News

Waco Tribune-Herald

Featured:
Dr. Bill Sterrett, Professor and Chair, Department of Educational Leadership

Jennifer Gonzales, EdD ’22, received the Dissertation Award from the national School Science and Mathematics Association (SSMA) in recognition of her dissertation research — a five-phase mixed-methods study titled “Leveraging the Role of an Instructional Coach to Close Middle School Mathematics Teachers’ Knowing-Doing Gap: A Mixed Methods Experimental Study.”

The newest issue of Baylor Impact newsletter (Winter 2023) is now online. This Impact issue features exciting news about SOE programs, faculty, students, and alumni who are making a difference.

Dallas Morning News

Featured:
Dr. Eric Robinson, Associate Professor of School Psychology, Department of Educational Psychology

Excerpt of Op-Ed by Dr. Robinson:
"School psychologists are recognized nationally as mental health experts for school-age children. Their education, according to the National Association of School Psychologists, focuses on 10 domains of practice, two of which are mental and behavioral health services, and services to promote safe and supportive schools.

Unfortunately, most, but not all, Texas school districts severely limit the role of the school psychologist, employing them almost exclusively as testers for special education. School psychologists are well-trained to evaluate students for special education placement, but this is just one of their many roles."

Jessica Akers, Ph.D., assistant professor of educational psychology in Baylor University’s School of Education, has received a $893,409 grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to develop an innovative treatment model for children with autism and their siblings.

Akers has created an intervention program that intentionally focuses on improving the interactions between siblings. Sibling SUCCESS: Supporting Unique Collaborative Care to Encourage Shared Success invites the siblings of children with autism or “special siblings” to collaborate and participate as a vital member of the intervention team. Although behavioral interventions are highly effective for children with autism, these behavior programs – while including parents – do not address the importance the sibling relationship.

Humanities Texas honored Ashley Gibson, EdD ’21, as one of 15 recipients of the 2022 Humanities Texas Outstanding Teaching Award. Gibson received a $5,000 cash award, with an additional $1,000 for her school to purchase instructional materials. Gibson is a graduate of Baylor’s online EdD in Learning and Organizational Change. With a classroom career spanning 15 years, Gibson teaches English at Galena Park High School in Galena Park ISD.

Dr. Sandi Cooper, professor in the Baylor School of Education’s Department of Curriculum & Instruction, was selected as the 2022 recipient of the E. Glenadine Gibb Achievement Award. The award honors a member of the Texas Council for Teachers of Mathematics for contributions to the improvement of mathematics education at the state and national level. Cooper received the award at the Conference for the Advancement of Math Teaching (CAMT) in San Antonio in the summer.

She was nominated by two Baylor colleagues — Dr. Trena Wilkerson, professor of mathematics education, and Dr. Ryann Shelton, PhD ’20, lecturer in Baylor’s online EdD in Learning & Organizational Change. The nomination lauded Cooper’s impact in the field, noting, “She is an outstanding colleague and offers significant leadership for the entire mathematics education community. She is an exemplary scholar, teacher, and leader.”

Adrianna Prado, a third-year doctoral student in Baylor School of Education’s online EdD in Learning and Organizational Change, has combined her love of education and of animals to provide meaningful service to communities as part of a therapy dog team. She said her certified therapy sheepadoodle, Stella, has been the “paws of Christ” in settings ranging from library reading events to tragedy recovery.

A special education specialist in San Antonio’s Northside ISD, Prado took Stella to Uvalde in the aftermath of the school shooting at Robb Elementary in late May, serving with Therapy Animals of San Antonio to offer comfort and support.

The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Learning and Organizational Change online program housed within Baylor University’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction in the School of Education has been named a Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) Program of the Year 2022 winner. The CPED Program of the Year award is given annually to one or more institutions whose program demonstrates that it is distinctive, innovative and useful to other CPED members. This honor will be awarded in October at the annual CPED Convening in Pittsburgh.

The Baylor School of Education’s PhD program in School Psychology has earned accreditation on contingency from the American Psychological Association (APA), with the contingency based on the program’s relative newness. Baylor anticipates its first program finishers in 2023 and will be eligible for full accreditation in 2025.

