Walden is proud to have more than 30 state teachers of the year—including Bob Williams, Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration student—currently working toward advanced degrees.
“The times that were most meaningful as a Teacher of the Year often involved public policy: working with policy-makers, panel discussions and work sessions with the Department of Education, and discussing education policy issues with senators, colleagues and union officials. I find the nature of public policy and its influences to be interesting and important,” Williams said.
Williams believes his greatest career accomplishment is the widespread enthusiasm for mathematics that he’s instilled in his students. “I have always felt that mathematics deserves the same attention and recognition that athletic teams get at pep rallies,” says Williams, who has organized geometry skits, mathematical poetry contests and mathematical art contests that have become school tradition at four elementary and high schools in his school district.
“There's nothing better than science!” says Pamela Harman, an earth science teacher at Spain Park High School in Hoover, Alabama. “It's constantly changing, and you're constantly learning new things. You can go outside and observe it, live it, touch it, and love it. ... It's the best thing.”
A big believer in the importance of engaging various types of learners by making science something that happens outside of a textbook, Harman is always showing her students samples of rocks she's collected from around the country or high-tech weather recording devices. Often, she conveys scientific ideas using basic household objects. One of her favorite demonstrations involves simply making popcorn. “There are three main ways that heat transfers—radiation, conduction, and convection,” she says. “We take a JiffyPop maker and see how long it takes to cook. They see that conduction is nothing but popcorn touching the surface of the plate. In the air popper, they see the kernels are moving, and that's convection. In the microwave, they're heated by the waves.”
Whenever she goes to a national conference, Harman presents a lab like this to other teachers in order to show them simple ways that they can make science relevant to students without having to invest in fancy instruments or tools. Her favorite thing is learning, she says. A fervent desire to get a good education was what drove her to enlist in the Marines after junior college—to get on the GI Bill. “If you can be a Marine, you feel like you can be anything,” she says.
Next to learning, her favorite thing is teaching. And her third favorite? That would have to be mentoring other teachers in an effort to affect the system and further inspire students. As a teacher of the year, Harman often had to travel, and says one of the best parts of her experience was the opportunity to work with and mentor a young teacher who assisted with her classes.
“The teacher that I am today is because of all the mentors that I have had,” she says. “Sir Isaac Newton said, 'If I have seen further than others, it's because I stood on the shoulders of giants,' and that's really how I feel that I have achieved any level of excellence—it's because people have helped me get to that place. It's so important to have great mentors, not just in those first couple of years of teaching, but to have somebody that you can continue to talk to.”
Of course, a good teacher can only do so much without a classroom full of students—a lack of attendance, says Harman, is one of the key problems plaguing schools today.
If she could change the system, Harman believes this is a problem that could be solved.
“I would start charter schools run by national board certified teachers where students have to come to school,” she says. “They'd be contractually obligated and would have to sign an agreement that says they will come and do their homework and that their parents will be involved. If they miss assignments or are tardy or get busted for drugs or anything, then they're out. The most disheartening thing is that every student is not given the opportunity to learn. There are areas where students aren't pushed to give 100%, and that just breaks my heart.”
Visit ConnectEd
to read other education-related articles.
Starting a Walden University Ph.D. program requires resolution, grit and determination, but students don’t make the journey on their own. Walden not only helps doctoral students navigate through milestones, academic residencies and mentoring, it encourages alumni to share their experiences.
At the summer 2009 academic residency in Minneapolis, Dr. Jessie Kilgore Jr., who earned a Ph.D. in Education in 2009 from The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership, offered the following insights and dissertation tips to an audience of Ph.D. students just beginning their own dissertations.
Find Creative Solutions to Professional Roadblocks Kilgore’s doctoral study—a multiple exploratory case study that examined student achievement on computerized tests—required Kilgore to collect test data from two different schools. In order to use the data he collected, Kilgore had to obtain permission from each student tested, as well as students’ parents.
“I had a really hard time getting students to turn in their consent forms,” said the 40-year-old Canton, Mich., resident. Knowing that the consent forms were imperative to the future of his study, Kilgore offered students incentives such as pizza parties, iPod giveaways and even Cheetos in exchange for returning their forms. (“When I promised Hot Cheetos, all these forms started coming in, like a river overflowing. It was truly unbelievable.”) Ultimately, Kilgore received the hundreds of signed consent forms he needed to continue with his study.
Plan for the Unexpected Kilgore experienced unexpected setbacks when he was refused a set of test data due to privacy concerns, and again when a school administrator gave him the wrong date for a test he was planning to observe.
“Expect the unexpected,” said Kilgore. “That’s something that rang true throughout my dissertation process.” When faced with an unexpected setback, Kilgore said, address the problem, adjust and keep moving forward with your study.
Use Personal Challenges as Motivation As Kilgore was working toward his Ph.D., his father was losing a battle with cancer. “I had a choice,” said Kilgore. “I could allow my father’s failing health to alter my focus, or I could use it as motivation.”
