Early Career, Pre-K–12 Educator, FalkLaboratory School Outstanding Alumni,Student Leadership, and individualdepartmental alumni honors.In celebration of the centennial, theschool also provided two conferences inthe months before and after the gala. TheCouncil of Graduate Students in EducationStudent Conference was held in March2011 and allowed students earning theirdoctorate or master’s degree to practicepresenting before members of the schooland its board (more information can befound on page 4). Then, in May 2011,Over the past 100 years,the school has evolved byexploring innovation ineducation, pioneering newprograms, and continuingto prepare the region’seducational leaders.Dean Alan Lesgold toasted to the school’sfuture and expressed his wish that it wouldcontinue to “be the source of new generationsof educators and educational scholars.”the Designing for Motivated Learningconference was held, at which a renownedand diverse set of scholars addressedways to incorporate contemporary viewsof motivation and engagement into thedesign of learning and development(find out more on page 5).The School of Education was proud tohave support from the following localfoundations and friends as it celebratedits centennial: the Buhl Foundation, theGrable Foundation, the Heinz Endowments,the Jewish Healthcare Foundation, theRichard King Mellon Foundation, Kathrynand Michael Bryson, Sharon and AlanLesgold, and Cynthia and Paul Liefeld.Over the past 100 years, the schoolhas evolved by exploring innovation ineducation, pioneering new programs,and continuing to prepare the region’seducational leaders. As of 2012, U.S.News & World Report placed the Schoolof Education at 24th in the United Statesin its best graduate schools in educationrankings, meaning the school appearsto be well poised to continue its legacyof excellence.One of Dean Lesgold’s quotes summedup the evening while looking toward thefuture: “As we begin our second century,may it prosper as a source of goodto our society. May it be the sourceof strong ideas anchored in observedevidence. May it be the source ofnew generations of educators andeducation scholars. And, most important,may we who have inheritedso much rise to the challenge ofbuilding its next century.”School of EducationCentennial StudentResource FundIn conjunction with the 100thanniversary of the School ofEducation, its members arepleased to announce thecreation of the CentennialStudent Resource Fund.Instead of buying favors forthe gala, the school decidedto contribute the funds tothis new student resource.The fund will provide educationalsupport to students whoare pursuing a professionaldegree in education, havean outstanding academicrecord, and have exhibiteddedication to advancingpublic education. Contributionswill help to support futureeducators and improve educationin Western Pennsylvania andthroughout the nation. If youare interested in donating,contact the school’s directorof constituent relations,Michael Haas, at 412-648-1789or by e-mail at mbh26@pitt.edu.If you would prefer to make anonline contribution, please visithttps://secure.giveto.pitt.edu/SOECentennialSRFund.SCHOOLI offer the followingOF EDUCATIONtoast to our school: www.education.pitt.eduwww.education.pitt.eduSCHOOL OF EDUCATION 7

FEATURESThe Falk School: ExperimentalEducation in a CompassionateLearning EnvironmentRelationships can come and gothroughout a lifetime, but at theFalk Laboratory School, they arean integral part of the unique learningenvironment. The concept is immediatelygrasped when you walk through the doorsof this exclusive K–8 institution. The FalkSchool’s director, Wendell McConnaha,explains: “I am at the point in my lifewhere I cannot remember what I hadfor breakfast, but I do know everykid’s name.”While prominent education advocateshave challenged the looping concept onthe basis that a student might get stuckwith a bad teacher for a longer period oftime, McConnaha feels that the solutionto that problem is simple: Hire teacherswith good relational skills. McConnahaadds that during his seven years at theFalk School, he has never had to fire ateacher for not being an expert in his orher subject area but has had to let staffmembers go for lacking empathy.Today, the educational spirit of theFalk family is evident throughout thebuilding. The Falk School’s experimentallearning style includes 20 educationalresearch projects that are conductedthroughout the school. These projectsinclude curriculum development aswell as a demonstration site for bestpractices. The school also assists withteacher preparation for Pitt students,and every classroom hosts an internfrom the School of Education.This rapport between teachers andstudents is a vital part of the Falk School’seducational structure. These relationshipsallow the educator to gain authenticunderstanding of each student’s individuallearning needs. The understanding isfostered through a distinctive structureknown as looping, the practice of placingthe same group of students with aspecific teacher for more than one year.According to Greg Wittig, a seventhandeighth-grade English teacher and20-year veteran of the institution, thesequence is a great benefit for enhancingthe teacher-student relationship. Heelaborates, “I know my students, I knowtheir strengths and weaknesses, andI know what makes them tick.”The relational emphasis may be rare inother educational institutions, but theelement is just one of many that portraythe essence of the school. Leon Falk Jr.and Marjorie Falk Levy established theschool in 1931 in honor of their mother,Fanny Edel Falk. The family promotedexperimental learning styles, and theFalk School encompassed the progressiveteaching methods of its time. Throughoutits 80-year history, School of Educationstudents have observed and studiedFalk’s innovative methods of instruction.Internships based at Falk have helpedguide many University of Pittsburghstudents into the teaching profession.The Falk School also recentlyunderwent a building renovation.The expansion increased the studentpopulation to approximately 400and allowed for multiple options inart, music, and physical education.In addition, accessibility for peoplewith disabilities was incorporatedinto the green design of the building.The new structure has strengthenedthe Falk School and solidified theinstitution as a prominent part ofthe University of Pittsburgh campusfor many years to come.SCHOOL OF EDUCATION www.education.pitt.edu8SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONwww.education.pitt.edu

FEATURESThis rapport betweenteachers and students is avital part of the Falk School’seducational structure.www.education.pitt.edu 9

FEATURESDepartment Chairs DiscussFuture DirectionsThe Future ofOur EducationalEnvironmentBy Mary Margaret Kerr, chair,Department of Administrativeand Policy StudiesMary Margaret KerrWhat do the environment,instructional technology,and students in the Universityof Pittsburgh School of Education’s Departmentof Administrative and Policy Studies(ADMPS) have in common? The future.Over the coming decades, ADMPS studentsand faculty will protect the environment bytelecommuting to classes from sites aroundthe globe. Using the latest instructionaltechnology for videoconferences andwebinars, our faculty will join guestlecturers in Indonesia, China, Australia,and the United States to share valuableknowledge; to debate contemporary issuesof practice, pedagogy, and leadership;and to save not only their time but alsoour shared Earth. After all, reducing ourcarbon footprint is one of the benefits ofnew instructional technologies, whichallow students and instructors to connectdespite challenges like different time zones,traffic, or Pittsburgh’s winter storms.To launch this new future, the department’sfaculty members have been busy learningthe latest tools at the University’s Centerfor Instructional Development & DistanceEducation, or CIDDE, as it’s known oncampus. A morning faculty workshop atCIDDE in November 2011 led to newcourse modules taught online andthrough Web conferencing. CIDDE staffmake “house calls” to train faculty membersin the latest online educational tools,including taping lectures in a professor’soffice that can be broadcast anywherein the world.Students are getting in on the technologyact, too. Gone are the long waits to registerfor courses now that students can enrollonline 24/7. Gone are the index cardsand spiral notebooks. Laptops, electronicreaders, and cell phones have becometools of the classroom, as students typetheir notes, read texts on a device, viewfilm clips as part of their classwork,collaborate on joint projects, or textSCHOOL OF EDUCATION responses www.education.pitt.eduto faculty-led discussions fordisplay on what were chalkboards onlya decade ago. Handing in papers willsoon be a practice of the past, as studentswill submit assignments through theircomputers and onto course Web sites.Instructors will submit feedback, postgrades, and return graded work throughthe same portal. Reducing our reliance onphotocopying and printing not only savestrees but also saves our students andinstructors time and money.Our classrooms are changing as well.SMART Boards have replaced chalk anderasers, while high-definition monitorsare used in place of bulletin boards.Swivel chairs and movable tables havereplaced desks and podiums. Earlier thisyear, a Wesley W. Posvar Hall classroombecame a movie theater when first-yearADMPS doctoral students wrote, directed,and produced their own film in class.Commuting also has a new meaning.Students can avoid traffic altogetherwhen they telecommute to virtualclassrooms through online and distancelearning. Off-campus learning sites haveexpanded, as we instruct via satellitelocations closer to students’ work andhomes. Executive format programs offerstudents the experience of working withina cohort on weekends, in consolidatedweeklong summer “institutes,” in Pitt’sJoseph M. Katz Graduate School ofBusiness, and in internships in other10SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONwww.education.pitt.edu

