8.1MB - College of Education - Auburn University

O f f i c e o f t h e D e a n
UNC selects Whitford
for alumni award
New College of Education Dean Betty Lou Whitford thought
her involvement in her alma mater’s anniversary celebration
would consist of introducing the keynote speaker.
However, her visit to the University of North Carolina’s
School of Education in September 2010 involved a second trip
up on stage.
Whitford accepted the school’s Alumni Achievement Award
during its 125th anniversary celebration.
“I really was surprised and very pleased,”
said Whitford, who began her tenure as Auburn’s
education dean and Wayne T. Smith
distinguished professor on Aug. 1.
“One committee planning the event had
contacted me about introducing the keynote
speaker. About three weeks later, I got a
letter from the director of alumni affairs congratulating me on
being selected for the alumni achievement award. I thought
somebody in the office had mixed it up.”
The UNC School of Education annually presents its Alumni
Achievement Award to graduates who exemplify its “commitment
to support diverse and democratic communities in order
to improve education in the state and nation for all children and
the adults who care for them.”
Whitford, who previously served as the dean of the College
of Education and Human Development at the University of
Southern Maine, has certainly fulfilled that requirement over
the course of her career. In addition to teaching undergraduate
and graduate students, Whitford has served as a consultant
for numerous school districts, as well as school and university
partnerships. She also held academic and research positions at
Columbia University, the University of Louisville and UNC.
She has served as an advisor to the John S. and James L.
Knight Foundation, the National Council for Accreditation
of Teacher Education’s Professional Development Schools
Standards Project, the U.S. Office for Educational Research and
Improvement, the Council of Chief State School Officers’ Arts
Education Partnership, the Appalachian Educational Laboratory,
the Lucent Technologies Foundation and the Schlechty
Center for Leadership in School Reform. The latter center was
founded by former UNC faculty member and associate dean of
education Phil Schlechty.
Whitford, a native of New Bern, N.C., earned a bachelor’s
degree in social studies education, a master’s in teaching in
political science and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction
and sociology of education during her time in Chapel Hill.
“They sort of have to claim me,” Whitford joked.
Graduate students gain
insight into experiences
of female faculty members
Four female faculty members shared their
experiences as researchers, teachers and
leaders during a February 2011 discussion
hosted by the Dean’s Office.
The event, entitled “Women in the Academy,”
was open to all graduate students as
a means for them to gain insight into what
factors go into becoming a faculty member
in the College of Education.
The guest speakers at the event were
(pictured from top to bottom) Drs. Wendi
Weimar, Melody Russell, Caroline Dunn
and Margaret Shippen.
Weimar, an associate professor in the Department
of Kinesiology, serves as director
of the Sport Biomechanics Laboratory.
Russell is an associate professor and
program coordinator of secondary science
education in the Department of Curriculum
and Teaching.
Dunn, a professor in the Department of
Special Education, Rehabilitation and
Counseling, is the founder and director of
the secondary special education master’s
degree program.
Shippen is an associate professor in the Department
of Special Education, Rehabilitation and Counseling.
2011 Spring Awards
Check the College of Education
website – education.auburn.edu – in
April for information on the 30th
Annual Awards & Recognition
ceremony honoring outstanding students, faculty
members and staff. The college’s awards luncheon
is scheduled for April 27.
2011 Keystone Leader
Since 2003, the College of Education’s
Keystone Leader-in-Residence has
introduced students to successful
leaders in education, government,
human services, business, community services and
health services. Check the college’s website –
education.auburn.edu – for an update on which
alum has been selected as the 2011 Keystone
Leader. This year’s program will be held during the
fall semester.
A K e y s t o n e i n B u i l d i n g a B e t t e r F u t u r e f o r A l l 4 5