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!

SOE Graduate Student Named National Finalist

Jennifer Bagardi, a science teacher at Jalen Rose Leadership Academy in Detroit, has been named a national finalist in the Shell Science Lab Challenge. She was initially selected one of 17 regional winners in the competition, and she is now one of 5 national finalists. From the national finalists one grand prize winner will be selected.

This competition among middle and high school science teachers is sponsored by the Shell Oil Company and administered by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). The competition encouraged teachers (grades 6-12), who have found innovative ways to deliver quality lab experiences with limited school and laboratory resources, to share their approaches for a chance to win a school science lab makeover support package valued at $20,000.

Jennifer Bargardi was initially certified as a teacher after completing the Post-Baccalaureate Secondary Teaching Program in the UM-Dearborn School of Education. Now Jennifer is a student in the Master of Science in Science Education program in the School of Education.

Please join me in congratulating Jennifer on this splendid recognition of her outstanding educational efforts on behalf of her students! 

SOE Students Recognized as 2012 Honor Scholar Award Winners

At the 30th annual Honor Scholars and Faculty Awards Ceremony on March 27, 2012, 12 SOE students were among 90 students from across the full spectrum of academic programs at UM-Dearborn who received recognition as Honor Scholars.

The Honor Scholar Award is presented to at most one student in each degree program, and it recognizes superior academic performance. Awards are made within both undergraduate and graduate programs. Faculty members within a program area choose the award winner.

The Honor Scholar Award winners in the School of Education at the undergraduate level were Danielle Archibald (Mathematics Studies), Jessica Boroniec (Social Studies), Jillian Carver (Language Arts), Blair Chamberlin (Science Studies), Alexandria Freeman (Special Education), Jaclyn Szuba (Early Childhood), and Diana Young (Children & Families).

At the graduate level, the SOE awardees were Batoul Baydoun (MA in Education), Patricia Hemme (MS Science Education), Eric Pace (MA Educational Leadership), Pamela Schroeder (M.Ed. Special Education), and Anca Stefan (MAT)

Please join me in congratulating all of the SOE award winners. We celebrate their academic excellence!

Seong Hong Discusses Transdisciplinary Research at Research Colloquium

Seong Hong, Associate Professor of Education, was the featured presenter at a recent session of the SOE Research Colloquium. Her presentation on March 15 focused on the collaboration between the Early Childhood Education Center and the Center for Exceptional Families operated by Oakwood Healthcare. She gave an overview of the collaboration to date, discussed some of the research that has been conducted by collaborative members, and identified some opportunities for further research.


The next colloquium in this series will be on April 12, 2012, at 4:30-6:00 p.m. in the School of Education conference room (252 FCS). At that session, Ed Silver and Crystal Lunsford will present the findings of an analysis they have undertaken examining the extent to which and the ways in which research is included in the content of articles that appear in journals specifically intended for educational practitioners. Their study focuses on the domain of mathematics education, but the general themes and methods should widely applicable.


Faculty and students from across the UM-Dearborn campus are invited to attend. Please visit the SOE Research Colloquium page for more information regarding dates, speakers, topics and updates.

SOE Project Featured at Community-University Partnerships Event

On March 6, 2012, representatives of the 15 public universities in Michigan gathered in Lansing for the first annual “Community-University Partnerships: Invested in Michigan’s Future” advocacy event at the Capitol Rotunda. The event, intended for an audience of Michigan state legislators and legislative staff, highlighted how communities are partnering with Michigan’s public universities to improve the lives of the people of Michigan.


The event included community-university collaborative posters and oral presentations as well as a luncheon roundtable discussion. Mesut Duran, SOE Associate Professor and Associate Dean presented one of the featured UM-Dearborn projects, Fostering Interest in Information Technology, that is designed to increase opportunities for high school students from underrepresented and underserved communities to learn, experience, and use the power of information technologies. Other UM-Dearborn projects were represented by Tim Davis (eCities: an annual research study that examines community-level factors that influence entrepreneurship, economic development, and job growth) and Associate Professor Bruce Maxim (Student Design Projects: projects that support local businesses that otherwise couldn’t afford design projects). UM-Dearborn’s participation was also represented and supported by the Integrated Learning and Community Partnership Office staff.

ECEC Teacher receives National Recognition

Caryn Finkelstein, a lead teacher at the University of Michigan-Dearborn's Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC) has been selected to receive the Terri Lynne Lokoff National Child Care Teacher Award, in connection with her award-winning project, Windows to Nature.

This award acknowledges the critical role of child care teachers in providing high-quality education to young children and recognizes exceptional professionals in the field. A ceremony for all award winners will take place this spring in Pennsylvania. This event celebrates outstanding early childhood development teachers from across the country.

Please join me in congratulating Caryn on this recognition of her teaching excellence and her exceptional dedication to the families and students at the ECEC.