He chose the latter and set a personal goal to have his dissertation approved before his father passed away. Kilgore’s dissertation was approved on Feb. 16, 2009—his 40th birthday—and his father passed away two days later.
“During the dissertation process, you will have sunshine and rain. You’ve just got to keep your eyes on the prize no matter what. Just hold on throughout the entire process.”
Look Ahead to Completion, and Keep the Greater Goal in Mind Despite the sleepless nights and seemingly endless sets of revisions, Kilgore encouraged Ph.D. students to keep the greater goal of social change in mind.
“Remember, at Walden, you become a doctor of social change. And when you walk across the stage at commencement and are hooded by your professor, it will all be worth it.”
Watch the video of Dr. Kilgore sharing his insights on successfully completing a Ph.D.
Walden is now offering an M.S. in Project Management to help equip students with the skills they need to manage complex projects with diverse teams and help their organizations achieve strategic goals. Students can gain valuable experience in applying traditional management tools to highly technical projects while learning to communicate effectively with stakeholders and to analyze and control project risks.
The course content of the M.S. in Project Management is aligned with the knowledge areas of the Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) and will help prepare students for the Project Management Institute’s Project Management Professional (PMP) credential exam.*
“Demand for managers in project-oriented occupations is growing at an extraordinarily rapid pace,” said Dr. Kathleen Simmons, director of the M.S. in Project Management program. “Walden’s M.S. in Project Management is designed specifically to provide the skills required to manage projects across functional areas, geographic locations and all levels of an organization. Using proven management tools and a range of project management processes, students can prepare to make valuable contributions that will help enhance the performance of their organizations.”
*Eligibility for the PMP Credential requires individuals to first attain specific educational and project management experience, including 35 contact hours of project management education and a minimum of three years, or 36 months, of project management experience, during which at least 4,500 hours were spent leading and directing project tasks. The final step for earning the PMP Credential is passing the PMP exam. For more information, visit the Project Management Institute.
Dates: February 18–20, 2010 Proposal types: Paper or panel proposals that address the state of race, gender and class with respect to the Obama presidency.
Deadline: December 1, 2009
Submission instructions: To submit paper or panel proposals, and/or volunteer to serve as a Race, Gender & Class conference organizer, contact Dr. Jean Ait Belkhir at jbelkhir@suno.edu.
Cost: $125 for students; $175 for non-students. All attendees and presenters are expected to register.
Walden University is proud to have more than 20 state teachers of the year—including Deborah Fogg, education doctoral student—currently working toward advanced degrees at its Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership. Five days a week, Deborah Fogg, a seventh grade Language Arts teacher at the Lancaster School in Lancaster, New Hampshire, takes a long lunch.
Normally, teachers at her school eat in the first five minutes of the 25-minute lunch period so they can take care of other things during the remaining time. For the last eight years, however, Fogg has devoted the entirety of lunch period to her students. Her pupils, both past and present, flock each day to a sign up to be one of the four kids to eat with her.
“It lets me feel the pulse of what's going on with the kids,” says Fogg. “It's been a great way to build relationships with them. We talk about whatever they want to talk about—basketball, school, home life. Middle school kids are like that. They will pour their hearts out if you just give them the opportunity.”
In all aspects of her teaching, Fogg strives to take advantage of the unabashed enthusiasm that can start to disappear as kids slip into adolescence. “They're not too cool yet. They'll get up and act, and they'll write reams of stuff. They're little enough so they'll still be goofy for you,” she says. She also recognizes that her students are at a malleable age where a little patience and kindness can go a long way—especially at a moment when many kids and parents leave school and work only to go home and stare at a computer some more.
“It's not just Language Arts they're getting. I'm trying to teach them about being a good citizen and being a role model. And it's about building relationships,” she says. “As [kids], we sat at the dining room table and ate together, all of us. Nowadays, kids are isolated. They go into their bedrooms and don't interact. I think they're missing out. So I try to make my classroom like a living room. I want them to come in and feel like they're coming into their home. Once I build those relationships and establish that sense of community, my kids will do anything for me.”
Fogg, who is studying curriculum education at Walden University, always dreamed of teaching. Both her parents were teachers, and she grew up listening to her mother's “Three F” teaching mantra: Be Firm, Fair, and Friendly. Her father taught science and often came home with stories about the classes he had taught that day. “Dinner conversation was always about education and lessons plans,” she said.
In the 1970s, Fogg put that dream on hold, leaving college to help put her husband through law school. Over the next many years, she stayed home to raise their two children. Then, at age 42, and after testing the waters as a substitute teacher for a few years, Fogg returned to get her bachelor’s in education.
But school wasn’t where Fogg got the charisma that keeps students coming to her lunch table every day. That, she says, comes from years of watching her father teach.
“When I would walk down the hall with him, [his students] would run up to him and say, ‘Guess what I just did?' In his classroom, he was always smiling and laughing and joking,” Fogg recalls. “He had this demeanor in the classroom that made me feel like, 'When I grow up, I wanna be a teacher just like that.'”
