PSU announces Excellence in Sustainability Awards

Judy Bluehorse Skelton and Sona Andrews

Eight sustainability leaders at PSU were honored at the sixth annual PSU Sustainability Celebration, held in the Smith Memorial Student Union. Among this year’s winners were several from the GSE. Dr. Dilafruz Williams, Educational Leadership and Policy faculty member, received the Excellence in Sustainability Research award for faculty members. Leadership for Sustainability Education program alumna Judy Bluehorse Skelton received an Excellence in Teaching and Sustainability award. And Lewis Elementary School, which partners with the GSE’s Leadership for Sustainability Education program, was recognized with a PSU Sustainability Partnership Award.

Former Curriculum and Instruction chair passes away

The GSE community mourns the loss of Dr. Judy Edwards Allen, a former faculty member and long-time chair of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Dr. Allen served the GSE from 1983 to her retirement in 1994. After her time with the GSE, she continued to work and volunteer in a wide range of activities. One of her areas of expertise was technology, having worked as the director of the Computer Technology Program at the Northwest Regional Educational Lab.

New scholarship pays tribute to family of Oregon educators

To honor her family, Graduate School of Education Professor Amy Petti has made a gift to establish a new GSE scholarship. The Brakke-Daggett-Petti Family Educational Leadership Endowed Scholarship will be available to students in the Initial Administrator Licensure (IAL) program. It is Dr. Petti’s intention to help teachers become school leaders, and to encourage others who share this goal to support the scholarship. The gift consists of $25,000 to establish and endow the scholarship. In addition, the gift includes annual support to ensure that at least one $1,000 scholarship can be awarded each year. Because most IAL students are post-master’s, there is little or no other financial assistance available for them.

New GSE associate dean selected

Dean Randy Hitz announced the appointment of Dr. Micki M. Caskey to Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Dr. Caskey has worked in the Curriculum and Instruction department in the GSE for 15 years. She has been a Graduate Teacher Education Program cohort leader specializing in the content areas literacy, action research, learning strategies, content enhancements, and teacher education. Dr. Caskey has also been the co-Principle Investigator for the American Indian Urban Teacher Program and faculty advisor for the Online Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction. Prior to coming to PSU, she spent more than 20 years working with students in inner-city schools. 

GSE faculty member Deve Swaim receives national honor

Deve Swaim, MS, a Graduate Teacher Education Program instructor, cohort leader, and the program coordinator for secondary licensure in the Curriculum and Instruction Department, has been selected for induction into the North American Society for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Sport and Dance, (AAHPERD). This induction recognizes outstanding professionals from within the professions of health education, physical education, recreation, sport and dance.

New $25,000 gift endows Sandy Kaplan Scholarship

The GSE has received a new gift of $25,000 from Professor Emeritus Joe Kaplan to endow the Sandy Kaplan Scholarship, a fund established in memory of his first wife, Sandy. He has been supporting this scholarship annually since 2007, but this gift to endow it will ensure the permanent continuation of the scholarship for the future.

The Sandy Kaplan scholarship is intended for a student in a GSE teacher preparation program who has multicultural experience. Preference is given to students who intend to work with children or youth for whom English is a second language.