SOE Students at Commencement 2012

On Sunday, April 29, 2012, more than 100 members of the School of Education community had degrees conferred upon them at the Commencement ceremony on the campus of the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

SOE Dean Silver presented 52 students who received graduate degrees, either the Master of Arts, Master of Arts in Educational Leadership, Master of Arts in Teaching, Master of Education, or Master of Science, and 52 students who received undergraduate degrees, either the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of General Studies, or Bachelor of Science. In addition, 14 CASL undergraduates were recognized for having completed requirements for secondary school certification.

SOE Chancellor's Medallion winners, Blair D’anne Chamberlin and Alexandria Grace Freeman, received special recognition at the commencement ceremony. They each received a medallion at a luncheon event preceding commencement.

Two other members of the SOE community had special roles in the ceremony. In addition to receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree, Sabrina Ali spoke on behalf of the graduating students. Donovan Rowe, an alumnus of both CASL and the SOE and Chair of the SOE Alumni Affiliate, spoke to the graduates on behalf of the Alumni Society,

Please join me in congratulating all our graduates and in wishing them great success now and in the future!

SOE Faculty Authors of Popular Book for Science Teachers

Professor Richard Moyer and Associate Professor Susan Everett are co-authors of Everyday Engineering: Putting the E in STEM Teaching and Learning, which is one of the five most popular books published by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). This book is a compilation of Moyer and Everett’s popular “Everyday Engineering” columns from NSTA’s middle school journal, Science Scope.

The collection is made up of 14 activities that explore engineering’s role in five areas: the office, the kitchen, the bathroom, electricity, and outdoor recreation. Using these activities, students can perform hands-on investigations of objects they encounter in everyday life.

Each activity includes a clear explanation of the science and history behind the object’s development plus a material’s list, student data sheets, and safety suggestions. The collection is useful to classroom teachers as well as scout leaders, engineers leading outreach activities, after-school and summer enrichment program staff, and parents.

Please join me in congratulating Dick and Susan for creating this valuable resource to support teachers and students in the pursuit of scientific inquiry!

Six Students in the SOE Community Recognized as Difference Makers

Nominated by faculty, staff and fellow students, six members of the SOE community were selected to be among the UM-Dearborn Difference Makers for 2011-2012.

These exceptional students and alumni have not only contributed to the university but also impacted their local communities. These Difference Makers embody dedication, integrity, commitment, selflessness and leadership both in and out of the classroom.

The members of the SOE community in this prestigious group are:

Carol Allie (Integrated Science/Language Arts)

Robert Brown (Elementary Education-Language Arts/Mathematics)

Brendan Gallagher (Integrated Science, Special Education-Learning Disabilities)

Lynnea Harabedian (Learning Disabilities and Integrated Science)

David Knezek (Secondary Certification in Political Science)

Angel Mechling (Elementary Education-Math and Early Childhood/ESL)

Please join me in congratulating our richly deserving SOE Difference Makers. Kudos to Carol, Robert, Brendan, David, Lynnea, David, and Angel!

Two SOE Students Receive Winter 2012 Chancellor’s Medallion

In recognition of their outstanding academic accomplishments, Blair Chamberlain (Science Studies) and Alexandria Freeman (Special Education) have been chosen as the School of Education’s Winter 2012 recipients of the Chancellor’s Medallion. Both Blair and Alexandria will be honored with the Chancellor's Medallion at the UM-Dearborn's commencement exercises on April 29.

Blair began her studies at UM-Dearborn in fall 2007. Her major is in Integrated Science and minor is in Mathematics. Blair is expected to graduate with high distinction, and she has been on the Dean’s List in every semester at UM-Dearborn. In winter 2010 she was recognized by the Golden Key International Honor Society for being in the top ten percent of her class, and in 2012 she was selected as an Honors Scholar in the School of Education. In addition to her academic achievements, Blair is involved in several campus groups and in community service activities. She joined the Student Michigan Education Association (SMEA) in fall 2008, and was elected President of the UM-Dearborn SMEA chapter for the 2009-2010 school year. She worked at MacArthur Elementary School in Southfield as an after-school tutor. Blair’s goals are to become an inspirational teacher in her own classroom and to pursue advanced degrees in the field of education.

Alexandria is majoring in Language Arts and Special Education/Learning Disabilities, and she is expected to graduate with high distinction. After transferring to UM-Dearborn in fall 2008, she received University Honors in four different semesters and has been on the Dean's List several times. In 2011 and 2012, she was selected as an Honors Scholar in the School of Education. Alexandria has also involved in many campus and community activities. She joined a campus sorority in 2009. She has participated in several philanthropic events in the Dearborn and Metro Detroit area, including helping to organize walks for Cystic Fibrosis, suicide prevention, and March of Dimes. During her time at the UM-Dearborn, she sponsored a girl in Honduras who was born with a cleft palate and living in poverty. She worked at the Early Childhood Education Center from spring of 2010 to late summer of 2011 and spent a semester working at MacArthur University Academy. After graduation, she plans to teach special education students and to pursue a master’s degree in education.

Please join me in congratulating Blair Chamberlain and Alexandria Freeman on being selected for this prestigious honor. We wish them both much success in their future endeavors!

SOE Doctoral Students Actively Publishing and Presenting

Congratulations are in order for several SOE doctoral students who have had articles recently accepted for publication or who are presenting at professional conferences this spring.

Among those that have come to my attention are several publications …

John Branch, who had a chapter the use of games and simulations in higher education learning that appeared in recently published book, Beyond Transmission: Innovations in University Teaching.

Monica Mona Eraqi, who has a chapter that will appear in a forthcoming book, Teaching the Literature of Today’s Middle East.

Christopher Tremblay, who had a paper on network leadership accepted for publication in the spring issue of College & University Journal.


And several conference presentations …

Peggy Sepetys is presenting a paper on the perceived efficacy of co-teaching students with disabilities at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association in April in Vancouver.

Kristen Stewart will present a paper on the instructional use of student narratives at an international conference in Prague, Czech Republic in May.

Emily Wang presented a paper on international education leadership at the annual conference of the Michigan Association of International Education in March.


Please join me in congratulating these students on their accomplishments!