Fogg's daughter must have had a similar feeling watching her mother: She, too, became a seventh grade Language Arts teacher recently. “She and I are always calling each other talking about an idea or something she tried or something I tried. I'm sure we drive everyone around us nuts.”
Visit ConnectEd
to read other education-related articles.
Walden University is now offering a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision. The degree counseling professionals with the skills and experience they need to assume leadership positions in clinical, community, nonprofit, academic or research settings.
Aligned with national standards for counselor education and reflecting Walden’s mission of social change, the program helps mental health professionals:
Advance their career in clinical, community, academic, or research settings.
Conduct effective counseling-related program evaluations.
Gain clinical and related experience to enhance their professional development by participating in both a doctoral practicum and internship.
Develop counseling expertise in a relevant area, including forensic mental health counseling and crisis counseling.
Design, implement, and analyze individual research related to the counseling profession.
“Whether counseling professionals want to advance their clinical counseling supervision skills or pursue a career in academia or research, Walden’s Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision can provide them with the skills and knowledge they need to implement change in their communities and organizations,” says Dr. Carl J. Sheperis, program director for Walden’s Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision. “As the demand for doctorate-level counseling professionals increases in the coming years, this program can help students expand their career opportunities and become true leaders in the profession.”
Students can choose from the General Program or five specializations to develop expertise in a focused, highly relevant area. The General Program allows students to choose two elective courses in their area of interest with the option of applying those electives to complete a specialization:
For some students, science education begins and ends in high school. For others, however, it's a course of study that knows no beginning or end.
For 2008 West Virginia Teacher of the Year Eric Kincaid, science was something that was part of his earliest days, even if he didn't use that word for it. “I was always collecting specimens in middle school,” says Kincaid, a biology teacher at Morgantown High School in Morgantown, West Virginia. “'Specimens' is what my mother called them. I'd come home with little bugs and rocks and stuff like that in my pocket.”
Early on, this helped him see that education was something larger than just what happened at school. Learning could clearly take place anywhere, at anytime—something Kincaid says he learned from his grandfather who, although he had to drop out of school at age 13 to work, continued to educate himself. “He read everything he could and learned everything he could,” says Kincaid, noting his admiration. “His knowledge really blows me away even though he only has an eighth grade education.”
In his classes, Kincaid tries to help students see that education isn't always about a scholastic context. He works to show them that scientists are doing research outside of the classroom walls all the time. What's more, they're often doing research that looks a lot like the genetic work he does with his AP kids—analyzing DNA, trying to diagnose genetic disorders, and even manipulating the genome.
“I like finding new articles or videos, because the kids really like getting those news stories. I like showing the kids what the potential is. A couple of times I've found things that were published the day I showed it to them, so they can see it's not just coming from their text books—this is information that is coming up all the time,” he says. “I also want to try to get kids to get the information on their own—to teach them how to use the tools that we have that will allow them to get information, and remember it, and use it, and apply it. If I can do that, then I'm pretty happy, because the amount of information we're getting now is amazing. There is no way you can actually remember it all. If we can give them the tools to get information on their own, then they have a better chance of being successful.”
Of course, there's also the learning that goes on for students after they leave his class—that's the kind of learning that may end up taking students much deeper into science than their teacher will ever go. For Kincaid, a student who can outdo him is a dream come true.
One of his favorite memories of teaching involves a very reserved pupil who had just lost her father and didn't seem engaged in class. “It was amazing what her academic ability was, but she was very quiet—never said a whole lot,” he says. “That was just as I was starting to try to teach genes and different genome studies, and she ended up taking what I taught her and going into that research on her own.”
Today, that shy, reserved student is working on a combined M.D./Ph.D. at Harvard University. “She is doing cancer research—she wanted to fight the cancer that killed her dad,” says Kincaid. And now, she's the one offering words of encouragement: “She writes, 'Keep up those genomic studies, keep looking at those techniques and all that, because that's what enabled me to get ahead,'” he says. “That's why I'm here now.”
Visit ConnectEd
to read other education-related articles.
To support research that leads to real-world solutions, Walden
University awarded four faculty members and six faculty teams the 2009 Faculty Research Initiative Grant,
totaling $139,500. With the goal of supporting excellence in scholarly
work, the grant program helps fund select faculty research projects
that are deemed exceptional in merit. The grants provide seed money for
the development of faculty research agendas.
