Message from the Dean
Stumble yes, fall not
The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand,” (Psalm 37:23-24). As this academic year draws to a close, we can pause to reflect upon what we have accomplished and what we have endured. This verse is a reminder that we did not walk alone, and we did not fall, even as we experienced different “storms” in our lives and in our work. COVID continued to create challenges for educators and students across the country. Through these trials, many have come to appreciate more deeply the critical and difficult work of teachers and of mental health professionals. As a campus, we are having very difficult conversations about complex issues as we strive to respect and care for all members of our community. It has indeed been a “full” year, and we have been stretched in many ways.
Through it all, the energy, vitality, and resilience of the School of Education faculty and staff have been undiminished. We have remained focused on what we do best. As you will see, our faculty and staff continue to excel in research, teaching, and community engagement. Being a part of shaping current and future leaders during this time has been especially meaningful. To meet the challenges, we have had to adapt, create, design, redesign, and innovate. For example, we have successfully launched our Early Childhood Education program and restructured our Curriculum and Instruction program so that there are new areas of concentration. In this issue, you will also read about the recent offerings in our EdTalks series.
Our students, past and present, have been phenomenal. In this issue, you will read about some of their achievements. A total of 112 students will be graduating from the School of Education, and over 160 students have been admitted for the next year. We are honored to have been a part of the journey of those graduating, and to come alongside those recently admitted as they begin a new chapter.
Thank you to our students for adapting to different circumstances and demonstrating resilience. Thank you to our alumni and friends for your enduring support. With an innovative mindset, talented, energetic faculty and staff, and your support, we are prepared to forge ahead. There is much work to be done, and I am sure we will face many challenges along the way. We lean on our faith as we do this work. We do not pray for the storm not to come. Instead, we invite God to be in the storm with us. We will not attempt the journey alone.
Blessings to you,
Nyaradzo Mvududu
Dean
School of Education
Alumni & current students highlights
Kevin Rupprecht is a current student in the doctoral program and the superintendent certification program. He serves as the principal at Lt. Gen. W.H. Harrison Preparatory School, an international baccalaureate world school. The school has been listed as one of the top schools (#8 out of 400+ schools) in Washington state, and in the top 3% in the nation by U.S. News and World Report. This ranking is intended to show how well the nation’s public schools serve all students on six measures: college readiness, college curriculum breadth, state assessment performance, state assessment proficiency, reading and math proficiency, reading and math performance, underserved student performance, and graduation rates.
Congratulations to Dr. Dan King on being selected as the director of business and finance for North Mason School District. Dan has been with the district for seven years as principal of Belfair Elementary. Dan completed the superintendent program with us in 2021 and his principal certification with us in 2012.
Doctoral student Erin O’Connor Rudman and Professor of Counselor Education Dr. Cher Edwards presented a talk “Collaborating With Graduate Students and Interns to Advocate for the Profession” at the 2022 Pennsylvania School Counselors Association Spring Virtual Conference.
SOE alumna Dr. Esther Penzar and Professor of Counselor Education Dr. Cher Edwards gave a talk on “Academic Achievement: Exploring the Role of Hope and Academic Self-Efficacy” at the 2022 Annual Washington School Counselor Association State Conference.
Dr. Liz Ebersole, adjunct instructor in SOE’s digital education leadership program, and Dr. David Wicks, associate professor and chair of digital education leadership, gave two presentations at the 51st annual Northwest Council for Computers in Education Conference: “Identifying Promising Online Teaching Practices,” which provided a P–12 lens on Dr. Ebersole’s dissertation, and “Improving Peer Feedback to Extend Learning,” which came from pedagogical improvements she brought to SOE digital education courses.
Dr. Karen Hickenbottom, Edmonds School District educational technology coordinator, and Dr. David Wicks, associate professor and chair of digital education leadership, gave a presentation, “Almost Like Being There,” at the 51st annual Northwest Council for Computers in Education Conference. The presentation shared findings from Dr. Hickenbottom’s dissertation on the use of telepresence robots in hybrid classrooms.
SOE alumni Dr. Paul Harvey and Professor of Educational Leadership Dr. John Bond recently had their article “The Effects and Implications of Using Open Educational Resources in Secondary Schools” published in the journal International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, Vol. 23, No. 2. This article contributes to the growing scholarship of OER for primary and secondary education.
Katie Clum, the assistant director of graduate admissions (and doctoral student), and Dr. Liz Ebersole, an adjunct instructor in the School of Education (recent doctoral grad), had their co-authored paper “A Case Study Approach to Exploring Resilient Pedagogy During Times of Crisis,” published in the Online Learning Journal. This is an open-access journal that examines issues at the intersection of pedagogy, emerging technology, policy, and practice in online environments. They co-authored this paper with Drs. David Wicks and Munyi Shea. https://olj.onlinelearningconsortium.org/index.php/olj/article/view/2695
Have a professional success to share? Send it to On Point at fryettl@spu.edu for publication in the “Alumni and Current Students Highlights” section of our next issue.
