Welcome back and Happy New Year 2014
Welcome back to campus, everyone! I hope your holiday season was festive and relaxing. It has been bitterly cold thus far in Urbana-Champaign, but the snow that comes with such weather adds a wondrous beauty to the landscape that winter makes so gray for too long.
The start of this semester was marked by the celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Dr. King’s passionate goal of shaping a world free from prejudice and inequality is an inspiration to all who dream big and want to contribute to the common good. His willingness to act courageously in the face of hardships reminds us all to act boldly and inclusively, with both a sense of urgency and kindness. This year’s theme is “Honoring the Civil Rights Movement as the Struggle Continues: Empowering the Dream…Make it Your Own.” Local middle school and high school students expounded on their own themes about Dr. King in this year’s MLK Writing Contest coordinated by the Center for Education in Small Urban Communities.
Dr. King was a master at spurring public discourse on important societal issues, and it is gratifying when members of our college are recognized for their strong public advocacy. Most recently, Professor Chris Lubienski was acknowledged by the Education Week blog Rick Hess Straight Up (RHSU) as a scholar who makes a significant contribution to the national conversation on education. He ranked No. 7 in the field of government and policy and No. 52 overall on RHSU’s Edu-Scholar Public Influence list. Our faculty members are committed to cutting-edge research that makes a positive difference. It is affirming when work such as Chris’ is recognized on a national level and makes a sound contribution to education policy.
I am also happy to note that the online programs in our college were ranked in the top 10 in the nation on the U.S. News and World Report’s 2014 Best Online Graduate Education Programs list. Our No. 9 ranking reflects the attention our faculty and staff have given toward developing quality programs, instructional design, and IT support, among other enhancements.
The University of Illinois Confucius Institute has opened at our college. Education leaders from China and our own campus spoke at the November opening event. Please view the opening ceremony video to see more about this new development.
In the midst of these successes, we are excited to announce that Professor Sarah McCarthey has accepted our offer to be the director of teacher education for the college. Professor McCarthey will be responsible for leading and coordinating the implementation of the college’s teacher education programs, and providing administrative, fiscal, and managerial oversight. A highly accomplished researcher and teacher educator, Sarah possesses a deep commitment to teacher education.
We are also pleased to welcome two other new staff members to our college: Lesa Brandt to the Advancement Office and Sal Nudo to the Communications Office. Lesa most recently served as the assistant director of alumni relations and development at the College of Media, while Sal comes to us from the Alumni Association, where he worked in the communications department for seven years.
Finally, I hope you can attend the College of Education’s Website Project Town Hall Meeting on Friday, Jan. 31. The meeting will kick off at noon with a pizza lunch, in Room 28, and the Town Hall will take place at 12:30 p.m. in Room 22.
Did you do anything special this holiday season or are you excited about the upcoming semester? I welcome your stories, goals, insights, or thoughts in the comment section at the bottom of the page.