SOE News
2005
Dixie Lee Spiegel Retires, School Establishes Scholarship Fund
Dec. 31, 2005
Dixie Lee Spiegel retired on December 31 after a 28-year career at the School of Education. A named scholarship fund has been established in honor of Spiegel’s contributions as professor of literacy studies and senior associate dean of the school.
Staff and Faculty Sponsor Families Displaced by Hurricane Katrina
Dec. 21, 2005
The School of Education sponsored two families who lost their homes to Hurricane Katrina and relocated to North Carolina. Staff and faculty contributed $1,000 in gift certificates as well as numerous household items, clothing and toys.
Education Leaders and N.C. Policymakers Discuss How to Improve Schools
Dec. 13, 2005
Forty educators, legislators and other key policymakers met at UNC-Chapel Hill on Dec. 12, 2005, to consider how to transform policy to improve K-12 teaching and learning in North Carolina. This session was the first in a series of activities that are part of Dean James’s campus-wide K-12 initiative.
School of Education Earns Re-accreditation
Nov. 15, 2005
The School of Education has been re-accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), indicating that it meets the rigorous standards set by the profession for producing quality teachers. NCATE currently accredits 614 institutions which produce two-thirds of the nation’s new teacher graduates each year.
Institute of Education Sciences Funds $10 Million Center for Rural Education Support
November, 2005
The U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences has awarded $10 million to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to establish a National Research Center on Rural Education Support. The center is led by School of Education professors Tom Farmer and Lynne Vernon-Feagans. Its work force includes more than 40 faculty, staff, and graduate research fellows from a variety of disciplines and fields.
Warren Buford Highlights Benefits of Literacy Education
Oct. 28, 2005
In the keynote address at SCALE’s annual Read. Write. Act. National Conference in Chapel Hill, Warren Buford expressed the importance and hope of literacy education. Buford is deputy director of the Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools in Washington, D.C.
Middle School Students Support Victims of Hurricane Katrina
Oct. 15, 2005
Members of the Collegiate Middle Level Association sponsored a school supply drive to benefit the East Baton Rouge Parish public school system, which opened its door this fall to more than 7,8000 new students displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
Samuel Meisels Critiques Early Childhood Testing
Oct. 5, 2005
Samuel Meisels, president of the Erikson Institute in Chicago, highlighted the negative aspects of early childhood national testing and the need to make early intervention and assessment programs more effective. He was the third William C. Friday lecturer, hosted by the School of Education’s Early Childhood, Families and Literacy Program.
Beverly Wyrick Elected to UNC Employee Forum
Oct. 2005
Beverly Wyrick, School of Education accounting manager, was elected as a delegate on the UNC-Chapel Hill Employee Forum. Established in 1992, the Forum meets monthly to provide a means for non-faculty personnel to discuss important matters and present issues to the administration.
Dean James Tapped to Lead Campus-Wide K-12 Initiative
Sept. 15, 2005
Dean Thomas James has been tapped by Chancellor Moeser to lead a University-wide initiative to engage faculty in improving and supporting K-12 education in North Carolina. Moeser has identified education as one of the top three priorities of his administration.
School Welcomes Six New Faculty and Administrators
Sept. 1, 2005
Six new faculty members and administrators have joined the School of Education community. The new faculty members ─ all assistant professors ─ are Leigh Hall in literacy studies, Eileen Parsons in science education and Samuel Song in school psychology. The new administrators are Wendy Borman, assistant dean for external relations, Anne Bryan, director of student affairs, and Deborah Lane, assistant dean for administration and finance.
Alan Tom Retires
July 1, 2005
Alan Tom retired on July 1 after a 39-career as a university faculty member. During his 13-year tenure as a professor of education at Carolina, he provided leadership in program development and redesign, served as director of teacher education, taught undergraduates and graduate students, wrote extensively and lectured across the United States and beyond.
School of Education’s Information Technology Team Best on UNC Campus
April 13, 2005
The School of Education’s Information Technology (IT) was recognized today as one of the most outstanding IT teams on the Carolina campus. The award was presented at the annual awards ceremony of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Information Technology Services.
School of Education Ranked 27th by U.S. News & World Report
April 1, 2005
The School of Education ranked 27th overall in the 2005 rankings by U.S. News & World Report, placing us in the top 14% of the nearly 200 public and private schools of education across the country included in the survey. Several specialty area programs also were recognized as outstanding, including special education, elementary education, administration/supervision and curriculum/instruction.
National Science Foundation Awards $10 Million Grant to Increase Minority Doctorates in Mathematics and Sciences
March 11, 2005
Henry T. Frierson, professor of educational psychology and program evaluation, received a $10 million grant from the National Science Foundation to establish a program to increase the number of minority students receiving doctoral degrees in the sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics. UNC-Chapel Hill is collaborating with North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University on the five-year program.
Victor Zúñiga Describes Georgia Project
March 10, 2005
Victor Zúñiga explained the partnership between Georgia educators and the Universidad de Monterrey (UDEM) in Mexico known as the Georgia Project. Its goal is to help Georgia educators meet the educational needs of Latino students in their schools. Zúñiga is dean of the School of Education and Humanities at UDEM.
Jorge Durand Portrays New Geography of Mexican Migration
March 10, 2005
Jorge Durand, professor of anthropology at the University of Guadalajara in Mexico, described new patterns of Mexican migration into the United States. Durand has been studying, researching and writing about Mexican migration to the United States for more than 20 years.
Smallwood Dialogue Explores Education of Latino Students
March 5, 2005
Regina Cortina, associate professor of comparative and international education at the School of Education, and Maria Teresa Palmer, principal of David D. Jones Spanish Immersion Elementary School in Greensboro, N.C., addressed what North Carolina schools need to do to educate Latino students. They made their remarks at the annual Smallwood Dialogue in Chapel Hill.
Let’s Talk R.A.C.E. Conference Examines Language, Culture, Education
Feb. 26, 2005
Enrique Murillo, associate professor at California State University at San Bernardino, spoke about dismantling the Latino achievement gap. Lisa Delpit, executive director of the Center for Urban Education & Innovation at Florida International University, addressed the power of language and ways it impacts education and culture. The conference is hosted annually by the School of Education’s Teaching Fellows Program.
Gwen Ray to Serve on LiveText Advisory Council
Feb. 9, 2005
Gwen Ray, School of Education information systems liaison, has been named to the LiveText Member Advisory Council. LiveText is a company headquartered in La Grange, Illinois, that develops Web-based tools to measure and exhibit the achievements of colleges of education, such as assessing student progress and meeting accreditation standards.
Theater Group Engages Parents
Feb. 8, 2005
The ENGAGE! Theater presented a workshop for parents at Glenn Elementary School in Durham. Known as a “theater for change,” ENGAGE! strives to build relationships with families and caretakers who are not actively involved with the PTA or other school outreach programs.
Doug Mao Wen Highlights Accomplishments, Challenges in Chinese Education
Feb. 8, 2005
Doug Mao Wen described the remarkable accomplishments and significant challenges that coexist in the Chinese education system. He is associate dean of the Graduate School of Education at Beijing University.
World Leaders Establish Plan of Action for U.S. Language Policy
Jan. 15, 2005
More than 35 leaders representing academic, business, government and humanitarian organizations convened in Chapel Hill on Jan. 10-11, 2005, at the Carolina Center for Educational Excellence, for the "National Language Policy Summit: An American Plan for Action" to set priorities and establish a plan of action for U.S. language policy for the upcoming decade.