FEATUREShigher education institutions—bothhere and abroad. For example, this pastsummer, we prepared future principalsat the Allegheny Intermediate Unit andinvited superintendents from all overWestern Pennsylvania into our classroomsfor an intensive one-week course.What do the next 100 years hold forthe Department of Administrative andPolicy Studies? We can’t be sure. Butone thing is certain: Students will havemore opportunities to enjoy learningaround the planet they’re protecting.The Impactof Technologyon Health andPhysical Activityin the Next100 YearsBy John Jakicic, chair,Department of Health andPhysical ActivityThe Department of Health andPhysical Activity (HPA) is rootedin physical education andexercise physiology. During the past 100years, HPA initially focused on teachingsport and movement skills and evolvedinto studying human physiology toimprove work and athletic performance.However, during the last two decades,our work within the field has evolvedto study the effect of an active lifestyleon many health-related outcomes, suchas cardiovascular disease, diabetes,cancer, and obesity.HPA faculty are researching theseareas of study at the national levelas well as attempting to promote theadoption and maintenance of physicalactivity within the context of a healthylifestyle. In recent years, this workhas been a driving force of the programand has provided the foundation forboth undergraduate and graduatestudent training at the University ofPittsburgh, positioning the departmentas a prominent national program. Theseefforts also have been translated intooutreach efforts within the greaterPittsburgh region to improve thehealth of our community.For example, imaging technologiesare used to understand how lifestylebehaviors that include physical activityinfluence brain function during the growthand development periods in children andhow these patterns influence retentionof brain and cognitive functioning inolder adults.Our department also is using imagingtechnologies to understand how physicalactivity improves human anatomy andphysiological processes, such as thestructure and function of the cardiovascularsystem. Wearable technologies also arebeing successfully used to facilitatehealth behavior change.As HPA engages in interdisciplinary andmultidisciplinary collaborations to conductbasic and applied research, these effortswill become the foundation for trainingfuture professionals.Leading EducationalReform Into the FutureBy Mary Kay Stein, chair,Department of LearningSciences and PolicyJohn JakicicAs we look to the next 100 years,faculty and staff in HPA are positioningthe department to build on its strongfoundation and become a leadingentity in the next generation of study,examining how a healthy lifestyle thatincludes physical activity can havea beneficial influence. The faculty’sinvolvement in both the developmentand application of health-relatedtechnology is helping to advance thesestudies and elevating the academic andThe Learning Sciences and Policy(LSAP) program trains researchersacross three key areas: educationpolicy, teaching and learning in the contentareas, and the learning sciences. Our goalis to produce the nation’s first generationof learning policy scholars—individualswho can both study and lead educationalreform in new and meaningful directions.LSAP admitted its first cohort of studentsin the fall of 2008, and these students willgraduate in spring 2013.SCHOOL research mission OF EDUCATIONof the department.www.education.pitt.edu(continued on page 12)SCHOOL OF EDUCATION www.education.pitt.edu11

FEATURESDepartment Chairs DiscussFuture Directions(continued from page 11)Mary Kay Steinwe know about learning to an improvedunderstanding of educational policies andthe structures and processes of educationsystems at all levels, from preschool toadult learning.A DepartmentalReflection on aPossible Next100 YearsTeacher EducationJennifer Cartier, the director of teachereducation, points out that, in the future,our school will most likely continue todesign robust contexts for teacher learning.These contexts will involve technologicaltools that simulate learning environments,allow student teachers to enact complexpractices in low-risk settings, and providefor well-structured learning experiencesdeliverable to large numbers of studentsin efficient ways.Our mission is to construct knowledgeand advance ideas that lie at the intersectionof learning and policy, includingthe application of new theoretical understandingsabout the active, social, andsubject matter-specific nature of learningto the study of policy, organizational change,professional development, leadership, andassessment and accountability systems.Our students are positioning themselves,via the program, to become sophisticatedknowledge creators not only throughtheir exposure to up-to-date course workbut also through ongoing apprenticeshipswith active researchers who possessmajor grants in their fields of expertise.These students, in turn, are then expectedto produce dissertations that move thefield of learning policy forward.Our hope for the next 100 years is thatlearning policy becomes a fully recognizedfield of study and that the first cohorts ofour students are routinely identified as itsfounders. We hope that our students—and students of our students—producepractical theories that connect whatBy Richard Donato, chair,Department of Instructionand LearningRichard DonatoAs the School of Educationcontinues into its secondcentury of existence, I havebeen asked to speculate on the futureof the Department of Instruction andLearning. The many critical thinkers inthe department are using their vision—informed by their reflections on currentdepartmental initiatives—to offer whatmight be the case over the next100 years.SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONwww.education.pitt.eduMargaret Smith concludes that we willcontinue to build on faculty research onteaching and learning as well as to moredirectly address the linkage of researchand teaching than we have in the past 100years. Smith envisions a teacher educationprogram that will be informed centrally andconsistently by the cutting-edge researchof the department’s faculty. Researchfindings will be the basis of our work withteachers and, in some cases, the impetusfor new research for faculty and students.Christopher Lemons highlights thedepartment’s current efforts to ensure thatall graduates are adequately prepared tomeet the academic and behavioral needs ofstudents with learning disabilities. Currentprogram development efforts are underway to provide dual certification in specialeducation and an academic area to studentspreparing to teach grades seven to 12.Based on this, Lemons envisions a futurethat supports holistic teacher preparation—an approach that will serve as a model forother programs across the nation. EchoingSmith’s vision of the research-practice link,12SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONwww.education.pitt.edu

FEATURESLemons foresees more collaboration withlocal school districts and research withinthe community that, we hope, will leadto initiatives that can improve the livesof all children.Douglas Kostewicz sees a future inwhich we can more efficiently integrateresearch findings and advances inteacher preparation into the structure ofour programs. In this future, Kostewiczenvisions teacher education programsthat will be able to adjust and adaptflexibly and quickly to state-of-the-artadvances in research and practice.The next 100 years will expand our viewof teacher preparation to include globaland international perspectives. As ourclassrooms become more culturallyand linguistically diverse, teachers willneed to be prepared academically andemotionally to operate across culturesand languages. It might not be farfetchedto imagine that study abroad forpreservice and in-service teachers willbe commonplace in the next 100 years.Teacher candidates will observe andparticipate in schooling in diverse culturesand countries to prepare for the diversitythey will encounter at home and in theirown classrooms.Doctoral EducationFor the next 100 years, my hope isthat doctoral education will look quitedifferent from its current form. I believethat we are moving in this direction, butmore work on the structure and cultureof doctoral study needs to be done.In a possible future of doctoral education,cohorts of students will work togetherand across areas of interest, searchingfor common ground and for conceptsthat unite their research interests. Wewill revisit the effectiveness of merelyproliferating courses and the accumulationof credit hours in doctoral programs andreplace this practice with more authenticlearning experiences in which facultyand a small number of doctoral studentswork as colleagues on research thatdeals with real issues, problems, anddata. Clusters of students will be ableto propose new seminars based on theirown needs and interests, faculty will beresponsive to these needs, and universityadministrators will provide support forthese emergent configurations.As the Carnegie Initiative on the Doctoratehas pointed out, every aspect of educationhas undergone at least some reform overthe past several years—except for amajority of doctoral programs. This reportgoes on to state, “doctoral education is,by its nature, in the business of askinghard questions, pushing frontiers, andsolving problems, [and some] doctoralprograms have made the decision to notjust sit there.” The current discussionsof doctoral programs at the school levelwill realize a future for doctoral studythat will be revitalized, restructured,and reenvisioned around the formationof an intellectual community of doctoralstudents and faculty who push frontiersin tangible ways, learn together, andbreak new ground.MaintainingFundamentalsWhile AdvancingNew Programsof StudyBy Carl Johnson, chair,Department of Psychologyin EducationCarl JohnsonAs the School of Education progressesinto its second century,it’s important to reflect on thesignificant changes within the Departmentof Psychology in Education. What were onceconsidered traditional programs, such asschool psychology, counseling psychology,and educational psychology, have beenphased out so that the department canfocus exclusively on two programs: researchmethodology and applied developmentalpsychology (ADP).Research MethodologyThe program in research methodologycontinues to ensure that the SchoolSCHOOL OF EDUCATIONwww.education.pitt.edu(continued page 14)SCHOOL OF EDUCATION www.education.pitt.edu13

