Staff members Synthia Clark and Christine Tidwell attended the Employee and Organizational Development (EOD) Certificate Celebration on Monday, February 1st. Clark received certificates in Communication and Customer Service. Tidwell received a certificate in Customer Satisfaction.

“I love learning and I’m so thankful to be working in a department that values and supports employees who want to improve themselves.”

Clark has been employed at UT since 2013 and has worked with EPC since 2014. She serves as program secretary for six programs –  Adult Education, Applied Educational Psychology, Adult Learning, Evaluation, Statistics, and Measurement, and School Psychology. She also works in the main office, has taken over as webmaster for the departmental website, runs the EPC Facebook page, and does some photography and marketing for the department.

“I’m just glad to work for a department and college whose leaders believe in continuing education opportunities.”

Tidwell has been employed at UT since 2003 and worked with EPC since 2007. During this time she has also earned certificates in Communication and UT Leaders: Lighting the Way – Part 1 Supervisory Certification.  Tidwell serves as departmental support for three programs – Cultural Studies of Educational Foundation, Instructional Technology, and Learning Environments and Educational Studies. She also serves as the department’s textbook and timetable coordinator and provides support for the curriculum review council coordinator.

The Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling wants to congratulate the graduates from eleven of our programs who earned their degrees during the summer and fall semesters of 2015.

To see photos of our recent graduates, please go to the “EPC Graduates” album on our EPC Facebook page.

Carrie Ann Bailey
PhD in Educational Psychology and Research – Adult Learning

Nicholaus TJ Barajas
MS in Counseling – Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Tiffany Paige Brooks
PhD in Counselor Education

Allison Enders Hunt Buck
PhD in School Psychology

Lauren Elizabeth Bussey
PhD in Counselor Education

Brittany Ann Carstens
PhD in School Psychology

Carly Ann Chwat
MS in Educational Psychology – Applied Educational Psychology

Corey Alan DeHart
MS in Education – Instructional Technology

Kevin Lee Fowler
MS in Education – Instructional Technology

Linda K. Gehron
MS in Educational Psychology – Adult Education

Melanie Carol Hamilton
MS in Counseling – Rehabilitation Counseling

Martha Lynn Henry
MS in Educational Psychology – Applied Educational Psychology

Amy Carol Howell
MS in Counseling – Rehabilitation Counseling

Caroline Marie Jacquett
MS in Educational Psychology – Applied Educational Psychology

Chandra Ann Johnson
MS in Educational Psychology – Adult Education

Kayla Chelsea Knoll
MS in Counseling – Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Debra Suzette Lee
MS in Education – Instructional Technology

Susan Lynn Long
MS in Educational Psychology – Adult Education

Stephanie Leanne Moskal
MS in Education – Instructional Technology

Judith S. Norton
MS in Educational Psychology – Adult Education

Niranji Anuradha Pathirage Dopa Pathirage
PhD in Educational Psychology and Research – Evaluation, Statistics & Measurement

Cynthia Noblin Perry
MS in Educational Psychology – Applied Educational Psychology

Brittany Lynn Pollard
PhD in Counselor Education

Colin Christopher Quillivan
MS in Educational Psychology – Applied Educational Psychology

Alessandra Joy Rhinehart
PhD in Counselor Education

Stracee Evette Robinson
MS in Educational Psychology – Applied Educational Psychology

Hailey Keegan Sands
MS in Counseling – Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Jessica Schilling
MS in Counseling – Rehabilitation Counseling

Janel Marie Seeley
PhD in Educational Psychology and Research – Adult Learning

Sultana Aaliuah Shabazz
PhD in Education – Learning Environments & Educational Studies

Tiffany Leigh Shaw
MS in Educational Psychology – Applied Educational Psychology

Lisa A. Shipley
MS in Education – Instructional Technology

Heather Anne Stewart
PhD in Educational Psychology and Research – Collaborative Learning

Kelly Michelle Strickland (posthumous)
MS in Education – Cultural Studies of Educational Foundations

Mary Elizabeth Swiatek
MS in Educational Psychology – Applied Educational Psychology

Kellee Renee Vess
PhD in Educational Psychology and Research – Adult Learning

Lauren Ashley Wade Walsh
MS in Education – Instructional Technology

*If you are one of the graduates listed above and would like to have your photo added to our EPC Graduates Facebook album, then please email your picture to Synthia Clark sclark41@utk.edu.

