SOE News

2007

School of Education establishes Frank A. Daniels Jr. Distinguished Professorship

Dec. 20, 2007

The School of Education has received the first of up to six C.D. Spangler Foundation distinguished professorships to be established at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

School launches alumni mentoring network

Nov. 12, 2007

Teacher retention is a serious cause of concern not only for North Carolina but nationwide. Currently, one-third of teachers leave the profession by the third year and one-half after the fifth year. Recent studies, however, show that mentoring can be an effective tool in keeping teachers in the classroom.

Dean search under way

Nov. 5, 2007

The national search for a new dean of the School of Education is under way. The search committee is reviewing a variety of outstanding applicants.

The committee, chaired by Jean Folkerts, dean of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, expects to invite candidates to campus this winter.

School announces four new faculty members for August 2007, one for January 2008

Aug. 16, 2007

The School of Education has added four new members to its faculty this fall. They are: Jeffrey A. Greene, assistant professor of cognition and learning; Dana C. Griffin, assistant professor of school counseling; Melissa Miller, assistant professor of special education; and Latish Reed, assistant professor of educational leadership. Additionally, Rebecca New will join the School as an associate professor of early childhood education, effective January 1, 2008.   

Steve Knotek and Samuel Song awarded grants from FPG Institute to study Latina mothers and bullying prevention

Aug. 1, 2007

Steve Knotek, assistant professor of School Psychology and Early Childhood Education, and Sam Song, assistant professor of School Psychology, were each recently awarded one-year, $20,000 grants from the FPG Child Development Institute to fund two separate projects.  Knotek’s project, “Madres para Ninos,” is a group intervention aimed at educating, empowering and supporting Latina immigrant mothers, while Song’s project, titled “Effective School Bullying Prevention,” focuses on school bullying in grades K-5.

Professor Emeritus Roy Sommerfeld dies at 93

July 24, 2007

Roy Sommerfeld, who joined the faculty of the School of Education in 1956 and remained until his retirement in 1979, died at UNC Hospital, July 11, 2007. He was 93.

NICHD funds study of rural children for five more years

July 2, 2007

Lynne Vernon-Feagans, William C. Friday Professor of Early Childhood, Families and Literacy, has received funding from the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) to continue research on nearly 1300 rural children, now turning three, who have been studied since birth. This $12 million grant has been approved for funding starting July 1, 2007.   

William Malloy retires

July 2, 2007

As he contemplated his retirement effective July 1, 2007, Professor William Malloy felt grateful for the opportunities that came his way during his 44-year career in education.

Pat Trohanis, champion of children with disabilities, dies at 64

June 29, 2007

Pascal “Pat” Trohanis, a champion of children with disabilities, died Saturday, June 23 after a long battle with cancer. He was 64. He was a clinical associate professor at the School of Education and a senior scientist at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Steve Knotek receives funding to improve academic success of at-risk students

June 19, 2007

Steve Knotek, assistant professor of school psychology and early childhood education, has received a $195,000 grant from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to establish an Instructional Consultation Team (ICT) Training and Evaluation Initiative at the School of Education.  

School of Education to be partner in newly funded initiative to increase production of science and mathematics teachers

June 11, 2007

The dean of the School of Education will work with the provost and the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences to implement a newly funded initiative at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to increase the production of science and mathematics teachers in North Carolina. Their counterparts at three other UNC campuses – NC Central University, NC State University and UNC-Asheville – will initiate similar initiatives at their schools.

Henry Frierson retires from Carolina, accepts deanship at University of Florida

June 11, 2007

After 33 years as a faculty member at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Henry Frierson left on April 30, 2007, to assume a new position at the University of Florida. He will be associate vice president and dean of the Graduate School at UF.

School of Education facilitates high-tech dialogue across Atlantic Ocean
 Middle school students traveling in Europe talk to classmates at home

May 18 , 2007

Middle school classmates held a conversation across the Atlantic Ocean as a group of 29 students traveling in Europe called home to speak with their French I and French II classmates at the R.D. and Euzelle P. Smith Middle School in Chapel Hill, March 23, 2007. The traveling students, led by French teacher Robin McMahon, shared stories and observations from their 10-day study tour of France and Belgium.

David Moore is visiting scholar

April 24, 2007

David W. Moore, professor of reading and language arts in the College of Teacher Education and Leadership at Arizona State University, was a visiting scholar at the School of Education this year.

Jill Fitzgerald will be interim dean
Search for new dean begins

April 19, 2007

Jill Fitzgerald, senior associate dean and professor of literacy in the School of Education, has been appointed by Provost Bernadette Gray-Little to serve as interim dean of the School beginning July 1, 2007.

Dean Tom James accepts provost position at Teachers College, Columbia University

April 2, 2007

Tom James, dean of the School of Education since fall 2003, has accepted a position as provost of Teachers College at Columbia University in New York City. He also will serve as dean of the college and vice president for academic affairs. He will begin the new position July 1, 2007.

School climbs in U.S. News & World Report rankings

March 30, 2007

The UNC-Chapel Hill School of Education is one of the top schools of education in America according to rankings released on March 30, 2007, by U.S. News & World Report.

Dianne Affleck elected regional director for National Science Education Leadership Association

March 23, 2007

Dianne Affleck, assistant director of the Center for Mathematics and Science Education and coordinator of the Pre-College Program, has been elected Region C Director for the National Science Education Leadership Association (NSELA). Her three-year term of office will begin March 29 at the organization's national conference in St. Louis.

Students to teachers
Education majors get early training

March 19, 2007

Huddled together, a group of second graders enthusiastically began to glue milk carton houses on green construction paper lawns.

Behind them, their teacher smiled and helped them along. And though her role in the classroom has changed, she herself is still a student.

Jim Barber retired Dec. 31

Jan. 2, 2007

Jim Barber, LEARN NC's executive director since 1999, retired Dec. 31.