The professional preparation provided by the Baylor School Psychology Ph.D., through the Department of Educational Psychology, is founded on the ethical codes and professional standards of the APA and the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), as well as the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists rules of practice.

Every future teacher dreams of the day they will have their own classroom, but what’s it really like during that first year of teaching? Did @BaylorUniversity SOE prepare our graduates well?
Six grads tell all in new posts on our Instant Impact news blog:
Morgan Hicks, BSEd ’21, Elementary Education
Kirby Jarzombek Gentry, BSEd ’20, MSEd ’21
Rylee Jorges, BSEd ’21, Secondary English
Danielle Sanders, BSEd ’21, All-Level Special Education
Cole Sussman, BSEd ’21, Elementary Education
Angela Tallent, BSEd ’21, Secondary Mathematics

Baylor’s nationally recognized iEngage Summer Civics Institute is returning to the Baylor University campus for the first time since 2019, hosting nearly 100 rising middle school students Aug. 1-5.

The free civics camp recently was named the 2022 recipient of the Sandra Day O’Connor Award for the Advancement of Civics Education — an annual award, presented by the National Center for State Courts (NCSC), that recognized iEngage for its work to promote, inspire, improve and lead innovation in the field of civics education related to the justice system. iEngage director Dr. Karon LeCompte accepted the award in Chicago in late July.

The idea of “investment” is generally to turn something into more, according to Baylor University’s chief investment officer, David Morehead, who is certainly an expert on investing after decades of senior-level experience at large financial institutions. Morehead and his wife, Sara, also consider “investment potential” when they choose targets for their charitable giving. That strategy — along with an appreciation for the value of education and educators — led the Moreheads to make an investment in Baylor School of Education’s MA in School Leadership program through scholarship donations.

After a 2020 hiatus due to COVID and a 2021 program embedded in a local summer school, Baylor University’s Mathematics for Early Learners Academy (MELA), sponsored by the Baylor School of Education (SOE), has returned to the Baylor campus July 5-28 to host students ages 4 to 6 at the Mayborn Museum.

The summer program, designed for students who have just finished PreK or kindergarten and directed by Sandi Cooper, Ph.D., professor of mathematics education, aims to establish a solid foundation in “number sense,” especially for students who have been identified as having difficulty in mathematics.

Dr. Jon Eckert, professor of Educational Leadership and the Lynda and Robert Copple Endowed Chair for Christians in School Leadership, received the Baylor Outstanding Faculty Award for Teaching for Tenured Faculty. Eckert completed his doctorate at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College, and then worked in both the Bush and Obama administrations on teaching quality issues. Before coming to Baylor in 2019, Eckert taught and coached intermediate and middle school students outside of Chicago and Nashville for 12 years and spent 10 years on the faculty of Wheaton College teaching education majors.

Eckert teaches Baylor students at all levels — undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral. He teaches undergraduates in Baylor’s Leadership Minor, master’s students in the MA in School Leadership program, and doctoral students pursuing degrees in K12 Educational Leadership — all programs in the Department of Educational Leadership.

Dr. Tonya Davis, professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, received the Baylor Outstanding Faculty Award for Scholarship for Tenured Faculty. Davis specializes in special education and Applied Behavior Analysis and is coordinator of the Special Education Program and the PhD in Educational Psychology. She also serves as graduate program director for the Department of Educational Psychology.

Davis received her PhD in special education with a specialization in autism and developmental disabilities from the University of Texas at Austin and her BS in special education and MSEd in educational psychology from Baylor University. Dr. Davis is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst – Doctoral Level (BCBA-D). Prior to joining the Baylor faculty in 2008, she was a special education teacher and in-home applied behavior analysis therapist.

Dr. Jessica Akers, assistant professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, specializing in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), received the Baylor Outstanding Faculty Award for Teaching/Tenure-Track Faculty. Akers’ main teaching role prepares students who are pursuing careers as clinicians for individuals with developmental disabilities or as university professors to train such individuals and conduct research in the field.

