the bridge: fall 2011

BridgeV i r g i n i a C o m m o n w e a l t h U n i v e r s i t y

The magazine of The VCU School of educaTion fall 2011

Virtual Training The World’s First Simulator for Educators

In this issue: Reducing Disruptive Classroom Behavior • Education in Guatemala • Illiteracy in South Sudan

From the Interim Dean the Bridge Vol. 6, No. 2 • Fall 2011

EDItoR

Michael D. Frontiero(804) 827-2415, [email protected]

ARt DIRECtoR

Delano Design, Holly S. Delano (B.A. ’88)[email protected]

PhotoGRAPhy

Michael Frontiero and Tom Kojcsich, VCU Creative Services

oFFICE oF thE DEAN

Michael D. Davis, interim deanDiane J. Simon, associate dean for student affairsHenry T. Clark III, senior associate dean for academic affairsEdwin E. Blanks, special assistant to the dean and director of business servicesMagnus H. Johnsson, executive director of external relations and development

ALUMNI CoUNCIL

OFFICERS: Michael C. Huffman (M.S. ’02), president; Deborah E. Marks (M.Ed. ’83, Ph.D. ’02), vice president; Susan Younce (M.S. ’91), treasurer; Jacqueline W. Wilson (B.S. ’77, M.Ed. ’83, Ph.D. ’96), officer at large MEMBERS: Mary H. Allen (B.S. ’80), Donna M. Dalton (M.Ed. ’00), Carol A. Dato (B.S. ’81), Lynda V. Gillespie (Ph.D. ‘01), Peter R. Glessman (Post-Master’s Cert. ’01), Stephanie L. Holt (B.S., ’74), Dale C. Kalkofen (M.A.E. ’76), Kathryn G. Kirk (M.Ed. ’80, Ph.D. ‘10), Ronald C. Payne (B.S. ’79), Carmen Y. Ward (M.Ed. ’01)

EX-OFFICIO: Michael D. Davis, Magnus H. Johnsson (M.P.A. ‘10), Donna S. Sharits (B.G.S. ‘96)

VCU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION REPRESENTATIVE: Gordon A. McDougall

ADVANCEMENt CoUNCIL

MEMBERS: Robert E. Marchant (M.Ed. ’71), chair; Jo Lynne DeMary (M.Ed. ’72); Mark E. Emblidge; Michael D. Fraizer; Susan L. Genovese; Barbara L. Belcher; Stewart D. Roberson; Walter S. Robertson IIIEX-OFFICIO: Michael D. Davis, Magnus H. Johnsson

The Bridge is published biannually for the alumni, friends and supporters of the VCU School of Education. Please send story ideas, comments and corrections to the editor at VCU School of Education, Oliver Hall, P.O. Box 842020, Richmond, Va., 23284-2020.

VCU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action university.

It was a most eventful and unusual summer at the VCU School of Education.

A moderate earthquake that originated just 40 miles away rumbled through Oliver Hall, dense smoke from a historic fire more than 100 miles away in the Great Dismal Swamp triggered many Code Orange days in Richmond, and a massive hurricane brought destruction and prolonged power outages to our surrounding community.

These events serve as a reminder from Mother Nature of how important “community” is in maintaining and rebuilding relationships as well as infrastructure.

The global community will benefit from groundbreaking research highlighted in the cover story of this issue of The Bridge. Drs. Dale Mann and Charol Shakeshaft in our Department of Educational Leadership are using a $5.2 million grant to develop the world’s first computer simulator for educators to revolutionize the way administrators are evaluated. When completed, it can be adapted for use in virtually every school system in the world.

Dr. Kevin Sutherland in our Department of Special Education and Disability Policy is working on a $4 million grant with former VCU professor Maureen Conroy to reduce disruptive behavior in prekindergarten classrooms, which could benefit children and educators nationwide.

Our efforts to build community abroad have taken our faculty members to Guatemala, where Drs. Donna Dockery in the Department of Counselor Education and Sharon Zumbrunn in the Department of Foundations of Education led missions to strengthen education in impoverished schools, and to the fledgling nation of South Sudan, where Dr. Mark Emblidge, executive director of the Literacy Institute at VCU, assisted efforts in universal literacy and building schools.

Our work to reduce the nationwide epidemic of childhood obesity took several steps forward when faculty in our Department of Health and Human Performance helped five young people in VCU’s T.E.E.N.S program prepare for their first 10K. Each one crossed the finish line with a new sense of accomplishment.

This fall, we welcomed 12 new faculty members whose expertise ranges from the impact of segregation and resegregation in schools to marketing of nonmainstream sports. We are pleased to have them as members of the School of Education family.

In closing, I hope you will take some time to look through our Honor Roll of Donors on the final pages of this issue. These donors have made a meaningful difference in the lives of our students and in the work of our faculty.

I am honored to serve as interim dean of a school that is collaborative, productive and part of the urban fabric.

Thank you for your support and best wishes for a beautiful fall.

Michael D. Davis, Ph.D.Interim Dean, VCU School of Education

Bridge

2. Reducing Disruptive Classroom BehaviorResearchers at VCU and the University of Florida have received a $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to study how to reduce significant behavior problems in prekindergarten children that can disrupt the classroom learning environment.

6. The Guatemalan ConnectionVCU School of Education faculty lead missions to help impoverished schools in Guatemala and learn local educational practices.

14. Cover Story: World’s First Virtual Training School for EducatorsTechnology used by the military to train soldiers on a virtual battlefield is being adapted by the VCU School of Education to prepare America’s next generation of school leaders more effectively and at less cost.

14.

This publication is available in alternate formats upon request. Contact the editor

at (804) 827-2415 for more information.

16. Overcoming Illiteracy in World’s Newest NationDr. Mark E. Emblidge is working with government and education leaders in South Sudan on universal literacy, education for girls and the building of schools.

18. Helping Obese Adolescents Cross the Finish LineFive participants in VCU’s T.E.E.N.S. program ran the race of their lives in April, completing the 2011 Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10K in Richmond, Va., with the help of faculty and students in the VCU School of Education.

22. Frosty Field ExperienceAlumna Eve O. Kendrick (M.T. ’06) spent this summer a long way from home. In a quest to further her field experience and, by extension, benefit her students, she received a grant to study Arctic graylings in Alaska.

CONTENTS

DEPARTMENTS 02. Research 06. Faculty News 18. Student News 22. Alumni News 29. Philanthropy

• • •

The VCU School of Education prepares students for meaningful careers in education and health-related fields, and promotes research that advances understanding of local, national and global challenges. To learn more, visit www.soe.vcu.edu.

on the cover: The world’s first computer simulator

for educators puts prospective administrators in the

challenging role of leading a virtual middle school

and then assesses their performance with those

real-world situations.6.

BridgeV i r g i n i a C o m m o n w e a l t h U n i v e r s i t y

fall 2011

THE MAGAZINE OF THE VCU SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

2 the Bridge • Fall 2011

Research

It is part of a five-year, $34 million grant for the Virginia Initiative for Science Teaching and Achievement (VISTA), a partnership of 47 school districts, six universities and the Virginia Department of Education. University partners include VCU, the College of William and Mary, the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, James Madison University and George Mason University, which leads the partnership.

$4 Million Grant to Study Reducing Disruptive Classroom BehaviorResearchers at the VCU School of Education and the University of Florida have received a $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to study how to reduce significant behavior problems in prekindergarten children that can disrupt the classroom learning environment.

Kevin S. Sutherland, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Special Education and Disability Policy, and Maureen A. Conroy, Ph.D., a professor of special education and early childhood studies in the School of Special Education, School Psychology, and Early Childhood Studies at the University of Florida, are co-principal investigators on the grant. They will examine the efficacy of their intervention program, BEST in CLASS, which has shown high promise in preliminary studies.

The four-year investigation will involve 120 prekindergarten classrooms, most of them in Head Start programs, split between Richmond, Va., and North Central Florida. Each year, 90 children identified as high-risk for emotional and behavioral disorders will

VISTA Science Institute Helps Elementary Teachers Boost Student AchievementElementary teachers from hanover County, Hopewell and Bedford learned how to improve their skills and boost student achievement at a workshop sponsored by the VCU School of Education.

A four-week Elementary Science Institute offered professional development focused on improving science teaching skills. Teachers implemented lessons learned during a two-week camp for high-needs students from Richmond-area schools.

The institute is part of a $5.1 million grant VCU received from the U.S. Department of Education to improve science teaching and student learning in high-need schools in central Virginia. The grant’s principal investigator is Department of Teaching and Learning Associate Professor Jacqueline t. McDonnough, Ph.D.

VIStA organizers, teachers and students in VCU’s oliver hall after completing the VIStA Science Institute summer workshop.

Denise Covert (right), a teacher at Dupont Elementary School in Hopewell, helps students conduct experiments at the VCU Science Institute workshop.

VCU School of Education 3

take part in the intervention program. A second group of 90 high-risk children will serve as a comparison group in their business-as-usual classrooms.

As many as one-fourth of children in Head Start classes exhibit significant behavior problems that place them at elevated risk for negative developmental outcomes, and most have never been in structured classroom situations prior to entering preschool.

“Children who exhibit problem behavior in preschool are more likely to develop negative interaction patterns with teachers, and research suggests that these negative interactions continue into elementary school and beyond,” Dr. Sutherland said. “BEST in CLASS targets improving these interactions, resulting not only in improved child behavior in the short term, but also an improved classroom atmosphere in the long term.”

Through 14 weeks of classroom-based coaching, Sutherland and Conroy will train teachers to implement effective instructional strategies for improving children’s behavioral competence. The BEST in CLASS model emphasizes both individual and classwide interventions to improve interactions between the teacher and students and enhance the overall classroom atmosphere for learning.

Teachers discuss classroom rules and routines with students and praise specific desirable child behavior — for example, sitting and waiting their turn in a circle during a game or sharing time. Such strategies aren’t necessarily new, but teachers will be shown how to use them more precisely and intensely for given situations. The teacher works to prevent any problem behaviors during typical classroom activities.

The intervention program also has a home-school component in which teachers send home a daily “behavior report card” stating, in a positive manner, how the child behaved or which corrective behaviors he or she learned that day.

Zumbrunn Receives VCU Presidential Award to Research Student Writing Perceptions and SuccessDepartment of Foundations of Education Assistant Professor Sharon K. Zumbrunn, Ph.D., will use a nearly $50,000 award from VCU to examine several

factors that might influence student writing success from elementary school through high school.

Writing is fundamental to student success in school. Through writing, students not only are able to demonstrate their knowledge, but also their ability to gather, remember and share what they learn. Writing also is an essential skill that many students will use in their post-school careers.

According to the National Commission on Writing, the majority of large American companies consider writing ability when making hiring and promotion decisions. Significant concerns exist, however, about student writing in all grades.

Results from the National Assessment of Education Progress consistently show that students are below grade-level proficiency. In 2007, only 24 percent of 12th-graders were at or above the proficient level in writing, and 18 percent could not write at the basic level.

“Research is needed to better understand the critical factors that nurture the growth and success of developing writers,” Dr. Zumbrunn said.

The project will develop a psychometrically sound measure designed to assess elementary, middle and high school student writing perceptions, motivations, behaviors, products and perceived success. In collaboration with Chesterfield County Public Schools, the project will measure these constructs at two points to examine differences across the developmental span.

Approximately 2,100 students from grades 3 through 12 will be invited to participate in the study.

Dr. Zumbrunn was one of 23 faculty members to receive an award this year from the VCU Presidential Research Incentive Program, which supports faculty members engaged in new, emerging or continuing research.

