LAUNCH SPRING
2017
www.education.purdue.edu
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE 5 Reading helps children understand, empathize
Associate professor Judith Lysaker’s research focuses on the emotional connection that occurs when readers imagine a character’s thoughts and feelings and how that impacts the readers’ sense of empathy.
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6 Center a catalyst for STEM research, learning
What approch best optimizes STEM learning for K-12 students? Quests for answers define the work of the Center for Advancing the Teaching and Learning of STEM.
8 Purdue alumni star in Microsoft’s high-tech world
College of Education alumni at Lafayette School Corporation in Lafayette, Ind., bring a new universe of learning to their students, thanks to technology.
11 STEM conference generates buzz
Retired astronaut Buzz Aldrin delivered the keynote address to kick off the Indiana STEM Education Conference with 850 attendees.
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12 Troutner’s password: Purdue
College of Education alumna and chair of Purdue’s President’s Council Joanne Troutner has a passion for technology and Purdue.
14 Bowman’s major: perserverance
As a Marine and social studies education major, Mathew Bowman’s determination ensures he reaches his goals. Next steps include a few more classes, student teaching and then graduating next spring.
16 Alumna Ashley Dawson-Bottorff
Coordinator of Programs for Young Children for Indianapolis Public Schools and alumna Ashley Dawson-Bottorff shares memories about her time at Purdue.
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18 Faculty honors and awards 19 Retiring: Jim Lehman
After decades on Purdue’s campus, first as a student and later as a faculty member and administrator, Jim Lehman is retiring.
On the cover: Jill Newton, associate professor of mathematics education listens as graduate student Mavreen Tuvilla explains her research project “Youth’s Identity Negotiations in an After-school STEM Program” with her research partner, graduate student Casey Wright-Burmese.
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LAUNCH is a semiannual publication by the College of Education at Purdue University. Purdue University • College of Education • 100 N. University St., West Lafayette, IN 47907-2098 education@purdue.edu • (765) 494-2341 • www.education.purdue.edu • Editor/graphic designer: Tonya Agnew • Writer: Kathy Mayer (stories without byline written by Tonya Agnew ©2017 Purdue University. All rights reserved. An equal access/equal opportunity university. /PurdueEdu /PurdueEducation
FROM THE
DEAN The College of Education may be one of the smallest colleges on the Purdue campus, but our size does not determine—or diminish—the quality of our work. The nature of our work—discovering and developing human potential—is what makes other colleges and organizations successful. The impact of the work done by our faculty, staff, students and alumni has an exponential quality that few other professions can match. We can all take pride in knowing that our field of study and related professions make a difference in the lives of millions. It is in that context that I am especially proud to reflect on the accomplishments of the past academic year. We challenged the national phenomenon of declining undergraduate enrollment, and, for the first time in five years, enrolled more firsttime students than the year before. Enrollment numbers for Fall 2017 are encouraging, so I am cautiously optimistic that interest in the teaching profession is rebounding. This year, 131 students received bachelor’s degrees from the college, ready to start their careers or to continue their studies. Thanks to financial support from alumni and friends, we awarded 46 scholarships totaling nearly $120,000 to 90 students. Faculty research funding has exceeded $7.4M so far this year and is already a new record high for the college. In addition to the federallyfunded 7-year, $24.5M GEAR UP grant, our faculty received support from the National
Science Foundation, The Spencer Foundation and the John N. Gardner Institute, among others. More than 850 educators from across the state attended the second annual Indiana STEM Educators Conference and heard from astronaut Buzz Aldrin. The annual awards to the university’s top undergraduate teachers included two of our faculty: Signe Kastberg received the Charles B. Murphy Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award and David Sears received the Exceptional Early Teaching Award. Mandy Rispoli was the inaugural recipient of the university’s Trailblazer Award, a recognition of mid-career faculty members demonstrating excellence and impact in research and scholarship. Jennifer Richardson received the inaugural Digital Education Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award. Jill Newton received the Christian J. Foster Award for her contributions to K-12 science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in Indiana. Created only four years ago, the award has gone three times to professors in the College of Education. It has been a great year, yet we are not satisfied to rest on these laurels. The work of discovering and developing human potential doesn’t stop, and neither do we. Hail Purdue!
Maryann Santos, Dean www.education.purdue.edu
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YOU GAVE, AND WE
THANK YOU!