Walden University congratulates the following individuals and research teams for their standout projects:
Assessing a Predictive Modeling Technique for Proactive Patient Management of Diabetes
Principal Investigator: Dr. Howard B. Schechtner, School of Management Co-Principal Investigator: Mr. Nithyanandam Mathiyazhagan, School of Management Grant Amount: $15,000 Project Abstract: Diabetes affects nearly 25 million Americans and is estimated to cost approximately $125 billion annually. It is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. The human cost can be measured in terms of hospitalizations, drug costs, amputations, blindness, nerve damage, pain management and other health problems. The societal cost is in the trillions of dollars and is stressing a health care system whose costs are soaring. This study will create and assess predictive models for patients to proactively treat their blood sugar levels. It is difficult for patients to predict blood sugar as current technology gives them only a momentary reading without indicating whether levels are rising or falling. If insulin boluses are injected when sugars are high but actually falling, a serious hypoglycemic event requiring hospitalization could transpire. The model will take into account a number of variables such as insulin dose, blood sugar level, food intake (grams of carbohydrates), calories consumed, food timing, physical activity, type of activity, duration of activity, time of day, day of week and historical blood sugar readings. These explicit and tacit knowledge variables will guide the creation of the predictive model. The goal of the research is to tighten the control of blood sugar range which typically means reducing the running average of blood sugar level readings and reducing high and low readings. The theoretical basis for the study rests with Nonaka and Takeuchi’s Spiral Process Theory of Knowledge which will guide the creation of the model. This knowledge-based, technology-leveraged approach has the goal of greater adherence to self-controlled diabetes management through tacit and explicit knowledge conversion and internalization.
Formative Research to Identify Barriers to Completing Prenatal Care Services in HIV-Positive Communities in Rural South India
Principal Investigator: Dr. Vishnu-Priya Sneller, College of Health Sciences Co-Principal Investigator: Dr. Raghu Korripati, School of Management Grant Amount: $20,000 Project Abstract: The study proposes to use qualitative and quantitative methods to assess the prenatal services available to women in rural India. In collaboration with a local non-government agency that provides HIV prevention services in three different settings in Andhra-Pradesh. Participants will be residents from communities where HIV is known to be present. Participating communities will be identified by locating HIV-positive women who were lost to follow-up during the third trimester of pregnancy and missed an opportunity to prevent perinatal transmission of HIV. The project proposes to use qualitative and quantitative methods to identify barriers to prenatal care and health status of HIV-positive women who were lost to follow-up. Qualitative methods will use focus groups and non-structured interviews. The quantitative method will use structured interviews. Focus groups composed of women 16 years and older and couples from these communities will inform the development of communication messages and print material promoting prenatal care. Focus groups will also be used to develop the questionnaire, which will be used for individual interviews. Women 16 years and older from these communities will participate voluntarily in the structured individual interviews. Univariate and logistic regression models will be used to describe the barriers to prenatal care and risk for HIV infections in these communities.
About the Faculty Research Initiative Grant The Faculty Research Initiative Grant program is open to all faculty who have been employed by Walden for a minimum of six months. Grant funds can be used to support pilot research projects and small-scale research studies, and to supplement new areas of investigation that are spin-off studies or sub-studies of larger ongoing research projects.
When Tania Harman was a child, education was not a priority—for her parents. But that didn’t stop her from gravitating toward everything having to do with learning. “I loved school. From the time I was in kindergarten, I told everyone I was going to grow up and be a teacher,” she says. “School was a place where I felt safe and at ease. It was something I was good at.”
Her parents just didn’t get it. Neither one had graduated high school and discouraged her from going to college, even refusing to fill out financial aid forms. Says Harman: “They thought it was a waste of time and money—they thought I thought I was better than everyone else.”
Today, as an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher at Warren Primary Center in South Bend, Indiana, Harman works tirelessly to make sure that her students feel encouraged to excel—both by their teachers and by their parents. Support, she believes is something that ESL students need more than most kids. “These are kids who suddenly were taken out of everything they knew and loved and brought to a whole new country,” she says. “They have vastly different needs.”
Harman began her career in the late 1980s as a general education teacher at the elementary level, but when her district went through a restructuring in 2003, two-thirds of the area’s teachers had to change jobs. During the transition period, she applied to teach first grade and ended up being handed an ESL slot. “I immediately loved it,” she says. She amped up her skills by returning to school to add an ESL endorsement to her license, and then started studying Spanish in order to facilitate easier conversation with parents. All of these steps are in line with her belief that constant self-improvement and continuing education are musts for teachers. “You cannot stay in your classroom and isolate yourself from your colleagues,” she says.
Harman’s career at Walden is just another way in which she feels she can work to ensure that she’s giving all she can to her students—and to their families. She’s constantly impressed with the devotion of ESL students’ families to their children’s education and how their interest impacts students’ performances. “Their families are so appreciative of everything I do, and overall very supportive,” she says. “I actually get to spend my day teaching, not disciplining, because these are families that have placed different expectations on their children.”
For Harman, a good education means teaching kids’ families as well: In her role as an ESL teacher, she has worked with some parents to help them become citizens. Her own parents were never encouraged to see the value of schooling—Harman wants to make sure her students have families that are better aware of the fact that a good education is invaluable, especially when injecting a child into a new culture. “A teacher can’t do it alone. There has to be a partnership with the family. You have to make connections in the community to support what you’re doing in the classroom. We all need to work together to support student learning,” she says. Her approach is working: Last year, almost every one of her students graduated from bilingual classes into general education classes. Says Harman: “I’m kind of working myself out of a job!
