PEK Welcomes New Kinesiology Leaders

 On Thursday, Dec 10th 6:00 pm a new member initiation ceremony was held for Phi Epsilon Kappa Honor Fraternity in Kinesiology in the College of Education. There were 17 inductees that joined. The La Tech Chapter is Eta Eta, established in 2012.  The ceremony was conducted by President Erin Nevala, Secretary Stephanie Smart, and Vice President Lainie LeGrande.   Many faculty, friends, and family of new members joined the new PEK students, as well as members of the ESPE organization. For more information about  PEK, check out the link orgsync.com/PhiEpsilonKappa . Mrs. Smiley Reeves, one of the PEK advisors, submitted this exciting story and provided a personal message of congratulations. She stated, "We are proud of students who qualify for the honor fraternity. They have achieved a GPA of 3.0 or better and have demonstrated excellence. Congratulations! "

Launch of Exciting STEM Education Program

The UTeachTech STEP 1 courses began this quarter at Louisiana Tech in the Think Tank, the new technology-rich classroom located on the College of Education's Woodard Hall.  The project team is happy to report that 88 students have enrolled in the STEM education certification program! The figure is much higher than the 25 anticipated in the initial composition of the grant project proposal. Of the 88 students registered, there are 13 categories of STEM disciplines represented, including Biology, Mathematics, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Civil Engineering, Chemistry, Cyber Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Environmental Science, and other. There are also a substantial number individuals typically underrepresented in STEM disciplines enrolled as part of the program with 57 of the 88 students in the UTeachTech STEP course being female. Students met with the UTeachTech Team and enjoyed snacks on their first day in the course.  Initial planned professional outreach activities with the UTeachTech students include collaborating with the SciTEC Center in the College of Education through its Adopt A School Partner, Cypress Springs Elementary School, to host a free STEM day in January as well as a job shadowing colleagues through another partnership with CenturyLink and redelivering STEM lessons to Ouachita Parish and Monroe City Schools.  Given the large number of female UTeach enrollees, relationships are also being forged and planning is taking place to integrate partnerships with the WiSTEM (Women Influencing STEM) group on campus, OWISE,  and other campus colleagues including Drs. Heath Tims, Allie DeLeo, Mary Colderera Moore, Jamie Newman, Marissa Orr, Bill Campbell, and Katie Evans.

As noted on the UTeachTech website, the program "pairs the University’s esteemed engineering and science programs with its outstanding teaching preparation programs, resulting in a single, interdisciplinary degree program that provides you with the knowledge needed to work in industry and the skill set to lead in the classroom."  The project is funded by a $1.45 million grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the National Math and Science Initiative.  The replication of the UTeach program at Louisiana Tech University of  the University of Texas at Austin is one of 44 funded in the nation and one of 5 funded in the last funding cycle. The collaborative endeavor spans each of the colleges at Louisiana Tech University and is led by as strong leadership team including, Co-Directors Dr. Bill Deese, Dean Don Schillinger, Associate Director, Diane Madden,  Master Teachers Mr. Chris Campbell and Mr. Glenn Larson,  Technical and Outreach Coordinator for the Project, Mr. Chris Coleman, and Co-PI and Program Lead Mrs. Lindsey Keith-Vincent.

Mr. Randy Moore, Featured Faculty for Fall Enrollment Efforts

As noted in the blog during Thanksgiving, there were many to whom we should be appreciative for the work well done to accomplish a strong and successful fall quarter in the COE and at Louisiana Tech University! One of those such individuals was part of the TLLI Initiative led by the Department of CIL, Mr. Randy Moore. The initiative included scholarship opportunities for Bossier and Caddo educators to pursue master and doctoral level course work in Educational Leadership and expand the reach of Louisiana Tech University support westward even further.  Mr. Moore is the Professional in Residence in the College of Education's Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Leadership. He is a former district leader, principal, and educator.

 In response to the overwhelming success of the fall initiative, he noted that "Over the years, the Caddo/Bossier school districts have supplied some of our finest Educational Leadership candidates.  When President Guice indicated that he desired to extend the footprint of Louisiana Tech in northwest Louisiana, it seemed only natural to cultivate the already productive partnership with those two school districts.  When we shared the prospect of Educational Leadership cohorts with the officials in the Caddo/Bossier districts, they fully embraced the concept and invited us to come to their turf to promote participation.  While I am gratified by the large numbers of participants in both cohorts, I am not surprised by those numbers at all.  The desire on the part of the department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Leadership at Louisiana Tech to  partner these with two progressive school districts to produce high quality school leaders will pay dividends to these districts now and in the future." We are appreciative for Mr. Moore's work in concert with Dr. McCoy, Dr. Parker, Dr. Morgan, Dean Schillinger and the Office of Professional Education Outreach which resulted with enrollment of over 60 master and doctoral candidates!

