Dr. Richard Kunkel (1990-2001)
In 1990, Dr. Richard Kunkel, who was then serving as the executive director of the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), accepted the dean of education position at Auburn University. Kunkel received his bachelor’s degree from Northeast Missouri State University, a master’s from the University of Missouri, and a doctorate from St. Louis University. Prior to his work with Auburn and NCATE, Kunkel served as dean at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and chair of the Department of Education at St. Louis University. He also served as a public school teacher and assistant high school principal. Kunkel left Auburn University in 2001 to become the dean of the Florida State University College of Education—a position from which he recently retired.
g resources, Building on existin new relationships
el r Dean Rich Kunk a retrospect by forme national accollege was facing a the , ed riv ar I en Wh . I talked talhad been postponed t tha it vis n tio ta credi and the college rking on that task, ented people into wo did very well. its wonderked the college with Also, I feel that I lin evements of hi ac the and leveraged ory st hi ng ro st fully as a college of e us into the future id gu to e erc Pi an Trum both learn from y, our college could wa s thi In . ion at educ ld to better adr colleagues in the fie ou th wi r ne rt pa d an Pierce stood for s children. Truman a’ am lab A for e cat vo the future must ege of education in all that a “good coll raightforward and st his history was on g in ild bu so ,” be ege be seen as a also helped our coll s thi nk thi . I ht rig and helpful to entire university the of rt pa le ab lu va ate. leadership in the st strong rethe college also built During this time, ni—both of um al d r students an ou th wi ps hi ns tio la my work in at Auburn. I found whom are so special tional AdvisoNa ’ s ege d staff our coll an e at cre to g in lp he ding work I did ong the most rewar am be to cil un Co ry erful friendnot only built wond il nc cou e Th n. dea as ts so many , but it still represen ships for the college . me d an hips for my wife wonderful friends
1990
2005
Dr. Richard K. Kunkel is appointed dean.
Dr. Frances K. Kochan is appointed dean.
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B u i l d i n g a b e tt e r f u t u r e f o r a l l
Dr. Frances K. Kochan (2005 to present)
From the kindergarten classroom to the dean’s office, Dr. Frances Kochan’s 40-plusyear career in education has included nearly level possible at which an educator can serve. A member of the college’s faculty since 1994, Dr. Kochan’s appointment as dean in July 2005 makes her only the fifth dean—and first female—to serve in the post. She is a tenured professor in the Department of Educational Foundations, Leadership and Technology. In the 10 years she has served the college, she has held the titles of associate professor, professor, Truman Pierce Institute director, associate dean for administration and interim dean. As director of the Truman Pierce Institute, she established and coordinated university, community and private partnerships for teacher training and curriculum improvement in local schools—most notably in Alabama’s Black Belt region. Kochan’s professional background includes experience as a classroom teacher, principal and assistant superintendent prior to her faculty experiences at Auburn and Florida State University. Internationally known for her expertise in mentoring, Kochan has written articles on the teacher’s role as a researcher, and has published book chapters on family and school relationships and middle school organizational change. Her major research interests include barriers to organizational change and school and university collaboration, which are also topics of her frequent speaking requests. Most recently, Kochan was appointed as a member of Gov. Bob Riley’s Teacher Certification and Licensure Committee, where she will work with others in finding ways to prepare, support and place high-quality teachers in every classroom. She also serves on the boards of the International Mentoring Association and Holmes Partnership. She has been honored with the 2002 Distinguished Educator Award from the Florida State College of Education’s Alumni Association and the 2002 Outstanding Faculty Award for Outreach by the AU College of Education.