Dr. Sharon Zumbrunn


Counselor Education Faculty, Students Attend National ConferenceMary A. hermann, J.D., Ph.D., associate professor and chair of the Department of Counselor Education, and Donna J. Dockery, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Counselor Education, presented a poster at the American Counseling Association 2011 Conference and Exposition in New Orleans. The title of their presentation was “Using the ASCA National Model to Enhance Understanding of Our Role as School Counselors.” Omega Lambda Iota, the VCU chapter of the Chi Sigma Iota Honor Society International, helped coordinate efforts for students to attend the conference.

Dr. Hermann also presented at the conference with a team of experts in counselor ethical standards from New Orleans, Alexandria and Boston on “Ward vs. Wilbanks et al.: Can Counselors Use Religious Beliefs as the Basis for Refusing to See a Homosexual Client?”

Science Teachers Learn Clinical Trials ProcessMiddle and high school science teachers participated in a weeklong workshop at VCU to enhance their understanding of clinical research and concepts in central Virginia.

The workshop was sponsored by VCU’s Project CRESST: Enhancing Clinical Research Education for Science Students and Teachers, a partnership among clinical and translational scientists, faculty in the schools of Education and Pharmacy, the VCU Center for Clinical and Translational Research, and middle and high school science teachers, students and parents.

The partnership is funded through a grant from the National Institutes of Health and co-directed by associate professors Lisa M. Abrams, Ph.D., in the School of Education Department of Foundations of Education, and Patricia W. Slattum, PharmD, Ph.D., in the School of Pharmacy Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science.

Targeted to urban and rural schools that traditionally have been underserved, the project features inquiry-based curricular tools for teachers to introduce students to the clinical research process, using research on childhood obesity, health and wellness as a model.

Research

Department of Counselor Education students Sally Lewis (from left), Leigh Ann Cronin, alumna Megan tajlili (M.Ed., ’10), Jennifer Gerlach, Dr. Mary hermann and student Jenna Stout at the American Counseling Association 2011 Conference and Exposition in New orleans. Photo courtesy of Megan Tajlili.


summarizes a presentation and recommendations given to the director of the Office of Educational Technology at the U.S. Department of Education at the National Technology Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C., in 2010. Jones wrote the editorial with Michael Searson, a professor at the Kean University School for Global Education and Innovation, and Kari Wold, a doctoral student at the University of Virginia Curry School of Education.

Susan Croasdaile, Ph.D., a program specialist for the Virginia Department of Education’s Training and Technical Assistance Center at VCU, and graduate students Rachel Angel, Erin Carr, Lucy Hudson and Carin Usrey wrote the chapter “Using Blogs to Apply Universal Design for Learning: A Case Study of a Research Methods Course” for the book “Teaching, Learning and the Net Generation: Concepts and Tools for Reaching Digital Learners,” by Sharmila Pixy-Ferris.

New PublicationF o U N D A t I o N S o F E D U C A t I o N :

P R o B L E M S A N D P o S S I B I L I t I E S I N

A M E R I C A N E D U C A t I o N

Samuel M. Craver, Ph.D., professor emeritus, VCU School of EducationMaike I. Philipsen, professor, Department of Foundations of Education, VCU School of Education

“Foundations of Education” is organized around the major problems facing contemporary American education. It offers a thorough, scholarly treatment of these problems from historical, philosophical and sociological perspectives, bringing together relevant findings from those disciplines to analyze and illuminate a wide range of issues. Each chapter focuses on a core topic (including race, gender, equal opportunities, school governance) to give students a solid overview, providing intellectually sound material that offers real depth and challenges students to think creatively. Packed with exercises, discussion questions, international case studies for comparative purposes and supported by a fully up-to-date companion website, this is a text that responds to current developments, changes and trends in teacher education. “Foundations of Education” will prepare a new generation of educators for a globalized and technology-driven society that needs to be aware of its best educational traditions, its current problems and its future possibilities.

Dyslexia and SuccessPaul J. Gerber, Ph.D., Ruth Harris Professor of Dyslexia Studies in the departments of Special Education and Disability Policy and Foundations of Education, presented “A Model of Success for Adult Dyslexics” at the British Dyslexia Association 2011 Conference in Harrogate, England. His paper reported the findings of research into the factors that contribute to the success of adults with dyslexia, including “extraordinary individuals.”

Research BriefsLisa M. Abrams, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Foundations of Education, Angela P. Wetzel, Ph.D., director of assessment, and James H. McMillan, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Foundations of Education, received the Classroom Assessment Special Interest Group Distinguished Paper Award for their work on “Teachers’ Formative Use of Benchmark Testing Data” at the 2011 American Education Research Association in New Orleans, La.

Jarred Boyd and Lauren Simpkins, Exercise Science Club students in the Department of Health and Human Performance, received the VCU Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship 2011 Summer Fellowship program award. This award was provided to 15 of 50 students from around the university. During the summer, Boyd and Simpkins spent a significant amount of time (20-30 hours per week) conducting scientific research in the laboratory and collaborating with a faculty mentor on a project. Both received a $3,000 stipend. Boyd worked with Assistant Professor R. Lee Franco, Ph.D., and Simpkins with Associate Professor Ronald K. Evans, Ph.D.

Christopher Harnish, doctoral student in the Department of Health and Human Performance’s Rehabilitation and Movement Science program, received the Michael L. Pollock Student Scholarship award from the American College of Sports Medicine. He presented his research project, “Metabolic Implications of High Intensity Training In Spinal Cord Injured (SCI) Persons,” at the ACSM annual meeting earlier this year.

W. Monty Jones, M.Ed., director of technology, co-authored the editorial “Reimagining schools: The potential of virtual education,” which was published in the British Journal of Educational Technology (Volume 42, issue 3, pages 363-371, May 2011). It


Faculty News

Study Abroad: Literacy, Art and Social Justice in GuatemalaSharon K. Zumbrunn, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Foundations of Education, and Jan Johnston, an instructor in the School of the Arts’ Department of Art Education, led VCU students on a summer study abroad service-learning course (EDUS 651: Art and Transformation: Social Change Through Arts and Literacy) with a focus on literacy, art and social justice in the highlands of Guatemala.

The course exposed art and education students to indigenous communities, their artistic traditions and contemporary Mayan educational practices. In addition to guest lectures, readings and discussions, students also planned and implemented elementary art and literacy lessons in rural Guatemalan villages. Upon returning, each student completed and showcased an independent arts-, service- or education-based research project inspired by his or her experience.

(Above) VCU education student Jasmine Harrison works with a student on his project ideas.

three young students of Xeabaj Uno School. Photos courtesy of Sharon Zumbrunn.

(Above) Kneeling at right, Dr. Donna Dockery practices Spanish and English lessons with children from tzununa’s primary school after completing a craft project. Photo courtesy of Donna Dockery.

Helping Impoverished Schools in GuatemalaDonna J. Dockery, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Counselor Education, traveled to Guatemala with Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School students for a service-learning project on developing a library in Tzununa, the poorest settlement on Lake Atitlan. School and community fundraising efforts resulted in donations of more than 200 books, more than $1,000, two computers and a Flip camera for the library project. Participants spent a week in Spanish immersion classes and then taught jewelry-making to women, made crafts with children and worked on English and Spanish skills with adolescents from the village.


VCU, Richmond Schools Launch Innovative Teacher Residency ProgramAspiring educators enrolled in the first cohort of VCU’s new Richmond Teacher Residency (RTR) program have begun their coursework and residencies with veteran teachers who will help them lead their own classrooms and boost achievement in high-need middle and high schools in Richmond.

Earlier this year, nine Teacher Residents were selected from a pool of more than 124 applicants from 20 states and five countries. When they graduate from the cohort next year, they will be eligible to assume full-time teaching positions in Richmond Public Schools (RPS). Of the nine Teacher Residents, four are preparing to teach secondary English, three social studies, one math and one chemistry.

The program is coordinated by the Center for Teacher Leadership at the VCU School of Education in partnership with Richmond Public Schools. It is part of the elite Urban Teacher Residency United Network, which is based in Chicago (see The Bridge, Fall 2010).

RTR is funded by a five-year, $5.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, which will provide the Teacher Residents with the tools they need to succeed in an urban school setting.

The program offers a $19,000 stipend to defray living costs, a special program rate for tuition, reduced-cost housing, a yearlong residency, an extended mentorship, teacher leadership training and support for National Board certification in exchange for a three-year commitment to teach middle and high school math, science, English or social science/history in RPS.

The RTR program differs from other traditional teacher preparation programs across the country due to its intensive school-based preparation in which Teacher Residents complete a yearlong classroom residency co-teaching with an experienced master teacher.

Unique to RTR is the requirement that all Teacher Residents live in an urban apartment during their first year of the program as part of the program’s emphasis on creating a strong living and learning environment. At the end of their residency, participants will earn a Master of Teaching degree from VCU and a teaching license from the Commonwealth of Virginia.

For more information, visit www.richmondteacherresidency.info. If you have a smartphone, click the QR Code.

New School Leaders Lay Foundation for SuccessA program that provides early-career Richmond-area school leaders with the knowledge, skills and courage needed to be effective attracted a record number of participants this year.

More than 55 principals, assistant principals and other school leadership team members enrolled in EduLead’s annual Leaders in Transition Summer Institute, a residential leadership institute designed as professional development for newly assigned principals and principals serving challenging and hard-to-staff schools as they plan for success for the coming school year.

Participating principals leave the institute with a draft 90-day plan based on Michael Watkins’ book, “The First 90 Days.” The 90-day plan is intended to complement and support each principal’s division goals for the coming school year.

EduLead is a partnership between the VCU School of Education’s Center for School Improvement, the University of Richmond’s Center for Leadership in Education, school divisions in Richmond and the counties of Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover, and several corporate and foundation partners in the Richmond area. It offers a continuum of professional development opportunities, leadership training and support to school divisions throughout the Richmond region.

For more information, visit http://edu-lead.org.

Richmond teacher Residency Director therese Dozier (right) welcomes the first cohort of teacher Residents at the project’s orientation day.

RICHMOND


New FacultyQuentin R. Alexander, Ph.D.Assistant professor, Department of Counselor Education

Dr. Quentin R. Alexander was a graduate teaching and research assistant for Virginia Tech University’s Graduate Office of Recruitment and Diversity Initiatives, where he conducted formal and informal research about college diversity and inclusion initiatives. He

also did a doctoral internship in counselor education at the university’s Cook Counseling Center, where he assessed student clients for appropriate plans of treatment and conducted individual therapy sessions. He was a therapist for Guilford and Associates Psychological Group in Durham, N.C., providing multidimensional family therapy services for clients. He also was a special education teacher for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools in North Carolina, where he worked with African-American elementary students with behavioral and emotional disabilities and specific learning disabilities. He received his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Counselor Education and Supervision from Virginia Tech.

Chin-Chih Chen, Ph.D.Assistant professor, Department of Special Education and Disability Policy

Dr. Chin-Chih Chen received her Doctor of Philosophy degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Minnesota. Her research focuses on the risk and protective factors related to educational well-being, evidence-based intervention practices, and

service trajectories and developmental pathways for at-risk children and children with disabilities. Before joining the Department of Special Education and Disability Policy at VCU, Dr. Chen worked for the University of Pennsylvania as a research associate at the Penn Child Research Center. She conducted large-scale longitudinal research to examine educational well-being of disadvantaged children using an

integrated administrative data system. Dr. Chen also worked for the University of Minnesota as a research associate in the Chicago Longitudinal Study, one of the most extensive studies of early childhood intervention. She evaluated the effects of the program on reducing educational and health disparities for low-income children.