Beth Hopper’s family and friends, COE faculty and staff and Kelsey Dunham celebrate the launch of the Elizabeth Hopper Memorial Scholarship.
Alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends came together to support the College of Education during the fourth annual Purdue Day of Giving on April 26. And the college had its most successful Purdue Day of Giving yet!
Highlights:
• Raised $389,260, more than double our previous record from 2015 • Ranked 15th highest dollars raised out of 60 units across campus • Increased participation by 70% • Endowed the Elizabeth Hopper Memorial Scholarship • Won $2,000 in bonus money with the help of Pickle the French bulldog who was chosen as the most creative (and we think cutest!) pet in Purdue gear
We celebrated the launch of the Elizabeth Hopper Memorial Scholarship with cake, confetti and the first scholarship recipient. “I’ve received a COE scholarship each year, but this one by far means the most to me,” says Kelsey Dunham. “I felt so honored to be able to stand in front of Beth’s family and friends during Purdue Day of Giving to be recognized. It’s a day I will never forget, being able to learn of the legacy Beth left behind. I look forward to being able to carry on a piece of her legacy in my heart forever.” For a university-wide recap or if you missed the opportunity to give, visit the Purdue Day of Giving website at dayofgiving.purdue.edu.
Get ready to celebrate 150 years of Purdue Univsersity! As Purdue plans to celebrate its sesquicentennial in 2018-19, we’re gathering updates from our alumni around the globe. Submit your update via this quick, seven-question survey: http://bit.ly/Purdue150-COE 4
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READING HELPS
CHILDREN
UNDERSTAND,
EMPATHIZE
by Kathy Mayer
Books like “The Other Side” and “Breakfast for Jack” help children develop emotional connections.
Although a do-not-cross fence separates their town in the picture book, “The Other Side” by Jacqueline Woodson, Clover and Annie form a friendship while sitting on top of it, giving readers a glimpse into overcoming segregation. In the wordless book, “Breakfast for Jack” by Pat Schories, children follow a boy during morning rush who forgets to feed his dog, Jack, but hurries back inside when he realizes his oversight. Both stories enhance empathy, says Purdue College of Education’s Judith Lysaker, associate professor of literacy and language. Her research focuses on social imagination—the emotional connection that occurs when readers perceive and imagine characters’ thoughts, feelings and beliefs. “In our diverse country today, we need to pay more attention to helping children develop empathetic responses,” she says. Books open that door. “Reading and writing is not just a skill. It’s a human activity that changes who you are,” Lysaker learned as a first-grade teacher, witnessing her students’ reactions to stories.
That prompted her career interest in learning more about the understanding and empathy reading can bring. “Social imagination deepens comprehension and the exchange students can have about books,” she says. “It gives them more to bring to the table as they connect with people outside the book and navigate social interactions.” In research projects at Indiana schools, primarily with young children, she has determined, “Reading can change us, help us.” She’s taken that a step further, too. “I’ve written about how teachers can ask questions that encourage mega-cognitive thinking—like how the girls in ‘The Other Side’ navigate the boundaries between them.” Engaging social imagination brings multiple benefits, she says. “Being involved in a book’s vicarious social world is a critical part of reading and our well-being. When we understand other people and what they are going through, we understand ourselves better, and we learn to cooperate and survive.”
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CENTER A CATALYST FOR STEM RESEARCH, LEARNING
by Kathy Mayer
Three students from Southwestern Middle School in Shadeland, Ind., construct a milk container they designed. The students were asked to maximize the volume of the container while using a specified amount of materials.
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Photo by Mark Simons, Purdue Marketing and Media
What approach best optimizes science, technology, engineering and math learning for K-12 students? What research will bring us new knowledge to enhance teaching methods? What collaborations will lead to advancements? Quests for answers to these questions define the work of Purdue’s Center for Advancing the Teaching and Learning of STEM.
Selecting a rice crispy treat, little chocolatecovered donuts, a piece of rope candy and mini marshmallows, Brianna Chinn, a seventh grader at Southwestern Middle School in Lafayette, Ind., got busy. Not eating the items, but building a small car. The food served as her chassis, wheels, axles and bonding material. “I like this better than only working on a computer screen to design something, because I can touch it,” Chinn says. The building activity began after the group talked about what they like in cars, watched a short video on futuristic designs and selected from materials that also included nutty bars, Life Saver candy, Twizzlers candy and other edibles.