While carrying a full teaching load, Akers also mentors each of her graduate students and conducts significant research on children with autism and related developmental disabilities. More than half of her scholarly publications have included Baylor students as co-authors; she has included 12 different students as co-authors on peer-reviewed publications and six students as co-authors on professional book chapters. Colleagues praise Akers’ ability in the classroom to engage students through masterfully planning the engagement strategies she will use.

Two teachers were honored at the annual Baylor University School of Education Senior Recognition Banquet on April 21. Following tradition, Baylor School of Education seniors had the opportunity to nominate teachers who had been influential in their lives. Students submitted a nomination essay about their teacher, and the awarded educators were chosen by a Baylor faculty committee.

This year, Joan Brindley of Temple, Texas, and Daron Eason of Dallas were honored with the Baylor School of Education’s “Most Memorable Teacher” award.

Baylor School of Education [SOE] recognized seven seniors as outstanding students at the 37th Annual Senior Recognition Banquet April 21. Seniors were recognized for their excellence in academic and fieldwork in education programs and their readiness to impact the world. Baylor SOE senior award recipients (biographies below) for 2022 are:

• Elizabeth Richey — EDICUT Preservice Educator of the Year Award
• Hannah Harris — Delores Coker Phi Delta Kappa Outstanding Student in Education
• Emily Blackwell — Lorena B. Stretch Award for Outstanding Student in Elementary Education
• Leslie Wolff — Outstanding Student in Middle Grades Education
• Katherine Kaiser — M.L. Goetting Award for Outstanding Student in Secondary Education
• Colleen Coudriet — Outstanding Student in EC-12 Education Programs
• Jaque Vasquez — Outstanding Student with Minor in Education

The iEngage Summer Civics Institute at Baylor University has been named the 2022 recipient of the Sandra Day O’Connor Award for the Advancement of Civics Education.

This annual award, presented by the National Center for State Courts, honors an organization, court, program or individual who has promoted, inspired, improved or led an innovation or accomplishment in the field of civics education related to the justice system.

Founded in 2013, the Baylor iEngage Summer Civics Institute is a free, five-day civics camp designed to help middle school students learn how to make a difference in their schools, neighborhoods and communities. Funded by the Hatton W. Sumners Foundation and Baylor University, the program is led by Baylor School of Education faculty members Brooke Blevins, Ph.D., The Conwell G. Strickland Endowed Chair, associate professor and chair of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, and Karon LeCompte, Ph.D., associate professor of curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in social studies education.

Baylor University honored the School of Education’s Dr. Nick Werse with an Outstanding Staff Award this spring in a presentation at Truett Seminary. Werse is director of the Department of Curriculum & Instruction’s Ed.D. Writing Center, which serves hundreds of students in the SOE’s online Ed.D. in Learning and Organizational Change (EdD-LOC). The center offers comprehensive support, including writing development support, writing webinars, writing resources for faculty, course development recommendations, dissertation formatting support, and individualized student writing consultations via Zoom, employing a staff of seven including Werse.

Dr. Marshall Magnusen, associate professor of sport management in the Department of Educational Leadership, received the Research Fellow Award from the Applied Sport Management Association (ASMA). ASMA is a scholarly organization that aims to builds research partnerships scholars studying sport — both faculty and students — and practitioners working in the sport industry. The award recognizes “scholars who have demonstrated a commitment to ASMA and its vision, as well as distinction in sport management research and scholarly contributions to the conference and the official journal, the Journal of Applied Sport Management.
Magnusen just completed a two-year term as president of ASMA and serves as editor of the Journal of Applied Sport Management.

The Baylor School of Education (SOE) and Campus Living & Learning (CLL) have announced an expansion of their partnership in providing residential academic initiatives to Baylor students. The SOE’s Impact Living-Learning Center (LLC) and the LEAD LLC will join forces to form the IMPACT & LEAD LLC, which will be located in Allen and Dawson residence halls. Student residents will participate in renaming the LLC during the 2022-23 academic year.

The SOE’s Impact LLC started in 2015 in South Russell Residence Hall, near the school’s home in Marrs McLean Science Building, and has always served both education majors and other students. The LEAD LLC, launched in 2004, is also multi-disciplinary and requires all residents to take one leadership course, offered by the School of Education’s Department of Educational Leadership through its leadership minor program. This new partnership will strengthen the academic bond between the LLC students and the SOE.