Greg P. Greenhalgh, Ph.D.Assistant professor and director of Student Services and Outreach Center for Sport Leadership

Dr. Greg P. Greenhalgh comes to VCU from the University of Louisville, where he was a lecturer and graduate assistant teaching courses in sport promotion, publicity and marketing. Dr. Greenhalgh also has an active research agenda, with his primary focus on the marketing

of niche, or nonmainstream, sports. More specifically, he is interested in variables that might attract fans and sponsors and how niche sports may position themselves to be more sustainable in the future. Dr. Greenhalgh’s other research interests include the use of new social media and their effects on the dissemination of sports information. He received his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Educational Leadership and Organizational Development from the University of Louisville.

hilary E. hughes-Decatur, Ph.D.Assistant professor, Department of Teaching and Learning

Dr. Hilary E. Hughes-Decatur received her Doctor of Philosophy degree in Middle School Education from the University of Georgia. Previously, she was a seventh- and eighth-grade language arts teacher at Eagle County Charter Academy in Edwards, Colo., a district

literacy coach and, for two years, was the director of the Young Writers Workshop at Burney-Harris Lyons Middle School in Athens, Ga. Her research interests include girls and body image. At VCU, she will be teaching courses in secondary curriculum and instruction.

Faculty News


Austin M. Mulloy, Ph.D.Assistant professor, Department of Special Education and Disability Policy

Dr. Austin M. Mulloy recently received his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Special Education from the University of Texas at Austin, where his coursework focused on autism, developmental disabilities and quantitative research methods. He has developed a keen interest

in meta-analysis and systematic literature reviews and their role in the determination of evidence-based practices. His research interests include resolving problems related to the analysis and meta-analysis of single-subject research, and application of the best meta-analytic and systematic review methods to intervention research in special education. Prior to entering UT-Austin, he served as a high school teacher in diverse, urban settings. His expertise in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) primarily pertains to controversial therapies and biomedical interventions. In coursework, research activities and while a teacher, he developed skills related to the design and implementation of social, behavioral and academic interventions for children with ASD.

Volkan Sevim, Ph.D.Assistant professor, Department of Teaching and Learning

Dr. Volkan Sevim recently received his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Mathematics Education with an emphasis on urban education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He was a visiting lecturer and teacher-in-residence in the school’s Department of

Mathematics and Statistics, where he taught pre-calculus and calculus II for science and engineering undergraduate students as well as mathematics education content and pedagogy courses for prospective elementary school teachers. His research interests include the historical, philosophical and

W. Monty Jones, M.Ed.Director of TechnologyAssistant Professor, Department of Teaching and Learning

W. Monty Jones received his Master of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction from VCU and is now completing his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Instructional Technology at the University of Virginia. He is a former software developer and information technology consultant,

and has spent time as a K-12 classroom teacher and instructional technology resource teacher. He was a research fellow at the Center for Technology and Teacher Education at the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education. He was awarded an Outstanding Curriculum Award by The National Association of Gifted Children for his work as an instructional designer and software developer for Project Parallax in Charlottesville, Va.

Katherine Cumings Mansfield, Ph.D.Assistant professor, Department of Educational Leadership

Dr. Katherine Cumings Mansfield is a recent graduate of the Educational Policy and Planning Ph.D. program at the University of Texas at Austin, where she also earned a doctoral portfolio from the College of Liberal Arts in Women’s and Gender Studies. Mansfield has 20 years

of teaching and leadership experience in preschool through postsecondary education and has earned certification in administration, English as a second language and gifted/talented. Her interdisciplinary scholarship focuses on the history and politics of education and the relationship of gender, race, religion and class on educational and vocational access and achievement. Mansfield currently serves as program chair for the American Educational Research Association’s Special Interest Group: Leadership for Social Justice. Her teaching interests and expertise include the socio-cultural contexts of education policy and practice, school law and education policy, qualitative research and policy analysis methods, and organization theory.


pedagogical aspects of mathematical concepts in general and mathematical functions in particular. He also is interested in developing and carrying out an ongoing active research program that investigates students’ understanding and learning of various mathematical concepts.

Marie F. Shoffner, Ph.D.Associate professor, Department of Counselor Education

Dr. Marie F. Shoffner was a tenured associate professor of teaching and supervision at the University of Virginia and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She also was a counselor for Children, Youth and Family Services in Charlottesville, Va., and Louisa

County Public Schools in Mineral, Va. Her research grants and awards include $400,000 from the National Science Foundation to prepare students for designing multiscale agile systems. She also was awarded nearly $500,000 to study the role of perceptions, supports and student engagement in predicting STEM-related interests in early-adolescent girls and minority youth. She has taught courses in career counseling and development, counseling diverse populations and counseling children. She received her Doctor of Philosophy degree in Counselor Education from the University of Virginia.

Genevieve Siegel-hawley, Ph.D..Assistant professor, Department of Educational Leadership

Dr. Genevieve Siegel-Hawley received her Doctor of Philosophy degree in Education from the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. Her research interests focus on examining the impact of segregation and resegregation in American schools,

along with exploring viable policy options for a truly integrated society. Dr. Siegel-Hawley worked as a research assistant at the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights from 2000 to 2001,

where she developed data on court-ordered school systems, in addition to compiling and processing data from 30 years of survey collection in the Elementary and Secondary School Civil Rights Compliance Report. She taught two years of high school history in Baltimore, Md., with Teach for America, and later returned to teach for an additional two years in her hometown of Richmond, Va. Dr. Siegel-Hawley is the recipient of the Virginia Education Association’s Fitz Turner Commission for Human Relations and Civil Rights Award for her efforts to ensure access and equity for students of color at a regional magnet high school in Virginia. She received her Master of Education degree in Education Policy and Management from Harvard University.

Angela P. Wetzel, Ph.D.Director of Assessment Instructor, Department of Foundations of Education

Dr. Angela P. Wetzel recently received her Doctor of Philosophy degree in Education from VCU. She has eight years of experience in education, including academic affairs, educational research and evaluation. As part of her role as director of curriculum for the VCU

School of Medicine, she oversaw course evaluations and all testing for more than 800 medical students. In addition, she participated in the accreditation of the doctorate of medicine degree program. As a graduate assistant for the School of Medicine’s Office of Assessment and Evaluation Studies, she consulted with faculty on research and evaluation related to individual courses and overall curricular programming as well as student assessment and learning. She managed ongoing data collection from students using survey software and was responsible for secure data management, internal reporting and scholarship. She also worked as a graduate assistant in the VCU School of Education, collaborating on educational research through the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium.

Faculty News


Faculty AwardsThese awards celebrate the VCU School of Education’s greatest asset and resource – its people. Our school is highly regarded as a result of these and other talented faculty members who made a difference in the 2010-2011 academic year.

C h A R L E S P . R U C h A W A R D F o R

E X C E L L E N C E I N t E A C h I N G

Dr. Ronald Evans (right) accepts the award from Interim Dean Michael Davis at the School of Education’s Diploma Presentation Ceremony.

Ronald K. Evans, Ph.D., is the 20th recipient of this award, which honors Dr. Charles P. Ruch, a former VCU provost and dean of the School of Education.An associate professor of Exercise Science in the Department of Health and Human Performance, Dr. Evans has served with distinction as a teacher, scholar and adviser since coming to VCU in 2003.In nominating him for this award, one of his students wrote, “Dr. Evans is one of the most influential professors that I have met throughout my undergraduate career. He taught me Exercise Physiology, which is an extremely rigorous course … in a way that engaged the class and challenged us. He tirelessly encourages his students to achieve their best work and encourages them to reach their highest potential.”

D I S t I N G U I S h E D t E A C h I N G

A w A R D

Donna J. Dockery, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Counselor Education. She joined the faculty in 2007 and has taught 30 sections of six courses.

She developed the curricula for two courses: Multicultural Counseling in Educational Settings and Multicultural Service Learning in Educational Settings.

Dr. Dockery is the lead instructor for the Techniques for Counseling and Counseling Practicum courses. In this role, she creates and updates syllabi and mentors the other instructors who teach the course. She volunteered to partner with the Genetic Counseling Program at VCU Medical Center and welcomed its students into her techniques course.

She incorporates research and integrates theory with best practice in her classes, fosters a welcoming and positive classroom environment that promotes learning, values, student engagement and honest feedback and evaluation.

One of her students said, “Dr. Dockery always shares the best ‘real-life’ examples of what it is like to work as a school counselor. I find myself really engaged in all that she has to say while learning (and laughing in the process).”

D I S t I N G U I S h E D

t E A C h I N G A W A R D

R. Martin Reardon, Ph.D., joined the faculty in 2005 as an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership.In every class that Dr. Reardon teaches, he develops creative and student-centered activities that allow his students to engage in project-based learning.

This year, he introduced an innovative course on “instructional rounds” to his students in administration. This course is the result of three months of collaboration with public school administrators to plan and deliver the program. As a result, students in administration and supervision learned how to move through classrooms, make rounds much like students in medical schools and, as a group, discuss what they see and what it means.

Dr. Reardon also teaches the most extensive problem-based learning project of the department — the Ed.D. Capstone course for which he developed internal assessments of participation and team effectiveness and conceptualized formats for presentation of results of the projects in written, visual and oral forms.

(Above) Interim Dean Michael Davis (from left), Dr. Donna Dockery and Faculty organization President Dr. Loraine Stewart.

(Below) Interim Dean Michael Davis (from left), Dr. Martin Reardon and Faculty organization President Dr. Loraine Stewart.


o U t S t A N D I N G

S C h o L A R A W A R D

Whitney S. Newcomb, Ed.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Educational Leadership.

She joined the faculty in 2007 and is a prolific scholar.

Dr. Newcomb has published one book, four book chapters

or monographs, 27 articles in international and national refereed journals — seven of which were published this year and four of which are in journals with acceptance rates of 11 percent or less. She produced 15 other scholarly publications and more than 50 presentations at national and international conferences. In addition, Dr. Newcomb has secured five grants.

She received the Emerald Literati Network Award for Excellence for the Outstanding Special Issue of 2011 for her work editing the issue ”Globalization: expanding horizons in women’s leadership” published in the Journal of Educational Administration. She also received the American Educational Research Association’s Leadership for Social Justice Special Interest Group Social Justice Award for 2011 for work that represents exemplary commitment to teaching that promotes social justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in the field of educational administration.

o U t S t A N D I N G S E R V I C E A W A R D

william R. Muth, Ph.D., is an associate professor of adult and adolescent literacy in the Department of Teaching and Learning. He joined the faculty in 2005.

In addition to teaching and advising students, Dr. Muth provides considerable service to the school, university and community.

At the department level, he serves as the track coordinator and adviser for students in the Instructional Leadership track of the Ph.D. program. He reached out to faculty in his department and in the

Interim Dean Michael Davis (from left), Dr. Whitney Newcomb and Faculty organization President Dr. Loraine Stewart.

Faculty News

Department of Foundations of Education to organize an advisory group to discuss needed changes and improvement for this doctoral track.

At the school level, he developed a five-course online certificate program to address the needs of adult educators across the country who work in adult literacy. The program is the result of a collaborative planning initiative with the Virginia Department of Correctional Education, The Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center in the School of Education, the Virginia Literacy Foundation and the READ Center.

On the local and national level, Dr. Muth has worked tirelessly in support of Hope House in Washington, D.C. Hope House is designed to make a difference in the lives of children of incarcerated fathers. Dr. Muth serves on its board of directors, and last summer he participated in its annual summer camp as he engaged in a research project.

Faculty BriefsLeila Christenbury, Ed.D., a Commonwealth Professor and interim chair of the Department of Teaching and Learning, was interviewed on Education Talk Radio about English teaching with the National Council of Teachers of English.

Listen to the interview at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/edutalk/2011/06/08/english-teaching-with-ncte. If you have a smartphone, scan the QR Code.

william R. Muth, Ph.D., has been promoted to associate professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning.

Loraine M. Stewart, Ed.D., an associate professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning, has been elected to the National Council for the Social Studies Board of Directors.

