— Katerina Bodovski, associate professor of education (educational theory and policy), gave a public seminar at the University of Oxford on June 11. Her talk was titled "Childhood and Education in the United States and Russia: Sociological and Comparative Perspectives."
— Donna-Marie Cole-Malott, a graduate student in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, has been appointed as the first director of the Institute for Educational Governance and Leadership (IEGL). Cole-Malott will be defending her dissertation on Aug. 21 and began building the IEGL program, which is housed at Lebanon Valley College, on June 11. More information can be found at http://www.lvc.edu/news/details/institute-for-educational-governance-and-leadership-appoints-inaugural-director/.
— Alicia Dowd, professor of education (higher education), and Marlon Fernandez Castro, a student in the higher education doctoral program, recently co-authored a report published by the American Council on Education. The report, "Bringing Accountability to Life: How Savvy Data Users Find the 'Accountable N' to Improve Equity and Sustainability in Higher Education," identifies ways that data use and reporting can enhance decision-making. Dowd also has accepted an invitation to serve as the next director of the Center for the Study of Higher Education beginning July 1.
— Research by Erica Frankenberg, associate professor of education (educational leadership), was cited in a piece in The Washington Post. The article, "Charter schools damage public education," discusses charter schools, which are publicly funded and privately managed — but are not subject to the same laws as public schools — and other statistics regarding the relationships between charter schools and society.
— Kevin Kinser, professor of education (higher education), and David Guthrie, associate professor of education, visited South Africa in early June, representing Penn State's higher education program as a partner with three South African universities. These universities are funded by the South African government to prepare new doctoral students in higher education, particularly women and people of color, in an effort to be agents of reform in continuing to redress the legacy of apartheid. For details, visit https://ed.psu.edu/news/2018-04-06-news/doctoral-education-preparation.
— David Passmore, distinguished professor of education (workforce education and development), recently spoke at two conferences in the United Kingdom. In May, he presented "Can you trust your algorithm?" at EdTech 2018: Meeting of the Irish Learning and Technology Association, in Carlow, Ireland. In June, he presented "Developing a digital labor force" at the 19th International Conference on Human Resource Development and Practice across Europe in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
— Karen Paulson, associate professor, and David Guthrie, associate professor of education, have been awarded a grant from the Schreyer Honors College to develop a comprehensive assessment plan for the College of Education.
— María Schmidt, assistant dean for multicultural programs, has accepted a reappointment to her role. During her professional career at Penn State, Schmidt was awarded the 2005 Dr. James Robinson Equal Opportunity Award and currently serves as an adviser to multiple student organizations.
"Around the College" highlights accomplishments by faculty, staff and students in the College of Education, including publications; research presentations at conferences and workshops; and awards, grants and fellowships. Please share your news with us and your colleagues by emailing edrelations@psu.edu.