Polishing the COE Strategic Plan

December 1, 2015, was not only the first day of the new month, it was also the first day of the development of the new College of Education Strategic Plan.   Beginning in early 2015, a leadership team including Dr. Carrice Cummins, Dr. Lanie Dornier, and Dr. Mitzi Desselles consulted with Dr. Gil Reeve, Vice Provost at Louisiana State University and nationally recognized expert in strategic planning, to design  a strategic plan that reflects the vision and mission of each unit within the COE and aligns the subsequent goals and objectives to the Louisiana Tech University Tech2020 Plan. Dr. Reeve and the core planning team met with the entire COE faculty in the spring of 2015. Over the 2015 year, departments and units designed, reviewed, revised, and polished independent strategic plans. Tuesday of this week, division leaders, guided by faculty feedback,  reviewed each  unit plan; identified commonalities (themes) across the college; and began work on a comprehensive strategic plan that describes where we are, where we want to be (benchmarks),  and how we are going to get there (action steps) as a college. The beneficial day of reflection and planning on Dec. 1 and the initial meeting in the spring of 2015 provided a reminder of the unique, collaborative culture we enjoy at Louisiana Tech University and in our College of Education; yet another reason to be grateful during the season of thanks. Thanks to Drs. Cummins, Dornier, and Desselles! The time and effort they put in to this process has exceeded expectations and has set the stage for intentional action that matches the mission, vision, and goals of the College of Education, the units within it, and the University. Thanks to the Dean, Associate Dean and Unit Heads, Faculty, Staff, and Students for collaborating on this endeavor. Once complete, we look forward to sharing the work with our COE family and our Louisiana Tech University family.

Thankful for a Great Fall Quarter and a Record-Breaking Number of Students

Our COE is grateful for a wonderful fall quarter and a record-breaking enrollment for Louisiana Tech University for 2015! We are thankful that the COE was able to contribute significantly to both the graduate and undergraduate enrollment of Louisiana Tech University which totaled 12414 students. Our three departments, Kinesiology, Psychology, and CIL  had a total of  1345 undergraduate students enrolled for the fall, according to data from Mrs. Lori Theis. Of the 1345, more than 450 enrolled from our rapidly growing Department of Kinesiology alone. The total number of graduate students for the entire University totaled 1718. Of the 1718 students, 935 graduate students were enrolled in our College of Education. That is over 1/2 of the total university graduate enrollment for fall 2015!

Our graduate numbers for new students also soared with 513 new graduate students students being officially admitted and enrolled for the 2015 fall quarter by the ninth class day.  In fact, of the 695 total new graduate student enrollment for the University, according to data from the LATECH Graduate School, 74% were enrolled through the COE. Of the 513 new students admitted and enrolled in the college, 387 students were enrolled through the Office of Professional Education Outreach (OPEO) in the Science and Technology Education Center (SciTEC) .  The LLLE and LLL COE combined enrollment total for new and returning students for the University for the quarter equaled 446, just over 1/4 of total University graduate enrollment.
New collaborative extension efforts were critical to the success of our College of Education this  quarter and included projects in Caldwell, Morehouse, Livingston, Caddo, Ouachita and Bossier parishes, to name a few. Even teachers in Michigan engaged in the online opportunities through coursework on the MOODLE platform. Doctoral cohorts were also established  through the TLLI program, processed through the OPEO unit, and lead by the Department of Curriculum Instruction and Leadership. Leaders in the extension efforts for the 2015 included  Mr. Jody Purvis, Drs. Randy Parker, Mr. Randy Moore, Dr. David Gullatt, and Dr. Carolyn Talton, with each enrolling between 30-80 students each for the custom coursework. Interdisciplinary partnerships with faculty and staff in biomedical engineering as well as local and national agencies including the Department of Natural Resources also contributed to the figures and served as foundational partnerships for new large-scale efforts planned for the academic year.