Kevin S. Sutherland, Ph.D., has been promoted to full professor in the Department of Special Education and Disability Policy and has been named co-editor of Behavioral Disorders: The Journal of the Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders.

Interim Dean Michael Davis (from left), Dr. william Muth and Faculty organization President Dr. Loraine Stewart.


Retiring Faculty Honored for Contributionsthe VCU School of Education said farewell to three faculty members who ended decades of service to the school this year.

At a reception held in the VCU Scott House, colleagues and friends celebrated the accomplishments of Department of Counselor Education Associate Professor Susan D. Leone, Ed.D., Department of Educational Leadership Assistant Professor Cheryl C. Magill, Ph.D., Department of Special Education and Disability Policy Professor and Partnership for People with Disabilities Executive Director Fred P. orelove, Ph.D., School of Education Associate Director Vicki B. wilson, Ed.D., and Center for School Improvement Director Jo Lynne S. DeMary, Ed.D.

Colleagues who knew them best reflected on their work and friendship.

Department of Counselor Education Chair Mary A. Hermann, J.D., Ph.D., called Dr. Leone a wonderful colleague, consultant and friend. “Several people attribute their being a counselor to the fact that they took a course with Suzee Leone. She’s recruited great students, has kept the program current even as the role of school counselor has changed dramatically

over the past few decades. She’s always open to new suggestions and ideas for program growth and development, which is one of the main reasons I came here.”

Department of Educational Leadership Chair Charol Shakeshaft, Ph.D., honored Dr. Magill for bringing something to the job that many academics do not. “She gets it done. She doesn’t say, ‘Let’s have a committee’; she doesn’t say, ‘Let’s talk about it next time’; she doesn’t say, ‘Let’s think about that’ and perhaps get back to you. She’s incredible for the amount of work she does with practitioners and leading the new Doctor of Education degree in Leadership program and making it a national model.”

Department of Special Education and Disability Policy Chair Evelyn Reed, Ph.D., honored Dr. Orelove. “Everything that he does is with his heart. His brain is superior and that is where those wonderful puns come from every five minutes. And he has been a great leader.”

Dr. Orelove, who was with VCU for more than 30 years, expressed gratitude to his colleagues for their support. “There is no way any of us come prepared to do these jobs. And upon retiring, I’m finally beginning to know how much I still don’t know. Call it wisdom. I call it confession. But the stuff I do know, it’s because somebody let me practice on them.”

(top right, clockwise) Dr. Fred orelove and Interim Dean Michael Davis. ~ Dr. Cheryl Magill said, “It’s been a great ride.” ~ Dr. Susan Leone ~ Dr. Jo Lynne DeMary with Interim Dean Michael Davis. ~ Dr. Vicki wilson (center) with Drs. Harold wright and Ken Magill.


Technology used by the military

to train soldiers on a virtual

battlefield is being adapted by

the Vcu School of education to

prepare america’s next generation

of school leaders more effectively

and at less cost.

Using a five-year, $5.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, researchers with Project ALL (Authentic Learning for Leaders) are developing the world’s first computer simulator that will put prospective administrators in the challenging role of leading a virtual middle school and then will assess their performance with those real-world situations.

Job candidates will work through a year in the life of a school principal and see hundreds of leadership-related events, opportunities, problems and possible solutions that are not always covered in textbooks or graduate lectures.

Situations include dealing with demanding parents, completing personnel evaluations and enforcing curriculum decisions. As the user makes decisions, the simulation algorithm will calculate a profile of strengths and weaknesses. That profile will be sent back to the user and forwarded to the employer.

“You see the problems faced by principals every day,” said Project ALL Simulation Director Dale Mann, Ph.D. “You make choices and you see the immediate and vivid consequences of those choices.”

As the pattern of decisions emerges, it begins to affect the trajectory of the school. Bad choices lead to a cascade of unfortunate events, such as low student achievement or

Project ALL Director Charol Shakeshaft (left) and Project ALL Simulation Director Dale Mann.

VCU Developing World’s First Virtual Training School for Educators

“This simulation tool

will allow us to assess

those skills with the next

generation of school

leaders and make sure

our future is secure.”

–Dr. Yvonne Brandon


a hostile faculty. Better choices lead to a more successful school, more trust from the central office and even a promotion.

“The simulator highlights patterns, such as whether the prospective educator is more likely to respond to central office requests over building-level needs, whether he or she prefers direct instruction over technology, or if that person is more comfortable with personal communication than impersonal communication,” said Project ALL Director Charol Shakeshaft, Ph.D., professor and chair of the VCU School of Education Department of Educational Leadership.

Web-enabled simulations have saved as much as 85 percent on training budgets because they can be used anywhere and at any time.

“By using simulations, schools do not have to pay for the cost of substitutes, travel or lodging,” Dr. Mann said. “Instead of paying experts to repeat the same presentation over and over again, the simulation can be reused and revised at a fraction of the cost of conventional training.”

The simulator also can be applied to professional development, employee assessment and graduate education.

VCU already is using the simulator as a teaching, learning and assessment tool in its Master of Teaching, Post Master’s and Doctor of Education in Leadership programs.

“Like other urban districts, our principals are retiring and need to be replaced with high-quality leaders,” said Richmond Public Schools Superintendent yvonne Brandon. “This simulation tool will allow us to assess those skills with the next generation of school leaders and make sure our future is secure.”

Project ALL is a partnership between the VCU Department of Educational Leadership and Richmond Public Schools to pilot an innovative, field-based training program that will recruit, prepare and retain principals and assistant principals in Richmond schools.

watch a demonstration of the simulator at www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMtjey0ia1A&feature=youtu.be. If you have a smartphone, scan the QR code.

“You see the problems faced by principals every

day. You make choices and you see the immediate

and vivid consequences.” –Dr. Dale Mann


(Above) Dr. Mark Emblidge with the plane he and other U.S. officials used to travel around South Sudan.

Dr. Mark Emblidge (center) addressed a gathering in Rumbek, South Sudan with Gen. Scott Gration (left), the former U.S. special envoy to Sudan. Photos courtesy of Mark Emblidge.

In January 2010, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Education faculty member Mark E. Emblidge, Ph.D., received the proverbial phone call that changed his life. The call was from Gen. Scott Gration, who had recently been appointed by President Barack Obama as special envoy to Sudan, Africa.

Gration and Dr. Emblidge had met earlier in their careers in Washington, D.C., while Emblidge was working for Sen. John Glenn and Gration was serving as a White House fellow. It had been more than 20 years since Gration and Emblidge had spoken.

Gration asked if Emblidge would serve as his education adviser.

Dr. Emblidge, who is the director of The Literacy Institute at VCU and a faculty member in the Department of Teaching and Learning, agreed to serve.

“After 50 years of on-and-off civil war with North Sudan, South Sudan became an independent nation on July 9, 2011, and could well be the least-educated country in the world,” Dr. Emblidge said.

For the past year, Dr. Emblidge has been working with government and education leaders in South Sudan on universal literacy, education for girls and the building of schools.

He plans to return to South Sudan this fall to attend an education summit that will focus on the education strategic plan for the world’s newest nation.

Emblidge Aids South Sudan Literacy Campaign

VCU School of Education 17 VCU School of Education 17


Student News

Health and Human Performance Faculty and Students Help Overweight Adolescents Finish 10KBy Dawn Mennen

Five participants in VCU’s t.E.E.N.S. (teaching, Education, Exercise, Nutrition, Support) program ran the race of their lives on April 2, completing the 2011 Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10K in Richmond, Va., with the help of faculty and students in the VCU School of Education.

T.E.E.N.S. is a multidisciplinary weight management program for overweight adolescents in the Richmond area. Faculty and students from the Department of Health and Human Performance oversee and implement the exercise component of the program.

Various goal-setting strategies are used to motivate participants to exercise, but the goal of finishing a 10K was one of their greatest undertakings.

For weeks leading up to the big day, participants trained in the T.E.E.N.S. gym to prepare to cover a distance farther than they had ever gone before. Sports Backers, recognized as one of the best sports commissions in the country, collaborated with the T.E.E.N.S. staff to generously assist in the registration process.

Two nights prior to the race, Edmund o. Acevedo, Ph.D., a professor and chair of the Department of Health and Human Performance, provided a “Q&A” session for the race participants and their families.

Dr. Acevedo helped set the tone for the 10K by discussing his triumphs and struggles throughout his distinguished career of ultramarathon and marathon races. It was easy to see both excitement and nervousness in the participants’ eyes as they listened to stories of running 100 miles and of the determination required to cross any finish line.

The five T.E.E.N.S. members waited anxiously the morning of the race with nearly 40,000 other participants, ready to conquer 6.2 miles on Richmond’s famous Monument Avenue. Along the course, members of the VCU Exercise Science Club, sporting painted faces and armed with noisemakers, waved signs, gave high-fives and shouted encouragement to the T.E.E.N.S. members. The club was awarded a cash prize for its enthusiasm and support during the event.

Each T.E.E.N.S. participant completed the Saturday race with wide smiles as they were met by parents and supporters at the finish line. The following Monday afternoon, they returned to the T.E.E.N.S. gym, still a little sore from Saturday’s race but with smiles reflecting their pride in completing their first 10K.

(top) t.E.E.N.S program participants celebrate after finishing the race.

(Right) Exercise Science Club members hold up a sign and encourage the 10K participants. Photos courtesy of R. Lee Franco.


Career Counseling in Qatarwhen it came time for counselor education student Mary Denney to choose a placement for her 600-hour internship, she found that her background in fashion and retail merchandising would be useful in helping students at VCU’s fine arts campus in Doha, Qatar, who have limited access to career services.

With the support of VCU-Qatar and Department of Counselor Education Associate Professor and Chair Mary A. hermann, J.D., Ph.D., Denney spent the spring 2011 semester establishing a program at VCU-Qatar to help students and alumni develop their résumés and portfolios as well as determine their interests in graduate school.

her preferred major, Fashion Design. “I felt like I really made a difference by working with her, and this is a perfect example of why I chose to go into this profession,” Denney said.

Dr. Hermann monitored Denney’s work via Skype and an in-person visit to Qatar.

Denney successfully completed the internship and graduated in May with a Master of Education degree. She is pursuing work in career counseling in higher education.

Exercise Science Students Take Out the TrashCleaning the streets around the VCU School of Education can be a dirty job, but someone has to do to.

Fortunately, VCU and the surrounding neighborhood have the Department of Health and Human Performance’s Exercise Science Club as their personal cleanup crew.

The students are responsible for cleaning Harrison Street between Main and Cary streets near Oliver Hall as part of Richmond’s Adopt-A-Street program. Signs with the club’s name are posted nearby.

To have the sign posted, the students participate in a total of four cleanups during the fall and spring semesters. They are responsible for cleaning the street twice a year.

Mary Denney during her internship at VCU-Qatar. Photo courtesy of Mary Denney.

“Denney’s background made her a good fit for this internship,” Dr. Hermann said.

Denney holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Fashion and Retail Merchandising that she received from Virginia Tech in 2008. VCU-Qatar offers undergraduate programs in fashion design, graphic design, interior design, and painting and printmaking as well as a Master of Fine Arts degree in Design Studies.

Why the switch? “I wanted to work with people and make a difference,” Denney said. She achieved that goal in Qatar.

Her biggest success was providing individualized counseling to a struggling freshman Qatari student, who attended nine sessions with Denney. That semester, the student raised her GPA, passed courses she had previously failed and even got into

(Above) Exercise Science Club students pose with their haul. Photo courtesy of R. Lee Franco.

(Left) the Exercise Science Club’s sign is posted near the intersection of Harrison and Cary streets.