Taking math, engineering to the racetrack
Designed by graduate student Emine Ozturk as part of her coursework in Teaching Integrated Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, the carbuilding activity—and concluding race—focused on math and engineering. “One of the important reasons to use hands-on activities is so students can develop their active learning skills,” Ozturk says. “Also, materials can help students improve their divergent and convergent skills as they think about features of different materials and select the most appropriate for their design.” This afterschool opportunity was one of three trips to the Purdue campus for about 30 middle schoolers, who also built pyramids of sand to measure volume and designed greenhouses. Southwestern principal Karen Shuman, who selected participating students, saw it as a dual opportunity: get the kids to feel comfortable on a college campus and add to their STEM skills. “I am hoping our students enjoy the experience and determine that they could become an engineer, a scientist and a Boilermaker,” Shuman says.
CATALYST offers multiple courses
The course involving middle schoolers is one of several STEM-related classes developed through
the College of Education’s Center for Advancing the Teaching and Learning of STEM, known as CATALYST. Others bring STEM disciplines into the fields of agriculture, food, natural resources and social justice. A joint effort of the colleges of education and science, CATALYST is directed by Lynn Bryan, Ph.D., with funding from National Science Foundation, Lilly Foundation and the Indiana Department of Education. About 15 faculty in various disciplines are affiliated with the center, bringing insights from engineering education, physics, astronomy, agricultural education, biological sciences and technology, leadership and innovation disciplines.
Research, outreach part of the equation
One example of a research project is “Project RESET: Refugee Youth Engaging in Critical STEM Literacy and Learning.” Purdue’s Minjung Ryu, assistant professor of science education, and her team designed an afterschool learning environment for resettled youth from Myanmar. It draws on the sociocultural nature of STEM teaching and learning. “The youth collaboratively learn and talk about climate change and produce videos to communicate a message,” Ryu says. “They leverage various resources to create space for participating STEM learning practices and take actions to make change.” Beyond coursework and research, CATALYST initiatives include STEM teacher scholarships, a professional development program, degree certificate programs and STEM School Certification Mentoring. Outreach activities are also under way, including bringing corporate members in to serve on the center’s advisory board. At the heart of every aspect of CATALYST, says Drew Ayres, assistant director for programs and partnerships, is a mandate to “teach educators integrated STEM pedagogies. That includes current Purdue Education students and teachers already in the field.” www.education.purdue.edu
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STAR IN MICROSOFT’S
HIGH-TECH WORLD
by Kathy Mayer
Summer Winrotte instructs her seventh grade math class. Read more about how she uses technology at Microsoft’s education blog http://bit.ly/PurdueCOE-MIEE.
Already nicknamed “Star City,” Lafayette, Ind., now boasts a star marking its spot on Indiana’s map of digital successes. Earned by an eight-member team of educators in Lafayette School Corp., six of them Purdue University alumni, the sky-high achievement recognizes the state’s largest team of Microsoft Innovative Educator Experts (MIEE). Credentials in hand, these educators are accessing a galaxy of teaching resources and bringing a new universe of learning to their students at Tecumseh Junior High School and Jefferson High School. Two years ago, both sites signed on to the oneto-one computer initiative, often abbreviated to 1:1. Implementation assures that every student has one piece of learning technology. For Tecumseh and Jefferson, the technology is a school-issued Microsoft Surface 3. Summer Winrotte (BS ’07 Science), who has been a math teacher 10 years and is currently pursuing her College of Education master’s degree, was
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named the school corporation’s digital instruction coach. That put her in the role of learning all she could about using technology in teaching, helping school educators adopt new methods and troubleshooting along the way.
Becoming experts
For help, she headed to cyberspace, searching for ideas, ways to connect with others, gain new knowledge and maximize classroom technology opportunities. “I had to reach out beyond our community,” she says as she recalls her belief in her first year of teaching that she would never go paperless. Winrotte soon learned of the Microsoft MIEE program, applied and was accepted. She has been loading her spacecraft since. “It was like chopping through a forest,” Winrotte says. “I asked questions, started building relationships with other instructional coaches and attended a forum of MIEEs last June in Denver.” Her efforts and her local team’s number,
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Photo used with permission from Microsoft.
PURDUE ALUMNI
enthusiasm and range of applications attracted Microsoft’s attention, and this spring the technology giant came calling on Winrotte and her high-tech teachers. A video crew visited Lafayette School Corp. classrooms and documented what’s happening. The video story is now in production.