The continued success of the COE is also a direct result of the outstanding caliber of students we have and currently served. Psychology boasts the highest number of graduate teaching students who continually deliver high quality instruction and research to supplement the efforts of the outstanding faculty. The competitive positions are sought nationally.  Innovative programs such as, orientation and mobility through PDRIB, and custom professional development courses through AE Phillips, one of the highest ranked K-8 schools in the state of Louisiana, also are integral factors in annual enrollment success. While all faculty, staff, students, administrators, and alums in our College of Education are responsible for the high quality programing, strong reputation, and numerous successes in our division; we wanted to highlight a few of the key contributors that lead the way in terms of program development, enrollment, and outreach for the 2015 quarter. During this season of thanks, we plan to share a few of their stories and successes! Thanks to you for your contribution to the success of the College of Education. We wish you and your loved ones a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Adopt-A-School Partnership Leads to Science Stars Shinning

In addition to the two events this week through the Adopt-A-School partnership (See initial blog for 11/20), the SciTEC's IDEA Place team also  took students from the Science Club at Dubach School to do demonstrations on the morning show on NBC's KTVE in West Monroe, LA, last week. This is the second year that Dubach School has partnered with SciTEC for the STEM TV experiences. Mrs. Kimberly Franks and Mr. Matthew Vincent sponsor the Science Club group. The demonstrations will be aired on Friday's during the 2015 winter on both NBC'S KTVE and FOX 14.

The students toured the studio and offices of the station. Pictured is Justin sharing how the digital magic happens on live television!  The tour was followed by a tour of ULM where students were able to "Feed the Turtles" and earn a shirt describing the experience. SciTEC's IDEA Place also received a donation to provide lunch at a restaurant of the students' choice. They selected Willie's Duck Diner where some enjoyed alligator, duck, and other fixings. Pictured below are the students following their academic adventures, making a Bulldog with one hand and a Warhawk with the other, in front of the Louisiana Tech Bus. Thanks to Mr. John Price for providing transportation for the experience. Collaborating with ULM and encouraging students to find the best fit for them for post-secondary studies helps our kiddos as individuals and our larger community on the I-20 corridor. Thanks to Seth in ULM admissions for his time and willingness to show the students another great Louisiana university. Of course, students also received goodies from our SciTEC Center in the Louisiana Tech University College of Education for participating and being "Star Scientists" for the day.

If you would like to participate with SciTEC's IDEA Place in the College of Education and help out our local schools, or if you are at a local school and have a specific need with which we can help you; feel free to email lbkv@latech.edu. Thanks to Cathi Cox-Boniol and Ivana Flowers for their hard work organizing the initiative.To learn more about the Adopt-A-School program, you can visit the following link: http://www.rustonlincoln.org/pages/Adopt-A-School .  To learn more about SciTEC and our many outreach programs and branches, check out this link: http://education.latech.edu/departments/science_technology_education_center/ .

In the event you need something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, be thankful for the great kiddos in our parish. They are amazing and on their way to accomplishing great things!

SciTEC Partners with Lincoln Parish Schools through the Adopt-A-School Program

The Science and Technology Education Center's (SciTEC) IDEA Place at Louisiana Tech University is a proud partner with each of the Lincoln Parish public schools for the 2015-2016 school year through the Adopt-A-School Program. The program is directed by the Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with Project ACHIEVE. As described on the Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce website, "The Adopt-A-School program aims to bring more community involvement to Lincoln Parish public and private schools through pairing schools with community partners – businesses, churches, civic groups, even individuals."  Through the Adopt -a-School program, the SciTEC IDEA Place team has had the opportunity to meet great young people and amazing educators at Ruston Junior High School and Choudrant Elementary School this week for the interviews for Student of the Year and the Annual Book Character Costume Competition and Parade. We had the opportunity to interview six stellar junior high candidates all deserving of the Student of the Year honor. Thanks to Assistant Principal, Mrs. Keisha Osborne, for the invitation to meet these awesome young people. The caliber of students at RJHS and in our district is absolutely amazing!  While the students and costumes were also absolutely amazing at Choudrant Elementary, it should be noted that the teachers also did a fabulous job dressing the part! Pictured is Mrs. Moore as Doc McStuffins! Thanks to Mrs. Johnnie Simone and Ms. Brenda Brister for the invitation to be a part of the day of fun and learning!

Psychology's Dr.Latoya Pierce Receives the RusTony Award!

On August 27, Dr. Latoya Pierce received the prestigious RusTony award at the 25th Annual RusTony Awards Ceremony in Ruston, LA. The event was held at the Dixie Center for the Arts on North Vienna. Dr. Pierce has participated in many productions with Ruston Community Theatre including her outstanding portrayal of Calpurnia in "To Kill A Mockingbird," in the spring of 2015.

COE Kinesiology Student Named 2015 Outstanding Young Professional of the Year!

Our COE Department of Kinesiology was well represented in early November at the Louisiana Association of Heath, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance! Ms. Kimberly Paker, Ms. Smiley Reeves, Dr. Lanie Dornier, Dr. Tammy Schilling, Dr. Jean Chen and Ms. Victoria Arnold attended the event and celebrated Ms. Parker's being named as the Louisiana Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance Outstanding Young Professional of the Year for 2015, a prestigious statewide honor!