Student News

development, community services, fundraising and special projects. As students complete these activities they record their activities in a scrapbook.

The VCU SVEA won the award under the leadership of chapter president Brittany Jones and former Department of Teaching and Learning Instructor tammy M. Milby, Ph.D.

In April, the VCU chapter participated in the SVEA’s annual Outreach to Teach Project, in which SVEA members and education majors across the state team up in a school beautification project.

This year, they went to Peabody Middle School in Petersburg, Va., to enhance teachers’ lounges, repaint hallways, create murals, retouch the gymnasium and improve landscaping. The purpose of the project is to increase pride among students at the beautified school.

Advice to Graduates: Disorientation Necessary in GPS WorldThe VCU School of Education conferred diplomas in May to 294 graduates, many of whom had lived their lives within well-defined schedules, timelines and structures. Even their iPhones kept them “on the map” with GPS and other applications. Now, a major orienting force was about to disappear: schooling.

But is being lost always a bad thing?

At the Spring 2011 Diploma Presentation Ceremony, keynote speaker william R. Muth, Ph.D., told the class of 2011 that getting lost can be a good thing, even if it does not feel that way at the time.

“Sometimes, disorientating is not only unavoidable, it’s necessary,” said Dr. Muth, an associate professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning. “Why? Maybe to better understand students who are disoriented in their classrooms. Or to get past that

Service and Academic Excellence Awards AnnouncedThe Department of Health and Human Performance honors six undergraduate students each year: three for their participation in activities and service related to the department mission, and three for professional and academic excellence.

The Student of the Year Awards are given by each of the three undergraduate student organizations within the department – Health and Physical Education, Community Health Education and Exercise Science – for participation and service to the undergraduate mission of the department.

The Professional and Academic Excellence Awards are given by the faculty to one student in each of the three degree concentrations for professional and academic excellence. S t U D E N t o F t h E y E A R A W A R D :

Asmita Rayamajhi, Community Health EducationCasey Bunce, Exercise Science John Scholla, Health and Physical Education

P R o F E S S I o N A L A N D A C A D E M I C

E X C E L L E N C E A W A R D :

Maria Graziano, Community Health EducationHeather Caslin, Exercise ScienceLeslie Meadows, Health and Physical Education

Student Education Group Wins Top AwardThe VCU School of Education chapter of the Student Virginia Education Association (SVEA) has won the SVEA’s 2011 “Ultimate” Chapter Standards Award for outstanding leadership and activities.

The award is designed to recognize and award student leaders who have developed and maintained an effective program. Points are awarded based on a wide scope of activities, including campus participation, membership, student leadership


either-or thinking that we’re either on a map or we’re unworthy. Or, just as the cliché goes, to see the ordinary in new ways.”

Maps, he said, are useful for judging ourselves and gauging others. But sometimes we need to be strangers and disorient ourselves from global positioning systems, curricula and well-intended loved ones who would map our lives for us.

There are no rules for disorientation. But when we do get lost, as surely we must, Dr. Muth said we should strive to be patient and open, and remember that the most lasting meanings and purposes come slowly and often at great cost.

“So, graduates, as you strut off the VCU map, I hope you savor this time and discover wellsprings that lift and lead you to wondrous places uncharted and, as yet, unimagined.”

(Above) the first graduates of the new Doctor of Education in Leadership degree program.

(Left) Keynote speaker Dr. william Muth.

watch video highlights of the ceremony at www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLGXjeo5hSc&feature=channel_video_title. If you have a smartphone, scan

the QR Code.


Alumni News

Frosty Field ExperienceVCU Alumna Receives Research Experience for Teachers Grant

By Rachel Dozier

Alumna Eve o. Kendrick (M.T. ’06) spent this summer a long way from home. After completing both her bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees at VCU, Kendrick moved to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to continue her teaching career. But she was looking to further her field experience and, by extension, benefit her students.

So Kendrick applied for and received a RET (Research Experience for Teachers) grant in Alaska. During her eight-week study, Kendrick spent nine to 10 hours a day in the field studying Arctic graylings, a species of freshwater fish in the salmon family, and calculating their growth rates based on the level of nutrients and

temperatures. Her work was a part of a larger study determining the stream’s health.

“It was an amazing experience,” Kendrick said. “The research was really fulfilling. It was really fun to get back into research. It rejuvenated my love of research and my interest in doing research with my own students in the classroom.”

Kendrick is in her fifth year of teaching. After spending several years teaching high school in Hanover County, Va., she moved to Alabama. She currently teaches biology, marine science, environmental science and forensic science. And this fall she’ll have plenty of stories to tell her classes.

See what Kendrick is doing now on her blog at http://blog.mbl.edu/ret/. If you have a smartphone, scan the QR code.

Fellows “LEEDs” County’s First Green Middle SchoolAlumnus Brian P. Fellows (Ph.D. ’09) is leading the first middle school in Henrico County, Va., to earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, an internationally recognized green building certification system.

Holman Middle School, which opened in 2010, was one of two schools in the county that were certified this year by the Green Building Certification Institute, with Holman receiving certification at the silver level and Glen Allen High School at the gold level.

“We are honored to be the first LEED-certified middle school in the county,” said Dr. Fellows, Holman’s principal. “The certification was the perfect ending to a phenomenal inaugural year.”

Holman features efficient mechanical equipment and high-performance lighting systems, which are estimated to reduce the facility’s energy use by 30 percent compared to a minimally code-compliant baseline design, as well as low-flow plumbing fixtures that reduce water use by approximately 40 percent compared to standard fixtures.

The certification process required that the school incorporate the building’s environmentally friendly


features into its academic content areas to help students understand the direction that environmental engineering is going.

Science and math teachers worked together to develop curriculum that focused on recycling, water resources and management, and energy resources. One class put together an award-winning water resource unit in which students developed water conservation commercials.

“The process of developing and implementing the LEED curriculum allows our teachers and students the chance to get outside and explore our environment,” Dr. Fellows said.

(Starting clockwise) A skylight in the school’s cafeteria reduces the amount of electricity needed for lighting this holman Middle School large room. ~ Reflective paint was applied to the school’s roof to help with cooling. ~ Signage in the main hallways explains the school’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. ~ Principal Brian Fellows demonstrates a learning kiosk in the school’s foyer, where visitors can see holman’s water and energy usage in real time.


Dale C. Kalkofen – 2011 Alumni Star from the VCU School of EducationBy the time Dr. Dale C. Kalkofen joins the other Virginia Commonwealth University 2011 Alumni Stars at a reception in October, she will have traveled a great distance. Whether calculating the distance she drives from her sprawling country home in Powhatan or measuring her more than 30-year career that has taken her from Richmond to Boston, Memphis, Japan, China, Arlington and back to Richmond, Dr. Kalkofen has had a long journey indeed.

Dr. Kalkofen recently retired from her position as assistant superintendent for instruction with Chesterfield County Public Schools. Throughout her career, she has been responsible for school reform, innovation and the redesign of programs and schools. “I’ve found making the work fun and personally rewarding builds enthusiasm that sustains the work,” she said. “This combination of making work meaningful for the individual and reaching the goals of the organization produced great work.”

“Great work” is a modest statement coming from a person whose long list of achievements and awards includes working on national school reform initiatives at the Annenberg Institute’s Task Force on Creating Smart School Districts, the National Advisory Task Force for Vocational Education through the U.S. Department of Education, the Institute for Educational Leadership, the Southern Regional Education Board and New American Schools.

In 1993, Dr. Kalkofen, a Richmond native, left her position as principal of Mary Mumford Elementary School to work with Boston Public Schools. While in Boston, she had oversight of 80 schools. In 1996, Dr. Kalkofen joined Memphis City Schools where she served as the associate superintendent of school reform. The scope of her work both in Boston and Memphis was often on a national and even an international level, leading Dr. Kalkofen to travel to Japan and China to study their educational systems, and sending her on frequent trips to Washington, D.C. She returned to Virginia when she accepted the position of vice president for district services for New American Schools in Arlington. Dr. Kalkofen joined the Chesterfield County Public School System in 2001.

Dr. Kalkofen enthusiastically credits her education at the VCU School of Education as a catalyst in her career. “Before I began my graduate work at VCU, I was an art teacher in Richmond City Public Schools,” she recalled. “I supervised student teachers from the art education department. At that time, there were three professors in the Art Education Department named Al: Al Shantz, Al Landis and Al Lewis. I had never considered working on a higher education degree until Al Lewis asked me, ‘Where did you get your master’s?’ I told him I didn’t have a master’s and he invited me to consider doing coursework in the Art Education Department. I began my coursework there and actually completed all the requirements for a master’s in art education when I decided to switch to the School of Education. Dr. Willie Bost worked with me to use my art education courses as electives and I completed all the requirements for the degree in curriculum and instruction and became certified in supervision in August of 1976.”

That fall, Dr. Kalkofen was hired as the administrator and supervisor for arts and humanities for Richmond Public Schools, a position she held for the next 10 years. “Professors at the School of Education were wonderful, professional, interested in my day-to-day job responsibilities and enthusiastic about building connections between academics and teaching and learning,” she said.

Over the course of her career, Dr. Kalkofen participated in numerous professional organizations, including the American Association of School Administrators, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the Horace Mann League, the International Reading Association and Phi Delta Kappa.

After she returned to the Richmond area, Dr. Kalkofen embraced her alma mater and remains an engaged alumna whose leadership skills are invaluable and whose passion for education and love for VCU are contagious. She is the immediate past president of the School of Education’s Alumni Council and presently serves on the board of the VCU Alumni Association.

In retirement, Dr. Kalkofen spends time rekindling her artistic talents and recently has taken up portrait painting. She enjoys gardening and spending time at Shadow Lawn Farm, a property she and her late husband, Dr. Ulrich P. Kalkofen, purchased in 2002.

Alumni News

Dale Kalkofen received her Master of Education degree from the VCU School of Education. She received her Doctor of Education degree from the College of William and Mary and her Bachelor of Arts degree from Mary Washington College.


The VCU Alumni Stars program began in 1989 as a way to bring the university together to acknowledge alumni accomplishments and achievements. On Oct. 21, Dr. Dale C. Kalkofen will be recognized as the 2011 VCU School of Education Alumni Star during a universitywide reception at the Richmond Marriott. Attending the celebration will be friends, colleagues and several family members, including her daughters, Deb, Heidi and Ingrid, and her son, Hans. Hans Kalkofen, a senior at VCU, will graduate in May with a double major in philosophy and political science.

Elementary Principal Receives Surprise AwardBy Rachel Dozier

As harrowgate Elementary School’s kindergarten assembly was coming to a close, Principal Linda C. wood noticed other students entering the back of the room. Next came more staff members. When members of her family entered the room, she started to suspect something was up.

Since Wood, who had been Harrowgate’s principal for six years, was moving to another job in July, she thought the students might be throwing her a going-away party. Little did she know that she had won 2011’s National Distinguished Principal award for Virginia.

“I’m still in awe of what has happened,” Wood said.

Wood, who received her Master of Education degree from the VCU School of Education in 1993, has worked in the administrations of a variety of local schools before her stint at Harrowgate.

Her award was presented by the National Association of Elementary School Principals, and it was the 28th year the association has presented this award. Wood was nominated and selected by her fellow principals through a statewide poll conducted by the association. She will visit Washington, D.C., in the fall and meet with winners from other states.

But Wood is no stranger to awards. In 2008, she won the Richmond Area Reading Council’s principal of the year award and received the Panasonic National School Change Award.

Wood has taken her expertise to Chesterfield County’s central office, where she is the manager of instructional support.

“It’s truly been a whirlwind these last few months,” she said.