The spring Baylor Magazine explains how Baylor online programs produce leaders who live out the Baylor mission, with a strong focus on the SOE's EdD in Learning and Organizational Change and a profile of three EdD-LOC students.

Nate Scholten, a third-year Ph.D. candidate in Curriculum and Teaching in the School of Education’s Department of Curriculum & Instruction, received the Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award in recognition of his excellence as a teacher and student.

Scholten was recognized for teaching Secondary Social Studies Practicum in the fall 2021 semester. The course is for junior-level students, called Teaching Associates (TAs), who are studying to become history teachers. He emphasizes the importance of connecting with students in the classroom and making civics an important aspect of education.

The Association of Teacher Educators (ATE) is a national organization focused on the improvement of the teacher education process, dedicating attention to preparing teacher candidates and promoting quality teacher education. It’s the only organization of its kind — and it’s now led by a Baylor faculty member and alumna.

Dr. Rachelle Meyer Rogers (Ed.D. 2005), a clinical associate professor in Baylor’s School of Education, assumes the role of ATE president this month after serving as vice president last year. She was elected to the role in the Fall of 2020, chosen by her peers to lead an organization that she calls the “protector” of the teaching profession.

These newlyweds could say they met online. Or they could say they met in college. Both would be true, but not quite the whole picture!

Chris and Dayna Lund both graduated from Baylor in December of 2021 as part of Cohort Two in the School of Education’s EdD in Learning and Organizational Change (EDD-LOC), an online program. They met in January of 2019 during their first online class, taught by Dr. Jessica Meehan.

“The professors encouraged us to reach out to other students and to ‘find your people’ to help you through the program,” Chris said. “They said you’ll need that kind of camaraderie, because it’s going to get challenging.” But professors never expected this kind of camaraderie.

Baylor University researchers will examine virtue formation in higher education moral communities, both secular and faith-based, with a $2.7 million grant from the John Templeton Foundation. The project, “The Role of Meta-identity in Developing Moral Communities Within Higher Education,” is co-led by Perry Glanzer, Ph.D., professor of educational foundations and resident scholar with Baylor’s Institute for Studies of Religion, and Sarah Schnitker, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology, in partnership with colleagues from Baylor, the University of Notre Dame, Wheaton College, the Oxford Pastorate, Loyola Marymount University and the Anselm House Christian study center.

The newest issue of Baylor Impact newsletter (Fall 2021) is now online.

This Impact issue features the work of faculty, students, and alumni who are making a difference, including the cover story with exciting news about the new Baylor TIP (Talent Identification Program), launching THIS YEAR!

Click this story to visit the Impact website for this and past issues.

Baylor Center for School Leaders (BCSL) is hosting an afternoon workshop, combined with a Baylor men’s basketball ticket, for teachers, principals, superintendents, and other school or district leaders. The workshop, titled “Leading a Culture of Joy,’ will be Tuesday, Jan. 25, from 1-5 p.m., and the registration deadline is Monday, Jan. 17. The event is $45 per person, and schools are encouraged to bring teams of educators to attend.

Baylor School of Education graduate Dr. Mary Landon Darden, MSEd ’91, EdD ’06, has won a national award for her book Entrepreneuring the Future of Higher Education: Radical Transformation in Times of Profound Change, published earlier in 2021 by the American Council on Education and Rowman & Littlefield. Darden’s book was named by the American Book Fest as “Best Education/Academic Book of 2021.”

American Book Fest is in its 19th year of delivering the “Best Book Awards,” covering numerous categories of books from mainstream and independent publishers.

Entrepreneuring the Future of Higher Education was also honored by Book Authority, which provides book recommendations from thought leaders and experts, rated as #36 on its list of “58 Best University Books of All Time.”

Secondary teacher-education majors in the Baylor School of Education’s (SOE) undergraduate program enjoyed a new field experience on Professional Development School (PDS) campuses this fall. It was the first semester that students went through the full immersion into a new course component, “instructional rounds,” on school campuses.

Dr. Madelon McCall, clinical associate professor and coordinator of the secondary education program, said the SOE’s program is modeled on clinical rounds for medical students.