FEATURESDepartment Chairs DiscussFuture Directions(continued from page 13)of Education maintains a leading edgein research design, measurement,and statistics.The U.S. Department of Education Raceto the Top initiative calls for assessmentsto measure complex problem-solving skillsusing advances in both measurementand technology. Faculty in researchmethodology contribute to theseadvances in measurement with researchinterests in performance assessments,technical and validity issues in largescaleassessments, and measurementmodeling. Additionally, they usesophisticated statistical techniques,such as propensity scoring, hierarchicalmodeling, and structural equationmodeling, to study significant policyissues in education and other relatedfields. Students have the opportunityto work with faculty on importantmeasurement, statistical, evaluation,and policy research projects.Applied Developmental PsychologyThe program in applied developmentalpsychology (ADP) is both old and new.As the school began its second centuryof existence, it emerged out of a unionof two traditional programs: a doctoralresearch program in developmentalpsychology and a professional programin child development and child care.The new program more fully integratesresearch and practice with anexpanded mission.ADP highlights the principle that education/learning must be understood with respectto the whole developing person (social/emotional/intellectual) who is nurturedboth inside and outside school. Thedepartment has placed a new emphasison motivation and engagement and hasadded several new faculty members toassist with this focus. The goal is to applythis developmental understanding, bringingtogether agencies in partnership to supportpositive learning and development withevidence-based programs, practices,and policies.The ADP program has flourished over thepast decade. Eight new full-time facultymembers have joined the department,and the program has a close workingrelationship with the school’s Office ofChild Development. As a nationallyrecognized leader in building communitypartnerships in applied developmentalwork, this office serves to link our academicprogram with the real world of practice.The ADP program currently has robustbaccalaureate, master’s, and doctoraldegree programs offering many differentconcentrations of study. For example, anew undergraduate program integratesknowledge of development with teacherpreparation at the graduate level, leadingto dual certification in pre-K–4 and specialeducation. A part-time undergraduateprogram enables child care practitionersto obtain a degree while making use oftheir learning in their practice. Master’slevelstudents have new opportunitiesto concentrate in school-based behavioralSCHOOL OF EDUCATION www.education.pitt.eduhealth (promoting behavioral healthin schools) or child and youth work,among other options. At the doctorallevel, students are invited to work withleaders in the emerging field of applieddevelopmental science.Development classically includes bothcontinuity and change. The Departmentof Psychology in Education continuesto offer the core fundamentals ofresearch methodology and developmentalpsychology but with progressivecurricula that has catapulted theseprograms to a level of leadership inthe school’s second century.14SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONwww.education.pitt.edu

SCHOOL NEWS2010–11 Awards, Grants,and Research HighlightsThe University of PittsburghSchool of Education has placed24th in the 2013 U.S. News &World Report best graduate schools ineducation rankings. This ranking is higherthan that of Pitt competitors such asPennsylvania State University, SyracuseUniversity, Temple University, and LehighUniversity. The strength of the School ofEducation is a cumulative effect of facultyand staff members who attract andserve top-tier students. The faculty hasacquired more than $15 million in fundingfrom sources including the NationalInstitutes of Health, the National WritingProject, the University of Maryland, DukeUniversity, Carnegie Mellon University, theGrable Foundation, the Heinz Endowments,the Buhl Foundation, the YMCA of GreaterPittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Public Schools,Propel Schools, and Amachi Pittsburgh.Faculty research is a hallmark of theSchool of Education, and evidence ofthe great work accomplished over thepast year can be found in many wellknownjournals. Below is a summaryof the crucial areas in which School ofEducation research was conducted andthe publications in which game-changingresearch results have been published.Enabling Factors EducationA key area of focus for faculty is ensuringthat children are ready to learn. Topics ofresearch included analysis of children’scollege-bound identity, children’sliterature around the world, economicstress and social support factors relatedto maternal depression, educationalattainment by race and gender,independent living skills, mental healthand substance abuse patterns of youthsinvolved in the juvenile justice system,portrayals of grandparents in picturebooks, professional development andcertification for youth care practitioners,risks of preterm births, and supportingthe transition to adulthood. Relatedresearch was published in the AmericanJournal of Orthopsychiatry, ChildhoodEducation, Children and Youth ServicesReview, Dimensions of Early Childhood,the Journal of Children and Poverty, theJournal of Child and Youth Care Work,the Journal of Early Childhood TeacherEducation, the Journal of Research inChildhood Education, Paediatric andPerinatal Epidemiology, Relational Child& Youth Care Practice, Social WorkResearch, and Training and Developmentin Human Services.International EducationThe School of Education has a longhistory of working internationally withineducation, and projects completedrecently include working in Indonesianuniversities and schools to develop aninternational lab school network with theConsortium of Indonesian Universities,for households in urban Bangladesh,school incentives in Jordan and Tunisia,employment of university graduatesin Lebanon, gender gaps in Muslimcountries, educational attainment inMuslim countries contemplating war,education reform in Mongolia andUzbekistan, schooling factors in SouthAsia, and teaching practices amongChinese and U.S. institutions of highereducation. Related research waspublished in journals such as CurrentIssues in Comparative Education,Economics of Education Review,Education Economics, Excellence inHigher Education, Frontiers of Educationin China, Journal of DevelopmentStudies, Prospects, Review of MiddleEast Economics and France, South AsiaEconomic Journal, and Viewpoints.Language, Literacy, and CultureFaculty research was published in journalsincluding The Elementary School Journal,the Journal of Early Intervention, theElectronic Journal of Literacy throughScience, Group Processes & IntergroupRelations, the Journal of Adolescent &Adult Literacy, the Journal of EducationalPsychology, and Literacy Researchand Instruction.Learning Sciences and PolicyMembers of the school’s faculty focusedtheir efforts on research in educationSCHOOL examining educational OF EDUCATION expenditures www.education.pitt.edu(continued page 16)www.education.pitt.eduSCHOOL OF EDUCATION 15

SCHOOL NEWS2010–11 Awards, Grants,and Research Highlights(continued from page 15)(and related arenas) that clarifies how tocreate effective learning opportunitiesfor elementary, secondary, and postsecondarystudents as well as for preschoolchildren and adults. Topics this past yearfeatured analysis of casual friendshipsamong White and Black first-year collegestudents, learning language throughinquiry-based discussion, literature circlesfor discussion of multicultural and politicaltexts, language and reading outcomesin Eastern European orphanages, orthographyand alphabetical coding inlearning to read Chinese, professionaldevelopment for reading coaches, studentcomprehension in text-based discussions,student concentration on importantscience content, student use of academiclanguage in Spanish, and the practice ofwriting a dissertation literature review.Research in the area of learning sciencesand policy was published in a numberof journals, including the American EducationalResearch Journal, The ElementarySchool Journal, and Studies in ArtEducation. Topics included approachingart education as ecology, quality of writingtasks, the role of shifting institutionallogics in kindergarten education, andthe role of museums in education.Measurement, Assessment,and EvaluationMeasurement, assessment, and evaluationare embedded in almost everything doneat the school. Research topics this yearincluded computer adaptive testing ofaddiction, graded response models usingBayesian methods, graph and table usein special education, performanceassessment for students with visualimpairment, reading interventions forstudents with learning disabilities,testing and subscale scores for diagnosticprocedures, and validity in evaluation.Faculty research was published in variousjournals, including Addiction; AIDSand Behavior; Applied Measurement inEducation; The Behavior Analyst Today;the Journal of Clinical Trials; Evaluation& Research in Education; Evaluation: TheInternational Journal of Theory, Researchand Practice; the Journal of EducationalMeasurement; the Journal of PrecisionTeaching and Celeration; and the Journalof Visual Impairment & Blindness.Obesity Prevention, Intervention,and Physical ActivityAt the forefront of research on obesity,physical activity, and nutrition, facultycovered physical activity- and nutritionbasedprevention and intervention relatedSCHOOL OF EDUCATIONwww.education.pitt.eduto diabetes and obesity, ratings ofperceived exertion, strength andconditioning, and children’s programming.Examples of journals in whichfaculty were published include theAmerican Journal of Orthopsychiatry,Biochemical and Biophysical ResearchCommunications, the Journal of ClinicalTrials, Diabetologia, Digestive Diseasesand Sciences, the International Journalof Exercise Science, the Journal ofClinical Oncology, Medicine & Sciencein Sports & Exercise, Obesity, OncologyMetabolism: Clinical and Experimental,Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology,Perceptual & Motor Skills, Physical TherapyReviews, Prehospital Emergency Care, andProstate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases.Teaching, Teacher Education,and Curriculum DevelopmentIn relation to the continued advancementof teaching and teacher education, facultyresearch topics included active learningof academic content, time-out proceduresin classrooms, critiquing academicdisciplines, globalization in internationaleducation programs for adolescents,social economics in secondary businessand economics textbooks, and therole of the arts in the school reformprocess. Related research was publishedin numerous journals, including theCambridge Journal of Education,The International Journal on MathematicsEducation, the Journal of Research inInternational Education, and The Journalof Social Studies Research. Research alsowas published in The Routledge InternationalHandbook of Creative Learning.16SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONwww.education.pitt.edu

