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Alumni Event News & Kudos
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"Southern Women," a new alumni group, has several gatherings planned from Knoxville to Jacksonville to Bulloch County. Don't miss out on the fun. Click here for details.  Bruce Rogers, Ed.D. ('10, Ed.S. '97, M.Ed. '96) won the 2014 School Psychologist of the Year award presented at the Georgia Association of School Psychologists.
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Alumni Update
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1980-89
Susan (Swicord) Mathews ('82 M.Ed.
Elementary Education) is retired and the past international vice president of the collegiate membership for Alpha Delta Pi sorority.
1990-99
Julie (Alfriend) Ferris ('97 B.S. Ed.) lives in Roswell and is employed by Northbrook UMC as a preK teacher. She wrote the first children's book about the Masters Golf Tournament, published in 2012. She enjoys teaching children about the writing, editing and publishing process.
Kimberly (Timko) Johnson ('93 M.Ed. Counselor Education) recently became the director of development at Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
Heather (Gilbert) Morningstar ('97 B.S.Ed. Early Childhood Ed.) teaches at the UMCA of Metropolitan Atlanta and lives in Canton.
2000-09
Michelle (McGuoirk) Kilgore ('06 M.Ed. Special Education) is a special education teacher (grades 3-5) at North Dodge Elementary in Dodge County. She serves as a county consultant for deaf/hard of hearing education and was recognized as a model/master classroom teacher by Renaissance Learning.
Holley (Morris) Roberts ('09 Ed.D.) has been named the director of assessment and accreditation for the John H. Lounsbury College of Education at Georgia College and State University.
Helen Kristine Ritz ('01 M.Ed. Higher Ed./Student Services) works at the University of Delaware.
Charles Webb ('01 Ed.D. Education Administration) is a retired school superintendent and is now president of Charles Webb Consulting. He assists schools districts, businesses, industries and governmental agencies with strategic leadership and planning, educational administration, and collaborative team building among other areas. He lives in Statesboro.
2010-
Brandi Elaine Helton ('11 Ed.S. Counselor Educaton), is starting her seventh year at Bradwell Institute in Hinesville. Last summer she was recognized along with three colleagues at the ASCA conference in Philadelphia for her school receiving RAMP certification.
Brooka Hutcheson ('12 Ed.S. Teaching and Learning) works at Telfair County High School in McRae, and was named Teacher of the Year for her school for 2014-15.
Blair Inabinet ('12 Ed.S. Teaching and Learning) works at Youth Middle School in Loganville, and was named Teacher of the Year for her school for 2014-15.
Marni Elizabeth Kirkland ('13 Ed.D. Curriculum Studies, '07 Ed.S. Teaching and Learning, '07, M.A.T English Education) was recently named the district director of K-12 English language arts for the Colquitt County School System.
London Ritchie ('14 B.S.Ed. Early Childhood Ed.) lives in Kennesaw and is employed by the Marietta City Schools.
McKenzie Hayes Smith ('14 M.Ed. Special Education) is employed by the Cobb County School System in Acworth.
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Centennial Plaza Bricks
What's your story:  "We were so excited to purchase a brick. Georgia Southern College of Education means so much to us because it is a reminder of where we met. We met while students there and have been married for 44 years!"
John and Debbie (Oliver) MacDonald ('72 B.S.Ed.)
Your commemorative brick purchase ($100) includes an engraved brick installed in the wheel of the Centennial Plaza, a certificate of ownership suitable for framing, and a mini replica for you to keep as a memento. Up to three lines, with words of your choosing, can be engraved on your brick.
These purchases are 100% tax deductible and will support undergraduate and graduate student scholarships. Click here for more information.
Tell us your story, whether you bought a brick or someone bought one for you. Click here to send.
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is published on the second Tuesday of the month by Georgia Southern University's College of Education.
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M.Ed. in Higher Ed Earns Best Online Ranking
The College of Education's onlin e M.Ed. in Higher Education degree program has been ranked by TheBestSchools.org as one of "The 25 Best Online Master in Higher Education Degree Programs." The organization based its ratings on several weighted factors, including academic excellence, course offerings, faculty strengths and reputation, including reputation for online degree programs. The program was ranked number 10 overall.
"This is another example of how seriously we take our commitment to our students as educators in all settings," said COE Dean Thomas Koballa. "We're particularly proud of our faculty's dedication to online learning and staying abreast of the latest developments in that learning environment. Our programs are rigorous and meaningful and that's backed-up by rankings such as this," he continued.
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COE Gives High Schoolers
Jump on College
The College of Education is helping students in regional school districts get a head start on college. This fall, COE renewed its Memorandum of Agreement for Teaching as a
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COE Dean Thomas Koballa (l) signing the MOU with Effingham county school district.
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Profession. Under the agreement, students who complete the Teaching as a Profession Career Pathway will receive three university credits at Georgia Southern. Effingham, Liberty and Glynn counties have had MOUs with Georgia Southern. The MOU agreements are for three years. "This gives students interested in a career in education not just credits going into Georgia Southern but also the confidence they need to keep focused on their goals," said COE Dean Thomas Koballa.
