Revival - College of Education - University of Florida

esearch & public scholarshipUF honors educators forpublic-minded scholarshipSome of North Central Florida’s most committedteachers, school administrators and education professorsand students were honored for their impact onthe community in the UF College of Education’s 2008Scholarship of Engagement banquet held in April at theUF Hilton.The banquet recognized educators and students fromUF and Alachua County public schools whose scholarlyoutreach activities contribute to improved schools andstudent learning or address important social and communityissues.The honors are based on the “scholarship of engagement”philosophy, or engaged research and educationalactivities done for the public good. The research-intensiveconcept is a burgeoning movement in higher educationthat UF education Dean Catherine Emihovich hasinfused as a core principle of a faculty-led transformationof the college’s research and teaching programs.The event also was a forum for recognizing this year’sCollege of Education student scholarship recipients andthe donors who funded their endowed scholarships. It isa rare occasion where scholarship donors get to meet thestudents who benefit from their philanthropy.The College of Education recognized several localteachers, principals, school district administrators,university faculty and UF education students whosescholarly activities are yielding an immediate positiveimpact on teaching and learning in the classroom or onthe community.This year’s award recipients included:University AwardMartha Monroe, Professor,UF School of Forest Resources and ConservationWildfire is a serious threat to people and propertyin the Sunshine State, but few Floridians knowwhat they can to do prevent it – and publicagencies sometime send conflicting messagesabout the topic. Monroe researched popularmisconceptions about wildfire risk and coordinateda multi-agency approach to craft a set of materialsand messages to educate homeowners in fire-proneecosystems around the state.Graduate Student AwardChristopher Mullin,Educational Administration and PlanningIn these economically trying times, institutionsof higher education are having to make toughdecisions that affect the lives of young people.Chris Mullin has studied and published numerousworks on funding issues affecting communitycolleges, which are the gateway to higher educationfor millions of people. Mullin was also deeplyinvolved in the launch of the Florida Journal ofEducational Administration and Policy, UF’s newjournal for research on higher education issues.Educational Psychology Faculty AwardDiana JoyceFor a child who is struggling in school, competentand perceptive school psychologists can make allthe difference. UF’s practicum program is vital tothe preparation of school psychologists, and underJoyce’s direction, the program has doubled in sizeto include five school districts and seven clinics.Joyce is a psychologist and a researcher with aninterest in social-emotional needs and effectiveinterventions to improve student academic andmental health outcomes.Counselor Education Faculty AwardSondra Smith-AdcockThroughout her career, Smith-Adcock has focusedher research on interventions to help marginalizedyoung people. She has looked at the role of peersin the lives of girls in the juvenile justice system;called attention to a lack of Spanish-speakingcounselors in Florida schools; and found new wayscounselors can help culturally diverse groups oflow-income students.School District AwardTom Ringwood, Alachua County SchoolsAs a district-level inclusion specialist, Ringwoodhas played a crucial role in school reform effortsthat allowed students with disabilities to find aplace in the general education classroom. Throughnational conference presentations and a widelydistributedvideo presentation, he shares his ideaswith other school systems with an eye towardreplicating Alachua County’s successes elsewhere.Educational Administrationand Policy Faculty AwardLuis PonjuanEvery college administrator knows that African-Americans and Latinos are underrepresented inhigher education—and that this state of affairsis a serious social justice issue. Ponjuan’s workaddresses the reasons behind the disparity—atboth the faculty and student level—and sheds lighton crucial issues in science education and facultyretention.Community AwardMercantile BankThrough the leadership of its president, AndyCheney, Mercantile Bank has made sustainedinvestments in improving the quality of teachingand learning in Florida. The bank has worked withUF’s Lastinger Center for Learning to launch aninnovative professional development initiative forteachers in high-need schools.Special Education Faculty AwardHazel JonesIn her work with UF’s Baby Gator ChildDevelopment and Research Center, the EarlyLearning Coalition and the Northeast FloridaEducation Consortium’s Early Reading Firstproject, Jones has helped preschool teachersemploy research-based practices to promote youngchildren’s language and literacy development.School of Teaching and Learning Faculty AwardNancy DanaAs director of UF’s Center for SchoolImprovement, Dana has worked with schoolsthroughout Florida to help practitioners andprincipals systematically study pressing issues theyface while working in high-need and high-povertyschools. She has been a leader in the movement toencourage teachers and principals to take charge oftheir own professional development.P.K. Yonge AwardKelly DolanAs a first, third and fourth grade teacher, KellyDolan has worked to acquire National BoardCertification, and actively participates in uniqueprofessional development opportunities. She hasbeen a Florida Reading Initiative trainer since2002 and a regular host of PKY Research in Actionvisitors. Her work has inspired many teachers toreconsider their approaches to comprehension,vocabulary and decoding instruction.Scholarship recipients* and their benefactors*Recipients’ names italicizedBelow, from left: Lillian Hall, Olivia Generales, Bonnie Northsea andLincoln Hall; Renee Fox and Marjorie Schear Waggoner; Jennifer andCarolyn Marty with Jeffrey Ditterline and guest Laurie Morrison; Mary-Anne and Alice L. Primack. Not pictured: Rebekah Wobrak.20 EducationTimes Fall / Winter • 2008 Fall / Winter • 2008 EducationTimes 21