“It is similar to medical rounds in that students learn about the content, go observe it in practice, and then come back together and spend time debriefing with their professor,” McCall said. “Our students also write a reflection on their observations to discuss what they learned during the rounds.”

Alexandra Ronnenberg, who graduated from Baylor University in May with a B.S.Ed. in elementary education, has been named Clinical Teacher of the Year for the state of Texas, honored for her outstanding instruction and interaction with children while a senior at Baylor.

She is the fourth Baylor intern to receive the award in the last five years it has been presented. No award was given in 2020 due to COVID-19.

Ronnenberg received the award that honors senior-level teacher-education students from the Texas Directors of Field Experience (TDFE), the organization of faculty members within university teacher-education programs who supervise field experiences. The award was presented during this fall’s statewide meeting of the Consortium of State Organizations for Texas Teacher Education.

U.S. Army veteran, fifth-grade teacher and Baylor University doctoral student Erika Neuman has been named a Pat Tillman Foundation Scholar in recognition of her military service and her mission to educate children.

Tillman Scholars are U.S. service members, veterans and military spouses chosen based on their service, leadership and potential. Of more than 2,000 applicants, only 60 are named each year. Tillman Scholars are awarded academic scholarships, lifelong leadership development opportunities and a diverse, global community of high-performing mentors and peers. Neuman, who is enrolled in the University’s Doctor of Education in Learning and Organizational Change online program, is the second Baylor student to receive the honor.

“The Pat Tillman Foundation offers this incredible network of scholars and other professionals in every field at various universities and government institutions,” Neuman said. “It is an amazing group of veterans and selfless leaders who support one another and strive to see the other scholars succeed. The whole mission of the Tillman Foundation is empowerment, building leaders and service to others and that is exactly what this incredible organization does. I am honored to be among their ranks.”

Some intense “teacher” vibes emanated from the second floor of Marrs McLean Science Building on the Baylor campus to celebrate Halloween. Faculty and staff in the School of Education’s Department of Curriculum & Instruction (C&I) decided to decorate doors along the hallway and host trick-or-treaters at Baylor’s traditional event. And when former K12 classroom teachers gain access to butcher and construction paper, amazing designs are bound to happen!

Dr. Sandi Cooper earned first-place honors for door decor for her design featuring lights and giveaway candy tagged with QR links to math activities (see links in the story).

Baylor Cherry Award nominee Dr. Hollylynne S. Lee, professor of mathematics and statistics education at North Carolina State University, will speak at Baylor at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 5, in Marrs McLean Science Building, Room 101. Lee is one of three finalists for the prestigious award, and if she receives it, she will teach in residence in the School of Education’s Department of Curriculum & Instruction during a semester in 2022.

Lee’s lecture, “Data Moves and Discourse: Design Principles for Strengthening Statistics Education,” will be relevant to teachers and future teachers at all levels as she explores how to foster discourse and engagement with data. Prior to Lee’s work at the university level, she served as a K-12 teacher.

After a 2020 hiatus due to COVID, Baylor University’s Mathematics for Early Learners Academy (MELA), sponsored by the Baylor School of Education (SOE), returned for the summer of 2021. The program, which has helped young students ages 4-6 to achieve or exceed grade level in early math skills and number fluency, also began pilot testing its new curriculum and assessments.

The summer program, designed for students entering PreK or kindergarten and directed by Sandi Cooper, Ph.D., professor of mathematics education, aims to establish a solid foundation in “number sense,” especially for students who have been identified as struggling in mathematics.

When the National Association of Professional Development Schools (NAPDS) decided to update its foundational “essentials” document, the national organization included representation from the Baylor University School of Education (SOE) to help lead those efforts.

Baylor was one of the first universities to fully implement the Professional Development Schools (PDS) model, a clinically based educator preparation program in partnership with local schools to train preservice teachers.

Krys Goree, Ph.D., clinical faculty and director of the SOE’s Office of Professional Practice, served on the NAPDS committee that spearheaded the three-year effort to update What it Means to Be a Professional Development School (PDS): The Nine Essentials. Originally written in 2008, the Nine Essentials provide guidance for school-university partnerships and PDS campuses who work together to prepare teachers.

