Faculty News
Nesmith Joins Dean’s Office
Dr. Suzanne Nesmith, associate professor in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction, is now serving as Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education in the School of Education. She continues her teaching in science education at both the undergraduate and graduate levels and related research, including collaborative work on a National Science Foundation grant.
In the Dean’s office, Nesmith has responsibilities encompassing recruiting, admissions, financial aid, advisement, the Learning Resource Center and the Office of Professional Practice.
Publishing News
Dr. Lakia M. Scott, assistant professor, and Dr. Barbara Purdum-Cassidy, clinical assistant professor in Curriculum & Instruction, have edited a book on urban literacy with Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Titled Culturally Affirming Literacy Practices for Urban Elementary Students, the book calls into question whether current educational policies and practices are equitably serving urban African American and Hispanic/Latino(a) students. Scott and Cassidy examine culturally affirming literacy practices through the lens of scholarship and research, trends in the field, and implications for teacher-education models.
Dr. Grant B. Morgan, associate professor of Educational Psychology, published Survey Scales: A Guide to Development, Analysis, and Reporting, with co-author Robert L. Johnson, professor in the Department of Educational Studies at the University of South Carolina. The book, published by Guilford Press for applied researchers or graduate students, synthesizes the literature from the survey and measurement fields, grounded in the research and work experiences of the authors, who have expertise in conducting surveys and teaching classes on survey design.
Awards Season
Dr. Sandi Cooper, professor of math education, was selected as one of two recipients of the 2016 Baylor Centennial Professor Awards. Created by the Baylor Centennial Class of 1945, the award provides tenured professors with $5,000 for research projects that will facilitate more in-depth study in his or her field.
Cooper will use the award to fund a study that will define highly effective elementary school mathematics teachers. She will use her research to improve her early-education courses and better teach her students — future educators themselves — what they can do to establish math skills early in their students’ lives.
Cooper is also president-elect of the Texas Council of Teachers of Mathematics (TCTM); she will take office as president in January 2017.
Dr. Trena Wilkerson, professor and Graduate Program Director in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction, received the E. Glenadine Gibb Achievement Award at the 2016 Conference for the Advancement of Mathematics Teaching in June. The award honors a member of the Texas Council for Teachers of Mathematics for his or her contribution to the improvement of mathematics education at the state and national level.
Wilkerson’s research interests include lesson study, algebra efficacy, mathematics and literature, and rational number understanding. She is an elected member of the board of directors of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and editor of the journal Texas Mathematics Teacher, published by TCTM. The journal is now housed at Baylor School of Education, and Dr. Rachelle Rogers, clinical assistant professor, serves as associate editor.
Faculty Additions
The Department of Educational Administration welcomed Tiffany Hogue, BA ’95, as clinical professor of higher education. Hogue holds a juris doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center. For the past 13 years, she has served in Baylor’s Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost, most recently as the provost’s chief of staff. She will teach graduate courses in the areas of educational leadership, governance and law, teach undergraduate courses in the Leadership minor, and work with the dean on a variety of strategic efforts.
Dr. Stephanie Gerow joined the Department of Educational Psychology as assistant professor, teaching courses in the special education specialization. Gerow earned her undergraduate degree at Davidson College and PhD and BCBA (board certified behavior analyst) from Texas A&M University. Her research focuses on teaching natural change agents — such as the parents of children with developmental disabilities — to implement behavior interventions.