Zyglocke Named Chesterfield Teacher of the YearBy tim BullisChesterfield County Public Schools

Ann M. Zyglocke (B.S. ’87) is the 2012 teacher of the Year for Chesterfield County Public Schools in Chesterfield, Va. With 24 years of experience, she teaches third-grade students in the Center Based Gifted Program at Winterpock Elementary School. Her award was announced during a surprise visit to Winterpock Elementary by school board members and Superintendent of Schools Marcus J. Newsome, who brought congratulations, roses, balloons and cake.

“Mrs. Zyglocke is an amazing teacher and a wonderful colleague,” wrote Heavenly Husick, a fellow teacher at Winterpock Elementary. “A parent recently stated that [Ann Zyglocke] has ‘an undeniable knack for making even the most mundane subject matters interesting. Her excitement about teaching is so contagious that the children become completely infected with curiosity and

Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals President-Elect Deborah Frazier (from left), Executive Director James Baldwin, harrowgate Elementary School Principal Linda Wood, Chesterfield County School Board member Marshall trammell, Superintendent of Schools Marcus Newsome and Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals Capital Zone Director tina Martin. Photo courtesy of Chesterfield County Public Schools.


enthusiasm.’ She encourages her students to become scientists, explorers, engineers and humanitarians through her creative approach to teaching.”

Annually, every Chesterfield County school selects a Teacher of the Year. Chesterfield County Public Schools then selects from those honorees an Elementary School Teacher of the Year, a Middle School Teacher of the Year and a High School Teacher of the Year, then chooses the countywide Teacher of the Year from those three honorees. Zyglocke was Chesterfield’s Elementary School Teacher of the Year.

“Our teachers are superstars, and our school system and community are stronger because of their skill, creativity and commitment,” Dr. Newsome said. “Their accomplishments are one of the main reasons that Chesterfield County Public Schools is nationally recognized as a high-achieving school division.”

Zyglocke earned a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Virginia Commonwealth University. She has worked in Chesterfield County Public Schools her entire career: Crestwood Elementary, 1987-1997; Swift Creek Elementary, 1997-2004; Grange Hall Elementary, 2004-2008; and Winterpock Elementary since 2008.

“My philosophy about teaching and about student learning is that knowledge is there to be discovered through activity and curiosity and a sense of wonder,” Zyglocke said. “More than anything, I

Ann Zyglocke (back row) with her students at Winterpock Elementary School. Photo courtesy of Chesterfield County Public Schools.

Alumni News

want my students to move on at the end of the year with the belief that learning is one of life’s great pleasures. My belief in learning through discovery and experimentation and curiosity is demonstrated daily in my classroom. It is a place of humor, excitement and sharing, but also one of discipline, where children respect the learning environment.”

Passion, Creativity, Eating Bugs Earn Davis “Super Teacher” Award By Jill Vaughan and John hagerty Virginia Lottery

there are teachers, and then there are “Super Teachers.” Summer D. Davis (M.T. ’01), fifth-grade teacher at Alberta Smith Elementary School, has been selected as one of eight educators statewide to receive the Virginia Lottery Super Teacher Award.

husband Ryan Davis (from left), Summer Davis, daughter Riley Davis, Paula otto and Steve Wright of the Supply Room Companies. Photo courtesy of Virginia Lottery.

Davis received the award during a surprise presentation at the school in front of students, faculty and Chesterfield County Schools Superintendent Dr. Marcus J. Newsome.

The award, sponsored by the Virginia Lottery, the Virginia PTA and Virginia-based The Supply Room Companies, consists of a cash prize of $2,000 and an additional $2,000 classroom credit from The Supply Room Companies.


The lottery organization received more than 1,300 Super Teacher nominations statewide.

Davis’ colleague Kimberly Shults nominated her because of her “passion, creativity and overall involvement in her students’ education.” In her nomination essay, Shults wrote, “Mrs. Davis always comes up with new, creative ways for motivating her students to do well. When students get math problems correct, how many teachers do you know who shoot their students with a marshmallow shooter!? A small thing, but the kids love it! Students have been able to earn, through good grades, the ability to throw pies at their teacher, have pool noodle fights and see their teacher eat bugs! She has eaten dry-roasted crickets, chocolate-covered ants and mealworms, and cricket brownies! Not many teachers would go that far, but her students are so motivated to do these things and their grades show it.”

The 2011 Virginia Lottery Super Teachers were selected by a panel of distinguished educators and community leaders, including Dr. Jo Lynne S. DeMary (M.Ed. ’72), former director of the VCU School of Education Center for School Improvement and former state superintendent of public instruction.

“The Virginia Lottery is committed to helping public schools, and we’re delighted to recognize Summer Davis for her dedication to this important profession,” said Paula Otto, Virginia Lottery executive director.

UpdatesShelly J. Armstrong (M.T. ’93) was a member of the library staff of Thomas Dale High School, which was named Library Program of the Year by the Virginia Educational Media Association. She is a ninth-grade campus librarian. This annual award recognizes a school library that is integrated

into the school’s curriculum and central to the learning process. They will receive the award at the VEMA state conference Nov. 19. Photo courtesy of Chesterfield County Public Schools.

tameshia V. Grimes (Ph.D. ’10) was selected to succeed Brent M. Thomas (Ph.D. ’01) as principal of Elizabeth Davis Middle School in Chesterfield County, Va. She had been principal of Providence Middle School.

Connie J. Honsinger (M.Ed. ’03) was named 2011 Counselor of the Year by the Virginia School Counselor Association. “I am very proud and honored to represent elementary counselors in our state who work so hard to support student success.” Photo courtesy of Connie Honsinger.

(Above) Patricia Stauffer and Assistant Professor Deborah Getty.

(Left) School of Education Associates Director Michael Huffman (left) with Carl Carden, whose bid won him a basketball signed by members of the VCU men’s basketball team who played in the 2011 NCAA Final Four tournament.

Golf Tournament Raises $7,800 for ScholarshipsMore than 20 teams of golfers and numerous volunteers attended the VCU School of Education’s fifth annual golf tournament in April and raised $7,800 to help students pay their tuition.

Perfect weather graced the daylong event, which was held at The Crossings Golf Club in Glen Allen, Va. The annual tournament is organized by members of the School of Education’s Alumni Council. Funds raised from sponsors, players and friends underwrite several scholarships for School of Education students.


Alumni News

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RAM Nation

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Alumni by County

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VCU Alumni

School of Education

Ram NationVCU School of Educat ion

VCU School of Education alumni live in all 50 states and Puerto Rico! Wherever you go, from Fairbanks

to San Juan, we are there.

Rams Across America

Donna L. ostrower (M.Ed. ’93) was named chief development officer and director of the Jewish Federation’s Jewish Philanthropy Center. Prior to her appointment, she was the executive director of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Greater Los Angeles Chapter. She also has served as the zone director for the Jewish National Fund, executive director for the American Jewish Committee of Houston and Miami and associate director of development with the Anti-Defamation League. In the course of her extensive career in Jewish communal work, she has traveled to England, France, Germany, Poland and Israel to monitor the condition of Jewish communities, combat anti-Semitism, advance Israel’s diplomatic standing and promote international human rights and interreligious and interethnic understanding. She is a charter member of the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., and a life member of Hadassah.

John R. Vacca (M.Ed. ’91) has been awarded tenure, promoted to associate professor and appointed director of graduate studies in early childhood special

education at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, Pa. Dr. Vacca received his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Special Education/Psychology from Pennsylvania State University and post-doctoral fellow from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Latonya E. Waller (M.T. ‘01/Post-Master’s Certificate ’06), the 2011 Virginia Teacher of the Year (see The Bridge, Spring 2011), met President Barack Obama at the White House as part of the Council of Chief State School Officers’ National Teacher of the Year Program.


Philanthropy

Celebrating Our Donors

School of Education Celebrates 50th Anniversary in 2013-14.While coursework in education had been offered for years, it wasn’t until the fall of 1964 that the School of Education was established as part of Richmond Professional Institute. By 1968, it became part of the newly formed Virginia Commonwealth University.

In anticipation of anniversary events, we are requesting any historical photos, stories or other items of interest you wish to share for the celebration. For more details on how you can help, please contact Donna Stewart Sharits at (804) 828-4770 or [email protected].

Bequest Givingyou have the opportunity to play a vital role in the VCU School of Education’s future by establishing a bequest in your will or trust to support the school. Your bequest may be restricted for a specific purpose, such as a named endowed fund for a scholarship, fellowship or professorship, or left unrestricted to allow the school to direct the funds to its greatest needs.

Estate gifts from retirement plans, wills, living trusts and insurance policies are only a few of the gift-

we can all make a difference, no matter the size of the gift. Please consider supporting the work of the school through a gift during the coming year.

On behalf of the School of Education, we thank you and look forward to a continued partnership in philanthropy.

If you would like more information on ways you can support the School of Education, please contact me at (804) 827-1362 or [email protected].

Magnus H. JohnssonExecutive DirectorExternal Relations and Development

• • •

Alumni and friends are truly transforming the VCU School of Education one gift at a time. During the past year, the school received more than $1.4 million in private gifts from nearly 800 donors. Overall, we saw the number of alumni donors increase by 20 percent over the previous year.

These gifts that range from $10 to $100,000 translate into a professorship, scholarships, fellowships, support for faculty research, educational projects and community partnerships. Donors enhance the outstanding work of our faculty and students and help expand our many school and community collaborations already in place. In the pages that follow, you will see our 2010-2011 Honor Roll of Donors.

The collective impact of your giving demonstrates that

planning options available. For more information, please contact Magnus Johnsson. You also can visit www.vcuf.org/waystogive/waystogive.html for easy-to-print brochures on the types of gift plans available. You also can learn about the VCU Heritage Society, which recognizes donors who have included the university in their estate plans.

$50,000 Alumni Challenge Grant Goal ReachedDuring the 2010-2011 academic year, the School of Education was presented with a unique opportunity: raise $50,000 in new and increased unrestricted support from alumni and have each dollar up to that total matched 50 cents on the dollar by an anonymous Richmond foundation. The goal was reached just before the June 30, 2011, deadline and overall helped increase the number of alumni donors by more than 150 from the previous year.

“Reaching our challenge grant goal was a significant success for the School of Education. It is particularly important as unrestricted dollars have become so vital to meeting the needs of our students and faculty in the current economic environment. We are grateful to our alumni for helping us achieve this remarkable goal,” said Donna Stewart Sharits, director of annual giving and alumni engagement.


Unrestricted gifts through the School of Education Annual Fund are used to support the greatest needs of the school. In the past year, these dollars were used to support student scholarships, student travel to conferences, technology needs and more.

Donors Sow Seeds of Student Successthe VCU School of Education is proud of its students.

They understand the value of a strong support system, particularly in providing much-needed financial resources to assist in the completion of their degree programs. They

are intelligent, eager to learn and engaged in their academic studies.

At the school’s annual Scholarship and Award Ceremony in April, Fajir Amin spoke on behalf of all the scholarship recipients about the meaning of the generosity of donors and how the scholarships will support their studies.

Amin is a full-time graduate student in the Extended Teacher Preparation Program in early and elementary education. She received the Virginia Arnold Scholarship for the 2011-2012 academic year.

“Today, we celebrate the act of making a difference in someone’s educational life,” Amin told an audience of donors, scholarship recipients, family, friends and faculty. “This scholarship couldn’t have come at a better time.”

Amin’s internship is slated for the spring of 2012. She said the scholarship will allow her the opportunity to focus solely on her studies.

She is eager to have her own classroom and dreams of returning to VCU to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy degree. Dr. Arnold’s generous scholarship makes Amin feel that much closer to making her dream a reality.