Baylor School of Education associate professor Dr. Lakia Scott became the first Baylor faculty member to be named as the university’s “Champion of Change” earlier this year.

Baylor University launched the “Champions of Change” awards to recognize and acknowledge the accomplishments of faculty, staff, and alumni (one of each annually) who have demonstrated efforts to “foster greater appreciation and advancement of diversity, inclusiveness, and equity for communities of color at Baylor and in Waco.” A diverse and representative volunteer advisory committee sought nominations and made the final selections for the inaugural honorees.

Dr. Kelsey Ragan, clinical assistant professor in Baylor School of Education’s Department of Educational Psychology, received a 2021 Solid Gold Neighbor Award as director of the School of Education’s Baylor Autism Resource Clinic (ARC) in recognition of the clinic’s impact through community outreach. The award came at the end of the spring semester as Baylor University recognized outstanding engagement with the community with the annual award.

Baylor School of Education associate professor Dr. Rishi Sriram has been selected as editor of the Journal of the First-Year Experience & Students in Transition, a semiannual academic journal publishing research about the first year of college and other student transition experiences, such as transferring colleges. Sriram’s appointment is for a renewable three-year term, which began July 1, 2021.

As a researcher in this field, Sriram said he is fascinated by the outsized role that the college experience can play in a person’s life. “Colleges and universities can have a positive or detrimental effect through their policies, programs, places, and people,” he said. “Research in the field can equip institutions to understand and implement programs that are most conducive to helping college students flourish.”

Baylor’s teacher-education graduates of 2020 experienced a career launch like no other class. Their classroom internships were cut short by the global COVID pandemic, and then they entered their first year of independent teaching still in the midst of a pandemic that lasted the entire school year.

Were our graduates ready? Read reflections from four 2020 grads: Augie Strauch (Secondary Social Studies), Cami Cox (Elementary Education), Emily Holland (Special Education), and Sahira Kodra (Elementary Education).

A team of Baylor School of Education autism researchers is helping evaluate the effectiveness of a Baylor-invented mechanical horse that is designed to treat children with autism. A Baylor interdisciplinary team received a grant of nearly $600,000 from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to study the effectiveness of the MiraColt, a mechanical device that simulates the motion of horseback riding.

Dr. Julie Ivey, Associate Professor of Educational Psychology, is a co-investigator and is leading an SOE research team that includes one Ph.D. level School Psychology student, Ryan Coleman, and two Ed.S. level School Psychology students, Ashley Allison and Alex Plank.

The team is currently recruiting children ages 6-12 to participate in the project to measure the effects of riding the MiraColt, an invention patented by Baylor mechanical engineering Associate Professor Dr. Brian Garner.

Heather Williams, a Baylor doctoral student, was named National Outstanding Assistant Principal (one of only 24) by the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP). She had already received the award for 2021 Arkansas Elementary School Assistant Principal of the Year from the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators. Williams will be recognized in July at the National Principal Conference of NAESP in Chicago.

Williams has been assistant principal for two years at Warren Dupree Elementary in Jacksonville North Pulaski School District, northeast of Little Rock. She is an EdD student in the K12 Educational Leadership program in Baylor School of Education’s Department of Educational Leadership. A member of Cohort Four, Williams began the program in 2020.

The spring 2021 issue of Baylor Impact newsletter is now online and in the mail to alumni. This issue features the work of faculty, students, and alumni who are making a difference through education and is notable for the number of award-winning faculty and students we are celebrating — people you’ll want to know about!

Read about exciting and impactful new grants helping children with developmental disabilities like autism and their families and teachers, new leaders in K12 education, national professional roles for faculty, and so much more!

Maryann Hebda, a PhD student in the Department of Educational Psychology focusing on Gifted and Talented Education, received first place in the Non-Doctoral Completed Research Award from the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) at the fall 2020 Research Gala, part of the NAGC annual conference.

Hebda began her PhD program last summer and was encouraged by Dr. Todd Kettler, associate professor of Educational Psychology, to begin research and academic writing prior to starting the program. Her paper, titled Comparing Identification of Gifted and Talented Students in Two States with Different Policy Mandates to Identify, examined public record data to compare populations within gifted and talented programs between two states with different student-identification mandates.

