The Office of Communications collects and shares news about student, faculty, staff, alumni and college achievement and impact. Please let us know about your successes!
Susan Heid has supported students through physical education for 29 years. You might expect that she's thinking more about retirement than classroom innovations -- but you would be wrong. With the support of her administration, Heid has installed the district's only adaptive climbing wall in Beaufort Elementary School's gymnasium.
The U.S. Department of Education has awarded the University of South Carolina a $35 million grant to improve college and career readiness among disadvantaged students in South Carolina with the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP). It is the largest grant ever awarded to the College of Education and among the largest in university history.
Tjuan Dogan has a simple request for the endowed scholarship she has funded at the College of Education -- invest in the next generation of educators, like the ones who helped her find her own path and passion.
Swilley began her career at Richland Northeast High School as a math educator. She had wonderful administrators act as mentors, and Swilley was able to use her data analytics skills to serve her administration. One of her assistant principals encouraged her to continue her education, so she enrolled in the Master's of Education Administration at the University of South Carolina.
Kathryn Pedings-Behling grew up in the small town of Saint Matthews, S.C. In middle school, she developed a fondness for solving mathematics and logic puzzles -- so much so, that she even stole her older brother's SAT prep workbook for fun!
Ayan Mitra uses clinical computational neuroscience to understanding early childhood development in reading and literacy.
Congratulations to Sean Yee, Ph.D. for receiving a prestigious NSF grant for his project, "Supporting the Faculty who Provide Teaching-Focused Professional Development to the Next Generation of College Mathematics Instructors." The grant will allow Yee and his team to create new programs that help graduate students and other new instructors become better teachers, which will benefit college students across the country.
The latest publication from SC TEACHER explores the demographics of administrators in the state, alongside trend data and national comparisons. The report follows a similar format to other workforce reports published by the research consortium, including the Teacher Workforce Profile in South Carolina for 2021-22.
Juan Alvarado's non-negotiable career goal included making an impact. He began exploring options in high school and was inspired by his parents' story. His family immigrated from Mexico, and his mom did not have an opportunity to complete school. "My mom was the first person I thought of," says Alvarado. "She always told me to take full advantage of my education. Even though she did not get to finish school, she played a big role and inspired me to choose elementary education."
The College of Education is excited to welcome Alexandria Russell, Ph.D. for the 2024 Witten Lecture: Sesquicentennial Celebration of the South Carolina State Normal School.
Professors Ali Brian, Ph.D.; Sally Miedema, Ph.D.; and Andrea Taliaferro, Ph.D. in the College of Education have received a $400,000 grant from the Duke Foundation to develop "The Walking Classroom."
Brittany Caniglia always knew that leading a classroom was the career for her. In high school, she was a teacher cadet and continued that path through college. During college, her husband's military job forced a move and Caniglia was forced to make a difficult decision: stay separated for the remainder of her college career or make the move herself. Caniglia found an online program to finish her degree and made the choice to put family first.
When the pandemic began, Brad Washington learned about a new program called the Carolina Collaborative for Alternative Preparation (CarolinaCAP). This program assists professionals in career changes that lead to educator certification. "It was like the gates of heaven opened for me," says Washington. "Elementary Education was not typically provided in other certification pathways. I immediately applied."
Anna Francis sits down with the founders of the College of Education's Coaching Academy and discusses the program's inception, methods and plans for the future.
Since Erin Roberts was a child, she knew that she wanted to be an educator. She studied in the inaugural cohort for the bachelor's in early childhood education in the College of Education. She is currently teaching in the school district where she completed her student internship. She knew she wanted to be a coaching teacher to give back to the students and the college that helped build her career.
Harvey Allen, Ph.D. began working in the College of Education in 1969 as a professor. His career in the college spanned for more than 30 years, and he went on to become Department Chair, Associate Dean and Interim Dean. His colleagues share that his service was highlighted by a willingness to listen, always opening his door to others and genuine friendship.
Green has partnered with the College of Education and University of South Carolina on many initiatives including the recently developed The Village in Winnsboro, the first community exclusively for educators and school district employees in the state.
Through events like this, SC TEACHER helps school districts, education organizations, and state leaders work to better understand SC-specific data and its impact.
Laurie D'Amico did not plan to become an educator. She began her career in the automotive industry and enjoyed the puzzle of repairing cars. A larger puzzle surfaced when her daughter began struggling during middle school. D'Amico was determined to figure out the best way to assist her child and decided to return to school to pursue a degree in education.
The College of Education's mCrED team has developed a large platform of micro-credential courses to assist in advancing educator development in an easy-to-pursue format.
"I believe in the power of sports and performance to enrich people's lives," says Hodges. "As a former athlete, I'm acutely aware of the mental challenges people face in pursuing physical excellence. I'm proud that our college is committed to educating future professionals that will prepare performers to thrive and become champions in their own endeavors."
Each month, SC TEACHER releases a new report on one of their key focus areas. This month, as FY24 comes to a close, they've compiled an illustrative guide to the top 10 takeaways that stood out across the last year of research on teacher retention, working conditions, and more.
Stephen Thompson has worked in teacher education in the College of Education for the past two decades. As the first in his family to graduate college, he is deeply familiar with the needs of the student population he will serve.
One would assume a veteran educator of 23 years would know all the tricks in the book. Dottie Adams shares that the Coaching Academy offered more than one new technique to engage with fellow colleagues, interact with teaching interns and practice problem solving in her school.
Karen Kelly is no stranger to global travel. She's taught in Haiti and traveled to China, the Middle East and throughout Europe. When her school district sent out an announcement about the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms program, she knew it would be a great opportunity for her to learn more about education from a global perspective.