I must admit it is a bit unsettling to see myself and my wife, Pam, on the cover of this magazine. We both are much more comfortable highlighting the wonderful work being done by students, faculty, staff, alumni and others who support the College of Education and Penn State as a whole, in many important ways. Like so many donors, we are grateful for all we have achieved through our affiliation with this great University, and Pam and I are happy to be able to give back in a way we hope will benefit many others.
I also am personally grateful for the opportunity to serve the College of Education as dean for the past two decades. As I prepare to step down as dean next summer, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone associated with our college for all you have done to transform education and have such a positive impact on the field. I am confident that the college is positioned well for continued success.
In that vein, I am pleased to announce the addition of 13 new tenure-line faculty members this academic year. With the addition of this talented group to our ranks, we will continue to be leaders in the ever-changing field of education. These new faculty members bring with them extensive training and expertise in a variety of fields, further strengthening our already robust and diverse faculty. We feel fortunate that we have been able to attract such highly qualified individuals representing such a varied collection of specialties and areas of focus. Their photos and short biographies can be found here.
We were fortunate to welcome Michelle Asha Cooper, president of the Institute for Higher Education Policy, to campus as our keynote commencement speaker this past spring. Read her message to our new graduates here.
Each fall, we share stories about the positive impact philanthropy has, particularly through the establishment of scholarships that benefit our students. In 2017-18 the College of Education awarded more than $1.6 million in scholarships to a total of 340 students, with a $3,600 average individual scholarship award.
This year, our participation in #GivingTuesday, a nationwide online fundraising event to be held on Nov. 27, will target the college’s general scholarship fund. This fund is used to help students who need financial assistance to be able to participate in impactful, out-of-classroom experiences including study-abroad opportunities, our Professional Development School, the Urban Education Seminar, D.C. Social Justice Program and internships. Read about how you can participate here.