Faculty and staff highlights
Faculty and Staff Recognition
Dr. Munyi Shea, professor and director of doctoral programs, was selected as Graduate Professor of the Year. This award recognizes a faculty member’s positive impact on the experience of graduate students at Seattle Pacific University. The criteria include: excellence in teaching; integrative approach to faith and learning; interest and enthusiasm conveyed to graduate students; and effectiveness as a mentor in scholarship and professional development. This is a student-nominated award, and the students describe Dr. Shea as “a transformational and equity-driven leader” who is “passionate about her work and genuinely interested in her students” and “stellar inside the classroom, and outside as an advisor, mentor, and friend.” Congratulations to a wonderful colleague. Well-deserved indeed!
No Limits, No Boundaries is a biannual event presented by SPU Disability Support Services to celebrate community leaders and/or artistic expression focused on access, inclusion, and reconciliation. This year they honored Jason M. Thornberry, an SPU graduate, author, and current School of Education staff member. Jason shared his story of growing up in his hometown and about coming to grips with his injury and disability. With over 60 publications, Jason’s writing has reached diverse audiences. His writing focuses on family dynamics and the stigma associated with having a disability that’s largely invisible.
Dr. David Wicks, associate professor and chair of digital education leadership (DEL), was a visiting professor at Krida Wacana Christian University in Jakarta, Indonesia during his sabbatical. Dr. Wicks participated in an international conference, taught, and collaborated with the UKRIDA English Department to provide professional development. The UKRIDA English Department includes doctoral alumna Dr. Ira Rasikawati and current DEL student, Ignasia Yuyun. While in Jakarata, Dr. Wicks also met with current DEL student and elementary teacher, Chelly Rody
The SPU Staff Council selected Christy Barnes as Staff of the Month for March 2022. Christy is so deserving of this honor! She is patient, diligent, and collaborative and brings a great spirit to her work as program coordinator in the Center for Professional Education. There is so much behind-the-scenes work that she does with such care and grace as she supports our students to ensure that they succeed in what they set out to do. Congratulations, Christy!
But wait, there’s more! The SPU Staff Council also selected Mamta Ouyoumjian, continuing education coordinator, as Staff of the Month for May 2022. As those who work most closely with Mamta will attest, she is an absolute delight to work with. Mamta is effective, conscientious, and collaborative and always views her work through the lens of social justice and inclusion. Well done, Mamta!
Emily Huff, director of field placements and instructor of teacher education, was awarded the Excellence in Teaching Fellowship. The Excellence in Teaching Fellowship honors a faculty member who has demonstrated excellence in the practice of teaching and cultivation of student learning. Very well deserved, Emily!
Dr. Jennie Warmouth’s students curated an exhibition that is on display at the National Nordic Museum! Dr. Warmouth is an adjunct professor in the SOE and a second grade teacher at Spruce Elementary School in Lynnwood, Wash. The Ar(c)t(ic) Design Exhibition was curated by her second grade scholars and environmental advocates. The second graders put out an international call for Arctic-focused designs following their teacher’s expedition to Arctic Svalbard as a Grosvenor Teacher Fellow with National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions. The project’s purpose was to invite other children to learn about human impact on the Arctic in order to create something visual to help inspire people to protect our planet’s wild places. The design contest was open to children 5–18 years old worldwide and received over 90 submissions.
We are excited to welcome Ms. Xanasha Rose as the new certification officer in the School of Education. Ms. Rose has over 20 years of experience as a teacher and administrator in public and private schools in the Puget Sound region. Most recently, she has served as an SOE field supervisor for the past two years. Welcome, Xanasha!
Announcing the arrival of Roxana Harlow Chursky, born to Dr. Krystle Jalalian-Chursky, assistant professor and director of undergraduate teacher education, and her husband, Alex. Roxana came into the world on Thursday, May 12, at 12:08 a.m.. Welcome Roxana! Congratulations to Krystle and Alex and to big brothers Lennox and Nixon!
From our Staff
We have a staff of avid readers! They have shared some of their book recommendations for your reading pleasure:
- Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2006) – This is a story of the Biafran War.
- Stoner by John Williams (1965) – This has been called the quintessential academic novel.
- The Shipping News by Annie Proulx (1993) – A novel about a widower who retreats with his young children to the Newfoundland coast.
- The Power of Regret (How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward) by Daniel H. Pink (2002)
- The Second Mountain by David Brooks (2019)
- Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope by Esau McCaulley (2020)
Ten Leadership Lessons Learned Over 50 Years
With Dr. John Bond, professor of educational administration
Over the last 50 years, I have had continual opportunities to learn about leadership and about myself. Prior to joining the SPU faculty in 2008, I was an educator in the Northshore School District. This included serving eight years as a teacher, 20 years as a principal, and eight years as assistant superintendent. It was an enjoyable journey and one through which I learned a great deal about leadership and about myself. Following are 10 leadership lessons that I learned through my successes and challenges:
- Listen First. One of the most important habits that a leader can develop is encouraging the voices of those you serve. Doing so helps you understand how to respond. And, it honors the people with whom you are speaking.
