Virginia Tech School of Education Newsletter February 2022
REIMAGINING THE FUTURE
VT School of Education Receives Historic Giving Day Challenge Donation
Robert Medler is sponsoring his first Giving Day challenge. A 1989 graduate in business, he is a member of the Board of Directors for the Virginia Tech Athletic Fund. The memorabilia covering his home office walls, along with the vintage T-shirts he often sports, display his loyalty to Hokie Athletics. But he finds equal value in academics, so his motivation for giving to the School of Education runs deep. He supports a scholarship he and his father started in his mother’s honor. She was an educator, and because of that, Medler spent a year between graduating from Virginia Tech and starting law school as a teacher’s aide for an elementary school class of children with autism spectrum disorders in Fairfax County, Virginia.
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RESEARCH & PUBLICATION HIGHLIGHTS
Carol A. Mullen explores social justice interventions in education
“Education demands attention as a critical component of social justice,” said Carol A. Mullen, a professor of educational leadership and policy studies in the Virginia Tech School of Education. “And to truly advance education that is socially just, we must reimagine systems and norms, produce new knowledge bases by deconstructing existing ones, and collectively work toward inclusive, impactful interventions.”
Mullen, who has a long history of significant scholarship and publications in the education field, recently edited the Handbook of Social Justice Interventions in Education, a two-volume, 57-chapter, 1,369-page tome that explores interventions as critical components of social justice, transcending general ethical precepts.
“Dr. Mullen is a leader in teaching, research, and advocacy in the area of social justice interventions in education,” said Kristin Gehsmann, director of the School of Education. “This handbook was a monumental feat and will undoubtedly become an often-cited, seminal resource for scholars and practitioners for years to come. Dr. Mullen and the contributing authors are helping us reimagine a more equitable and just future for our field and society at large.”
SOE NEWS DIGEST
Across six decades, retiring Southwest Center director has transformed the education landscape in Southwest Virginia
January 12, 2022
Penny McCallum is retiring after an incredible 56 years in education, including the past 16 as director of the Southwest Center, part of Outreach and International Affairs.
“She never forgot where she came from,” said Sheila Hess, a teacher in Buchanan County. “She has just done so much for our kids and teachers. Instruction across our county is forever changed.”
Visions from the past reawakened
January 26, 2021
After reading a book about the battle of Second Manassas, Todd Ogle, executive director of Applied Research in Immersive Experiences and Simulations (ARIES) at the University Libraries, was inspired to bring what he was reading off of the page and into clear view. Ogle's interdisciplinary team of researchers from across the campus used historical documents, photographs, and map information, which are typically held in libraries and archives, to bring the Civil War battlefield into the 21st Century with augmented reality.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Brock Hoffman named Wells Fargo Advisors Humanitarian of the Year
Curriculum and Instruction master’s student and Virginia Tech offensive lineman Brock Hoffman was awarded the Wells Fargo Advisors Humanitarian of the Year Award by the Touchdown Club of Richmond. He is the first VT student-athlete to receive this recognition, which annually recognizes a football player from a program in the Commonwealth of Virginia who has gone above and beyond to make a positive impact on campus and in his community.
AWARDS & OUTREACH
Justyn Mutts was named one of 30 NCAA Division I men’s basketball student-athletes in contention for the Senior CLASS Award.
After graduating from the University of Delaware in May 2020, Mutts transferred to Virginia Tech ahead of the 2020–21 season. The 6-foot-7 forward started in 21 of the 22 Hokies games last season; the season culminated with Tech advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight time.
Mutts, who was named a team captain this season, has been active in MY Turn — a nonprofit started by head coach Mike Young that focuses on bully prevention. During the 2021 NCAA Tournament, Mutts took time out of his schedule to read to local elementary school kids over Zoom. In addition, Mutts assisted with wrapping and delivering Christmas gifts for local women’s resource centers the past two Decembers.
Martha Glass and Nicole Johnson have been selected to the ACPA Diamond Honoree Class of 2022
Martha Glass (Ph.D. '10), a graduate of the HED program, and Nicole Johnson (Ph.D. candidate), a continuing student, have been selected to the ACPA Diamond Honoree Class of 2022. The Diamond Honoree Program recognizes colleagues who have made outstanding contributions to ACPA, student affairs and services, and higher education. Diamond Honorees are "Championed" by dedicated individuals who recognize their specific contributions and choose to raise funds in honor of each Diamond Honoree's outstanding and sustained commitment to higher education through student affairs and student development. Those funds are then utilized to help sustain the ACPA Foundation in its support of the research, scholarship, and programs that advance our field as a whole. [Excerpt from HED Highlights]
Virginia Tech awarded membership into the PhysTEC 5+ Club for its outstanding contributions to the education of future physics teachers
After graduating eight "well-prepared" physics teachers in the 2020-2021 academic year, Virginia Tech has earned membership in the 5+ Club. The 5+ Club is the highest award available for teacher preparation from the PhysTEC, a joint project of the American Physical Society (APS) and the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT).
WE ARE HIRING!
Assistant Director of Assessment and Accreditation
The School of Education also currently has a staff position open for hire (Grants Coordinator Assistant). If you know anyone that may be interested in this position, please share this information with them.
RESEARCH & PUBLICATION HIGHLIGHTS- Amy Price Azano published “Helping new teachers stay and thrive in rural schools,” Kappan 103.4 (2021): 14–18, with Devon Brenner and Jayne Downey.
- David Kniola was awarded support from the Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment for “Culturally Relevant Assessment in Engineering: A Pilot Study,” a collaborative grant with Homero Murzi, Engineering Education, to design and test a new approach to student learning assessment in STEM.
- Rachelle Kuehl, a postdoctoral associate, published “‘We Treat Them Like Animals in a Cage’: A Dialogic Exploration of Refugee,” Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts 60.3 (2021): 1–23.
- Carol Mullen was elected President-Elect of the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) at the November 2021 convention in Columbus, Ohio; she will serve as President in 2023 and Past-President in 2024. The UCEA is a consortium of over 110 higher education institutions committed to advancing the preparation and practice of educational leaders for the benefit of schools and children. In addition, Mullen published “Distance Education as a Space of Possibility in Pandemic-Burdened Societies,” Citizenship Teaching & Learning 16.2 (2021): 229–39.
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