Nineteen members of EPC were commended at the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences Faculty and Staff Recognition Ceremony on April 27, 2016.

To see photos from the event, please go to the “CEHHS Faculty & Staff Recognition Ceremony 4.27.16” album on our EPC Facebook page.

Awards

College Senate Departmental Staff Award
Recognizes a departmental-level non-exempt staff person who has provided exceptional contributions to his/her department (going above & beyond job expectations to accomodate students and faculty, contributing to a positive and supportive work culture and environment.

Synthia Clark
Administrative Specialist I

“I am so lucky to work in a department with such caring, supportive, and appreciative individuals!”

The Helen B. Watson Faculty/Student Award for Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation
Awarded to a student and the faculty member who directed the outstanding doctoral dissertation within the departments of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies; Educational Psychology and Counseling; Kinesiology, Recreation, and Sport Studies; or Theory and Practice in Teacher Education.

CEHHS Board of Advisors Faculty Support Award
Awarded to recognize current/past accomplishments or future projects of one outstanding faculty member for teaching/research/service efforts in any area within CEHHS.

R. Steve McCallum
Professor in School Psychology

“I want to take this opportunity to thank the CEHHS Board of Advisors for their recognition and support of my work. Over the years I have worked closely with board members and know firsthand of their many contributions to the college!”

Recognition

 Casey A. Barrio Minton
Associate Professor in Counselor Education

– Recognized under Editors/Co-Editors of Peer Reviewed Publications for being Editor of Journal of Counselor Leadership & Advocacy
– Recognized under Authors/Editors of Books and Assessments for Evaluating Student Learning Outcomes in Counselor Education. Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association
– Recognized under Recipients of National/International Professional Awards for Outstanding Research Award from Chi Sigma Iota International

Bonnie Bull
Administrative Support Assistant III

– Recognized under University of Tennessee Support Staff Service Awards for five years of service

Stephanie Cowherd
Associate Director of Corporate Connections for Center for Literacy, Education & Employment

– Recognized under Grants and Contracts Recipients for the Tennessee DHS/Division of Rehabilitation Services/UT CLEE from the Tennessee Department of Human Services, $788,443

Joel F. Diambra
Associate Department Head & Director of Graduate Studies

– Recognized under Recipients of National/International Professional Awards for Outstanding Counselor Educator of the Year from the Tennessee Association for Counselor Education and Supervision

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

Sandra Fugate
Center for Literacy, Education & Employment

– Recognized under 2014-15 Faculty & Staff Retirements (2000-2015)

Melinda Gibbons
Program Coordinator for Counselor Education/School Counseling

– Recognized under Editors/Co-Editors of Peer Reviewed Publications for being Associate Editor of Professional School Counseling Journal
– Recognized under Grants and Contracts Recipients for the PIPES: Possibilities in Postsecondary Education and Science among Rural Appalachian Youth from the Office of Research Infrastructure Program, $209,136

Aaron Kohring
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, $284,750 and the Transition & Self Determination Support from the Tennessee Department of Education, $549,105

Robert Kronick
Professor for School Counseling & Cultural Studies of Educational Foundations

– Recognized under Chancellor’s Honors Awards for the Alumni Public Service Award
– Recognized under Grants and Contracts Recipients for the University-Assisted Community School from the Catholic Charities of East Tennessee, Inc., $100,000

R. Steve McCallum
Professor for School Psychology

– Recognized under Editors/Co-Editors of Peer Reviewed Publications for being Co-Founder & Consulting Editor of Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment
– Recognized under Authors/Editors of Books and Assessments for Handbook of Reading Assessment: A One-Stop Resource for Prospective and Practicing Educators. Routledge: Taylor and Francis
– Recognized under Authors/Editors of Books and Assessments for Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test 2. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed Publishing Company
– Recognized under Chancellor’s Honors Awards for the Research & Creative Achievement Award

Merilee McCurdy
Program Coordinator for School Psychology

– Recognized under Presidents of National/International Professional Organizations for being Chair of Council for Directors of School Psychology Programs