Tapping a payload of resources
Among the resources Microsoft provides its MIEEs: new products in beta form they can try out, invitations to MIEE-only events, and opportunities to collaborate with innovative educators around the world, participate in global webinar calls and access professional and career development opportunities. For Winrotte, belonging to this professional learning network, both virtual and in-person, has been critical. She has attended and presented at conferences, which expanded her network worldwide, and she continually learns new ways to exploit technology to benefit teachers and students.
Bringing benefits back to earth’s classrooms
Anne Custer (BS ’97 COE) is one teacher Winrotte recruited to the MIEE team. “We are always touching technology in my classroom,” says Custer, who teaches language arts at Tecumseh Junior High. “We adopted a new language arts textbook this year that is very interactive. Students can sign in and use interactive tutorials for areas where they may need a little practice,” she says. “It gives them immediate feedback.” Because students are already well-oriented to technology, she says, “I can slide that learning in. There’s this whole philosophy of gamifying your classroom, learning and having fun. That’s the best of all worlds for me—and for them.” As a resource, the MIEE program lets her tap what other teachers are doing through Microsoft. “I access that a lot, find information and connect,” Custer says. “It’s cool to be learning and growing as a teacher.” (Continued on page 10.)
Anne Custer guides eighth-grade students during a language arts lesson.
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(Continued from page 9.)
Benefits for teachers and students are broad, Winrotte says, citing uses of different learning tools, such as videos, cartoon storyboards and online graphing. “We are infusing technology in state standards where we can impact learning,” Winrotte says.
COE Alumni on the MIEE Team Besides Summer Winrotte and Anne Custer, these Purdue graduates are Microsoft Innovative Educator Experts at Lafayette School Corp. in Lafayette, Ind.: Tecumseh Junior High School • Ben Murray (MS Ed ’11 COE) • Lisa Roetker (BS ’89 COE) Jefferson High School • Christy Diehl (BS ’07, MS Ed ’17 COE) • Tim Franklin (BS ’09, ’14 MS COE)
She developed a lesson, for example, to meet the Indiana standard requirement to “use inductive reasoning to explain the Pythagorean theorem.” It involved handheld plastic tiles, importing a picture of the tile design, annotating on top of the photo and translating into a formula. That combined tactile, color, technology and calculations. How technology is incorporated depends on individual teachers. “Potentially, teachers can shave time off lesson planning, be better organized and present instruction that fits their course the best.” Launched in 2013, the MIEE program accepts educators for a full calendar year, reports Robyn Hrivnatz, marketing and educator programs manager for US Education at Microsoft. “They can reapply each year if they want to continue in the program.” The Microsoft experts program is a door to the world, Winrotte and her team can attest. “With how connected our world is, the idea of staying within this school building and never talking to anyone else really narrows our potential impact as educators,” she says. “With the ability to reach out, we expand the educational possibilities within our walls.”
Use of plastic tiles as manipulatives and a digital lesson helped students in Summer Winrotte’s math class at Tecumseh Junior High School, Lafayette, Ind., master the Pythagorean theorem.
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STEM CONFERENCE
GENERATES BUZZ
94 SESSIONS Photo by Rebecca Wilcox, Purdue Marketing and Media
129 PRESENTERS
860 ATTENDEES
K-12 educators from across the state gained valuable knowledge for their classrooms at the Indiana STEM Education Conference on Jan. 12. The event, sponsored by Purdue’s College of Education, the Center for Advancing the Teaching and Learning of STEM (CATALYST), the Indiana Department of Education and the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, included sessions on K-12 STEM practice, STEM education research and STEM resources. Retired astronaut Buzz Aldrin, pictured, kicked off the event as keynote speaker. Aldrin shared memories of his time with NASA and his thoughts on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) education.
CAREER ASSESSMENT
SERVICES FOR HIGH SCHOOLERS Students in the counseling psychology doctoral program will offer a career assessment service this summer to high school-age children of Purdue faculty and staff, as well as to high schoolers in Tippecanoe County and surrounding counties. The service, offered May 25 to July 31, is open to high schoolers of all ages, says Eric Deemer, associate professor of counseling and development. Career assessments will take place at Purdue’s Counseling and Guidance Center in Beering Hall. Doctoral students will serve as clinicians under
the supervision of a faculty member who is a licensed psychologist. The parents of high schoolers can sign their teens up for this service by calling the Counseling and Guidance Center at 765-494-9738. The student’s name, age and year in school are required, as well as their parents’ names and contact information. Interested families are encouraged to call now to reserve a space, as clients will not be accepted after June 30. The assessment fee of $100, paid via cash or check, will be required at the first session. www.education.purdue.edu
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TROUTNER’S PASSWORD:
PURDUE Passion for technology and Purdue fills alum’s days.