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COE: Connecting With
Regional Superintendents and Schools
COE Dean Thomas Koballa spent time this fall traveling the southern region of the state to connect with superintendents, renewing ties
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Appling County Superintendent Scarlett Copeland with COE Dean Thomas Koballa.
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and building new bridges. Starting this week, Koballa will visit with teachers and school professionals at COE partner schools, beginning with Evans County.
While COE draws students from across the state and region, many students have connections to the southern region of the state. Additionally, these counties are important in research endeavors by faculty. "I enjoy meeting with superintendents to talk about the successes and issues in their counties and what we, as a college of education, can do to help them," said Koballa. "Superintendents are a critical link to our work, and so are our partner schools. That's why I want to do my best to meet and talk with as many partner schools as I can," he added.
Koballa met with Appling County Superintendent Scarlett Miles Copeland; Bryan County Superintendent Paul Brooksher; Camden County Superintendent William Hardin; Savannah-Chatham County Schools Chief Academic Advisor Ann Levett; Evans County Superintendent Joy Collins; Glynn County Superintendent Howard Mann; Jeff Davis County Superintendent Rob Brown; Liberty County Superintendent Valya Lee; Long County Superintendent Robert Waters; Tattnall County Superintendent Gina Williams; Toombs County Superintendent Kim Corley; and Wayne County Superintendent James Brinson.
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Assistant Professor Amelia Davis, Department of Curriculum,
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Amelia Davis
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Foundations and Reading, received the Commission of Professors of Adult Education Early Career Award at the American Association of Adult and Continuing Education national conference. The award acknowledges individuals early in their academic career who "demonstrate excellence in research and publication and potential capacity for leadership in the field."
Assistant Professor Daniel Calhoun,
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Daniel Calhoun
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Department of Leadership, Technology and Human Development, has been named a 2014-2015 Faculty in Residence for the Graduate Students and New Professionals of the American College Personnel Association.
Assistant Professor Lucy Green, Department of Leadership,
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Lucy Green
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Technology and Human Development, received the Association for Educational Communications and Technology Cross-Cultural Award for her study "Global Perspectives: Exploring School-Based Brazilian Librarianship Through Institutional Ethnography." The AECT Cross-Cultural Research Award is sponsored by the Korean Society for Educational Technology. Santos' co-researcher is Melissa P. Johnston, University of Alabama.  Associate Professor Robert Lake, Department of Curriculum, Foundations and Reading, is one of the editors of a new book, Reclaiming the Sane Society: Essays on Erich Fromm's Thought, from Sense Publishers. In addition, Lake is one of the editors of another new book from Sense, Teaching Towards Democracy with Postmodern and Popular Culture Texts. Assistant Professor Katie Brkich, Department of Teaching and Learning; and Associate Professor William Reynolds, Department of Curriculum, Foundations and Reading, also contributed to the text.  | |
Fayth Parks
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Associate Professor Fayth Parks, Department of Leadership,Technology and Human Development, will be the featured speaker at TEDxAugusta on Friday, January 30, 2015. Her topic is "How Culture Connects to Healing and Recovery." Associate Professor Kymberly Drawdy, Department of Teaching and Learning, along with  Assistant Professor Catherine Howerter, Department of Teaching and Learning, has published a chapter, "Assessing Teacher Competencies for Inclusive Settings: Comparative Pre-Service Teacher Preparation Programs," in International Perspectives on Inclusive Education, v.3, 2014, Measuring Inclusive Education. Emerald Books Publishing.
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Special Education Majors Meet with Adrian Peterson
It's often not easy to talk about personal experiences coping with a disability, but Georgia Southern's most well-known football player, Adrian Peterson, didn't have a problem sharing his story with COE special education students. Peterson, who played for Georgia Southern from 1998-2001 and is a former American League football running back, has devoted his life to helping others. The  students are juniors taking part in their characteristics course taught by Clinical Instructor Kathleen Tootle. They attended a workshop, called Success with Stuttering, provided by the local Georgia Learning Resource System and presented by Tim Mackesey. "Adrian was very open about how he coped with his stuttering disability," Tootle said. The students learned about cognitive behavior therapy and were presented with strategies to assist school-age children who stutter.
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Watch this video to learn more about COE's M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration
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UK Exchange Coordinator Visits COE
David Clayton, assistant head and trainee tutor at Ballifield Primary School in Sheffield, England, was at COE last month to visit partner schools and meet with teacher candidates and COE faculty. In the photograph below, he posed with seven teacher candidates who are now at Ballifield.
Front row seated--Rebekah Smith, Sarah Brittany Sandback, Kimberly Farris, Jessica Fenwick
Back row standing --Kasey Duggins, Mallory Stewart, David Clayton from Ballifield Primary School Sheffield, England, and Robert Anderson.
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