Connect with our College of Education through "TECH"nology this 2015 Homecoming!

Homecoming 2015 festivities will begin today, Monday, November 2! We are so excited about what is taking place campus-wide and in our College of Education. We invite our LATECH Family to join us in the College of Education for some great fun (in person and electronically). Our COE schedule of face to face and E-festivities are below as are related Twitter handles and webpages. We look forward to celebrating Homecoming 2015 with you and connecting our LATECH COE Family with "TECH"nology!

Monday, November 2 -Door Design and Decorations -Documenting the Designs (As the College of Education prepares for the week of Homecoming festivities, we encourage participants to document by uploading pictures and videos of the events online).

Tuesday, November 3 -Door Decorating Judging (This will occur at 10 am in Memorial Gym and Woodard Hall. Our winners will be posted electronically). -Thanks to Tech... (Our COE family is encouraged to share one reason they are thankful to be part of the LATECH family on one or more forms of social media).

Wednesday, November 4 -Where are you now, and what are you doing? (Alumni are encouraged to connect and share where they are and what they are up to after receiving a world-class education at Louisiana Tech University's College of Education).

Thursday, November 5 -Throwback Thursday (Faculty, friends, Alumni, and students are encouraged to post homecoming pictures / memories as Tech students or as high school students before they became Louisiana Tech Bulldogs).

Friday, November 6 -Friday COE Homecoming Fun (Faculty, friends, Alumni and students are asked to post pictures and notes related to the Distinguished Alumni of the Year event in Memorial gym at 8:30 am where will be honoring Dr. William Ware and Mrs. Pamela Kiper Ware, the College of Education Showcase/ Open House from 10am to 11am, the AOY luncheon at noon at the DAC, and all other Homecoming-related activities.)

Saturday, November 7 -GAME TIME! All students, faculty, friends, and Alumni are to post pictures and tags during Breakfast with Champ, the COE tailgate hosted by the Department of Psychology and the Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness, the 2015 Homecoming Parade, and the ballgame as our Bulldogs beat North Texas!


COE Webpage: http://education.latech.edu/

COE Blog: http://latechcoe.blogspot.com/

COE Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LATechCOE

COE Homecoming Twitter Handles: #WEARELATECH #HOCO2015 #COE

COE Instagram:https://instagram.com/latechcoe/

We are looking forward to a great week! GO DAWGS...Past, Present, and Future!

Thanks for joining us in celebrating,

The College of Education Special Initiatives Team

Kinesiology Alum Recieves Prestigious Fellowship

Ms. Brandi DeCoux, LATECH COE Kinesology alum and Auburn doctoral student, has recently received the Auburn University Research Initiative in Cancer (AURIC) fellowship. As noted in the article about DeCoux's study on the Auburn webpage, her " project is the first known biomechanical study to investigate the relationship between lower extremity pain and movement using gait analysis in this population." Ms. DeCoux graduated from Louisiana Tech University with her Masters degree and is originally from New Iberia, Louisiana. In addition to her excellent academic work while at Louisiana Tech, she also engaged in a large amount of service in the PK-12 arena in Ruston and the surrounding communities. We are proud of Brandi and the excellent research she is doing at Auburn!  To learn more about her research, check out the link below:

http://www.education.auburn.edu/news/coe-doctoral-student-awarded-auric-fellowship-help-breast-cancer-survivors/

Louisiana Tech COE Alum Wins Milken Prize!

Mr. John Lary, History Educator at Byrd, recieved a check for $25000.00 this week after being named a Milken Award recipent. To learn more about the award and Mr. Lary, check out the article in the Shreveport Times! The picture was also taken by staff at The Shreveport Times and ran with the article in the publication on Tuesday of this week.

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/picture-gallery/news/2015/10/27/25000-milken-award-to-byrd-teacher-john-lary/74683044/

TEaM Model Classrooms in Lincoln Parish Schools

Fourteen volunteer clinical interns are participating in the second year of a full-year residency from August to May at Cypress Springs Elementary, Glen View Elementary, and Ruston Elementary. Here are intern, Destiny Maxwell, and her mentor, Mrs. Candace Cole, a Louisiana Tech alumna next to their classroom door at Glen View Elementary. All TEaM Model classrooms are marked with this sign. 

According to Acting Director of Professional and Clinical Experiences, Dr. Amy Vessel, "We are proud to continue our clinical residency partnership with Lincoln Parish Schools and look forward to expanding our program into middle and secondary schools in the upcoming year."

