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2006 Points of Pride

  • The Darden College of Education guarantees the quality of its teacher graduates.
  • The Darden College of Education is among the top producers of teachers in Virginia
  • The Darden College of Education admission standards for its educator preparation programs are among the highest in Virginia.
  • The college's Praxis I passing score requirements are the highest in the United States and 11 of our students scored 100% on the Praxis II test
  • Darden College of Education created a new Ph.D. in Education with 10 concentrations: Counseling, Curriculum and Instruction, Early Childhood Education, Educational Leadership, Higher Education, Human Movement Sciences,  Instructional Design and Technology, Literacy Leadership, Occupational and Technical Studies and Special Education.
  • The Darden College of Education created the Program for Research and Evaluation in Public Schools (PREPS), an education research center to assist public schools in meeting No Child Left Behind. PREPS received more than 12 million in funds to assist local schools systems
  • Twenty health physical education and recreation, tourism and sports majors and four education faculty members joined the annual polar plunge to benefit the Special Olympics and raised more that $1,500.00.
  • K.C. Joachim, a student of counselor education, was awarded an American Counseling Association Ross Trust Graduate Scholarship.
  • Fifty sport management majors collectively raised $3,300 for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
  • Dr. Jill Jurgens, professor in educational leadership and counseling, was appointed University Professor 2005-2006.
  • Faculty of the Darden College of Education received the SCHEV award for two consecutive years: Dr. Sharon Raver-Lampman, professor in early childhood, speech language pathology & special education, is the 2006-07 SCHEV Winners and  Dr. Katharine Kersey, chair of early childhood, speech language pathology & special education, was the 2005-06 SCHEV award Winner.
  • Drs. Cheryl Baker, Robert Gable, Jane Hager and Steve Tonelson of Early Childhood, Speech-Language Pathology & Special Education were awarded the Christa McAuliffe Award for Excellence in Teacher Education.  The purpose of the award is to recognize excellence in teacher education programs and to advance the field of teacher education by identifying promising practices and critical issues related to measuring the impact of programs on teacher candidates' knowledge and the impact of these teachers on pupil learning. 
  • Drs. Cheryl Baker, Robert Gable, Jane Hager and Steve Tonelson received the 2006 American Council for Rural Special Education Exemplary Program Award.
  • Dr. Nina Brown, professor and eminent scholar in educational leadership and counseling, was elected board member for the American Group Psychotherapy Association.
  • Dr. Sheri Colberg, Ochs,.  received the Largest Grant or Contract Award.
    The grant awarded by the American Diabetes Association entitled Mechanisms of Exercise-induced Improvement in Defective Neurovascular Function in Type 2 Diabetes was funded for $300,000. The primary goal of the research were to better elucidate the role of specific compounds in peripheral skin that may facilitate blood flow in order to better understand the mechanisms behind the defective flow observed in diabetic individuals that my contribute to such complications
  • Dr. Robert Gable, professor and eminent scholar was honored with the Kutztown University Alumni Association's 2006 Rothemel Alumni Award to recognize his notable and distinguished achievements.
  • Dr. Dennis Gregory, associate professor in educational leadership and counseling,  received the 2006 Tonelson Award. The Tonelson Award recipient must demonstrate excellence in teaching, research, and service. It is clear that Dr. Gregory has performed well in all three areas. During the past three years he has taught more than eight different courses in three different graduate programs and made a significant contribution to the curricular mission of the Department through his efforts. His student ratings have been consistently high with students describing his efforts as passionate for his subject and challenging students to think on their own. Comments indicate that students perceive Dr. Gregory as patient, supportive, knowledgeable, appropriately challenging, and invested in their learning. Dr. Gregory has established a record of excellence in scholarship and research that has positioned him as a national expert in his field. He has published several articles in national refereed journals and an edited book, The Administration of Fraternal Organizations on North American Campuses: A Pattern for the New Millennium. He has published numerous book chapters, conference proceedings, policy briefings and reports. He has served as Editor of the NASPA Journal and has served on several Editorials Boards. Dr. Gregory's service agenda through professional and university contribution has been exceptional. He has been described as a revitalizing force within the department. He has been Graduate Program Director of the Higher Education Graduate Program, served as curriculum chair for the Master's degree program in Higher Education, curriculum chair for the Educational Specialist in Higher Education, and served for a time as Interim Graduate Program Director for the Ph.D. Program in Community College Leadership. He has served in numerous regional and national capacities as well. Dr. Gregory's teaching, research and scholarship, and service agendas have been exceptional with high levels of productivity in all three areas.
    Gregory  was also appointed associate editor of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators and selected for inclusion in Academic Keys Who's Who.
  • Dr. Jill Jurgens, associate professor in educational leadership and counseling, was named Outstanding Counseling Graduate of the 1990's, University of Cincinnati.
  • Dr. Tim Grothaus, assistant professor in educational leadership and counseling, was appointed to the editorial review board for Professional School Counseling.
  • Dr. Edward Neukrug, professor in educational leadership and counseling, was named University of Cincinnati Counseling Program Alumni of the Decade (1980s).  The award is given to most productive alumni of the decade.
  • Dr. Garrett McAuliffe, professor in educational leadership and counseling, was appointed to the editorial board of the new journal, Adult Development.
  • Dr. Radha Horton-Parker, received Teaching Innovation and Excellence Award.
    Horton-Parker has demonstrated excellence in teaching in numerous ways. She has had consistently high student evaluations showing overall mean rating above both departmental and college means. She has received two Faculty Innovator Grants to develop instructional training videos such as Strategies for Success: Care-giving for Aging Parents and Children that she will be using in her courses. Student comments include Dr. Horton-Parker obviously enjoys teaching; you can tell that she is passionate about counseling; wonderful instructor, one of the best I have ever had!" Students perceive her as being very organized, knowledgeable, caring, and challenging as needed, and invested in their learning with effectiveness in the classroom that is unquestionable.
  • Dr. Stacie Raymer, professor, received the American Psychological Association's Division 40 Blue Ribbon award for her paper on the perceived roles of europhysiologist and speech-language pathologist in rehabilitation.
  • Dr. Whitney Sherman, assistant professor in educational leadership and counseling, was appointed to the Editorial Review Board for the Journal of School Leadership.
  • Dr. Bonnie L. Van Lunen recived the New Investigator Grant or Contract Award. Van Lunen has established external contracts with area high schools, colleges and universities that provide tuition assistance and a clinical experience for students within these programs in their area of study.
  • Dr. Alan Schwitzer, associate professor in educational leadership and counseling, was appointed interim editor for research for Journal of College Counseling, a national refereed journal of the American College Counseling Association, Division of the American Counseling Association.  Schwitzer is also the recipient of the ACCA Award for "Outstanding Contribution to Professional Knowledge" from the American College Counseling Association.
  • Dr. Tami Al-Hazza, assistant professor in educational curriculum and instruction, and Ann Campbell, of nursing and Operation Smile, teamed-up to help a 14-year-old Iraqi girl in the United States to receive reconstructive surgery.
  • Dr. David Hager, professor in educational leadership and counseling, directed the Old Dominion University United Nations Seminar at the UN headquarters in New York City.
  • Dr. Linda M. Gagen, received the CIE Service Award. Gagan has clearly demonstrated that she considers service an important part of her responsibilities as an educator. At the national level she has served as chair-elect and will serve as chair of the Motor Development and Learning Academy. She is a peer-reviewer for 3 nationally recognized journals and one statewide journal. Among other state level responsibilities she will be serving on the Virginia Department of Education subcommittee on family life education. She also serves on many university and college level committees.