**If you were an Educational Psychology and Counseling student who graduated during this time frame, yet have unintentionally been omitted from this list, please send your name, degree, and major/concentration to Synthia Clark sclark41@utk.edu. We will add you to the list after receiving this information from you and confirming your graduation status.

Applied Educational Psychology

Beth is currently seeking her MS in educational psychology with a concentration in applied educational psychology. Originally from Kannapolis, North Carolina she received her BS in exercise science at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and came to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2013. We asked her to reflect on some of her past and current experiences. Read her responses below.

Awards

• Kappa Delta Pi – 2014

Accomplishments

Roles/Positions

• Internship as a Research Assistant with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Human Cognition and Nutrition Laboratory – January 2015
• Interim Research Manager at Appalachian State University’s Human Performance Laboratory- February 2014

Presentations

• Dew, D. A., Nieman, D. C., Gillitt, N. D., Shanely, R. A., Meaney, M. P., and Swiatek, M. E. (2014). Vitamin D2 Supplementation Amplifies Eccentric Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage in NASCAR Pit Crew Athletes. Paper presented at the Southeast American Sports and Medicine College conference, Greenville, SC.

Current Occupation

Instructor Assistant
Central Piedmont Community College, Charlotte, NC

I help manage the online Health and Wellness courses, including technology support with Blackboard. Health and Wellness 110 courses give a foundational understanding of healthy lifestyles, where students learn how to incorporate a personal healthy behavior through a semester long motivational project.

Personal Interests

I love to learn and read, especially subjects that challenge my current understanding of the world! This is a shared passion between my husband and I, where we both enjoy introducing each other to new perspectives and subjects. We hope one day we will be able to travel and explore many cultures. A new found hobby is gardening, where I am slowly turning my small backyard into a vegetable paradise! I also enjoy crafting, especially transforming the ugly, broken, or scraps into something beautiful.

Future/Vocational Goals

I enjoy advising individuals on how to obtain their own personal goals, whether it is through health and wellness, or academia. Through my work within higher education and the community, I would like to continue on with this population, as these experiences were very rewarding.

What sold you on this program?

As I searched for a graduate program, many friends and family members suggested UT Knoxville, a school that they were all fond of through personal experience. I came across the EdPsych Online program and was immediately intrigued by their philosophy, program design, and curriculum outline. After conversing with program coordinator Cathy Hammon with how I could fit into the program, I was overwhelmed by how much the faculty were invested in my success; it was truly comforting and gratifying how accepted I felt, especially coming from a non-educational or psychology background and living 4 hours away from campus!

What would you tell an incoming student who joins the program?

Through this program you will gain a vast amount of knowledge in the complexities of education, as well as with viewing the world a little differently through understanding diversity. We all are learners and teachers in the EdPsych Online program. With that said, don’t be afraid to travel outside of your comfort zone, let your guard down, and take a risk; immerse yourself in the richness of the learning experience. Although the program is conducted online, you will be amazed by the relationships and support that is developed with your peers. The growth that I have experienced is truly unexpected and all due to the program instilling the power of acceptance.

The Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling wants to congratulate the graduates from seven of our programs who earned their degrees during the spring 2015 semester.

To see photos of our recent graduates, please go to the “EPC Graduates” album on our EPC Facebook page.

Janine Amina Al-Aseer
MS in Educational Psychology – Applied Educational Psychology

Virginia Gail Britt
PhD in Education – Instructional Technology

Shealy Ann Browder
MS in Counseling – School Counseling

Steven Lee Carter
MS in Educational Psychology – Adult Education

Brittany Jo Daulton
PhD in Educational Psychology and Research – Evaluation, Statistics & Measurement

Candace Elizabeth Devan
MS in Counseling – School Counseling

Victoria Lauren Domico
MS in Counseling – School Counseling

Cheri Lynn Elkins
MS in Counseling – School Counseling

Ryan Elizabeth Gilfillan

MS in Counseling – School Counseling

Connie Jo Miller
MS in Educational Psychology – Applied Educational Psychology

Lucia Gimena Miranda
MS in Counseling – Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Kara Elizabeth Rauch
MS in Counseling – School Counseling

Laura Kathleen Reasor
MS in Counseling – School Counseling

Andrea Nicole Sullivan
MS in Counseling – Rehabilitation Counseling

Iesha N. Williams
MS in Counseling – School Counseling

*If you are one of the graduates listed above and would like to have your photo added to our EPC Graduates Facebook album, then please email your picture to Synthia Clark sclark41@utk.edu.