TEaM Model Leadership Team Visits Ruston Elementary As part of a recent inspection, the TEaM Model Leadership Team visited Ruston Elementary School. Mentor, Mrs. Lisa Allen, and her clinical intern, Evelyn Skinner, were able to share the benefits of co-teaching with Tech's Vice President Dr. Terry McConathy. Seen in the photo above, College of Education Dean, Dr. Don Schillinger, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Dr. Dawn Basinger, Mentor, Lisa Allen, Intern, Evelyn Skinner, Clinical Residency Director, Dr. Amy Vessel, and CIL Department Chair, Dr. Bryan McCoy. Additional clinical residency sites include Cypress Springs Elementary and Glen View Elementary.

Dynamic Duo Selected as the COE Alumni of the Year

We are pleased to announce that Ms. Pamela Kiper Ware and Dr. William B. Ware, both class of 1962 have been selected as the 2015 Louisiana Tech University College of Education Alumni of the Year.

Ms. Pamela Kiper Ware, originally of Winnsboro, LA, currently serves as Director of Theatre at Gainsville High School.  The Cum Laude graduate from the Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Leadership has served on a variety of boards and societies in the states of Georgia, Florida, and Alabama.  In addition, she has received a number of accolades including the Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award (http://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/educators/view/pamela-ware). In addition, as a token of appreciation for her numerous contributions to the field, a new performing arts center in Gainesville, GA was named in her honor, "The Ware House."
During her time at Louisiana Tech, Ms. Ware was an active member of Kappa Delta Sorority,  and a member of the Engineering Court and Homecoming Court.

Dr. William B. Ware is a retired Dean Emeritus of Education of Brenau University. He received both his undergraduate and master's degrees from the College of Education. While at Louisiana Tech, Dr. Ware also participated in football where he was a "Letter Winner."  Dr. Ware was also an active member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.

The College of Education Awards Ceremony will be held in the Wyly Tower Auditorium on
November 5.

The TEEMS Team joins SciTEC in the COE for another Professional Development Session

The 3rd grade science teachers from Choudrant Elementary, Cypress Springs Elementary, Dubach, Ruston Elementary, and Simsboro Elementary schools are leading the way for a stronger focus on elementary STEM throughout the district.  These hard-working teachers are part of an ongoing professional development initiative that provides job-embedded workshops, classroom support, a graduate-level course through Louisiana Tech University's Office of Professional Education Outreach, and carefully prepared kits of materials and supplies designed to equip and empower them in facilitating rigorous and engaging hands-on, minds-on learning experiences.  Plus, the team is piloting the district's first implementation of the new TEEMS "Engineering by Design" Curriculum in order to really bring STEM to life in the classroom! The teachers met at Louisiana Tech University's SciTEC Center in the College of Education on October 2. We will meet again in late October for a third session. "We at SciTEC in the COE are thrilled to partner with Project ACHIEVE on this project and are looking forward to collaborate on the composition of an upcoming grant proposal to support additional professional development opportunities for  STEM educators in Lincoln Parish,"said SciTEC Director, Lindsey Keith-Vincent. It's an exciting time for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in the Lincoln Parish public schools!!!

The article and accompanying images were submitted for the College of Education Blog at Louisiana Tech University by Mrs. Cathi Cox-Boniol, Director of Lincoln Parish Project ACHIEVE. If you or someone you know wants to share some exciting partnerships with the Louisiana Tech University College of Education family, please feel free to email lbkv@latech.edu.

Bulldogs from Birth: Five Generations of the Brooks-Crowder-Frizzell Louisiana Tech University Students

A recent story written by Amanda Cauley is titled, Born to be a Bulldog.
Ms. Kellie Frizzell certainly was born to be a Bulldog as a fifth generation Louisiana Tech University graduate and a recent enrollee in the Masters of Arts in Teaching program in the College of Education! Ms. Frizzell and her sister Lauren Frizzell graduated in 2010 and 2011 respectively.  Lauren finished her Associate's of Nursing Degree, and Kellie received a Bachelor's Degree in General Studies with a Minor in Family and Child Studies from the College of Applied and Natural Sciences.

Their mother, Rita Frizzell and Aunt Debra Green were are COE graduates, both serving as teachers in Louisiana. Their father, Larry Frizzell,received a Bachelors and  Masters degree in Geosciences from Louisiana Tech. Their grandparents, James and Rita Crowder, and Kellie's great aunt, Harriet Crowder, graduated in the 1950's. The girls' grandmother graduated in Physical Education, their grandfather in Liberal Arts, and their Great Aunt in Music.