Joanne Troutner speaks at the President’s Council Naples Weekend in Naples, Fla., this past February.
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by Kathy Mayer
Early adopter of technology in education
“I’m still impacting students, but even more students now,” because she often instructs educators. She’s also published extensively in her field.
Boilermaker from birth
Her life in technology began in 1981 at Lafayette, Ind.’s Jefferson High School, where she was a librarian and used an Apple II Plus. She soon got one for home, too, storing her files on 5.25-inch floppy disks. Countless more computers, tablets, smartphones and other high-tech must-haves have followed in the years since. “There’s always something new to learn—and to learn how to use it effectively,” Troutner says. “If there’s something new, I want it.” Not for the sake of ownership, but for education, says Troutner, whose public-school education career included posts as an English teacher in Minot, N.D., and in Indiana, at Lafayette School and Tippecanoe School corporations as a librarian, media specialist and director of technology and media. “The kids didn’t see me as a teacher,” she said of her spot in the library. “I was providing them a safe place. I could be a sounding board, so I did a lot of informal counseling.” Getting a book in a kid’s hands, sparking a love of learning and teaching them research techniques fueled her career, and computers and technology enhanced her reach. “Technology is one more tool in the learning toolkit. It allows kids to create things and showcase what they learn. It gives students immediacy and the ability to communicate across the world.”
Troutner’s Boilermaker spirit surfaced much earlier than her interest in technology, first through stories from her father, who took the agriculture short course and farmed in Delaware County, Ind., then as a young teen who came to campus for a 4-H junior leader conference. Even though the 10-year 4-H member raised hogs and beef cattle and learned sewing and cooking, her choice of study at Purdue was first English, then librarian/media specialist, following her mother’s Ball State University studies. From her parents, “I got a wonderful work ethic, a love of animals and a strong background for being independent.” Early teachers, too, influenced her: Miss Spurgeon, senior English teacher Mrs. Ramsey, and librarian Mrs. Carter. “I got to work in the library rather than take study hall,” Troutner recalls. Her Purdue undergraduate years were busy. Besides classwork, she was involved in ROTC Angel Flight, Mortar Board, Phi Delta Kappa, Phi Beta Kappa, Green Guard and Tomahawk. At Purdue, she met and later married “a California boy named Lary,” who joined the Purdue staff. He died in 2011 from ALS. Her Gold and Black takeaways were “the lifelong learning piece—Purdue fostered that in me—and the ability to effectively look at different points of view. Those were big things. If I can impart those to any student, anybody, I have given them the keys to success.”
Now teaches adults
Often back on campus
In 1981, she founded Creative Computer Enterprises, serving clients such as IBM, ETS and World Book, giving curriculum and technology presentations at conferences. In 1998, she began leading workshops on K-12 technology uses through the Bureau of Education and Research. She continues with both, teaching adults rather than K-12 students.
Today, Troutner chairs the Purdue President’s Council and serves on its advisory board. She’s also a member of the College of Education Dean’s Advisory Board, and volunteers as a Purduette mentor. “Purdue is where I always felt okay to excel,” she says. “I’m very loyal. I give back. It’s what alums do.”
www.education.purdue.edu
Photo used with permission, Purdue Special Events, University Development Office.
A self-described “gadget geek” intrigued by computers and their potential, Joanne Troutner’s (BS ’74, MS ’76 COE) interest in technology is matched only by her passion for Purdue University.
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BOWMAN’S MAJOR:
PERSEVERANCE by Kathy Mayer
Growing up, Mathew Bowman’s interests tallied more time than hours in a day. He played football, wrestled, kept his grades up so he could be on the teams, followed other sports, liked history, planned a stint in the U.S. Marines and thought about a federal government security career. In the decade since he graduated from high school in 2007, he continued his passion for sports, served as a Marine, got married, became a dad to three sons, and added even more to his plate—playing basketball, coaching youth sports and pursuing a Purdue social studies education degree. By any measure, those would be rated challenging choices and busy schedules. Add in life’s unexpected, and you’ll understand why Bowman, now 29, believes that mastering perseverance has been his greatest lesson and the most powerful one he will take into the classroom as a teacher. The youngest of four children raised in Lafayette, Ind., by Ken and Sandy Bowman, Matt learned from his parents and sports, “Hard work pays off. And the end result can be better than what you expected.” He entered the Marines right after high school, training and serving in Georgia and North Carolina. He went to Afghanistan in January 2011.