SCHOOL NEWSSchool of EducationAwarded Millionsto Support SpecialEducation ProgramsWithin a period of four monthsin early 2012, three facultymembers in special educationreceived more than $4.3 million in fundingfor multiple projects from the U.S. Departmentof Education. This is in addition to$4.4 million in yearly funding from thePennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment.All of these projects are aimed atimproving the lives of children receivingspecial education services.One of Christopher Lemons’ grantstargets redesigning the current specialeducation program to develop teacherswith a secondary content area focus.His other grant is concentrated onenhancing reading education for childrenwith Down syndrome.Louise Kaczmarek’s funding is totrain early interventionists and earlychildhood special educators to work withchildren with autism under the age offive years. The final grant was obtainedby Naomi Zigmond to prepare fivedoctoral students to move into facultypositions and serve as special educationresearchers, trainers of special educationteachers, and leaders in the field.Louise KaczmarekChristopher LemonsSCHOOL OF EDUCATION Naomi www.education.pitt.eduZigmondSCHOOL OF EDUCATION www.education.pitt.edu17

SCHOOL NEWSStudent UpdatesChristell Boyd-Abner was selectedfor a 2012 Woodrow Wilson-RockefellerBrothers Fund (WW-RBF) Fellowship forAspiring Teachers of Color. Along with 24other WW-RBF fellows, Boyd-Abner willreceive a $30,000 stipend to complete amaster’s degree in education, preparationto teach in a high-need public school,support throughout a three-year teachingcommitment, and guidance towardteaching certification. Each fellow wasnominated by one of the program’s 48nominating institutions and 29 graduateeducation programs. Boyd-Abner is afirst-generation college student andrecently graduated from Pitt with adegree in psychology. She’s also amentor in her hometown of Philadelphia,Pa., with WeDoBigThings, a nonprofitorganization whose mission is to increasethe urban population in postsecondaryinstitutions, as well as a member of theReaching Inside Your Soul for Excellence(RISE) mentoring program at Pitt andPsi Chi, the International Honor Societyin Psychology.Joshua Childs was selected as aBarbara L. Jackson scholar by theUniversity Council for EducationalAdministration. This two-year programprovides formal networking, mentoring,and professional development forgraduate students of color who intendto become professors of educationalleadership. Childs currently is a doctoralstudent in the Department of LearningSciences and Policy. While working onhis master’s degree, he worked for theColorado Education Association as anintern lobbyist and for the AcademicExcellence Program at the University ofColorado Boulder. His research interestsare in district, state, and federal educationpolicies and how each one of these levelsimplements education policies to affectstudent outcomes.Doctoral student Zahid Kisa wasselected to participate in the EducationalTesting Service (ETS) Summer InternshipProgram in Research for GraduateStudents. Interns work under theguidance of senior ETS members insuch research areas as educationalmeasurement and psychometrics,teaching and classroom research,statistics, and international largescaleassessments. Kisa worked inthe Research & Development Divisionon a research project examiningmathematics professional developmentusing the Teacher KnowledgeAssessment System.Andrew Leopold recently waspromoted to superintendent of theHempfield Area School District. Leopoldcurrently is working on his dissertationfor his doctorate. He earned his bachelor’sdegree at Indiana University of Pennsylvaniaand his master’s degree atDuquesne University. After college,he taught at Indiana Area Senior HighSchool and then at Gateway MiddleSchool, where he eventually becameprincipal. He then became assistantsuperintendent for secondary educationSCHOOL OF EDUCATION www.education.pitt.eduat Hempfield Area before being namedsuperintendent by its school board.Noelle Newhams was awarded aTruFit Good Citizen Scholarship for $7,500from Citizens Financial Group (CFG).This is the first year that CFG has offeredthe scholarship, which is given to highschool seniors and current collegestudents whose volunteer efforts havemade a difference in their communities.Newhams, who earned her Bachelor ofScience degree in 2012, studied applieddevelopmental psychology at the Schoolof Education. Her award-winning essaydiscussed influences in her life thatcontributed to her desire to enter thefields of psychology, communityinvolvement, and public service andwhy the scholarship would be helpfulin her education.Jimmy Scherrer, a graduate studentin the Department of Learning Sciencesand Policy, was selected to participatein the American Educational ResearchAssociation (AERA)’s Institute onStatistical Analysis for Education Policyon Mathematics Education and Equity.The event occurred May 16–18 inWashington, D.C. According to the AERAWeb site, “the Institute’s goal is to buildthe capacity of the U.S. education researchcommunity to use large-scale nationaland international data sets such as thosefrom the National Center for EducationStatistics (NCES), NSF [National ScienceFoundation], and other federal agenciesfor basic, policy, and applied research.”18SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONwww.education.pitt.edu

SCHOOL NEWSChristian Schunn, professor ofpsychology and senior scientist at theLearning Research and Development Center,and doctoral student Sam Abramovich,in collaboration with Carnegie MellonUniversity’s Robotics Academy, werewinners in a competition held duringthe John D. and Catherine T. MacArthurFoundation’s fourth Digital Media andLearning Conference. Winners wereselected from a highly competitive poolof 91 finalists. This year’s competitiontheme, Badges for Lifelong Learning,aimed to link designers, entrepreneurs,technologists, and educators with leadingbusiness and industry organizations tobuild digital badge systems and explore theways badges can be used to help peoplelearn; demonstrate skills and knowledge;and unlock job, educational, and civicopportunities. The contest is held incollaboration with the Mozilla Foundationand administered by the Humanities,Arts, Science, and Technology AdvancedCollaboratory. Schunn and Abramovich’swinning project, the Computer ScienceStudent Network Badge System, usesbadges to visually document progress inestablishing concrete curricular trajectoriesfrom introductory-level tutorials to industryrecognizedcertifications.Miray Tekkumru Kisa was selectedto participate in the RAND CorporationSummer Associate Program, a competitiveinternship awarded to a small number ofPhD students from across the United States.During the summer, she worked at RAND’sPittsburgh location on a research projectevaluating summer learning programs insix school districts throughout the UnitedStates. Also, Tekkumru Kisa’s dissertationrecently was identified as one of 49 finalists(among 400 candidates) for the NationalAcademy of Education/Spencer DissertationFellowship. The fellowship program aimsto identify the most talented researchersEndowmentEstablishedin Memoryof StudentAn endowment has beenestablished in memory ofTyrene Livingston, who waspursuing a master’s degree atthe School of Education whenshe died on October 26, 2007.The endowment was madepossible by a $10,000 gift fromthe Tyrene Livingston MemorialScholarship Fund.Livingston, who had earneda BA in sociology at Pitt,was committed to her communityand promoted the importance ofeducation among the kids at herchurch summer camp; peers at Pitt;and students at McKeesport AreaHigh School, where she interned.Through her outgoing personality,Livingston exemplified leadership,initiative, and service, and sheconducting dissertation research relatedto education.Doctoral student Elaine Wang receivedthe National Council of Teachers ofEnglish Cultural Diversity Grant for first-timepresenters at its annual convention inNovember 2011.Tyrene Livingstonwas greatly loved and respectedby her family, friends, teachers,and students. The endowment,officially titled the Tyrene LivingstonMemorial Student Resource Fund,was presented to Michael Haas,director of constituent relations,during a luncheon in September2011. Grants from the fund will beawarded to qualified students whoare planning on becoming teachersand can be used for books, labfees, travel, or other educationalexpenses. Questions about the fundshould be directed to Haas at412-648-1789 or mbh26@pitt.edu.SCHOOL OF EDUCATION www.education.pitt.eduwww.education.pitt.eduSCHOOL OF EDUCATION 19