Ms. Frizzell's great grandmother, Frances Brooks, was also a Louisiana Tech Graduate finishing in Music in 1924.She was preceded by Ms. Frizzell's great, great grandparents, James Brooks, a graduate in Electrical Engineering and Hattie Bell, a graduate of Home Economics. We in the College of Education are very proud to welcome Ms. Frizzell back to work on her Masters degree and to continue the Louisiana Tech legacy that her family began over 100 years ago. We are grateful that her family is part of our College of Education and Louisiana Tech University family! 

Kinesiology and Agricultural Sciences Students Demonstrate Quality Collaborative Skills to Beautify Tech Campus

On Friday, October 2, 2015 the Department of Kinesiology hosted a Plant & Trim Memorial Gym workday. Kinesiology volunteers partnered with La Tech Green house staff and Greenscape students to plant a beautiful new plant/flower bed in front of the Scotty Robertson Memorial Gym building. Kinesiology sponsors two student organizations, ESPE - Exercise Sciences and Physical Education, and, PEK - the Phi Epsilon Kappa Honor Fraternity Eta Eta. Members of these two student organizations partnered for this event with the Agricultural Sciences student organization, Greenscape, Plants were provided by Jacob Reichley and his Greenhouse staff  located on the south campus. This collaborative effort made for a fun filled day and provided a much needed "haircut" to the overgrown shrubs around the building. Dean Schillinger (College of Education) noted, "the interdisciplinary nature of this unique collaboration has led to the beautification of our campus and a new partnership that may lead to other worthwhile initiatives. It brings me great joy to see students and faculty working together, engaged in transformative and exciting activities that enhance the culture and environment of our University." The new bed will be maintained by the student organizations. We hope this effort will serve as another reminder of the collaborative nature and Tech Spirit students continue to exemplify through volunteerism. All the co-laborers enjoyed music, pizza, and a great time. Many students walking through the area on their way to classes stopped to say "Thank you" to the volunteers. This project is one more reason we areproud of our students and our campus! go Bulldogs!

This story was submitted by Ms. Smiley Reeves of the Department of Kinesiology. Pictured above are a few of the amazing students, faculty, and administrators who helped with project.

Dean Schillinger Named Vantage's 2015 Visionary Educator

Dr. Don Schillinger, Dean of Louisiana Tech's College of Education and the Chase Bank Endowed Associate Professor, was recognized as the Vantage Health Plan Visionary Educator during the University's home football game against the FIU Panthers. Dean Schillinger was recognized on the field by Vantage and recieved a token of appreciation for the work he has done and continues to do for the University.

This recognition is reserved for outstanding educational leaders working to build LA Tech's reputation of being a leader in quality programming and projects for University students.

While Dean Schillinger has received over 6 million dollars in grant funding during his career, his most recent award for 1.45 million from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the National Math Science Initiative to replicate an innovative system to graduate highly qualified STEM educators. The exciting new program, UTeachTech, will revolutionize secondary STEM educator preparation at Louisiana Tech University and in the region.

In addition to his many personal contributions to the University, Dean Schillinger also has three talented daughters who have graduated or currently are attending Louisiana Tech University and are also part of the Tech family!

Students Partner with UTeachTech Master Teachers to Compete on a National Level

Prospective bulldogs from Plain Dealing High School are partnering  with Louisiana Tech University to compete in the national Cube Sat Challenge in November at the Florida Space Grant Consortium. The link below provides information about the event and collaborators. To learn more about how you can partner with the team on their adventure, you can contact Mr. Glenn Larson (glenn@latech.edu) or Mr. Chris Campbell (ctc@latech.edu), UTeachTech Master Teachers.

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/education/2015/09/29/plain-dealing-students-chosen-compete-elite-level/73015012/

Bullpups Meet at the Pole to be Part of a Global Event

On Wednesday, September 23, student members of the Fellowship of Christian Students from AE Phillips Lab School participated in "See You at the Pole,"  (SYATP) described on the website as,  " a student-led event," that promotes prayer for the school and the community. SYATP  is a "global day of student prayer that began in 1990 as a grass roots movement with ten students praying at their school. Twenty years later, millions pray on their campuses on the fourth Wednesday in September," as also noted on the website.To learn more about See You at the Pole, you can select the following link: http://syatp.com

TEaM's First Table Talks

Dr. Pam Morgan, Assistant Professor of Special Education, was the guest speaker this morning at the Clinical Residency TEaM (Teacher Educators and Mentors) Model's September Table Talk. Table Talks are monthly meetings in the Clinical Residency Research Center with the 2015-2016 full-year PK-3/Elementary interns. Dr. Amy Vessel, Acting Director of Professional and Clinical Experiences, coordinates TEaM members to provide professional development in areas of need according to the intern's recommendations. Per the intern team request, the focus was meeting the needs of all students, and Dr. Morgan provided a wealth of recommendations, strategies, and professional resources from her personal library. CIL Department Chair, Dr. Bryan McCoy, and Dean Don Schillinger also dropped by to welcome the interns back to campus. Thanks again, Dr. Morgan, for spending your morning supporting the residency program!

