As a young girl in India, Shirin Antia, professor in the Department of Special Education, Rehabilitation, and School Psychology, studied piano and was so talented that her teacher wanted her to compete professionally. But there was one problem: "I froze up in performance," says Antia.

Fortunately, Antia discovered another path: teaching deaf children. One of her childhood friends was deaf, and the girl's mother opened a school in Calcutta for deaf children. Antia volunteered at the school, and a career in teaching unfolded before her.

"She is widely recognized throughout the nation by her deaf education colleagues as both an excellent researcher and an effective leader," says Harold A. Johnson, professor at the Michigan State University College of Education. "Her groundbreaking research provides a critical knowledge base needed to both support students and enhance teacher preparation."

Antia now adds another feather in her cap. She has been selected as the David and Minnie Meyerson Distinguished Professor of Disability and Rehabilitation.

David and Minnie Meyerson were the parents of Lee Meyerson, who, along with Nancy Kerr, dedicated themselves to improving the lives of children with disabilities through research and practice. Both were highly honored professors at Arizona State University and both were disabled themselves. Meyerson and Kerr came to see their disabilities as opportunities to contribute. They created the David and Minnie Meyerson Foundation to continue their work after their passing. 

The ambassador of Finland to the United States presented a gift of Finnish children's literature to Worlds of Words, our collection of international children's and adolescent books. Representatives from the Tucson Festival of Books also were there to honor the UA as a beneficiary of last year's festival and presented a check for $200,000 to support literacy services throughout Tucson and Southern Arizona.

Finnish Ambassador Ritva Koukka-Ronde with Dean Marx

This gift from Finland kicked off FinnFest, a festival celebrating Finnish culture and heritage. 

The ambassador brought along the Moomins, who performed during the presentation. Moomins are characters made famous by a series of books written by Finnish author Tove Jannsson. Moomins are a family of trolls, who live in Moominvalley in the forests of Finland and have a series of adventures. The series began in the late 1940s, and the Moomins have been the basis of comic books, picture books, novels, TV series, films, and a theme park in Finland. The Moomins sang and danced during the presentation.

Click here for more information on FinnFest. 

Dignitaries from Mexico were at the UA for two days last month as part of Project SEED (Scholarships for Education and Economic Development). The program provides comprehensive academic and professional development for indigenous Mexican educators. 

SEED draws upon the social, linguistic, and cultural resources of the UA and the Tucson community in an integrated approach of academic development, service-learning, and reflection. In turn, the teachers are involved in community service for Tucson (Head Start, Community Food Bank, or even removing invasive grasses from the desert, to name a few), give community talks and workshops, and co-teach in Tucson schools. It's a win-win situation: reciprocal collaborations and tapping into the great possibilities their cultures offer to education.

Representatives from Mexico included Horacio Chavarria, director of the Program for Immigrant Children, and Edgar Yesid Sierra Soler, director of Formation and Professional Development of Teachers in Indigenous Education.

Dean Marx was asked to represent Arizona in two critical discussion forums, hosted by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, on Common Core State Standards (CCSS) implementation.

The first forum looked at the role of high stakes assessments in the era of the CCSS. More than half of the states administer high-stakes exit examinations to students by tying passage of minimum standards tests to high school graduation. The implementation of the CCSS provides an opening for states to raise the question about whether they plan to continue tying the results of high school assessments to graduation decisions.

The second forum covered the postsecondary transition issues that arise with the implementation of the CCSS. The standards present an unprecedented opportunity to ensure that recent high school graduates come to college or a career-training program ready for success in credit-bearing work. 

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices develops innovative solutions to today's most pressing public policy challenges and is the only research and development firm that directly serves the nation's governors. Here's more.

Project SOAR (Student Outreach for Access and Resiliency) is a service-learning experience that routinely places more than 100 UA undergraduate mentors in under-resourced middle schools in the Tucson area. Not all students are education students. In fact, most are not. Case in point: Trish Griego, who graduated in 2010 with a bachelor's degree in political science. She recently wrote the college's Director of Outreach Sara Chavarria, who supervised her mentoring efforts at the UA:

When last we met, I was applying for an AmeriCorps position with a nonprofit called City Year. I was formally accepted and have been living here in Seattle for two years. I've had an amazing experience. I've learned so much about the drop-out crisis and the educational gaps that exist for low-income families and students. I've learned about the Seattle Public School system -- and the challenges it faces. It was an absolute joy to continue my work as a full-time mentor and tutor. I recently was hired as the BRIDGE.start youth intervention specialist at Denny International Middle School. I provide intensive case management for middle school students most at risk and in need of positive adult intervention in the Seattle area. If it weren't for a program like Project SOAR, I may never have found my passion for youth development or my ability to connect with young adults. I truly believe in the power of young people, and I hope to continue to work to empower them to become their own powerful advocates. I just wanted to let you know that I certainly would not be where I am today without my time in the Project SOAR. Thank you!

--Trish Griego

Luissel Cordova (left) and Rebekah Acosta took students back in time to visit Carillo Gardens, Tucson's earliest park and recreational center in the late 1800s.

Assistant Professor of Practice Crystal M. Soltero's elementary preservice teachers helped celebrate 100 years of Arizona statehood with the Arizona History Museum. Her students were placed throughout the museum to teach 250 young students who traveled to the museum from Roskruge, Wright, Manzo, and Borton Elementary Schools. Twelve Living Museum stations allowed students to visit people and places in Arizona history, all aligned with fourth-grade standards. Soltero adds, "Our students are even more connected to the community through our partnership with the museum."