TUSD's new superintendent is a familiar face |
Ask anyone and they will tell you, "If there is one person who can take on the challenges of running Tucson Unified School District, it's Senior Faculty Fellow John Pedicone."
And, indeed, he was the number-one pick for TUSD's competitive job search. Our Educational Policy Studies & Practices faculty member started his new job at the end of last year.
Here are some facts about our friend, faculty member, and TUSD's new superintendent:
· Experience
Former superintendent, Flowing Wells School District; vice president, Southern Arizona Leadership Council
· Education
Bachelor's degree in English, master's in curriculum and instruction, and a doctorate in educational administration
· Family
Husband to Francine, father of three adult sons: Jay, Michael, and James
· On the side
While teaching in Chicago, he took up singing professionally on the side. He still sings at midnight Mass at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church and has sung the national anthem for the College of Education convocation for many years (and he is a grand singer, btw!).
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Erasmus reception to be held at beautiful Lodge on the Desert
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Don't miss the 2011 Erasmus Circle Reception Wednesday, April 6, 5:30 p.m., at the Lodge on the Desert.
An Arizona landmark and Tucson tradition renowned for its intimate residential setting, the Lodge on the Desert offers guests meandering pathways among regal palms, native cacti, and manicured lawns wrapped in ribbons of seasonal flowers. Charming hacienda-style accommodations afford guests a sanctuary in which to retreat and relax. It is truly Tucson's urban oasis -- and considered by many to be the Old Pueblo's midtown masterpiece.
Be sure to join us in this beautiful setting. For more information, contact Jessica Dennis.
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The importance of universities, especially during times of tragedy
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Education E-News
February 2011
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It's all about the heart!
"And then the day came, when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."
--Anais Nin
Heartfelt thanks go out to the Tucsonans who showed the country and the world what a remarkable place Tucson really is!
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Dean Marx on Arizona Illustrated
Dean Marx was interviewed on Arizona Illustrated Tuesday night. Topics included the need to prepare teachers in light of changing demographics and the community's role in fixing the broken pipeline to higher education. Watch the interview here.
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Controversial scholar Diane Ravitch to speak at the College of Education
Author, presidential advisor, and research professor Diane Ravitch will be at the College of Education Wednesday, Feb. 16, at 6 p.m., for a community conversation about the state of K-12 education.
 She will share highlights from her book, The Death and Life of the Great American School System. Dean Marx and Robin Hiller, executive director of Voices for Education, will lead a Q&A.
Don't miss this opportunity to speak with educational thought leaders and join the discussion, which is critical to new ideas and actions.
See this flier for details.
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 Exploring the diversity around us
The Center for the Study of Higher Education is hosting a semester-long symposium with scholars and members of the on- and off-campus communities about issues surrounding diversity. The symposium, which coincides with a graduate seminar, is designed to expand informed discussions about diversity in Arizona and elsewhere in the nation.
Read the full story here.
Go to the Debating Diversity blog. |
Join us on Facebook  We have a new Facebook page at the College of Education, and we'd love for you to join us.
Come on, befriend us here!
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It's almost time for the
Tucson Festival of Books!
 The third annual Tucson Festival of Books gets under way March 11 on the University of Arizona campus with the Author's Table Dinner.
This is your chance to dine and socialize with dozens of America's leading authors -- and to hear from one of the nation's top sports writers and commentators, Frank Deford. Proceeds benefit literacy programs throughout Southern Arizona.
The evening also will include a special appearance by "Harmonica Pierre" Herbineaux from the TV series, America's Got Talent.
Tucson's top humorist, Arizona Daily Star cartoonist David Fitzsimmons, will be the master of ceremonies.
Deford is a commentator on NPR's Morning Edition, senior correspondent on the HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, and senior contributing writer at Sports Illustrated. Six times Deford was voted by his peers as U.S. Sportswriter of the Year, and twice he was voted Magazine Writer of the Year by the Washington Journalism Review. He's also the author of 16 books.
Here's everything you would ever want to know about the festival.
 And don't miss College of Education alumna Susan Greenwald! Her book, Five Times Five Is Not Ten: Make Multiplication Easy, was selected for the UA Alumni Authors Tent. On Sunday, March 13, at 12:30 p.m., Greenwald will present the book and talk about why she wrote it.
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Educational Policy Studies & Practice
Educational Leadership Adjunct Professor Maria Menconi was named interim deputy superintendent of the Tucson Unified School District.
Andy Townsend, recent M.Ed. cohort graduate and a teacher at Elvira Elementary School in the Sunnyside Unified School District, was selected as one of the four Arizona Teacher of the Year Ambassadors by the Arizona Educational Foundation.
Nolan Cabrera will join us as an assistant professor in the fall. He is a postdoctoral research associate in the Center for the Study of Higher Education.
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Humphrey |
Adjunct Assistant Professor and Assistant Vice President for UA Student Affairs Keith Humphrey was elected as the incoming president of the American College Personnel Association. ACPA is the leading student affairs organization with approximately 8,500 members in 1,500 institutions in the U.S. and abroad. Here's more about ACPA.
Humphrey received another honor: He was recognized as a Diamond Honoree by the ACPA Foundation for his exceptional contributions to higher education throughout his career. He is one of only 17 to be recognized as a 2011 Diamond Honoree. In the words of his nominator, "Keith Humphrey exemplifies the value of giving back to his community, whether it be his university, ACPA, or the town in which he lives. He has enriched the lives of many students through his work as a student affairs professional and as a faculty member. He is generous and generative and kind-hearted. He lives the values of our profession."
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Lee |
Associate Professor and Director of the Center for the Study of Higher Education Jenny Lee and Brendan Cantwell (former postdoc) published an article, Unseen Workers in the Academic Factory: Perceptions of Neoracism Among International Postdocs in the United States and the United Kingdom, in the Harvard Education Review (Winter 2010 issue).
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Mejia |
Teaching, Learning & Sociocultural Studies
UA senior Jessica Mejia is a member of a long line of educators. Mejia was named a recipient of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation award, one that will support her through her graduate studies and initial service as a teacher. With the fellowship, and after earning her undergraduate degree in May, Mejia is slated to begin the our Teach Arizona one-year master's degree program. Read the full story here.
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Happy Valentine's Day!
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