FACULTY AND STAFF NEWSFaculty PromotionsNew FacultyHeather Bachman, has been promotedto associate professor with tenure in theDepartment of Psychology in Education.Her current research is focused oncommunity centers’ preschools thatsupport school readiness, and Bachmanhas submitted a grant applicationto extend this work to public pre-Kclassrooms. Bachman also is workingwith colleagues at Boston College toexamine how maternal partnershipinstability in low-income families affectschildren’s behavior. Her findings havebeen published in peer-reviewed journals,including Journal of Abnormal ChildPsychology, Child Development, andApplied Developmental Science. At herhome in Squirrel Hill, she finds pleasurein cooking produce from communitysupportedagriculture, which is away to buy organic food directlyfrom farmers.Linda Kucan was promoted to associateprofessor with tenure in the Departmentof Instruction and Learning. In 2005,she joined the faculty as an assistantprofessor, and she became programcoordinator for the school’s readingeducation program in 2009. Kucan haspublished more than 20 book chaptersand peer-reviewed articles in journalssuch as Teachers College Record,The Elementary School Journal, andTeaching and Teacher Education. Herresearch focuses on teacher educationfor comprehension and vocabularyinstruction. She coauthored two booksabout vocabulary with Isabel Beck andMargaret McKeown and coedited twovolumes of conference presentations,one with McKeown in honor of Beckand another with Mary Kay Stein inhonor of Gaea Leinhardt. Kucan livesin Point Breeze and enjoys spendingtime with members of her family,many of whom live in Weirton, W.Va.She enjoys listening to Bob Dylanand Bruce Springsteen, who “still havesomething to say after all these years.”Shannon B. Wanless has joined theDepartment of Psychology in Educationas an assistant professor. She graduatedfrom Oregon State University in 2008with a PhD in human development andfamily sciences. Wanless is focusedon improving children’s early educationthrough cross-cultural research toexamine the most effective ways tomeasure and influence predictors ofsocial and academic success. In 2007,she received a Fulbright research awardto live in Taiwan for a year and collectdata on young students. Her workhas been published in journals suchas Psychological Assessment, EarlyEducation and Development, and Infants& Young Children. She’s currently workingon understanding how to measure andsupport teachers’ adherence to learningintervention practices. Wanless livesin Shadyside with her husband, Berry,and two children: 5-year-old daughterMaryella and 3-year-old son Charlie.In her spare time, she enjoys hikingand having Taiwan-influenced teaparties with her children.SCHOOL OF EDUCATION www.education.pitt.eduHeather BachmanLinda KucanShannon B. Wanless20 SCHOOL OF EDUCATION www.education.pitt.edu

FACULTY AND STAFF NEWSSean Kelly has joined the Departmentof Administrative and Policy Studiesas an assistant professor and bringswith him a background focused onthe social organization of schools,student engagement, and teachereffectiveness. He received both hisPhD and MS degrees in sociology fromthe University of Wisconsin–Madison.Kelly will be teaching courses at Pittin organizational theory, leadership,the sociology of education, and bothintroductory and advanced statisticsfor the social sciences. He was theeditor of the 2011 book AssessingTeacher Quality: Understanding TeacherEffects on Instruction and Achievement(available from Teachers College Press),and his research has appeared in theAmerican Educational Research Journal,Educational Researcher, Teachers CollegeRecord, Sociology of Education, andSocial Science Research. Kelly is an avidcross-country skier and looks forwardto exploring the terrain of WesternPennsylvania this winter.Thomas Akiva has joined the AppliedDevelopmental Psychology programat Pitt as an assistant professor. Hisresearch focuses on psychologicalexperiences that youths have inorganized activities during out-of-schooltime, such as after-school programsand community-based organizations.Akiva studies the topic from amotivation perspective, investigatinginstructional practices, thoughtprocesses, decisions made duringlearning, and the developmentaland educational consequences ofparticipation. He earned multipledegrees at the University of Michigan:a PhD in education and psychology,an MS in psychology, and an MA ineducational studies. He is a formermiddle and high school teacher aswell as a former director of a teensummer camp, where his interestin education emerged.Linda DeAngelo has joined theSchool of Education Department ofAdministrative and Policy Studies as anassistant professor and will be teachingStudent, Campus, and Society. DeAngelo’sresearch areas include diversity issues;student learning and change in diverseenvironments; the differential effectof institutions on students; pipelineand educational transitions; outcomesfor first-generation, low-income,and underrepresented students; andinteraction and conditional effects.She earned both her Doctor of Philosophyin education and Master of Arts at theUniversity of California, Los Angeles,CLA Graduate School of Educationand Information Studies. Her work hasbeen published in Research in HigherEducation, the Journal of College StudentDevelopment, Academe, and LiberalEducation. She lives in Squirrel Hillwith her husband, Steve Bennett,and four cats.(continued on page 22)Sean KellySCHOOL OF EDUCATION www.education.pitt.eduThomas AkivaLinda DeAngelowww.education.pitt.eduSCHOOL OF EDUCATION 21

FACULTY AND STAFF NEWSNew Faculty(continued from page 21)Ming-Te Wang has joined theUniversity as an assistant professorin the Department of Psychology inEducation, bringing with him researchthat emphasizes the interplay ofdevelopmental processes amongadolescents—whether they areacademic, career, social, emotional,or behavioral—and based on family,school, and community contexts. Hereceived his doctorate in developmentalpsychology from Harvard University.Wang’s work has been publishedin a range of leading psychologyand education journals, includingChild Development, DevelopmentalPsychology, Psychological Science, theJournal of Research on Adolescence,and the American Educational ResearchJournal. His work has been sponsoredby the National Science Foundation,National Institutes of Health, andSpencer Foundation. Prior to enteringgraduate school, he was a schoolcounselor in a rural middle school. InWang’s free time, he enjoys jogging,mountain climbing, and playing with his3-year-old daughter.Ming-Te WangNoreen Garman Honoredwith Beckman Awardfor Inspiring StudentsNoreen GarmanNoreen Garman, a senior researchfellow and program coordinator inthe School of Education’s Departmentof Administrative and Policy Studies,received the Beckman Award inNovember 2012. The Elizabeth HurlockBeckman Award Trust gives the awardto teachers who have inspired formerstudents to make a difference intheir communities.Garman inspired Kakenya Ntaiyato attend the School of Education forher doctorate and then encouragedher while she raised funds for a girls’school in a part of Kenya where theypreviously weren’t allowed to receiveschooling. Ntaiya has received quitea bit of recognition for her work overthe past few years, including beingfeatured in a documentary filmedSCHOOL OF EDUCATIONby the www.education.pitt.eduBBC.Ntaiya wrote the following in her nominationof Garman: “When I began myacademic program at the University ofPittsburgh, I came with a vision of buildinga girls’ school in my home community inKenya. I did not know how I was goingto accomplish this dream while pursuingmy studies, but Dr. Garman’s mentorshipand wisdom paved my path to success.I went to her for guidance after my firstyear of graduate school and told her I wasgoing to build aschool for girlsin my village.Dr. Garman’sresponse wasone that becamea mantra throughoutthe ups anddowns of myKakenya Ntaiya journey overthe next few years. She told me to presson. She encouraged and supported myvision, rather than pointing out thedifficulty of juggling so much at once.With Dr. Garman’s support, I was ableto open the doors of the Kakenya Centerfor Excellence to its first class of 32 girlsin 2009. Since then, we have enrolled124 girls at the school in grades fourthrough seven. Because of the opportunityto attend our boarding school,girls who had no hope of achievingtheir dreams are now filled withoptimism for the future."22SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONwww.education.pitt.edu

