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Barbara Thayer-Bacon


Barbara Thayer-Bacon, professor, received an American Educational Studies Association (AESA) Critics’ Choice Award for two books.

The AESA Critics’ Choice Awards are decided annually by a committee who recognize and raise awareness of outstanding recent scholarship pertinent to the field and members of AESA.

Thayer-Bacon AESA Award“I’m very excited and proud to know my work was finally recognized in this way by my colleagues in my field of study.”

The books that earned the AESA Critics’ Choice Awards are:

Democracies Always in the Making: Historical and Current Philosophical Issues for Education by Barbara Thayer Bacon

Education Feminism: Classic and Contemporary Readings by Barbara Thayer-Bacon, Lynda Stone, and Katharine Sprecher


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 (2nd 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 (2nd 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 (8th 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


Barbara Thayer-Bacon, CSE and LEEDS Program Coordinator, was chosen to be Editor-in-Chief of Studies in Philosophy and Education – marking the first time in the journal’s history to have a female Editor-in-Chief.

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Studies in Philosophy and Education (SPED) is an international, peer-reviewed journal that has been in existence for more than 50 years. The journal invites collaboration and academic exchanges among philosophers, philosophers of education, educational and social science researchers, and educational policy makers throughout the world. SPED focuses on the conceptual, normative, philosophical, and theoretical issues in educational research, policy, and practice.

Thayer-Bacon explained “what is a surprise is to discover that with my becoming Editor-in-Chief, I become the first woman to serve in this role not only for SPED, but also for any of the top ranted English journals in educational philosophy.”

She expressed her excitement about beginning this new role and continuing to develop the “long-standing strength and quality of this journal.” She will be working with the former Editor-in-Chief, Gert Biesta, who is remaining on the Editorial Board for a year to assist with the transition.