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Select Dr. Lynne Nielsen's Article for the September 2015 Edition

Dr. Lynne Nielsen, Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education in the  Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Leadership in the College of Education at Louisiana Tech University, along with colleagues Dr. Laura Kent at the University of Arkansas and Dr. Susan Empson from the University of Texas at Austin, collaborated to author  the article titled, "The Richness of Children's Fraction Strategies." The article is featured in the September 2015 edition of  Teaching Children Mathematics, published by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. We are proud of Dr. Nielsen and this excellent accomplishment! To learn more about NCTM and how you can get a copy of the article, please see the link below.

http://www.nctm.org/publications/teaching-children-mathematics/

Pierce to represent STEM interests at NSF sponsored program

Dr. Latoya Pierce, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, will represent Louisiana Tech University at a national LiY Workshop in Seattle, WA.  LiY stands for Lead-it-Yourself and is an NSF sponsored program developed by the University of Washington's ADVANCE Center for Institutional Change.  This workshop is designed to help individuals and institutions who currently plan, or want to plan, organize, and run faculty workshops and have an interest in STEM faculty diversity and inclusion.  Dr. Pierce was selected from numerous applicants and will attend the LiY workshop on October 25, 2015.

For the past year, Dr. Pierce has served as a steering committee member for the ADVANCEing Faculty Lunch Series, a part of the ADVANCEing Faculty Program in the College of Engineering and Science at Louisiana Tech University.  The ADVANCEing Faculty Lunch Series committee consists of an interdisciplinary faculty group and Dr. Pierce was selected to represent the College of Education.  The function of this committee is to provide faculty members with an opportunity to network as well as a professional development lecture series including topics such as tenure, research, funding opportunities, service, and leadership.  From this endeavor, Dr. Pierce was encouraged to apply for the LiY workshop.  The acceptance of her application and workshop attendance will afford her the opportunity to disseminate information and resources to faculty and administrators at Louisiana Tech University.  ​

NASA Comes to Ruston, and The Ruston Daily Leader Spreads the Word!

The SciTEC Center in College of Education partnered with the Boys and Girls Club of North Central Louisiana this summer to provide a week of summer learning with the assistance of NASA leaders and educators. Thanks to Mrs. Julie Ricca from Stennis Space Center and Mrs. Heather Harold , SSI Director, for making this summer an amazing one! To learn more, check out the article in The Ruston Daily Leader linked below:

http://rustonleader.com/node/62486http://rustonleader.com/node/62486

Dr. lore dickey: Making a Difference on the National Stage

Dr. lore m. dickey, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology & Behavioral Sciences, represented his department and the College of Education well as the co-chair of a task force of the  American Psychological Association (APA). The task force was charged with developing guidelines for psychologists who work with transgender or gender nonconforming (TGNC) people. In an early-morning text to his department chair, Dr. Donna Thomas, dickey wrote "The Guidelines are APA policy," a humble statement that doesn't nearly capture the time, effort, and devotion he dedicated to the task.

Dr. dickey and co-chair Dr. Anneliese Singh, Associate Professor from the University of Georgia's Department of Counseling and Human Development Services, learned that the “Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming People” were adopted by APA’s Council of Representatives at its meeting August 5, during the APA's 123rd annual convention in Toronto, Canada. The guidelines fill a gap that was exposed by a 2009 APA survey, the results of which demonstrated less than 30 percent of psychologists and psychology graduate students surveyed understood many issues of concern for TGNC individuals. In addition to establishing protocols for psychological practice, the guidelines address research, education, and training. They provide a complementary resource for the APA's Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct.

Regarding the task force and its important work, Dr. dickey said, "The work of the guidelines task force is a culmination of over four years of effort to create some practice guidelines that address the need for affirming psychological practice with transgender and gender nonconforming clients. We hope that the work that we have created will be readily implemented by psychologists in every area of practice, be it clinical, teaching, research, or service, in an effort to help improve the quality of life for transgender people everywhere."

Back home at Louisiana Tech, the guidelines will immediately become a valuable resource for Counseling Psychology doctoral students in their Professional Issues and Ethics course, alongside other APA guidelines such as those related to working with girls and women; older adults; and lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients. Thank you, Dr. dickey, for leading the charge on this groundbreaking effort! 