Baylor School of Education [SOE] recognized six seniors as outstanding students at the 36th Annual Senior Recognition Banquet April 26. Seniors were recognized for their excellence in academic and fieldwork in education programs and their readiness to impact the world. Baylor SOE senior award recipients (biographies below) for 2021 are:

• Cole Sussman — EDICUT Preservice Educator of the Year Award
• Angela Tallent — Dolores Coker Phi Delta Kappa Outstanding Student in Education
• Julia Gates — Lorena B. Stretch Award for Outstanding Student in Elementary Education
• Emily Dickey — Award for Outstanding Student in Middle Grades Education
• Mary Cade — M.L. Goetting Award for Outstanding Student in Secondary Education
• Samantha Schwartz — Award for Outstanding Student in EC-12 Education Programs

Dr. Laila Sanguras, a lecturer in the School of Education’s Department of Curriculum & Instruction, received the Baylor University Outstanding Faculty Award for Teaching / Non-Tenure Track. Sanguras teaches primarily in the EdD Online in Learning and Organizational Change. While carrying a full teaching load, Sanguras also mentors students, directs dissertation projects, and takes the lead in revising course sequences and in developing new initiatives.

“Dr. Sanguras’s student evaluations are consistently strong,” said Dr. Brooke Blevins, Associate Professor, department chair, and Conwell G. Strickland Endowed Chair. “Students frequently comment on the thorough and meaningful feedback provided by Dr. Sanguras . . . and how genuine and engaging Dr. Sanguras is during live sessions of the course and how she takes the time to get to know each student.” Students also describe her as “firm but fair,” Blevins said. Sanguras’ areas of teaching include educational evaluation and mixed methods research.

Dr. Stephanie Gerow, Assistant Professor in the School of Education’s Department of Educational Psychology, received the Baylor Outstanding Faculty Award for Research / Tenure-Track Faculty. Gerow has earned $1.8 million in competitive grant awards and received the Early Career Award from the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

Gerow’s research explores interventions for children with autism and other developmental disabilities, addressing problem behaviors and teaching intervention strategies to parents and teachers to improve educational and social outcomes for children. Her external grant awards have funded five PhD students and a post-doctoral fellow. With 30 publications since 2015, she has involved 12 SOE students as co-authors on scholarly publications and presentations.

SOE Dean Dr. Shanna Hagan-Burke said Gerow’s professional accomplishments and service exemplify Baylor’s high standards. “Her service and outreach to children with disabilities and their families — particularly those who have limited access or means to support — reflect the intersection of her Christian commitment, her gifts of helping others, and her professional expertise,” Hagan-Burke said.

Dr. Lakia Scott, Assistant Professor in the School of Education’s Department of Curriculum & Instruction, received the Baylor Outstanding Faculty Award for Teaching / Tenure-Track Faculty. She began teaching at Baylor in 2014 and is an expert in literacy, urban education, and in the social, cultural, and political influences on educational practices and schooling. She received tenure this spring, so her title will change to Associate Professor this summer, and she also becomes Graduate Program Director for the department in May.

“Her peers and students recognize Dr. Scott’s prowess as an outstanding teacher,” said Dr. Brooke Blevins, Associate Professor, department chair, and Conwell G. Strickland Endowed Chair. “She has a unique ability to capture the interest of her students and push them to think about new possibilities. Dr. Scott has amazing commitment to preparing teachers and educational leaders who will respond to the new reality of education — a reality of diversity, innovation, and rapid global change.”

Scott said she is deeply honored to receive the award, because teaching is one of the noblest professions. Her teaching philosophy is one of inclusiveness and positivity.

Dr. Ryann Shelton, PhD ’20, was recognized by the School Science and Mathematics Association (SSMA) with the SSMA Dissertation Award at the virtual convention this past fall.

Shelton was nominated for the award by her mentor and dissertation chair, Dr. Trena Wilkerson, Professor of Mathematics Education in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction.

