June 2013
Velda Arnaud, a Ph.D. in Education student, won the first Jo Marshall Leadership Award from Phi Theta Kappa, which carries a $5,000 stipend for personal leadership development. The award was presented at a ceremony during Phi Theta Kappa’s annual convention in San Jose, Calif., in April. Arnaud, who is a professor at Lane Community College in Eugene, Ore., and serves as Phi Theta Kappa’s Rocky Mountain Cascade regional coordinator, was selected as the award recipient for her project on leadership. She will deliver workshops on topics such as leading with integrity, bridging the generation gap, professional social networking, and designing a professional development plan.
Richard Baskas, a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) student, recently published Emergency Dispatch Center Quick Response Checklist, a manual for the fire department at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla. Designed to educate 911 dispatchers during training, the manual is the first of its kind and is based on Baskas’ 15 years of experience as a U.S. Air Force active duty firefighter and 911 dispatcher.
Faye Britt, a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) student and the assistant principal at Haller Middle School in Arlington, Wash., was featured in a series of articles in news outlets, including the Seattle Times and King5.com, about her participation in the 2013 Boston Marathon and her immediate organization of a “Run for Boston” event at her school to benefit victims of the bombings. Learn more about her efforts at Spotlight on Walden.
Kenneth “Trey” Cox ’09, an M.S. in Education (M.S.Ed.) graduate and an Ed.S. in Administrator Leadership for Teaching and Learning student, was named the principal of Patrick County High School in Stuart, Va., in May. He will start the position on July 1. He is currently the principal of Uwharrie Middle School in Trinity, N.C.
Cynthia Gadson, a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) student, published Big Bully Bob (Xlibris Corporation, 2013), a children’s book that examines bullying, social acceptance, and friendship. Gadson is the author of several other books, including Show Me! Teach Me! Guide Me! Poetry Through a Child’s Perspective (Tate Publishing, 2013). She has worked as an elementary school teacher for more than 17 years.
May 2013
Irene Barry, a Ph.D. in Education student, recently partnered with Dr. Douglas Tedford ’08, a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) graduate, to produce online courses for rural students in Guatemala as a volunteer for the Rigoberta Menchú Tum Foundation. Barry was featured in “Aztec Teacher Develops Online Courses for Rural Teachers in Guatemala” in The Daily Times on April 7 for her role. She is a transition teacher at Aztec High School in New Mexico. Dr. Tedford lives in Mexico City and works as an author, teacher trainer, researcher, and writer for Teaching Services Latin America.
La Tasha Bassette ’08, an M.S. in Education (M.S.Ed.) graduate and a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) student, participated in the panel discussion “Developing Good Teachers” at Southern Methodist University on April 3. The forum was sponsored by The Dallas Morning News and SMU’s Simmons School of Education and Human Development.
John Krenik, a Ph.D. in Education student, presented “Would Teaching Either Problem-based Learning or Skills-based Learning Significantly Increase Students' Drawing Abilities?” at the 2013 National Art Education Association national convention in Fort Worth, Texas, in March. Krenik is an art teacher at Nauset Regional Middle School in Orleans, Mass., as well as an award-winning artist.
March 2013
LaTasha P. Bassette ’08, an M.S. in Education (M.S.Ed.) graduate and a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) student, was named the 2012 Teacher of the Year at the Harold W. Lang Sr. Middle School in Dallas, Texas. She is currently the English as a second language (ESL) department chair and an eighth-grade ESL teacher.
Dr. Kimberly Handy ’12, an M.S. in Education (M.S.Ed.) and Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) graduate and an Ed.S. in Reading and Literacy Leadership student, presented the paper “Working With Biological Families: Can I Go and Live with My Uncle Eddie?” in February at the National Association of African American Studies Conference in Baton Rouge, La. She also recently had the paper “Analysis of Educators’ Perceptions Regarding Career and Technical Education, Academic Content, and Blended Curricula” published in the Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies in Education (Vol. 1, Issue 1). Dr. Handy is a language arts teacher in the Anchorage (Alaska) School District.
Rebecca Short ’09 (formerly Rebecca Barton), a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) graduate and a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) student, was recently elected to the Ohio League for Nursing’s board of directors. She is an assistant professor of nursing at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio.
February 2013
Susan Caley Opsal, a Ph.D. in Education student and Commitment to Social Change Scholarship recipient, co-authored the chapter “Gender Stereotypes Persist in Middle School Students Engaged in Technical Activity” in Advancing the STEM Agenda: Quality Improvement Supports STEM (Quality Press, 2012). She is an instructor at Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby, Ill.
Read accomplishments from previous years.