- Monitor Your Words. An overuse of words like “I, me, mine” create an unintended impression of self-centeredness. As Downer (2019) stated, it is important to have balance in your word choice to include such terms as “we, you, our.”
- It’s Not About You. Leadership is about serving others, yet leaders are vulnerable to self-ego inflation. Remembering that leadership is service is essential.
- Controller vs. Freedom Giver. A simplistic view of leadership behavior is that it is either controlling or supporting others. My self-talk for years has been, “I’m a freedom-giver, but I can be a controller when needed — but it’s not my fault.”
- Better Never Than Late. SPU professor emeritus of education Dick Smith shared these words often. To emphasize it, he sometimes locked the classroom door at the start of class so late-comers had to knock.
- Use Spell-check. Impressions are made by what and how you write, as well as what you say.
- Honor Those You Serve. Giving credit and praise in public sets a positive example.
- Empower to Earn Power. Power is a scary term, yet leaders must grapple with it. Power allows you to get things done but can be overused. Effective leaders understand that empowering others earns trust and respect, which ironically, are returned to them in kind.
- Be Present and Visible. Leaders should not hide out in their offices. You show your care and support with your presence and involvement in the work of those you lead.
- Greet Them and Wave Goodbye. When leaders greet people in the morning and say goodbye at the end of the day, they show they care with their presence and their smile.
News and events
On April 14, 2022, the School of Education hosted an EdTalks series event, “Using Augmented Reality to Enhance the Academic Experience.” Dr. Christie Rodgers addressed the benefits of AR, provided easy and implementable AR ideas teachers can use, and shared free resources to help educators get started on their immersive technology journey.
Dr. Rodgers has over 25 years of teaching experience in public, private, and parochial schools. A former elementary and middle school classroom teacher and administrator, Dr. Rodgers currently works for Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tennessee, as the director of clinical experiences and as assistant professor. Collaborating and working with various school districts and educators to improve and enhance the educational experiences of students is a focal point of Dr. Rodgers’s work in education.
In our next EdTalks series event in fall 2022, Dr. Pat Hinchey will talk about “Re-Thinking.” While acknowledging the difficulties and constraints of the current context, she will explore the potential benefits of consciously making time to rethink some common assumptions — especially when things go surprisingly wrong. Anecdotes from decades of classroom experience (and parenting) provide examples in a few key areas: Are we sure that we know “what teachers do”? That our assessments always measure what we intend? That our understanding of students’ motivation aligns with what actually motivates them? That if we’re careful with our words, listeners will hear what we meant to say?
Dr. Patricia H. Hinchey is Penn State professor emerita of education and a Fellow of the National Education Policy Center. She holds a doctorate from Teachers College, Columbia University, has taught a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate courses, has conducted professional development for K–12 and university faculty nationally and internationally, and has authored or co-authored numerous books and articles. Her latest book, co-authored with Pamela J. Konkol, is titled Getting to Where We Meant to Be: Working Toward the Educational World We Imagine/d (2018).
STEM Challenge Day. Thanks to a grant supported by Associate Professor of Educational Leadership Dr. Julie Antilla, 27 students from Showalter Middle School visited our campus on May 6, 2022, for the first Shark Tank STEM Challenge. Showalter Middle School is a highly diverse school, and 90% of the students who visited us were students of color. Prior to their visit, the students were challenged to either work alone or form a team to produce a prototype that would use STEM concepts in an attempt to address the global homeless crisis. A total of nine teams presented their prototype proposals to a panel of judges made up of SPU faculty as well as members of the community. The winner of the project was team Back House with their proposed prototype that offered a backpack-sized portable shelter/dwelling. The winning team was awarded $500 to utilize the SPU Engineering Lab to develop a full-scale prototype under the supervision of the lab’s coordinator and one of the event’s judges, Mr. Paul Lee. A big thanks to our other faculty judges (Dr. Jerilynn Lepak and Dr. Yuri Reis-Rodrigues), and to Mr. Jordan Barde from the Everett-based social purpose company, Pallet.
After the challenge, students enjoyed an all-you-can-eat buffet lunch at Gwinn Commons, as well as a guided tour throughout campus under the leadership of three undergraduate teacher education students. Special thanks to the teachers from Showalter Middle, Drs. Krystle Jalalian-Chursky, Nalline Baliram, and Pete Renn, for providing a memorable experience for the students.
Giving
Like you, we believe in our mission to engage the culture and change the world … starting in the classroom. That’s why SPU’s School of Education is always looking for new ways to help you connect with the future of education in our state and beyond. And there’s more than one way you can get involved. In fact, here are four ways to give.
On Point
Do you have news or know of any faculty, staff, or alumni that should be featured in the next issue? Please email On Point at fryettl@spu.edu