FACULTY AND STAFF NEWSFaculty and Staff UpdatesCarl I. Fertman (PhD ’86) received the2010 SOPHE Trophy and 2010 PresidentialCitation from the Society for Public HealthEducation (SOPHE) in recognition of hisrole as lead editor of the society’s textbook,Health Promotion Programs: From Theoryto Practice.Ellice Forman received a Williamand Flora Hewlett Foundation grant forinternational travel. The grant is intendedto fund travel and related expenses outsidethe United States for the purposesof conducting international research, bothbasic and applied. Awards range from$1,000 to $4,000.Lindsay Clare Matsumura waspresented with the Council of GraduateStudents in Education Extra Mile Awardon March 23, 2012.Martha Mattingly presented at theInternational Federation of EducativeCommunities’ 31st Congress in December2010 in Stellenbosch, South Africa.Representatives from more than 35countries attended. During her presentation,Mattingly called for the expansionof tertiary education to strengthen thedevelopment and ensure the sustainabilityof child and youth care work practice.She is an emeritus faculty member inthe School of Education’s Departmentof Psychology in Education.Charles Munter received an Early CareerMathematics Educators fellowship fromthe Service, Teaching, and Research(STaR) Project. The STaR Project is aninduction program for recent doctoralgraduates in mathematics education.The program, funded by the NationalScience Foundation, is a 12-monthexperience that networks early careermathematics educators.Tony Petrosky and the School ofEducation have recently partnered withNew York, N.Y., and Boston, Mass.,public schools to provide professionaldevelopment. The Partnership forAssessment of Readiness for Collegeand Careers has awarded a $1.5 millioncontract to Pitt to develop prototypestudent assessments as well as exemplaryinstructional tasks for the Common CoreState Standards for English, LanguageArts, and Literacy. The Common Corestandards aim to provide a consistentand clear understanding of what studentsare expected to learn and are designedto reflect the knowledge and skills thatyoung people need for success in collegeand careers. The contract was awardedto the Institute for Learning’s English/language arts team at the University’sLearning Research and DevelopmentCenter along with faculty membersand graduate students from theSchool of Education.Jennifer Russell was named anoutstanding reviewer of the journalEducational Evaluation and PolicyAnalysis by the American EducationalResearch Association (AERA). The honorservice rendered to the journal, to AERA,and to education research. Each year,the editors of each AERA open submissionjournal designate individuals whohave performed numerous high-qualitymanuscript reviews for the journal.Andrew Schneider-Muñoz receiveda lifetime achievement award fromthe Academy of Child and Youth CareProfessionals. The award is namedthe Model of Professionalism and isthe highest honor in the field of childand youth work. The recognition is forSchneider-Muñoz’s establishment ofthe national youth worker certification.Tanner LeBaron Wallace wasselected by the Eunice Kennedy ShriverNational Institute of Child Health &Human Development to attend theSummer Institute in Applied Researchin Child and Adolescent Development.She also was named an AERA newfaculty mentee from Division E,Counseling and Human Development.George Zimmerman received theDistinguished Alumni Award from theCollege of Health and Human Servicesat Western Michigan University (WMU).The award was established in 1963to recognize graduates of WMU whohave achieved a high level of success intheir professions. The recognition is forZimmerman’s extensive work in the fieldof blindness and low vision studies,SCHOOL recognizes outstanding OF EDUCATION professional www.education.pitt.edu(continued page 24)www.education.pitt.eduSCHOOL OF EDUCATION 23

FACULTY AND STAFF NEWSFaculty and Staff Updates(continued from page 23)including his efforts with the Associationfor Education and Rehabilitation ofthe Blind and Visually Impaired andthe Academy for Certification of VisionRehabilitation & Education Professionals.Naomi Zigmond received the 2010TED Publication Award from the TeacherEducation Division (TED) of the Councilfor Exceptional Children. The recognitionwas for an article she cowrote, “CanYou Hear Me Now?: Evaluation of anOnline Wireless Technology to ProvideReal-time Feedback to Special EducationTeachers-in-Training,” which appearedin the journal Teacher Education andSpecial Education.CGSE Honors Faculty Members with the Extra Mile AwardPictured from left: DeAnn Sloan, Jere Gallagher, Michelle Sobolak, April Mattix, Alan Lesgold, Lindsay Clare Matsumura, and Jolene ZywicaDuring the School of Education’s2012 Alumni Awards, the Councilof Graduate Students in Education(CGSE) gave its 2012 Extra Mile Award tothree faculty members who “exemplifythe CGSE mission statement and takeit the extra mile for graduate students inthe School of Education.”The three honorees were Mary MargaretKerr (Department of Administrative andPolicy Studies), Lindsay Clare Matsumura(Department of Learning Sciences and Policy),and Michelle Sobolak (Department of Instructionand Learning). In addition, CGSE alsocreated a unique recognition award andpresented it to Associate Dean Jere Gallagherfor her work with the organization.To nominate a faculty or staff memberor administrator, please contact CGSEat cgse@pitt.edu.CGSE nomination guidelines requiregraduate students to submit an onlineessay nomination along with fouradditional brief letters of support fromother students. Nomination materialswill be scored and weighted as follows:the online essay is worth 50 percentand the letters of support are the otherSCHOOL OF EDUCATION www.education.pitt.edu50 percent. The nominees with thehighest composite scores (no more thansix) will be recommended as finaliststo receive the award. CGSE executiveboard members then will vote for upto three of the finalists.24SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONwww.education.pitt.edu

ALUMNI NEWSKaren VanderVen Retains Her Senseof Service and Play for Studentsafter RetirementWhen Karen VanderVen wasaccepted as a graduatestudent in the program inchild development and child care at theUniversity of Pittsburgh in 1961, littledid she know that it was the start of a50-year relationship with the University.After joining the faculty in 1968,VanderVen went on to author severalhundred published works, includingbooks, articles, chapters, reports, andcolumns. Her latest book, PromotingPositive Development in Early Childhood:Building Blocks for a Successful Start,was published in 2008. During her tenure,VanderVen also witnessed the evolutionof her program, including its consolidationinto the Department of Psychologyin Education.Professor Emeritus Karen VanderVen has establishedtwo charitable funds that place greatemphasis on play and activities for children.Despite her formal retirement lastMay as professor emeritus, VanderVenremains professionally active. Shecontinues to teach and write as wellas contribute philanthropically to theSchool of Education. Her charitable workhas included the establishment of twofunds: the Karen and Ned VanderVenProfessional Development Fund and theKaren VanderVen Leadership Fund. Shealways has been a strong advocate forthe field of child and youth work and hasstriven to professionalize and advancethe nature of this work. Even though shedoesn’t administer the funds, they carryon her professional interests, whichinclude play and activities for childrenand youth, leadership, and intergenerationalwork.The professional development fundis primarily dedicated to helping withstudent expenses, ranging from booksfor class to travel for conferences.“This money provides vital supportfor the students in our programs andemergency situations they might face,”says Cynthia Popovich, one of the fundadministrators. “Many of these studentsare on tight incomes, and a flat tire ornot having money for a babysitter oftencan determine whether or not they willattend class. This funding often has beenthe essential component in a student’sobtaining his or her degree.”The leadership fund is designed to supportprofessional events sponsored by theDepartment of Psychology in Education.VanderVen’s contributions to the fieldcontinue to be acknowledged in otherways. The American Association ofChildren’s Residential Centers (AACRC)presented VanderVen with a LifetimeAchievement Award on April 26, 2012,at its national conference in NewOrleans, La. This award is one of theoldest and most prestigious in the field ofservices for high-risk children and youth.AACRC advances knowledge pertainingto therapeutic living environments forchildren and adolescents with behavioralhealth disorders.If you are interested in donating to eitherof VanderVen’s funds, please contacteither Popovich at cjpop@pitt.edu for theprofessional development fund or AndrewSchneider-Muñoz at amunoz@pitt.edufor the leadership fund.SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONwww.education.pitt.eduwww.education.pitt.eduSCHOOL OF EDUCATION 25

ALUMNI NEWSSchool of Education Honors11 Distinguished Individualsat Annual Alumni AwardsPictured from left to right: Nick Trombetta, Karen Giardini (Jacqueline Lee Dempsey’s sister), Patricia Nixon, April Mattix, Andrew Hughey, Alan Lesgold,Thomas Platt, Maura Powell, and Rob MarshallThe School of Education honoredseven alumni, three FalkLaboratory School alumni, andone graduate student with awards atits annual Alumni Awards Receptionin March 2012 at the PittsburghAthletic Association in Oakland. Fourdepartmental awards (including oneposthumous award), four awards inindividual categories, and three Falk alumniawards were presented at the reception.2012 DistinguishedAlumni AwardAndrew R. Hughey (MEd ’67, PhD ’73)is currently a professor of counseloreducation at San Jose State University,SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONwhere www.education.pitt.eduhe has served as director of thecounselor education program and deanof the College of Applied Sciences andArts. He also is field site coordinatorfor the school’s counselor educationprogram and principal investigator atSan Jose State for GEAR UP, a communityachievement project sponsored by the U.S.Department of Education. The $14 millionGaining Early Awareness and Readiness26SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONwww.education.pitt.edu