CIL's Carrice Cummins Recieves the ILA 2015 Special Service Award

The International Literacy Association recently awarded the Special Service Award to Dr. Carrice L. Cummins, endowed professor in the Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Leadership in the College of Education at Louisiana Tech University. The award is given "periodically for unusual and distinguished service to ILA" according to the ILA staff. Dr. Cummins is a former President of the ILA (formerly known as the International Reading Association) and a former member of the Board of Directors.Congratulations, Dr. Cummins on this well-deserved national honor!  To learn more about the organization and the award, you can visit the ILA site by clicking the following link: http://www.literacyworldwide.org/ . 

Marcus Cherry, Psychology Graduate Student, Recieves First Place for His Research Poster, "Personality and Coping Strategies as Predictors of Help-Seeking Attitudes among Military-Affilliated and Civilian Students"

Mr. Marcus Cherry and Co-Author Dr. Margaret Cochran  of Northwestern State University recently received an award for their research poster titled " Personality  and Coping Strategies as Predictors of Help-Seeking Attitudes among Military-Affiliated and Civilian Students."  Mr. Cherry is a student of Dr. lore dickey, faculty member in the college's Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences. The research included the analysis of survey data from over 280 participants. Content explored include personality and coping mechanisms. Additional information about the research and the award may be found by accessing the link below.

Psychology Times Volume 6

Kinesiology's Dr. David Szymanski Serves Little League Players and Leads the Boys to a World Series Title!

A team of 11 and 12 year old boys who played in the regular spring season of Dixie O Zone Baseball were selected as All Stars for the 2015 season and competed in some pretty exciting  post-season play. On Sunday, July 26, the team beat McComb, MS  with a 4 to 2 score and won the World Series Championship title! As one player's mom, Jessica Szymanski wrote, " There were so many exciting things that happened during that game...lots of hustling in the outfield, double plays in the infield, diving catches in the infield, great fielding by our, clutch hitting in the 4th and 5th innings and great pitching!! Our coaches and players deserved every bit of that excitement!! Of course, we parents loved every minute of it as well!! The team ran on the field and made a dog pile close to the mound! It was pure excitement!!!" 

The games were hosted in Hattiesburg, MS. Team members and coaches are listed below:

Ruston World Series Champions include Brandon Carter, Jordan Gilmore, Will Harris, Josh Miller, Dyllon Nimmers, Jacob Palacios, Dmitry Payne, Caleb Phillips, Kyle Russell, Dawson Szymanski, Landry Tucker and Lucas Wick. Coaches included the COE's own, Dr. David Szymanski,Gregg Phillips, Jamie Tucker,  and Jason Carter who are picturedwith the Championship trophy.

Congratulations, boys, on representing Ruston well! 

Psychology's Dr. Lore Dickey Recieves the 2015 Award for Significant Contribution to Social Justice and Advocacy

Dr. lore dickey has been selected as the 2015 recipient of the Significant Contribution to Social Justice and Advocacy Award. The award is presented by the Section for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues of the Society of Counseling Psychology. The award will be presented August 6th in Toronto, Canada at the APA Convention.Congratulations, Dr. Dickey!


Dr. Dickey's LATECH Webpage

Shell Supports Interdisciplinary Project - SAMPLE

SciTEC STEM Outreach Coordinator and UTeachTech Associate Director, Mrs. Diane Madden, presented information relating to the 5E Instructional Model at the SAMPLE workshop led by Principal Investigator, Dr. Pedro DeRosa, and funded by Shell. The year-long professional development collaboration with Grambling State University and the Louisiana Tech University College of Engineering and Sciences , College of Applied and Natural Sciences, and SciTEC in the College of Education is a hybrid program including hands-on labs, coursework through SciTEC's Office of Professional Education Outreach, and professional development workshops on Tech's campus.Teachers from Ouachita, Lincoln, and Morehouse Parishes are participating in the project. The graduation of the students from the program will occur in the fall of 2015 during a formal dinner and recognition ceremony at Louisiana Tech University.  The Shell SAMPLE collaboration is one of many interdisciplinary projects in which the College of Education participates.

Tech Admissions Recruiters Visit Memorial Gym and the Department of Kinesiology

This week, the Louisiana Tech University Admissions Staff had an opportunity to visit our College of Education and tour our amazing facilities, centers, and classrooms.  Dr. Lanie Dornier, Department Head of Kinesiology took the students on a private tour of Memorial Gym and provided each visitor with a list of potential careers that incoming freshman could explore should they opt to make Kinesiology their focus of study. In addition, our VIP guests explored the new state-of-the-art Sports Motion and Science Laboratory under the direction of Drs. Braden Roemer and David Szymanski and discussed the new student collaborative space being established in the former Memorial Gym lobby. Great things are happening in the COE! It is our hope that the activity will be a magnet for amazing new College of Education students and graduates !