Erikson Daniel Conkling, a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration student, has begun a faculty professor of social and behavioral sciences position at the Logansport, Ind., campus of Ivy Tech Community College.
Todd Daniel, a Ph.D. in Psychology student, was awarded the 2009 Best Student Poster Presentation for his poster, "On Thin Ice: Listening to Methamphetamine Users in the Ozarks," at the Walden University summer residency held at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.
Dr. Bernice Kennedy, a faculty member in the College of Health Sciences, published “Psychosocial Model: Racism as a Predictor of Adherence and Compliance to Treatment and Health Outcomes Among African Americans” (Journal of Theory Construction & Testing, Vol. 13, No. 1, 2009).
Dr. Jason Seacat, a faculty member in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, co-published two articles: “Dental Students Treating Patients Living With HIV/AIDS: The Influence of Attitudes and HIV Knowledge” (Journal of Dental Education, Vol. 73, Issue 4, 2009) and “Stereotype Threat and the Exercise/Dietary Health Intentions of Overweight Women” (Journal of Health Psychology, May 2009).
Dr. Jeff Snodgrass, a faculty member in the College of Health Sciences, co-published “Faculty Perceptions of Occupational Therapy Program Directors' Leadership Styles and Outcomes of Leadership” in the Journal of Allied Health (Vol. 37, 2008).
John E. Cech, a Ph.D. in Education student, published “Dual Enrollment, Multiple Paths and Diverse Students: A Look at Options for Enhancing Entry Into Postsecondary Education” in the Spring 2009 issue of The Montana Professor.
Dr. Ron Hirschbein, a faculty member in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, published “Nuclear Strategists in Wonderland” in Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy (Wiley, 2010).
Dr. Ronald P. Hudak, a faculty member in the College of Health Sciences, co-published “The U.S. Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2): A Case Study in Designing a Nonmedical Case Management Program for Severely Wounded, Injured, and Ill Service Members and Their Families” in the June 2009 issue of Military Medicine.
Sonya Jackson, a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) student, was selected as interim school superintendent of Hernando County Schools, Hernando County, Fla.
Raymond Marbury, a Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.) student, was hired as a management analyst in the Internal Revenue Service Chief Counsel's Office. In addition, he is serving as an adjunct professor at Shenandoah University, Winchester, Va.
Dr. Darlington Mgbeke, a faculty member in the Center for Undergraduate Studies, published “The Dynamics of Inept Administrative Leadership In Nigeria Public Sector: A Guide To Civic Engagement” (International Culture Journal, Vol. 2, Issue 2, 2009).
Dr. Cheryl Parker, a faculty member in the College of Health Sciences, co-published “Moving Along: Using Mobility Technology to Improve Pharmacist Workflow in the PICU Rounding Process” in the fall 2008 issue of The Journal of Healthcare Information Managementand “Mobile Device Improves Documentation Workflow and Nurse Satisfaction” in the summer 2008 issue of CARING Newsletter.
Walden University’s new Education Specialist (Ed.S.) in Educational Leadership and Administration (Principal Preparation) program is designed to enable educators to advance their careers while developing the knowledge, skills, and experience to become a licensed principal or administrator in P–12 schools.
Offered through Walden’s Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership, this unique scholar-practitioner post-master’s degree program, grounded in current research, provides students with opportunities to respond to authentic case studies, participate in school leadership experiences, work side by side with principal mentors, and develop the ability to impact social change.
“Walden’s Ed.S. in Educational Leadership and Administration program is preparing the next generation of P–12 school administrators and principals to truly impact the future success of our nation’s education system,” said Dr. Kate Steffens, dean of Walden’s Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership. “Graduates of the program will be equipped to promote the success of every student and guide other professionals in the pursuit of excellence in education.”
“While a number of accounting programs delve immediately into creating and manipulating accounting tools, we wanted to give our students a broader business perspective,” said William Schulz, Ph.D., interim associate dean of the School of Management. “Our learning approach gives students a stronger foundation in understanding the many issues facing professionals in accounting, including the ethical implications of decision-making.”
Through the B.S. in Accounting, students can:
Gain a deeper understanding of the role of accounting and the importance of learning how to influence financial strategy, as well as the context behind the use of accounting tools such as financial statements
Strengthen their decision-making and problem-solving skills as they relate to interpreting business and accounting information
Become proficient in many of today’s most popular accounting software programs through hands-on case studies and team projects
Build on previous business and accounting experience with best practices in accounting functions, based on the most recent publication and codification of standards by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB)
Walden University is now offering two additional specializations within its M.B.A. program. These specializations help prepare students for a range of managerial positions in health care.
In the new Healthcare Management specialization, students can gain a greater understanding of the accounting and finance functions in health care organizations. They will have the opportunity to learn how to apply economic principles to the allocation and distribution of health care resources and services. Students will also explore various techniques used to develop, manage and control health care finances and enhance organizational performance.