The purpose of Shelton’s study was to examine the practices of mathematics teacher educators (MTEs) — in this case, university and college instructors who prepare future mathematics teachers, specifically those who will teach in grades 9-12 — and how they design curriculum and plan for teaching content within a secondary mathematics methods course. She examined course content through the lens of the Mathematics Teaching Practices described by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) 2014 publication, Principles to Actions: Ensuring Mathematical Success for All. The dissertation was titled “An Examination of Designing and Planning for the Teaching of Secondary Mathematics Methods Courses through the Lens of Mathematics Teaching Practices: A Multiple Case Study.”

Baylor School of Education is celebrating Alumni Week and Giving Day this week. The SOE’s “Lunch & Learn” video for Alumni Week is available on demand now at this link:

“The Heart of a Baylor Educator” On Demand Video
“The Heart of a Baylor Educator” On Demand Video

During Giving Day on April 14, the School of Education reached its goal of 100 donors, unlocking a challenge gift from Bobby Nail, 1976 graduate of Baylor School of Education. The challenge gift provides $20,000 in student scholarship funds, in addition to the $5,825 raised from 111 gifts on Giving Day.

Baylor School of Education doctoral student Marie Kirkpatrick has received recognition from the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and the Organization for Autism Research (OAR) for her research related to autism.

CEC chose Kirkpatrick as an Outstanding Scholar to join the Division for Research Doctoral Student Scholars Cohort 13. Students are selected through an internationally competitive review process based on proposals and nominations. Kirkpatrick was nominated by Dr. Jessica Akers, her mentor and an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, specializing in Applied Behavior Analysis.

The Organization for Autism Research (OAR) awarded Kirkpatrick a grant of $1,730 for her doctoral dissertation research. A record number of proposals was reviewed by the OAR Scientific Council, a panel of experts, and awarded based on alignment with OAR’s research priorities, methodological soundness, and relevance for those affected by autism.

As National Autism Awareness Month begins in April, two Baylor University School of Education faculty members have received grant awards from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) to fund research and training in behavioral intervention practices that improve outcomes for children with autism. The awards provide over $800,000 in funding.

Tonya Davis, Ph.D., BS ’02, MS ’04, professor of educational psychology and director of the special education program in the Baylor School of Education, was awarded a $474,843 grant to provide intervention training to teachers who serve students with autism in kindergarten through 12th grade. Stephanie Gerow, Ph.D., assistant professor of special education, was awarded a $369,699 grant to provide intervention training to parents.

Stephanie Gerow, Ph.D., assistant professor of educational psychology in the Baylor University School of Education, has earned a coveted grant from the U.S. Department of Education to fund research that will provide early childhood professionals with behavioral intervention training for children with developmental disabilities.

The award—an Institute of Education Sciences (IES) Early Career Development and Mentoring Award from the U.S. Department of Education — provides $493,412 in research funding and is the first of its kind awarded to a Baylor faculty member.

Gerow’s grant is designed to help early-childhood professionals at community agencies and families learn to implement evidence-based interventions for problem behavior in young children with developmental disabilities.

Baylor School of Education’s Center for Christian Education has changed its name to the Baylor Center for School Leadership (BCSL) to better reflect its mission to serve school leaders.

Dr. Matt Thomas, Executive Director of the Center for School Leadership, said the name change does not reflect any change in the Center’s mission. “Be assured our mission and aim will not change, nor will the centrality of the Christian faith be diminished in any way,” he said. “In fact, this name change will enhance our ability to serve Christian schools and Christian leaders.”

Baylor doctoral student Lori Leibowitz took on a new job just two years ago, and in that time she has totally redesigned the gifted education program in her Connecticut school district. Recently she received national recognition for her efforts, which have resulted in inclusion of more students in gifted education programs, beyond those who do well on traditional academic measures.

A student in Baylor School of Education’s EdD Online in Learning and Organizational Change (EDD-LOC) and District Coordinator for the Gifted and Talented Program in Norwalk (Connecticut) Public Schools, Leibowitz received the 2020 Gifted Coordinator of the Year Award from the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC). Leibowitz holds an MA in education from Sacred heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut, and a BA in history from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. To her current job she brought more than 20 years of classroom and administrative experience in Connecticut elementary and middle-grades schools, including a seven-year stint teaching advanced learning programs.