Fighting for his life
The month after his arrival, Bowman stepped on an IED, improvised explosive device, and was severely injured. He lost both of his legs and two fingers, and spent 18 months recovering at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington D.C. He describes that time as “intense therapy.” Back home in Indiana, he rekindled his love of history; trained with his white German shepherd therapy dog, Brie, who helps him with balance when he walks with his prostheses; and took courses at a local community college. In fall 2015, he enrolled at Purdue to complete a bachelor’s degree, which he expects to earn in spring 2018.
New goal: social studies teacher
His next steps will be a few more classes and then student teaching, where perseverance lessons will go hand-in-hand with social studies.
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Matt Bowman smiles outside Beering Hall of Liberal Arts and Education on Purdue’s campus. /CollegeOfEducationPurdue /PurdueEdu
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“I hope to instill in students that if they set their minds to do something, it can be accomplished,” he says. “I think seeing me in the classroom can help encourage students beyond just the academic field.” In the meantime, he’s guiding his sons Jayce, Brett and Liam in their many sports interests. “We bought them a home wrestling mat for Christmas,” he says. And he’s studying alongside his wife, Paige Bowman, who also plans to become a teacher. They share an interest in football, too. “I got lucky meeting her. She was already a Colts fan,” he says, even though she lived in Florida. They met when he was stationed at Kings Bay, Ga. While she’s not fond of basketball, he says, when it comes to their family, “She’ll sit through any sport for the kids.” Of his studies, Bowman says, “I enjoy my history classes, definitely. One of my favorites
was a class on World War II, because I know Marines who fought then. Another class I really enjoyed was medieval history, about Europe and the Middle East in the Middle Ages.” He’s found the number of classes focusing on educational aspects interesting. “I’m learning different teaching styles, educational psychology, adaptations some students require, and laws and policies.” Some classes he finds more difficult than others, and economics falls into the that category, he says. “I’m in one now. It’s tough.” Choosing Purdue was a perfect fit, he says. “I grew up here. We have a house here. I applied, got in, and now I’m a Boiler. “I’m glad I’m continuing my education at a great institution. And the basketball team is not too bad right now, either.”
Becoming a teacher
To encourage enrollment in Purdue teacher education programs, the College of Education hosts Become a Teacher Day for high school students each spring. This year, on April 20, over 100 students in grades nine through 12, along with their parents and teachers, learned about Purdue’s highly acclaimed teacher preparation programs, career pathways and emerging trends in the profession. They also took tours of campus and heard from College of Education student ambassadors.
Recruiting new teacher education graduates
Top photo: Prospective teacher education students make new friends at Become a Teacher Day on April 20. Bottom photo: Teacher education seniors interview with representatives from LaPorte Community School Corporation, LaPorte, Ind., and Lafayette School Corporation, Lafayette, Ind.
Teacher Recruitment Day, held on April 24, is a collaborative effort between the Center for Career Opportunities and the College of Education. It’s an annual, one-day recruitment session for educational institutions, corporations, districts and agencies to interview teacher candidates. Schools and organizations from Indiana, California, Alaska, South Carolina, Florida and everywhere in between, and even international locations, shared information about available teaching opportunities. In all, 65 schools held 315 interviews with 93 teacher education soon-to-be graduates.
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ALUMNA
ASHLEY
Photo provided.
DAWSON-BOTTORFF by Alex Borst
Serving as the Programs for Young Children Coordinator for Indianapolis Public Schools, Ashley Dawson-Bottorff (BA ‘00) coordinates special education services for children ages three through five. From working with teachers to improving instruction, to helping parents navigate the public school system for the first time, most of her time is spent serving and supporting others. Alex Borst, manager of donor and alumni relations:
Why did you choose Purdue?