Through the new Healthcare System Improvement specialization, students can broaden their understanding of techniques for assessing and improving quality. Students will also have the opportunity to learn to use information systems and technology to develop innovative solutions related to the coordination and timeliness of care as well as the management of medical records and orders. In addition, students will learn how technology can be used to achieve cost controls and improve supply and inventory management.
“Whether students are currently working in a health care setting or seeking to obtain a position in the health care field, these two specializations can provide the solid foundation they need to advance in this rapidly growing industry,” said Dr. Rebecca Sidler Krysiak, M.B.A. program director. “Offered in collaboration with our College of Health Sciences, the specialization courses address the latest trends and technologies in health care organizations and give students the management skills required to help transform the future delivery of health care.”
Walden’s students, faculty and staff are contributing to their disciplines through publications, presentations and other professional activities.
Jason Bing-Schetelick, a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) student, was selected to serve as superintendent of schools in Barnegat Township, N.J. For the past four years, he has served as superintendent of Great Meadows Regional School District, Great Meadows, N.J.
Dr. James Bowman, a faculty member in the School of Management, co-published the third edition of Human Resource Management (Sage, 2009).
Dr. Abbie Brown, a faculty member in The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership, co-published “The Virtual Worlds in Education Conference: Lessons Learned From Conducting an International, Peer-Reviewed Conference Within Second Life” (Educational Technology, Vol. 49, Issue 3, 2009) and “The Impact of Informatics on Nursing Education: A Review of the Literature” (Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, Vol. 40, Issue 5, 2009).
Dr. Ashraf Esmail, a faculty member in The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership, co-published the following: “Men’s Exploration of Multiple Sexual Partners: Economic vs. Psychosocial Explanation” (Bangladesh e-Journal of Sociology, Vol. 6, Issue 1, 2009); “The Apple Program, a Student, Home, and School Prevention Partnership: To Impact the Academic, Social, and Personal Development of At-Risk Students,” “Children Exposed to War and Violence: How Does One Prepare Authoritative Figures and Aid in the Elimination of Violence in the Classroom?” “Peace Education: Classroom Management in the Urban Center” and “The Rationale for Using Critical Literacy in Peace Education” (Youth Violence in American Schools: How It Can Be Alleviated, Edwin Mellen Press, 2009); and “Voting the Issues or Voting the Demographics? The Media’s Construction of Political Candidates’ Credibility” (Race, Gender, & Class, Vol. 15, Issue 3/4, 2009).
Dr. Marcia Moody, Dr. Nina Nabors, and Dr. Miguel Ybarra, faculty members in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, published “Social Justice: Diversity in Action” in Diversity in Mind and in Action (Vol. 3, Praeger, 2009).
Dr. Terry O’Banion, a faculty member in The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership, published the following: The Rogue Trustee: The Elephant in the Room (League for Innovation in the Community College, 2009); “Let the Conversation Begin: How Do We Deal With a Rogue Trustee?” (Leadership Abstracts, Vol. 22, No. 4, 2009); “What Motivates the Community College Rogue Trustee?” (Community College Journal of Research and Practice, Vol. 33, Issue 6, 2009); “Damage Caused by the Rogue Trustee” (Community College Journal of Research and Practice, Vol. 33, No. 7, 2009); “Strategies for Dealing With Rogue Trustees” (Community College Journal of Research and Practice, Vol. 33, No. 8, 2009); and “Foreword” in Imagine Success: Engaging Entering Students (Center for Community College Student Engagement, 2009).
Jennifer M. Padron, a Ph.D. in Public Health student, was recently selected to the State of Texas via HOPE Steering Committee and charged with developing the Texas-Certified Peer Specialist certification and training program for mental health for the 2009–2010 term. She is concurrently serving as co-chair of the U.S. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association of Texas board of directors and is co-chair of the 2010 Windows to Wellness Conference to be held in Austin, Texas, on January 7–9.
This is an open call for proposals for the Public Administration Theory Network’s 23rd Annual Conference to be held May 20–23, 2010, at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Theme: Alternative ways of thinking about democratic public administration and policy
Proposal Types: Panels should include three participants, including the convener, as well as a moderator/discussant. Panel discussion may be in the form of presentations from papers, or other research or creative work underway, or presented as a roundtable. Proposals should include:
Panel/roundtable title
Names, organizational affiliations and email addresses for the convener, participants and moderator/discussant
An abstract of each participant’s proposed paper/discussion, not to exceed 300 words in length. Each abstract should include the participant’s name, organizational affiliation and a title or topic for the discussion.
Description of the mode of discussion, as well as linkage of the panel topic to the conference theme and the linkage of each participant’s presentation to the panel topic.
Deadline: Nov. 15, 2009
Submission information: Submit proposals to Mohamad G. Alkadry at malkadry@odu.edu.