**If you were an Educational Psychology and Counseling student who graduated during this time frame, yet have unintentionally been omitted from this list, please send your name, degree, and major/concentration to Synthia Clark sclark41@utk.edu. We will add you to the list after receiving this information from you and confirming your graduation status.

Sixteen members of EPC were commended at the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences Recognition Ceremony on April 23, 2015.

To see photos from the event, please go to the “CEHHS Recognition Ceremony 4.23.15” album on our EPC Facebook page.

Ralph G. Brockett
Interim Department Head; Adult Learning/Adult Education
– Recognized under Authors/Editors of Books and Assessments for Teaching adults: A practical guide for new teachers. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

 Jeff Cochran
Director of REACH Project; Clinical Mental Health Counseling
– Recognized under Authors/Editors of Books and Assessments for The heart of counseling: Counseling skills through therapeutic relationships (2^nd ed.). New York: Routledge
– Recognized under Presidents of National/International Professional Organizations for being President-Elect of Association for Humanistic Counseling
– Recognized under National/International Professional Awards Recipients for Bernard & Louise F. Guerney Award from the Association for Filial and Relationship Enhancement Methods

 Patrick L. Dunn
Program Co-Coordinator for Rehabilitation Counseling
– Recognized under Grants and Contracts Recipients for the Long-Term Training: Rehabilitation Counselors for the Deaf from the US Department of Education – Office of Special Education & Rehabilitative Services, $148,492

 Melinda Gibbons
Program Coordinator for Counselor Education/School Counseling
– Recognized under Editors/Co-Editors of Peer Reviewed Publications for being Associate Editor of Career Development Quarterly

Merilee McCurdy
Program Coordinator for School Psychology
– Recognized under Presidents of National/International Professional Organizations for being Chair-Elect of Council for Directors of School Psychology Programs

Jennifer Ann Morrow
Program Coordinator for Evaluation, Statistics & Measurement
– Recognized under UT Faculty/Staff Awards & Recognition for the Alumni Outstanding Teacher Award

Beth Ponder
Associate Director for Center for Literacy, Education & Employment
– Recognized under Grants and Contracts Recipients for the LINCS Regional Professional Development Centers Program from the US Department of Education, $368,130

Christopher H. Skinner
School Psychology
– Recognized under Authors/Editors of Books and Assessments for Interventions for reading problems: Designing and evaluating effective strategies (2^nd ed.). New York: The Guilford Press

Shawn L. Spurgeon
Program Coordinator for Clinical Mental Health Counseling
– Recognized under Presidents of National/International Professional Organizations for being President of Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling
– Recognized under Presidents of National/International Professional Organizations for being President-Elect of Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision
– Awarded a Dean’s Service Award

Jeannine Studer
Professor Emerita
– Recognized under Faculty & Staff Retirements for serving from 2003-2014

 Barbara Thayer-Bacon
Program Coordinator for Learning Environments & Educational Studies/Cultural Studies of Educational Foundations
– Recognized under Editors/Co-Editors of Peer Reviewed Publications for being Editor-in-Chief of Studies in Philosophy and Education

Michael Waugh
Instructional Technology/Learning Environments & Educational Studies
– Recognized under National/International Professional Awards Recipients for Best Paper Award from the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education Conference

Connie White
Associate Director for Center for Literacy, Education & Employment
– Recognized under Grants and Contracts Recipients for the Tennessee Adult Education Professional Development and Technical Assistance from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, $543,739

Brian Wilhoit
Director of Korn Learning, Assessment & Social Skills (KLASS) Center
– Recognized under Grants and Contracts Recipients for the FUTURE Program from the US Department of Education, $315,260

Marianne Woodside
Counselor Education/School Counseling
– Recognized under Authors/Editors of Books and Assessments for Introduction to human services: Cases and applications (8^th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks Cole/Cengage
– Recognized under Faculty & Staff Retirements serving from 1979-2015

Mary Ziegler
Program Coordinator for Adult Learning; Program Co-Coordinator for Adult Education/Applied Educational Psychology
– Recognized under Authors/Editors of Books and Assessments for Adult development and aging. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education
– Recognized under Faculty & Staff Retirements serving from 1993-2015