Thursday, April 30, 2015

Official Top Dawg in the COE

Faculty staff, and community leaders received news April 30, that Dr. Donald N. Schillinger has
accepted the appointment as Dean of the College of Education, effective July 1, 2015. The announcement was made by Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Terry McConathy and  University President, Dr. Les Guice. As noted in the announcement, "Dr. Schillinger holds the Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction (Secondary Education – Science) and the M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction (Secondary Education – Chemistry) from the University of Mississippi, and the B.S. in Chemistry Education from the University of Central Florida. Dr. Schillinger has served as an Associate Professor in the College of Education since 2006;  as Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Director of Clinical & Field Experiences from 2009-2012;  and as Director of Assessment and Accreditation (IT Supervision) from 2012 until he assumed the Interim Deanship in September 2014.  He came to Louisiana Tech from the Burton College of Education at McNeese State University where he served as Department Head of Teacher Education."



Monday, April 27, 2015

Appreciating Teachers of Today.....Preparing Teachers for Tomorrow



Campus and community leaders met Tuesday, April 21st to take time to thank teachers who made a difference in their lives and to discuss the new UTEACHTech program funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the National Math Science Initiative which will allow Louisiana Tech University to prepare graduates with STEM discipline degrees and teaching certification. The story was covered by KTVE NBC 10 News Journalist, David Cawton. The link to the story and images from the taping are included. Guests included Ruston's Mayor Ronny Walker, Project ACHIEVE Director Cathi Cox-Boniol, Dr. Lee Sawyer, Mr. Chris Coleman, Dr. Heath Tims, and Co-Directors for the UTEACHTech Program Dr. Bill Deese and Dr. Don Schillinger. The UTEACHTech Kickoff will be hosted May 4 at University Hall followed by lunch with the President Les Guice at noon. The first students will enroll in the program in late 2015. All faculty, staff and community leaders are encouraged to attend. Should you have questions about the project or the launch, email uteach@latech.edu.

http://www.myarklamiss.com/story/d/story/louisiana-tech-prepping-for-uteach-program/22969/nRjNiSV400iktnnKGz_Vmw

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Kinesiology SMSL Lab Opens as the College and Community Celebrate



Dr. David Szymanski readies equipment for research
Dr. David Szymanski readies equipment for research.

Friday, April 17, 2015, was a great day in the College of Education for a number of reasons. The Department of Kinesiology under the leadership of Chair, Dr. Lanie Dornier, hosted the grand opening of the new Sport and Movement Science Laboratory (SMSL), a 2,000 square feet interdisciplinary research and teaching space that will house research and education in sport and movement science. Dr. David Szymanski, the Eva Cunningham Endowed Associate Professor of Education, and Dr. Braden Romer, assistant professor of kinesiology, serve as the primary investigators for the project and lab, though other kinesiology faculty are also associated with research within the SMSL. Guests for the open house included Louisiana Tech University faculty and administrators, students, local news staff, and community leaders. The link to the news story from myarklamiss.com and additional images are provided. The new lab will help support graduate and undergraduate work as well as professional development and community outreach efforts focused on health, wellness, and performance. Romer stated to the press that, "One of our real hopes is to work with the collegiate athletes at Louisiana Tech or high school athletes in the surrounding area to understand performance, to further the science, and to enhance those individuals". The SMSL will be an outstanding resource for Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, and our region.

Dr. Romer discusses the value of the new research and instructional facility
Dr. Romer shares his perspective on the SMSL.

In other news associated with the kinesiology department, announcements were made recently by the Board of Regents that four of the nine proposal for professional development funding that made the cut for the final round of reviews were from Louisiana Tech University. One of the four proposal submissions was led by Dr. Romer. The proposal serves as one of many that will be strengthened by access to an innovative and well equipped learning and instructional environment. Congratulations to the Department of Kinesiology and Drs. Szymanski and Romer.


http://www.myarklamiss.com/story/d/story/louisiana-tech-home-to-cutting-edge-kinesiology-la/15462/aNYMKxuvfUG9HYTEASXw9g



Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Periwinkle Snails and Professional Educators: A Fun-filled weekend at LUMCON in Cocodrie, LA



Teachers from West Monroe High School, Ruston High School, Ruston Junior High, Richwood, Sterlington, Dubach School, and SciTEC staff from the Louisiana Tech University College of Education spent the past Saturday and Sunday at the Louisiana University Marine Consortium (LUMCON) in Cocodrie, LA. Activities were lead by Lead Educator, Ms. Murt Conover, and included taking samples off of the coast, identifying the species caught, testing quality and salinity of water, and much more. During a marsh walk participants also had the opportunity to collect, record, and analyze data related to the periwinkle snails that inhabit the area. Participating teachers included Holly Payton, Charity Patricola, Kellyn Powell, Denise Cavin, Blair David, Danni Stuckey, Random Kennedy, and Matthew Vincent. Louisiana Tech staff included Mrs. Diane Madden and Lindsey Keith-Vincent. The visit was part of a year long experiential STEAM pedagogy course offered through the Office of Professional Education Outreach. Participating teachers, selected by their districts, were able to receive a substantial scholarship from Louisiana Tech
University and their respective districts for their participation in the project. Funding was also available to support the teachers in bringing students to explore Tech resources including the new fish eye projection system in the Louisiana Tech Planetarium. That funding was made available through a Board of Regents Enhancement grant awarded for the 2014-2015 year.  This trip follows a visit to the LIGO observatory in Livingston, LA in the fall of 2014 with Dr. Lee Sawyer from the Louisiana Tech Department of Physics. Applications to participate in next year's program will be available May 1 through the SciTEC Office. Should you have questions about such opportunities, please contact the SciTEC staff at scitec@latech.edu. Thanks to Mr. John Price for getting us there and back safely!