Juleen Jenkins-Whall, MA ’04 (Teaching and Curriculum), received the prestigious Milken Educator Award, dubbed as the “Oscars of Teaching.” She is one of only 40 other secondary teachers in the nation to receive the award, which recognizes outstanding work in the field of education and includes a monetary prize of $25,000. Jenkins-Whall, a science teacher in Traverse City, Mich., was commended for her dynamic and effective teaching practices, which include the incorporation of technology in the classroom and inspiring her students in ways that not only make learning fun, but allow students to work and succeed at their own pace.
Recipient of the Department of Kinesiology’s Professional Achievement Award this past spring, Linda Petlichkoff, MA ’82 (Health and Physical Education), is currently a faculty member in the Kinesiology department at Boise State University (BSU). During her career she has served as a secondary mathematics teacher and coach, as well as president of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. Petlichkoff co-developed The First Tee Life Skills Experience program from the World Golf Foundation and has been a faculty member at BSU for more than 20 years.
Awarded a Plumeri Award for Faculty Excellence at the College of William and Mary, Pamela Eddy, Ph.D. ’02 (Higher, Adult and Lifelong Education), was recognized for exemplary achievement in teaching, research and service. Described by her colleagues as a “rising star in the field of higher education,” Eddy received a $10,000 award to advance research goals.
Kacy Heinmiller King, MA ’04, Ph.D. ’08 (Higher, Adult and Lifelong Education), started a new job in August 2011 as director of educational services for student-athlete academic services at Florida State University (FSU). Prior to FSU, King worked at Duke University as the lead learning specialist of Athletic Academic Support.
For the past seven years, Kristy Walters, BA ’04, MA ’06 (Special Education) has served as an inspiration and role model to her students at Corunna Middle School. To honor her passion and commitment for education, the district named Walters the 2011 Teacher of the Year. In addition to her full-time teaching job, Walters does work with the Michigan Department of Education and is a member of several educational committees.
The Michigan Association of School Administrators (MASA) has named Tina Kerr, Ph.D. ’05 (K-12 Educational Administration), as the 2012 Michigan Superintendent of the Year. Kerr is superintendent of Coldwater Community Schools. She was described as a, “new-generation leader who has re-built strained relationships, set bold academic goals and energized a community around education,” by William Mayes, MASA executive director, during the award presentation.
Thomas Crisp, Ph.D. ’08 (Curriculum, Teaching and Educational Policy), has been elected to the Board of Directors for the Children’s Literary Assembly (CLA), an affiliate of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). A current assistant professor of reading at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, he also received the Florida Reading Association’s Marguerite Cogorno Radencich Award, annually honoring an outstanding teacher educator in reading.
On Sept. 1, 2011 Andrew Flagel, Ph.D. ’08 (Higher, Adult and Lifelong Education), began his new position as senior vice president for students and enrollment at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass. Flagel left the position of dean of admissions and associate vice president of enrollment development at George Mason University.
Recent graduate Clare Adamus, BA ’10 (Teacher Education), featured in the Spring/Summer 2011 New Educator for establishing a school recycling program during her internship year, was honored with the Distinguished Service Award from Keep Michigan Beautiful. Pam Frucci, B ’54 (Health and Physical Education), a member of the Keep Michigan Beautiful board of directors, nominated Adamus after she read the article. Adamus currently works at Rockford Public Schools as the first sixth-grade Spanish immersion teacher.