Ashley Dawson-Bottorff: “I went to Purdue because
of its academic reputation. A degree from Purdue has a weight to it that other universities don’t have. My father is also a Purdue grad, so I was raised to love Purdue and enjoy Boilermaker basketball. “I had originally planned to go to IUPUI, but after receiving great SAT scores, I decided to go for the college experience in West Lafayette. I couldn’t be happier that I made that decision.” AB: Why did you major in education? AD: “Education is one of the most important
fields one can choose to work in. Educators grow the next generation of citizens and workforce. High-quality teachers who are flexible problemsolvers are essential to our students’ future.” AB: What
do you love most about being an educator?
AD: “I love knowing that I have an impact on a 16
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student’s long-term success. My department sets the youngest students on the path of loving learning, graduating from school, and becoming independent adults who can realize their own goals and dreams.” AB: How
has your Purdue degree afforded you advantages?
AD: “Purdue University has an excellent academic
reputation – in nearly all areas of study. When I first graduated in 2000, I noticed that while my classes at Purdue had a focus on problem solving and data-based decision making, other young colleagues didn’t seem like they had that same exposure. “Between the extra-curricular activities and my coursework, I left Purdue as a well-rounded graduate. I could have enjoyed many different career paths as a result, but I’m glad I’ve stayed the path in education. I have been able to continue stretching my own skills while passionately serving my students, families and staff.”
Developing human potential
Dawson-Bottorff embodies the College of Education’s mission of launching the future through the discovery and development of human potential.
Read Dawson-Bottorff ’s entire story at: www.education.purdue.edu/alumni-spotlights /PurdueEducation
HONORED ALUMNUS, UNDERGRADUATE & GRADUATE STUDENTS Biology teacher Joseph Ruhl (BS ‘77; MS ‘80) is stunned as Lindy Whetzel, vice-chair of the board of trustees of The National Teachers Hall of Fame, announces that he is to be inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame during a surprise convocation in Ruhl’s honor April 7, at Lafayette Jefferson High School, Lafayette, Ind. (Photo used with permission from Lafayette Journal & Courier.)
ALUMNUS
The Indiana Association of Colleges of Teacher Education recognized five teacher education students with the “Outstanding Future Educator” award at a banquet on April 7. Congratulations to (from left) Amanda Morgavan (elementary education), Karli Spesard (elementary education), Kim Fredenburg (elementary education), Alyssa Jackson (physical education) and Carolyn Ferrill (English education).
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS The winners of the 11th Annual Graduate Student Education Research Symposium, held in late March, include: Research In-Progress Poster Winner
Yizhou Qian for “Misconceptions in Introductory Programming: A Datadriven Approach” Completed Research Poster Winner
Shalyse Iseminger “Applying Multicultural Education in Churches” Outstanding Undergraduate Research Poster Presenter:
Meghan Bednarek for “The Effects of Socioeconomic Status of Kindergarten Students on Literacy Instruction”
GRADUATE STUDENTS From left: Anita Ogheneovo Amiaya, Marquetta Strait, Shamila Janakiraman, Ophélie Desmet, Maureen Tuvilla, Murat Akarsu, Shalyse Iseminger, Yizhou Qian, Hayden Fennell, Corinne Green, Ruqayya Perkins-Williams, Maryann Santos (dean)
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FACULTY AWARDS,
Alberto Rodriguez,
the Mary Endres Chair in Elementary Education, was awarded the 2017 American Educational Research Association, Div. K Innovations in Research on Diversity in Teacher Education Award.
HONORS & PROMOTIONS Signe Kastberg,
associate professor of mathematics education, was awarded Purdue University’s highest teaching honor, the Charles B. Murphy Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award.
Toni Rogat, assistant
professor of educational psychology, was awarded a $47,655 grant from the Spencer Foundation to study ways to reverse the decline of middle grade student interest in science.
Carla Johnson,
professor of science education and executive director of Indiana GEAR UP, was awarded Purdue’s Office of Engagement Faculty Engagement Fellow Award.
David Sears, clinical assistant
professor of educational psychology and research methodology, was honored with Purdue’s Exceptional Early Career Award, which recognizes outstanding undergraduate teaching among early career, tenure-track faculty.
Jill Newton, associate
professor of mathematics education won the Christian J. Foster Award from the Office of Engagement, given to faculty who has contributed to K-12 STEM education in Indiana.
Wayne Wright, the Barbara
I. Cook Chair of Literacy and Language and professor of literacy and language, received the Charles A. Ferguson Award for Outstanding Scholarship from the Center for Applied Linguistics.