How to Give to the VCU School of EducationGifts and pledges may be made by:

MailVCU School of EducationOffice of External Relations and DevelopmentP.O. Box 842020Richmond, VA 23284

PhoneCall (804) 828-4770 to speak with Donna Stewart Sharits

Webwww.support.vcu.edu/give/education

SecuritiesA gift of stock generally entitles a donor to a charitable deduction for the full current market value and avoidance of capital gains tax. Contact development staff for more details.

Philanthropy

In her speech, Amin addressed Dr. Arnold and all of the donors when she said,“… We all wear different roles in our lives; I say wear because we have a choice of what to put on. The role you are wearing today, and have been wearing for a while now, is both beautiful and inspiring. The act of helping someone come into his or her garment of educational success is honorable. You, good donors, are honorable. Today you have sewn stitches into our graduation gowns, and because many of us are going to go into the field of education, you have, by default, put a stitch in the gown of each and every student or seeker of knowledge who is yet to come our way. For this, you are very appreciated, and we thank you.”

The Virginia Arnold Scholarship is awarded to a student who plans to become an elementary or middle school

teacher and who has at least a 3.0 GPA. Amin is a summa cum laude graduate of John Tyler Community College.

She has served on the University Appeals Board and VCU’s 20/20 recalibration task force, is a community engagement liaison for the Student Government Association and a student representative to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, is a founding member of the Student Government Association Special Grants Committee and is a member of Phi Kappa Phi.

“Since coming to VCU, Amin has maintained a high academic average and has consistently been on the dean’s list. But equally important, she has unselfishly given back to the community,” said School of Education Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Diane J. Simon, Ph.D.


BENEFACtoR SoCIEty$10,000 AND UPVirginia A. ArnoldThomas H. Beatty and Diane J. Simon BeattyRobert and Deborah DavisLouis and Ruth HarrisICF InternationalKnowledgeworks FoundationThe National Collegiate Athletic AssociationThe David and Joyce Phillips Giving FundEstate of Caroline A. SchaufusUnion First Market BankSharon S. Van de WalleVirginia Literacy FoundationTwo donors wish to remain anonymous

JohN S. oEhLER SoCIEty $ 5,000 to $ 9,999The Community FoundationHanns-Dieter and Kip GruemerJoel OreloveStuart OreloveBeverly J. WarrenW. W. Whitlock FoundationCarolyn Estes Williams

oLIVER hALL SoCIEty $ 2,500 to $ 4,999Dale Christina Kalkofen

DEAN’S CIRCLE $1,000 to $ 2,499Scott and Nancy BellemanEdwin and Cynthia BlanksCarl R. CardenLeila ChristenburyHenry T. Clark IIICouncil of Great City SchoolsMichael and Connie DavisDominion Virginia PowerMichael Gamel-McCormickHoward Ozmon FundEna Gross and Philip R. OldsMichael and Jennifer HuffmanMagnus H. Johnsson and Karen E. NelsonAlan and Dardignac McLeodJames and Janice McMillanEdward K. MorrisJohn and Mary Sue OehlerFred P. Orelove and Irene H. CarneyPatricia B. PearmanRobert and Harriette PotterWalter and Susan RobertsonCharol ShakeshaftVCU Alumni AssociationWeingart Family FundPhilip L. WorrellHarold S. Wright Jr. and Elam JarrellsSusan F. YounceOne donor wishes to remain anonymous

2010-2011 Honor Roll of DonorsPARtNERS $ 500 to $ 999Richard and Cynthia BagleyRobert and Teresa CarterJo Lynne S. DeMaryWilliam and Patricia DeweyMark and Therese DozierEducational Informatics, LLCDonna L. GillesJohn and Rhonda KregelSusan Dana LeoneGreg and Samantha MarrsDavid and Lynn MyersO’Brien Associates, Inc.Evelyn ReedStewart and Leslie RobersonJohn A. RossiDonna Stewart SharitsKevin S. SutherlandJacqueline W. WilsonThe W.M.Y. Fund

BRIDGE BUILDERS$ 250 to $ 499Adult Detention Consultant, LLCBarbara-lyn BelcherMary B. BelloneLynne E. BennettBrown Rose FundKevin and Ellen BrunyGranville Burruss and Donna S. ViaGail B. CampWade P. ChambersDavid and Martha CoffieldStephen and Jacqueline CunninghamMolly A. Dellinger-WrayJohn and Robin Webb DickerJames and Jill DimitriMark E. EmblidgeMuriel R. Azria-Evans and Ronald K. EvansHoward G. Garner and Barbara HulburtStephanie L. HoltRoger and Win LoriaM. Kenneth and Cheryl C. MagillLeonard F. MaidenDeborah Evans MarksBrian and Susan McKelveyG. Kenneth MorganPatricia B. MorganIrvin and Linda SeemanPatrick L. StanfieldArden and Melanie SterlingMonica UhlXerox CorporationTera T. Yoder and Sanford Hostetter

EDUCAtoR $100 to $ 249Pasquale and Patricia AccardoThomas and Lara AddisonJames and Bernice AllenRobert A. AlmondJames D. AnkeneyGena R. ArcherLillie H. ArnaoutPatricia M. AschMichael and Joan BacheBank of AmericaPhilip Barry Jr.Michael M. Bartolf and Melanie D. Haimes-BartolfMargaret H. BaumgardnerFlorence C. BishopJoann N. Bodurtha and Thomas J. SmithNoel D. BoraskiNancy C. BoutchyardCynthia J. BrownJames and Gayle BynumCarey Enterprises, Inc.Jane H. CarlsonChristie CarrClarice W. ChristianKathy Mays ColemanTracey L. ColesAl CopolilloMarilyn J. CorkerKenneth and Nicki CortrightGretchen Unterzuber CosgroveFrederic and Elizabeth CoxRobert and Donna DaltonCarol A. DatoMichael and Denise Lynn DavisAlan and Patricia Buchanan DavisThomas and Janet DeWittJoan S. DicksonDonna J. DockerySue S. DonaldsonD. Thomas DoubIsabel Jane Dowrick and Michael D. WhitlowJulie DurandoSharon F. EakAnn O. EppsJohn and Jane Bowman FainAnthony and Marguerite FainaFrank H. FarringtonGermaine S. FauntleroyRichard A. Fine and Sara FergusonBrent L. FletcherArthur J. FrizzellStephen and Brenda GatesWilliam H. GeorgeHarry and Cynthia GewanterBarbara E. GibsonRachel A. GraceWilliam B. GreshamKenneth and Valerie GrossVerlan and Corinne HallWilliam K. HammackJoanna N. HamnettTamalie Hancock

Mary T. HartfordRaymond S. HawthorneJames W. Hickman Jr.Lara M. HillNorman and Lola West HilliardDorothy J. HollahanJoyce F. HurtDavid and Christine JenningsJohn Hancock Financial ServicesWarren and Teresa JonesWilliam and Jacquelyn JoynerStephen and Shelley JustaVickie G. KanslerKeith and Della Kidd

Michael and Kimberly KremerJames J. LendvayJonathan and Claudette LewisG. David and Margaret Scott James MagillBrian A. MaltbyJoann C. MarshallAnn S. MartinCharles and Jan MartinWilliam and Fredrica MartinMaryland Capital Advisors, Inc.Kaestner and Jacqueline McDonnoughJohn and Anna McGinnJames and Cynthia MessmerAnne H. MillerJaclyn MillerT. Wayne and Barbara MostilerPatrick and Shannon Kenney Murdock

Sue MurdockWilliam R. MuthNorthern Neck VFW Auxiliary 7167Northrop Grumman CorporationL. Terry and Linda OggelTheresa B. OkesDonald P OswaldDeborah D. Oswalt and Mark E. RubinJoan M. PellegriniRobert C. PershingPhilip Morris Co., Inc.Henry and Julia PollardWilliam B. Porch and Teresa A. AtkinsonAnita H. PrinceEllen S. PruettBetsy B. PullenJeffrey and Marilyn RiceDavid and Karen RichardsonRichard and Sharon RobertsonWilliam S. Robinson Jr.Ruark Marinas, Inc.Sherry T. SandkamMary Anne M. SchmidtHugo and Edith SeibelRoddy N. ShingletonSusan K. SpauldingKristen H. Stahr

Karen L. StanleyLisa A. StoneHelen D. TamesColleen A. ThomaJean F. ThomasGeorge and Judith TinkerAlice W. TsouVCU Real Estate FoundationThomas L. WaltonKay WatsonPaul H. WehmanRebecca E. WeybrightRussell E. Whitaker Jr.Richard WhittSteven and Jill Wiebe-KingReynolds and Sara Todd WilliamsBruce and Janet Horsley WillisJanet W. WillisVicki B. WilsonWilliam and Martha WingfieldAllen G. Withers Jr.Mary Ann H. WrightOne donor wishes to remain anonymous

“I have fallen more in love with

teaching than I ever believed I could.

It has become my passion and I

thank you for helping to finance my

chosen profession.” –M.Ed. student


Philanthropy

SUPPoRtERUP to $ 99Alcoa FoundationNora AlderDamon AllenMary H. AllenGerald C. AlleyJames D. Alsop Sr.Christine K. AndersenJames D. AnkeneyTricia P. ArnaldoTim and Linda ArnetteKermit and Denise AshbyEleanor B. AveryBeth W. AyersStephen Lawrence BachmannBeth A. BaderGloria T. BaileyArlene A. BandasSamuel and Marian BanksConstance M. BarneyAshlee L. BarnhillH. LeRoy BashamWanda Rowe BassArlene A. BatesW. Murrie Bates Jr.Wilma K. BattleBetty Lou BeachHugh A. Beard Jr.Willie and Glorious BennettJack and Colleen BerningerJermaine D. BerryRenita L. BestBetty C. BillingsleyMaxine L. BlackWren M. BlackwellMichael and Laura BlandDonald L. BlickCarolyn A. BoganPamela F. BosselaitWillie and Marsha BostRuth S. BowlingJack M. BrandtPhillip W. BraswellJanine C. BraunTheresa H. BrentsJohn and Susan BriggsAsbury and Ramona BrittKaren A. BrittonClifford and Elizabeth BroenimanValerie A. BrookePaul William Brooker Jr.Laurie R. BrownLinda J. BrownPatricia J. BrownGrace M. BrunnerW. Edward and Nancy BucknerWilliam T. BullinsThomas and Cathleen BurkeSusan Brandt BurkhartKathleen A. BurlesonAnne A. BurnettCraig A. BuschnerBetty Jo L. ButlerKatie C. ButlerJohn and Elizabeth ButnerNina E. BuzbyM. Ann ByrdRonald and Joy CalkinsJohn L. Callis

Calvary United Methodist WomenDiane M. Carey-WallaceReid Penn and Marsha CarterRobert B. CarterKathleen M. Cauley and James R. WheelerAlthea T. ChamblissJoyce C. CharityMichael C. ChildressDavid and Christine ChiltonJennifer Smith ChoiAudrey P. ChurchJulie Bradley CiavarellaMary G. CirilloEl Nadal ClarkMarcus A. ClarkeMarjorie P. ClarkeWilliam Andrew ClarkeJudith B. ClaryJesse Dibley ClayJulie E. ClayKatherine B. CoatesEd and Nell CoffmanJoshua Paul ColeJames and Virginia ColonnaC. Dewey and Valerie Compton

Jose and Elizabeth ConcepcionKathryn M. ConwayLinda P. CookeJenine L. CotmanLori S. CouchKaren B. CovingtonJimmy and Annie Mae CowardinAmy A. CraftonSusanne CroasdaileW.E. and Ellen CrossCarol C. CruickshanksWilliam and Gale CushingBeatrice C. DaltonJames and Eleanor DardenCarolyn L. DavisDorothy P. DeanMelinda P. DebrewDenise A. DefantiLaVerne J. DeusebioDenise F. DietzDale D. DodsonPhyllis K. DominickCarter R. DoranMichael and Barbara DoranNorma S. DossCandice L. DriggsLeigh Reynolds DunavantVirginia W. Durrett