ALUMNI NEWSfor Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)grant, designed to increase students’ entryinto and success in college, involves fiveCalifornia school districts composed of16 middle schools, eight high schools, anda staff of more than 80 professionals.Aware that the obstacles facing urbanschool children are, in many ways,worse today than they were in the1980s, Hughey does not romanticizethe challenges facing school counselors.Instead, he advises counselors to basetheir professional approach on systematicresearch and teaches them how todesign educational counseling protocolsthat respect students’ contexts whilepropelling them beyond limitations.2012 Early Career AwardThomas E. Platt (EdD ’07) is currentlyassistant professor and vice programdirector of the emergency medicinedegree program in the School of Healthand Rehabilitation Sciences at theUniversity of Pittsburgh.His work toward the improvement ofprehospital and emergency medicine carehas enhanced the field and our region.Platt’s emergency medical technician andparamedic programs provide studentswith valuable insight they will use whenentering the emergency medicine field.Internationally, he has consulted inareas of the Middle East, including Qatarand Saudi Arabia, on ways to enhancethe knowledge and skills of emergencymedical services professionals.2012 Pre-K–12Educator AwardNick Trombetta (EdD ’00) was hiredas the superintendent of the MidlandBorough School District in 1995. Facingdrastic education cuts, Trombetta leda small group of community leadersand educators to search for a secureeducational future for the district andits students. Starting with a small stategrant, he persuaded his school board tosponsor an online K–12 charter school.Expected to attract perhaps 50 localand regional students, the PennsylvaniaCyber Charter School (PA Cyber)enrolled 500 students from all overthe commonwealth and had a waitinglist of 400 within the first few monthsof its opening in 2000.The success of PA Cyber redrew theeducational map in Pennsylvania.Suddenly, school choice was an optionfor every family in each of the state’s501 school districts. Today, with 11,000students, PA Cyber is twice the size ofany competing cyber charter schoolin the state and is one of the largestcyber charter schools in the nation.2012 DepartmentalAlumni AwardsDepartment of Administrativeand Policy StudiesSince 1970, Al Condeluci (PhD ’84) hasbeen an advocate and catalyst for buildingcommunity capacities and understandingculture. He has worked as an attendant;caseworker; advocate; planner; programdirector; and, now, chief executive officerof his organization, United Cerebral Palsy/Community Living and Support Services(UCP/CLASS). UCP/CLASS has created afamily of corporations and is dedicatedto its mission: “Working towards acommunity where each belongs.” UnderCondeluci’s leadership, UCP/CLASShas grown to become the third-largestSCHOOL OF EDUCATIONdisability-specific agency in WesternPennsylvania, with a budget of $32 millionand a staff and payroll complement of 700.Department of Healthand Physical ActivityPatricia A. Nixon (MA ’80, PhD ’86)has been a leader in the area of pediatricexercise physiology for the past 25 years.She also is a past president of the NorthAmerican Society for Pediatric ExerciseMedicine and a fellow of the AmericanCollege of Sports Medicine, of whichshe has been a member since 1978.Nixon is an associate professor in theDepartment of Health and ExerciseScience and has a joint appointment in theDepartment of Pediatrics at Wake ForestUniversity School of Medicine, where sheconducts the majority of her work. Herresearch focuses on pulmonary function,exercise tolerance, and physical activityin children with chronic diseases. She iswell regarded for her research involvingchildren with cystic fibrosis.Department of Instructionand LearningJacqueline Lee Dempsey (PhD ’83)taught courses for the Early InterventionSpecialization in the Department of Instructionand Learning and was responsiblefor developing the itinerant/consultationmodule for it. She was the primary evaluatorfor the Family-centered Preschool Project,which employed parents of children withdisabilities as family consultants in earlyintervention programs.Throughout her career, Dempsey workedwith programs such as the AlleghenyIntermediate Unit’s DART (Discovery,www.education.pitt.edu(continued page 28)SCHOOL OF EDUCATION www.education.pitt.edu27

ALUMNI NEWSAnnual Alumni Awards(continued from page 27)Assessment, Referral, and Tracking) Projectand the Early Learning Institute. Later, shestarted the consulting firm Early ChildhoodInternational and became highly regardedand much sought after in her field.Dempsey passed away on October 26,2011, following a four-month battle withpancreatic cancer.Department of Psychologyin EducationPamela Moss (MA ’80, PhD ’88) isrecognized as a leading validity theoristin the United States. Her work lies at theintersections of educational assessment,philosophy of social science, and interpretiveor qualitative research methods.Moss’ current research agenda focuses onvalidity theory in educational assessment,assessment as a social practice, and theassessment of teaching. She is currentlycoleading a project, funded by grants fromthe National Science Foundation and theInstitute of Education Sciences, to developan integrated assessment system for usewith teacher candidates and the practicingteachers who support their learning.2012 Falk SchoolOutstandingAlumni AwardsRob Marshall is an award-winning directorwhose films have been honored with a totalof 23 Academy Award nominations andhave won nine, including Best Picture. Hismost recent film, Pirates of the Caribbean:On Stranger Tides, starring Johnny Deppand Penélope Cruz, has grossed more than$1 billion worldwide, placing it amonghistory. He currently is developing The ThinMan, starring Depp, as well as the movieadaptation of the Broadway musical Intothe Woods. His other directorial effortsinclude the Academy Award-winning filmsChicago and Memoirs of a Geisha. Chicagowas the winner of six Oscars, including BestPicture, and Marshall received the DirectorsGuild of America Award, an Oscar nomination,and a Golden Globe nomination, to name afew. His film adaptation of the best-sellingnovel Memoirs of a Geisha was the winnerof three Oscars, three British Academy ofFilm and Television Arts awards, and a GoldenGlobe. His film Nine was nominated for fourAcademy Awards, five Golden Globes, and10 Critics’ Choice Awards.For the last 20 years, Maura Powellhas been principal and owner of DominionDesign Associates, a successful full-serviceplanning, design, and construction companylocated in Alexandria, Va. Most recently, shestarted Terra Nova Design Group, a landscapedesign firm focusing on sustainablepractices, lighting, and irrigation. Powell isa Leadership in Energy and EnvironmentalDesign (LEED)-accredited professional.Her work has been featured on HGTV, inVERANDA magazine, and in the WashingtonDesign Center show house. Powell is thesister of Rob and Kathleen Marshall.Kathleen Marshall is an award-winningdirector and choreographer who won a 2011Tony Award and an Outer Critics CircleAward for Anything Goes. She also receiveda 2006 Tony Award for Best Choreographyfor The Pajama Game and a 2004 Tony Awardfor her choreography of Wonderful Town.Marshall was director and choreographerfor the 2007 Broadway production ofGrease and choreographed Boeing-Boeing.SCHOOL the top 10 highest-grossing OF EDUCATION films in www.education.pitt.eduAdditionally, Marshall has directed andchoreographed productions of Little Shopof Horrors; Seussical; Follies; Kiss Me,Kate; 1776 ; and Swinging on a Star.Her off-Broadway credits include TwoGentlemen of Verona, Saturday Night,Violet, and As Thousands Cheer. Shecurrently is the director and choreographerfor the musical Nice Work If You CanGet It, starring Matthew Broderick andKelli O’Hara. The production openedon Broadway earlier this year.2012 StudentLeadership AwardApril A. Mattix completed her doctoralwork in the Language, Literacy, andCulture Program at the School of Educationin 2012. Since coming to Pitt, Mattix hasdone significant work in the area ofliteracy education. Her background anddegrees in education, international affairs,and political science have contributed tothe unique sociocultural perspective shebrings to this work. She has activelyengaged in research throughout herprogram, conducting in-depth studies onteaching and the relationship of socialissues to their representation in the pagesof children’s literature. Mattix is currentlyan assistant professor in the College ofEducation and Human Development atGeorge Mason University.Mattix is a strong leader within the Pittsburghcommunity and has demonstrated herleadership abilities in a variety of forums.Within the School of Education, she servedas president of the Council of GraduateStudents in Education, a position to whichshe was elected by a body of her peers.28SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONwww.education.pitt.edu