Jennifer Richardson,
professor of learning design and technology, was named the recipient of the inaugural 2017 Digital Education Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award.
Mandy Rispoli,
associate professor of special education, received Purdue’s inaugural Trailblazer Award for outstanding midcareer research and scholarship. 18
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The following promotions are effective with the 2017-18 academic year.
Laura Bofferding was promoted to associate professor of curriculum and instruction. David Sears was promoted to clinical associate professor of educational studies. Signe Kastberg was promoted to professor of curriculum and instruction.
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RETIRING
JIM LEHMAN Jim Lehman came to Purdue University in 1969 to major in biology and never left. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees, both in biology, and a PhD in science education. Lehman’s time as a Purdue faculty member began in 1983 as assistant professor of educational technology. He went on to become head of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, director of the Discovery Learning Research Center and associate dean for research and faculty development, where he remains today.
Honored expertise and excellence Lehman’s talents as both a teacher and administrator are reflected in a bevy of accolades and awards. He was inducted into the inaugural class of Purdue’s Book of Great Teachers and was named a member of Purdue’s Teaching Academy. In 1988, he received the Sagamore of the Wabash, the highest honor an Indiana governor can bestow, by Robert Orr, governor of Indiana at the time. The word ‘sagamore’ was a term used by Native American tribes in the region to describe a person among the tribe whom the chief consulted for wisdom and advice. “Perhaps it is the perfect description for what Jim has brought to the college all these years,” says Maryann Santos, dean.
College of Education memories
When asked about a favorite College of Education memory, Lehman shared, “It is difficult to single out
just one thing, but certainly a high point for me was directing the P3T3 project in the early 2000s because that project combined my interests in educational technology, teaching and faculty development. The project helped spur increased use of educational technologies throughout the College of Education.” “The first time I had a conversation with him, he invited me to be part of a huge grant he had in technology,” says JoAnn Phillion, professor of curriculum studies. “I wondered why he asked me, but we gradually developed a project that connected Purdue preservice students with classrooms in East Chicago. The project opened the door for me to think about using technology to address issues around diversity and field experiences.”
Not sitting still
While he’s stepping down from his official post, Lehman plans to remain active in the field. Lehman says, “I hope to maintain involvement in a couple of grant projects, work on a backlog of home projects both in West Lafayette and at our new vacation house in Michigan, and maybe teach an occasional online course.” “He holds a vast storehouse of institutional knowledge, perspective and wisdom that simply cannot be replaced,” says Santos. “Couple that knowledge with his thoughtful and careful consideration, his reflective and patient disposition, and his unquestionable integrity and you’ll know why I consider him not just a Sagamore of the Wabash, but a Sagamore of Purdue.” www.education.purdue.edu
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Non-Profit Organization US Postage PAID Purdue University
Beering Hall of Liberal Arts and Education 100 N. University Street West Lafayette, IN 47907-2098
CONFERENCES
& CAMPS Summer STEM Camp
Hosted by Indiana GEAR UP, Summer STEM Camp is for students and teachers in eight select partner schools across the state and will provide exciting and innovative learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Free for students, the camp also includes transportation and lunch. Various dates at partner schools now through July 13
http://bit.ly/PurdueSTEMcamp
Super Summer, hosted by GERI (Gifted Education Resource Institute), is a week-long day camp for academically, creatively and artistically talented youth gifted and talented children in kindergarten through fourth grade. Interdisciplinary courses are geared at least two grade levels above each student’s current school grade. June 12-16 and June 19-23
http://bit.ly/PurdueGERIss /CollegeOfEducationPurdue
Every summer for over 40 years, GERI has engaged gifted, creative and talented students from across the country and around the world in residential camps designed to stimulate their imagination and expand their abilities. Students who have completed grades five through twelve live in campus residence halls, take challenging courses and participate in engaging recreational activities. Various weeks in July
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EXCITE!
EXcel, Create, and Inspire the Teaching Experience (EXCITE!) is a five-day residential camp that provides rising sophomore, junior and senior high school students with experiences that will motivate, inspire and encourage them to discover teaching as a career. July 16-21
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GERI Super Summer
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GERI Summer Residential Camp
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The National STEM Education Research and Practice Summit
This event is a forum for STEM education researchers, as well as those enacting best practices in K-20 STEM education to come together and share knowledge and experiences. Oct. 16-17 www.conf.purdue.edu/NationalSTEMSummit /PurdueEducation