Michael DussaultWilliam and Brenda DuttweilerCathleen M. DuvallJames S. EdmonsonJames and Mariett EgglestonLauren G. EibR. Wayne Ellis and Terry L. SmithJames and Ann EmbreyCheryl J. EmorySondra C. EpleyLeonard and Kristy Oliver EshmontSusan EspostiMichael and Teresa-Ann EstesZalika H. EtienneMark R. FaglioniFrances L. FarmerMarianne C. FeeneyErma Jo FieldenMarianne K. FinchMerilyn L. FinnBarbara A. FiresheetsChristine A. FitzgeraldGregory and Cecelia FlorenceJoan R. FortschneiderRobert and Diann FosterVonita W. FosterRobert and Louise FothergillShirley L. FoutzFelicia L. FoxLynwood and Julie FranklinThomas and Susan FrazierJane J. FreemanSandra C. FrittonWilliam and Virginia Dart GalliEaster E. GallowayShirley R. GarlingtonBeverly J. GarnerSharon B. GarnettLora L. GayleRichard C. GayleNorman J. GellerGeneral Electric FoundationRoberta Anne GentryDeborah H. GettyLinda A. GillWillie H. GillenwaterElizabeth A. GlascockA. Lawrence and Frances GoldmanNorma R. GoreKimberly B. GorenfloMichelle Stuckey GrabowJohn and Carol GrangerCatherine J. GravittDana R. GrayH. Roger and Margaret Shibley GrayGloria E. GreenJames M. GriffinDaniel and Carolyn GrinnanDonald and Margaret GunterBarbara P. GuyerCarolyn HaasePaul and Patricia HaganJeanne D. HaleyBruce W. HallDiane S. HallNancy E. HamblinEileen Hammar

Irma J. HammondWilliam and Vicki HannerBrant and Rebeca HarperRobert M. HarperPeggy O. Harrelson and Clark S. LeonardAnjour B. Harris

Valerie F. HarrisWilliam and Nellie HarryThelma H. HartPamela J. HarveyStephen and Virginia HarveyLaura P. HattonFrances T. HayesCaroline S. HeadPatricia B. HedgmonCherrie S. HendersonGay S. HendersonMegan R. HendrickCheryl B. HenigMartha E. HicksSteven M. HicksPaul and Corinne HillSusan R. HillMarcita F. HobsonJohn and Vandivere HodgesGeorge and Betty HofferLindsay A. HoltzHenry I. HorwitzSue HoudyshellBetty A. HoweAnn W. HughesAnne Marie HughesRudolph and Marybeth HullM. David and Dorothy HuntLinda S. Hutchinson-TroyerWilliam Andrew Hutt Jr.Barbara A. Ippolito-HitchcockCheryl P. IvesDeborah R. JacksonJoan Ruth Eckert JacksonCharles C. JamesonMary Alice Witt JamisonPatricia C. JanesRichard and Robin JeffreyJames G. JenkinsJimmie M. JettCaudill L. JohnsGlenn N. JohnsonJane R. JohnsonMargaret W. JohnsonMarja T. Johnsson

Christopher and Laura Hamm JonesGale W. JonesOliver W. JonesRonald and Mary Iva JonesTerri W. JonesDonna M. Jovanovich

Cherie A. JusticeNorman and Bonnie KatzenbergJane T. KellerHilda C. KellyGregory and Janet Flippen KempVictoria L. KennedyJohn F. KieferAnne T. KitchenKerri KochelekChemisi KogoDjuana D. LambCharlotte O. LandAlan and Mary LandisPauline M. LangeMary K. LarueLois T. LaveryNancy W. LavierAnn A. LawDonna S. LeaboughKimberly L. Leggett and Jeffrey J. KepckeJames A. LehmanLloyd and Leslie LenhartDeborah A. LenkerEdward L. LeslieAllan M. LewisRichard W. LewisDonald and Dorothy LewySteven and Marci LinasJacquelyn S. LindseyCaroline A. LingerfeltDonald and Judy LittleSterling K. LloydSusan U. LoanToni R. LockwoodChristopher and Matilda Bradshaw LoftinPatrice A. Londoner GoforthGail E. HoneaGeorge and Carole LongMichael and Nancy LottRobert C. LowerreSherman C. LuxenburgAlice W. LyonsRobert and Linda MacCleave

2010 - 2011 Honor Roll of Donors, continued


Rachel R. MadduxPatricia L. MahoneJanet H. MakelaWayne K. MallardKatherine Marchand-BeyerSarah E. MarkhamLois D. MartinMartha J. MartinPaul R. Martin Jr.Virginia S. MasonShirley L. MassenburgSarah Z. MassieLawrence and Carla MathewsChristine P. MatternFrederick N. MatthewsKimberly A. Matthews

Rebecca A. MayfieldMary B. MayoStephanie B. MayoColleen T. McCabeCathy O. McCanlessMary Jo McKessonMeurial W. McLainAnn H. McMillan and Randolph HallmanSuzanne McWilliamsKristina G. MedingerElizabeth L. MeixnerKaren C. MerrimanFrances A. MeyerMary Ann MichaelSandra P. MilfordGwendolyn G. MillerTomeika B. MoodyJames and Elizabeth MooreW. Scott and Stephanie MooreBernar A. MorgensternMary V. MortonSandra B. MortonWilliam L. Murray Jr.Jeffrey and Shelley NealRebecca C. NeasJames A. NecciVickie M. NeelyGail B. NewtonElaine M. Cairo NowinskiR. Terry and Phyllis OatesJohnsie R. OddeninoJudith M. O’DonnellMary Anne B. OettingerEvelyn L. OharaMinnie S. OutlawNancy T. OwenKaren S. OwensRhonda J. Page

John and Barbara PagelsSuzanne W. PalmedoLeland M. ParkKyla C. PattersonPatricia W. PattersonWayne S. PaulMarilyn S. PenceWalter A. Pennino Jr.Ann M. PetersGeorge and Page PeyserMaike Philipsen and Jon WerginLarkin and Lou Ann PhillipsRoland L. PiferEthan and Gwendolyn PittsJoyce N. PittsMaggie H. Plummer

William and Karen PooleRonnie and Denise PriceChanel A. PritchettDana L. PritchettO. Ralph and Mary Johnson PuccinelliJulia L. Putney-Brandt and W.G. BrandtJessie M. RainesCharlotte M. ReadJoal S. Read

Donna W. ReamyDiane B. ReedFrances B. ReidKyle S. RemppiesEleanor H. RennieW. Grant and Dale RevellEric and Tina RhoadesHenry and Audrey RhoneConstance G. RicePaul A. RiceHerbert and Lucy RichwineDeborah W. Roane

Vincent and Margaret RoaneRegina R. Roberson-FletcherJames O. RobertsSusan B. RobertsonLarinda A. RobinsonNorman and Joan RobinsonVirginia G. RobinsonSusan RogersCarmen and Caroline RomeoSharon B. RoopRobert and Sharon RoseMaxine P. RossMcDaniel Rucker IVJanet H. RuehleJane C. RuffaBeverly R. RuppersbergerDiana T. SadlerMichael A. SandyMarilyn S. SaulBarbara M. SavageJoanne S. SavareseEdward and Janis SaylorMichelle M. SchmittAngela S. SchwartzEllen G. SealJanice SeargentLara S. SeaveyPatricia F. SegerKay T. SellersGordon and Ellen ShafferVirginia A. SharpeLillian A. ShearinWilliam H. SheavlyPatrick J. ShieldsCharles R. ShraderRobert R. SiegelJoe and Marjorie SimmonsNorma V. SimpsonRonald and Judy SingletonLarry and Pamela SinsabaughThomas and Betsy SmithBrenda G. Smith

Brian C. SmithChandra H. SmithHarriet G. SmithJanet S. SmithJeffrey R. SmithSharon L. SmithSondra C. SnidowRichard and Dana SouserRichard and Gloria SpainJoAnn R. SpiegelPatricia Ann StaufferPamela M. Stevenson

“The past five years have been

very difficult ones with a number

of family struggles …This award

will help tremendously.”

–Post Graduate Certificate student

Marc and Cynthia Coleman StockdonHarriet B. StoutKathryn J. StreetmanLeah P. StrulsonMarilyn J. SutterlinJean M. SwannSam and Tammy SweckerRobert L. TabbJames H. TalbottJulia M. TatumBarbara I. TaxierErnest and Mary TaylorMcKinney and Jan TaylorR. Dean and Patricia E. TaylorMatthew J. TessierAnne Baldwin ThomasNicole J. Thomas-JacksonCarolyn O. TillerPamela A. ToliverDelbert and Mary TomesMartha S. TravisDavid and Barbara TraylorLeonard and Julia TresterCarolyn E. TrimmerSusan S. TurkalBarbara E. TuttleWilliam H. Van VleckJohn M. VassarChristina Ericson VernonLinda C. WagnerMisti R. WajciechowskiLisa Rae WalkerPatricia B. WalkerThomas and Roslyn WalkerJohn and Michele WalterAndrew G. Walters Jr.Robert and Jane WardJacqueline B. WarrenBlanche L. WashingtonDeborah WatersFrank and Karen WatkinsHelen S. WatkinsEugene and Jane Page WatsonGlenn and Mary WebsterClaudia Guyton WellsBarbara S. WenkLauren T. WernerLinda M. WettlePeggy R. WhitePaulette C. WhitehurstMary W. WhittMargaret W. WhittenSandra L. WilbergerMichael and Maya WilderDaphne Y. WilliamsDenise S. WilliamsJulia R. WilliamsKaren H. WilliamsPatricia G. Finch WillisDorothy WinantPhyllis S. WinnGerald and Elizabeth WittAnn M. WitthoefftPhinehas and Helen WoodR. Allen and Patricia WoodMary G. WoodhouseJerald S. WoodsNancy A. WretschkoBobbie P. Wright

Harold and Dona WrightRobert and Sandra WynneYaoying XuDana YarbroughTera YoderKatherine YoungOlinda F. YoungPatricia L. ZilettiOne donor wishes to remain anonymous

tRIBUtE GIFtSIn Honor of Dr. Fred P. Orelove Harry L. GewanterIn Honor of John S. Oehler Jr. Leland M. Park

MEMoRIAL GIFtSIn Memory of Stanley S. Baker Glenn N. Johnson Jean F. ThomasIn Memory of John A. Crown VCU Real Estate FoundationIn Memory of April Marie “Sweet” Hart Northern Neck VFW Auxiliary 7167 Robert and Harriette PotterIn Memory of Matthew Francis Thoma Colleen A. ThomaIn Memory of John A. Van de Walle Karen S. Watkins

hERItAGE SoCIEtyThis society recognizes donors who have made provisions for the School of Education through their estate plans or another gift-planning vehicle. John Cook Michael and Connie Davis Carolyn Eggleston Thomas Gehring Signe M. Langschultz Marilyn Leahy Two donors wish to remain anonymous

The Honor Roll of Donors was compiled as accurately as possible from university records and reflects gifts made from July 1, 2010, through June 30, 2011. If we have omitted your name or have listed your name incorrectly, we sincerely apologize. Please contact Donna Stewart Sharits at (804) 828-4770 or [email protected] with any corrections. Thank you.


NON-PROFITORGANIZATIONUS POSTAGE PAIDRICHMOND, VAPERMIT NO. 869

V i r g i n i a C o m m o n w e a l t h U n i v e r s i t y

BridgeTHE MAGAZINE OF THE VCU SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

P O B O X 8 4 2 0 2 0 • R I C H M O N D , V A 2 3 2 8 4 - 2 0 2 0

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the bridge: fall 2011

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