Walden's School Public Policy and Administration offers degree programs designed to provide public sector and nonprofit
professionals with the practical knowledge and proven skills to
navigate successfully among government, private, and nonprofit
organizations to create more effective, innovative community solutions.
On Nov. 19, 2009, The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership at Walden University will honor schools and educators across the nation with its campaign in support of the National Education Association’s (NEA) Educator for a Day program. Walden will award $5,000 grants to three P–12 schools that host Educator for a Day events as part of the nationwide celebration of NEA’s American Education Week, to be observed Nov. 15–21, 2009.
“Over the three years of the program, we have been inspired by the hundreds of creative and thoughtful nominations we have received, and by the commitment and vision of the educators who apply for these grants. Walden University, with our rich teacher-education legacy, celebrates and supports the valuable difference educators make in young lives every day,” said Victoria Reid, vice president of The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership.
Teachers who want to nominate their schools must complete a nomination form that consists of short essay questions about their profession, the importance of teachers’ duties, why their school should receive a Walden Educator for a Day grant and what their school would do with the grant. Three schools will be selected by a panel familiar with the issues currently facing P–12 teachers and administrators. The deadline for nominations is Oct. 28, 2009.
Winning schools will officially receive their grants on Nov. 19, 2009. Grants must be used for educational purposes, such as school supplies or educational activities. In addition, recipient schools will be required to arrange for at least one aspiring educator to shadow a teacher during Educator for a Day events.
Walden created the Educator for a Day grant initiative in 2007, and because of its impact on the honored schools and teachers and its success around the country, it was repeated in 2008. Last year’s winning schools—Eastlawn Elementary School in Pascagoula, Miss.; East Auburn Community School in Auburn, Maine; and West View Elementary School, Burlington, Wash.—were selected from hundreds of nominations submitted by faculty and administrators nationwide.
Twenty-four of America’s top educators who were selected as Teacher of the Year intheir states have chosen to enroll at Walden University’s Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership to pursue a graduate degree in education. The two dozen Walden Teacher of the Year scholars currently enrolled at the university come from across the United States, representing 18 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and the Department of Defense Education Activity.
Each year, Teacher of the Year honorees are recognized nationally after a rigorous selection process, which varies by state, and a validation of his or her abilities in the classroom. Walden’s programs allow the honorees to work toward earning their master’s or doctoral degree in education online while meeting their classroom and Teacher of the Year responsibilities.
“Walden University has a nearly 40-year legacy of educating educators and, in fact, a number of our alumni have been honored as State Teacher of the Year award winners in the past. We feel privileged to have some of our nation’s finest teachers as a part of the Walden community of learners,” said Victoria Reid, vice president of The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership.
Teacher of the Year scholars currently enrolled in The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership at Walden University are:
* Alabama State Teacher of the Year 2008—Pamela Harman * Guam Teacher of the Year 2008—Ronald Canos * Indiana Teacher of the Year 2009—Tania Harman * Iowa Teacher of the Year 2008—Andrew Mogle * Kentucky Teacher of the Year 2008—Chandra Emerson * Louisiana Teacher of the Year 2008—Laurie Carlton * Louisiana Teacher of the Year 2009—Deborah Tonguis * Massachusetts Teacher of the Year 2008—Michael Flynn * Missouri Teacher of the Year 2008—Eric Langhorst * Montana Teacher of the Year 2008—Steve Gardiner * Nebraska Teacher of the Year 2008—Mary Schlieder * Nevada Teacher of the Year 2008—LeAnn Morris * New Hampshire Teacher of the Year 2009—Deborah Fogg * Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year 2008—David Woten * South Carolina Teacher of the Year 2007—Jennifer "Buffy" Murphy * South Carolina Teacher of the Year 2008—AnnMarie Taylor * Tennessee Teacher of the Year 2009—LuaJean Bryan * Virginia Teacher of the Year 2008—Thomas Smigiel Jr. * Washington, D.C., Teacher of the Year 2008—Kathleen Sheehy * Washington, D.C., Teacher of the Year 2009—Kimberly Worthy * Washington Teacher of the Year 2008—Laura Jones * West Virginia Teacher of the Year 2008—Eric Kincaid * Wisconsin Teacher of the Year 2008—Beth Oswald * Department of Defense Education Activity’s Teacher of the Year 2008—Cathleen Marziali
"Educational Collaborations and Networks: Bridges to Learning and Leading"
Conference Goals The major goals of the 2010 AABHE National Conference are:
To provide a forum to discuss key issues that enhance access and success for Black students and professions.
To showcase educational initiatives that facilitate effective collaborations and networks.
To provide a forum to discuss contemporary issues in K-12, 2 year and 4 year institutions.
To provide a forum to discuss graduate student success.
To provide a forum to discuss professional development and career advancement for faculty and administrators.
To provide a forum to discuss the impact of race on the educational achievement of Blacks.