ALUMNI NEWSAlumniUpdates1950sShirley Barasch (BA ’54, PhD ’76)retired in 2004 as a professor at Point ParkUniversity, where she trained teachers andperforming artists for 38 years. She haswritten a memoir titled For ProfessionalPurposes: An Artistic Journey.1960sBillie Lederman-Bauman (MAT ’67)became the director of guidance servicesfor two major organizations in New York,N.Y., after retiring as assistant principal ofpupil personnel services at the ManhattanCenter for Science and Mathematics. Thegroups are the Sports & Arts in SchoolsFoundation and the New York JuniorTennis League. She is currently assistantprincipal of recruitment and instructionalservices at St. Catharine Academy in theBronx, N.Y.1970sBernard Beidel (MEd ’78) received the2010 Caron Human Services/EmployeeAssistance Program Award during the sixthannual Washington (D.C.) MetropolitanArea Community Service Awards ceremony.He has been the director of the Office ofEmployee Assistance at the U.S. Houseof Representatives since the program’sinception in 1991. He has been a certifiedemployee assistance professional for24 years and recently completed athree-year term as a commissioner withthe international Employee AssistanceCertification Commission.Molapi Sebatane (MA ’72, PhD ’76)was commissioned by King Letsie III tobe the new ambassador of Lesotho to theUnited States. The Kingdom of Lesotho isa landlocked country surrounded by theRepublic of South Africa. The ceremonywas held at the Royal Palace in Maseru,the capital of Lesotho. Sebatane is marriedand has four children. He served for a totalof 10 years as a member of the governingcouncil of the National University of Lesotho(NUL) as well as on major committeesand boards of the university. Before thisappointment, he was pro-vice chancellorof NUL. Sebatane has authored morethan 30 publications, including journalarticles, books, book chapters, bookreviews, and monographs.1980sAlan Bugbee Jr. (PhD ’83) is now theprincipal psychometrician at Istation inDallas, Texas.Kathleen Kelley (PhD ’84) was namedthe 2011 Pennsylvania Superintendentof the Year by the Pennsylvania Associationof School Administrators. Kelley,who earned her PhD in instructionalstudies/language communications, issuperintendent of the Williamsport AreaSchool District and has served as a schooladministrator in Pennsylvania since 1978.Under Kelley’s leadership, the schooldistrict developed strategies to raisestudent achievement and appropriatelyinclude students with special needs inregular education classrooms. She alsoSCHOOL has been actively OF EDUCATIONinvolved with manycommunity organizations in Lycoming County,including the James V. Brown Library;Lycoming County Health ImprovementCoalition, Inc., Community Gas ExplorationTask Force; Lycoming County Rotary Clubsand United Way; and Williamsport/LycomingChamber of Commerce.Lisa C. Mullen (BS ’88) was named the2010–11 Harford County Public Schools(HCPS) Teacher of the Year. Mullen is alanguage arts teacher at North HarfordMiddle School in Bel Air, Md. She graduatedcum laude from Pitt with a BS in elementaryeducation, and she received the School ofEducation’s Student Leadership Award.Mullen is a 22-year veteran of the teachingprofession, having served 18 of thoseyears in HCPS. Throughout her career withHCPS, Mullen has written curricula for theEnglish department, presented professionaldevelopment programs, and served as amentor for student teachers. She also hasserved as a team leader, team recorder,and school improvement and school-basedinstructional decision-making team member.Betsy Porter (PhD ’84) retired from theUniversity of Pittsburgh after 33 years ofoutstanding service. Porter was the directorof Pitt’s Office of Admissions and FinancialAid, and under her leadership, the profile,quality, and diversity of new undergraduatestudents improved dramatically, helpingto bring Pitt to a new tier of recognition inhigher education. Early in her tenure atPitt as an associate director of admissions,Porter earned her PhD in higher educationadministration at the School of Education.(continued on page 30)www.education.pitt.eduwww.education.pitt.eduSCHOOL OF EDUCATION 29

ALUMNI NEWSAlumni Updates(continued from page 29)1990sNellie Cyr (PhD ’97) was appointedassociate dean of the College ofEducation and Human Services atShippensburg University of Pennsylvaniain January 2011 after a national search.Beth Fischer (MEd ’96, PhD ’06) wasnamed a 2011 fellow of the AmericanAssociation for the Advancement ofScience. Fischer was named a fellowin the Section on Societal Impacts ofScience and Engineering for her visionand distinguished contributions topromote and enhance professionalism,responsible research, and diversitywithin the national and internationalscientific community. Fischer earned herPhD in administrative and policy studiesin education. She is a professor of familymedicine in Pitt’s School of Medicineand director of Pitt’s Survival Skillsand Ethics Program.Steven Harris (MEd ’98) currently isserving as visiting assistant professorof mathematics at Walsh Universityin North Canton, Ohio.2000sBethanne J. Hull (BS ’04, MS ’05) isworking for NASA at the Kennedy SpaceCenter in Florida. Hull’s work is part of acollaboration with the National SpaceGrant College and Fellowship Program,which supports student and faculty STEM(science, technology, engineering, andmath) activities across the country.Stephanie Jones (MEd ‘05) receiveda Southern Regional Education Board-State Doctoral Scholars Program award.The award provides three years of directprogram support as well as two years ofinstitutional support from the recipient’scollege, university, and/or departmentin the form of a $20,000 annual stipend.Jones received her MEd in instructionand learning (English education) from Pittand currently is pursuing her doctoraldegree at the University of Georgia. Shealso was recognized as a STAR (StudentTeacher Achievement Recognition)Teacher at Frederick Douglass HighSchool in Atlanta, Ga., where sheteaches American literature, composition,and Advanced Placement languageand composition.Brian Larouere (PhD ’04) is a leadexercise physiologist on the integratedpersonal health team for Cigna in Pittsburgh.Gregg Margolis (PhD ’05) wasappointed director of the Division ofHealth Systems and Health Policy forthe Office of the Assistant Secretaryfor Preparedness and Response in theU.S. Department of Health and HumanServices. Margolis also was the recipientof a Robert Wood Johnson FoundationHealth Policy Fellowship from theInstitute of Medicine in 2009–10. Priorto the fellowship, he earned threedegrees at Pitt: a BS degree from theKenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts andSciences in 1988, an MS degree fromthe School of Health and RehabilitationSciences in 1994, and a PhD degreein social and comparative analysis ineducation from the School of Education.SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONwww.education.pitt.eduQuinn Neidig (MAT ’07) currently isteaching Spanish at a public high schoolin Brooklyn, N.Y.John Wilkinson (EdD ’03) was hiredas the new superintendent for the BelleVernon Area School District in July.Wilkinson began his career teachingmiddle school science at Steel ValleyMiddle School.2010sKelly Austin (PhD ’11) was namedchancellor of Penn State Schuylkillin June. Austin previously was vicepresident of finance and administrationat the University of Pittsburgh atJohnstown. Austin had been in thisparticular role, serving as the chiefbusiness and administration officerat UPJ, since 2008. He also served asUPJ vice president of student affairsfrom 2007 to 2008.Jeff Taylor (EdD ’11) was selected by thePennsylvania Association for Supervisionand Curriculum Development (PASCD)to receive its 2011 Supervision andCurriculum Development Award. PASCDis an organization committed to theimprovement of curriculum development,supervision, and instruction along withpromoting professional growth andeducation of children. Taylor’s EdDstudies focused on school leadership.He is the director of curriculum andassessment for the North Hills SchoolDistrict, where he heads its assessmentprogram, curriculum development, anddata analysis of student achievement.30SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONwww.education.pitt.edu

ALUMNI NEWSTELL US WHAT’S NEW!We’d love to hear about your job, graduate studies, professional accomplishments, volunteer work, or anything else you would liketo share. Complete and return this form, and you could be highlighted in the next issue of School of Education News.NAMEADDRESSE-MAIL ADDRESSPOSITION(S)DEGREE(S)YEAR(S) GRADUATEDPlease complete and return to University of Pittsburgh, School of Education,Office of the Dean, 5605 Wesley W. Posvar Hall, 230 South Bouquet Street,Pittsburgh, PA 15260. If you have any questions, please call 1-866-ALUM-EDU(258-6338) or 412-648-1738 Fax: 412-648-1825 E-mail: alum@education.pitt.eduEquipped with instruments and blue and gold pride, Pitt band members joined Dean Alan Lesgold at the School of Education Alumni Society ExecutiveCommittee meeting in August 2012. Pictured from left to right are Anastasia Brandt, Tom Gower, John Obeid, Lesgold, alumni society president BrianWhite (MEd ’00, EdD ’06), Andrew Gentilcore, Alexandra Warble, and Sean Vins.MInMilton Seligman, emeritus facultyMemoriam member, March 13, 2012SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONIrvin Iwler (MEd ’57, EdD ’70),September 17, 2011www.education.pitt.eduSCHOOL OF EDUCATION www.education.pitt.edu31

School of Education5500 Wesley W. Posvar Hall230 South Bouquet StreetPittsburgh, PA 15260www.education.pitt.eduGiventhe gianttortoise’sabilityto livefor up to175 years,Dean Alan Lesgold and his wife, Sharon, visited the Galápagos Islands to askthe wise old reptiles for advice on the School of Education’s next 100 years.