Strand Areas 1. Leadership Development and Career Enhancement for Blacks in the Academy This strand will explore collaboration and networks that support the survival and growth of faculty, staff, and administrators in the academy. This may also include intergenerational, global, cross cultural and interdisciplinary practices, models and research that enhance learning and leadership among Blacks.
2. Pipelines and Pathways Collaborations and networking between educational and community stakeholders are vital to promoting access and success for Black students. This strand will explore an array of critical policy developments,programs, partnerships, and linkages. These linkages include and are not limited to partnerships among K-12, 2 and 4 year institutions, governmental agencies, profit and not-for-profit organizations. Initiatives and interventions that promote access, retention and success among Black males in K-12, 2 year and 4 year institutions are also welcomed.
3. Using technology for Collaboration and Networking This strand will highlight the advances, trends, and applications to enhance the educational experiences of Black students and professional development in the academy.
4. Fostering Opportunities and Success Among African Americans in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Disciplines and other underrepresented fields of study Based on the dire statistics reported in the National Academy of Science’s publication Rising Above the Gathering Storm, this strand seeks to not only underscore the crisis that the nation is experiencing related to the paucity of African Americans in STEM related disciplines but seeks also to offer viable solutions to academe in an effort to circumvent this crisis.
A focus of this strand will be a discussion on areas that need to be addressed such as academic preparation, graduation, mentoring programs, professional development, partnerships, pipeline projects, careers and graduation education.
Proposals will be considered late and will not be accepted after 11:59 p.m. on October 15, 2009.
PROPOSAL GUIDELINES ALL PROPOSALS must clearly focus on one of the FOUR identified strands. Proposal submissions MUST include:
The title of the presentation (paper to be presented)
The strand (I, II, III, or IV) selected for presentation
An abstract of the presentation (not to exceed 200 words)
An overview of the presentation (not to exceed four single-spaced pages)
Conceptually or theoretically strong foundation
Purpose of the presentation/core issue(s) addressed in the presentation
What the audience will learn/take-away from the presentation
How the presentation reflects the selected conference strand
What major outcomes or issues will be addressed in the presentation and how audience will participate in an interactive component during the presentation
Follow APA guidelines for style and quality
The name(s) of the presenter(s)
The presenter(s) institutional or organizational affiliation
The presenter(s) title and a brief biography (not to exceed two paragraphs)
The presenter(s) – Include information for ALL presenters
Mailing address
Telephone and facsimile numbers
Electronic mail address
Equipment Needed
Overhead projector & screen
LCD Projector
Please e-mail proposal to: Dr. Barbara A. Lofton, Director Office of Diversity Programs Sam M.Walton College of Business University of Arkansas blofton@uark.edu.
Gregory Parker '09, who earned a Master of Public Administration degree and is a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration, was re-elected to the Comal County Commissioners Court (Texas) in November 2008. In September 2008, he was appointed by Gov. Rick Perry to the Texas Commission on State Emergency Communications, where he leads the state's initiative for Next Generation 9-1-1.
Susan Sonnier '07, who earned an M.S. degree in Nursing, published a chapter in the textbook Disaster Nursing: A Handbook for Practice (Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2009), titled “Communicating in a Disaster." She also wrote two appendices for the textbook. Sonnier also was recently voted Nurse of the Year at Clear Lake Regional Medical Center in Webster, Texas.
Dr. Ellen Stoltz '01, who earned a Ph.D. in Education, recently completed two consecutive three-year terms as a commissioner for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Dr. Stoltz is the director of Special Education Instructional Support Services for Hartford Public Schools in Connecticut.
Gloria Brown Brooks '04, who earned an M.S. in Education and is now a student in the Ed.D. (Doctor of Education) program, was named a Teacher of the Year for 2008 by the San Benito County (Calif.) Office of Education. She is also the Thinkfinity presenter for the county’s Office of Education.
Vicky Panasuk '03, who earned an M.S. in Education, has been named principal at Jefferson Elementary School in Glendive, Mont.
Dr. Mario O. Barrett III '07, who earned a Ph.D. in Applied Management and Decision Sciences, wrote Leading from the Inside Out: Using the Barrett Leadership Model to Achieve Sustainable Happiness by Creating and Pursuing the Fulfillment of Your Life. (Dog Ear Publishing, 2008). The book has appeared regularly in the Top 10 of Buy.com's bestsellers for personal happiness books.
Dr. Dennis E. Morrow '92, who earned a Ph.D. in Applied Management and Decision Sciences, was recently named chair of the Business Department at Herzing University's Atlanta campus.
Dr. Ntiedo J. Umoren '00, who earned a Ph.D. in Applied Management and Decision Sciences, has been appointed the director of the Centre for Entrepreneurial Development at the University of Uyo in Nigeria, where he is a faculty member.
Walden University is an accredited institution that for nearly 40 years has provided an engaging learning experience for working professionals. Our mission has attracted a community of extraordinary alumni, students and faculty, all sharing a common desire to make a positive social impact—to make a difference.
Click here or call (877) 847-5032 to request information or join the Walden community.