Jennifer Ann Morrow
Program Coordinator for Evaluation, Statistics & Measurement

– Recognized under Chancellor’s Honors Awards for the Excellence in Teaching Award

Roma Powis
Center for Literacy, Education & Employment

– Recognized under 2014-15 Faculty & Staff Retirements (2004-2015)

Stephanie Robinson
Institute for Assessment & Evaluation

– Recognized under 2014-15 Faculty & Staff Retirements (1994-2015)

Connie Settle
Institute for Assessment & Evaluation

– Recognized under 2014-15 Faculty & Staff Retirements (1993-2015)

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

Connie White
Associate Director of School & Family Programs for Center for Literacy, Education & Employment

– Recognized under Grants and Contracts Recipients for the Tennessee Teachers’ Professional Development Event Support from the Tennessee Department of Education, $2,214,746 and the Tennessee Teachers’ Professional Development Event Support from the Tennessee Department of Education, $877,092

Four School Psychology PhD Candidates – Elizabeth Hays, Megan Schall, Ellie Trant, and Tiffany Watson – were matched with APA-accredited internships.

To become a licensed psychologist, all school psychology doctoral students must have completed an internship. Internships accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) are highly sought out, yet a large number of applicants go unmatched. In 2015, more than fifteen hundred applicants were not matched with an APA-accredited internship.

“It is always a program goal for our students to receive APA-accredited internship positions. However, not all internship applicants receive an internship, particularly an APA-accredited one. The program faculty are very excited for these students!”- School Psychology Program Coordinator, Merilee McCurdy

The application process was described as long, complex, and intimidating. To address this, the program offers an internship course to make things more manageable and help students through the process.

Elizabeth Hays will be going to the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District in Texas.

Hays explained how she was thrilled to be matched to an APA-accredited internship because she believes it will give her more flexibility with future career options. Her internship is in a school district, where she will work with students in general and special education. Her primary roles will be behavioral consultation, assessments, and pre-referral intervention for behavioral, social, and academic concerns. However, she will also be providing individual and group counseling to students and have opportunities to practice evidence-based interventions in the Family Counseling Clinic.

“I am very excited to try something new and learn as much as I can while I am at Cy-Fair ISD. I will have access to a diverse range of training experiences and supervisors through this internship, and I think this diversity in training will be invaluable.”

Megan Schall, Ellie Trant, and Tiffany Watson will be at the Tennessee Internship Consortium (TIC).  TIC is an overarching entity linking interns to many different agencies, such as school systems, assessment centers, and health systems.

Schall will be at Lenoir City Schools four days a week, and receiving supervision and training one day a week. She explained how she would be conducting the same types of work activities school psychologists in school systems typically do.

“I’m thrilled to be matched with an APA-accredited internship! It was a great relief to get the match email and see the results. And, even though it would be fun to live in a new city, I am also very excited to be staying in Tennessee. After four years living in Knoxville, it feels like home so I am glad to get to stay for another year.”

Trant will be working at Sweetwater City Schools, mainly doing assessments and consultation.

She explained how happy she was to be staying in Tennessee because she fell in love with this part of the country after moving here from Louisiana.  Also, the internship location allows her and her fiancé to live together once they get married in July.

“I have learned so much about school psychology during my time at UT, and I am looking forward to putting those skills into practice. I am also excited to learn more about the field of school psychology and expand my abilities. UT has given me a great foundation, which I know will be significantly enhanced during my internship year.”

Watson has a split internship. Part of the time she will be working with the Korn Learning, Assessment, and Social Skills (KLASS) Center on campus. There, she will see clients for interventions and evaluations for ADHD and learning disabilities. The other part of her internship will be with Cherokee Health Systems in a school system.

“I am so blessed and thankful to be matched to an APA site. It opens up more opportunities down the road for licensure. I grew up in East Tennessee and I’m so excited to stay and work in the area. I’m also excited to finally start applying things I’ve been learning for the past four years!”

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

School Psychology

Merilee McCurdy joined the University of Tennessee and the Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling as Associate Professor and Program Coordinator for School Psychology in August of 2014. We asked her to reflect on her first semester here. Read her responses below.

What sold you on UTK?
I am originally from Mississippi and wanted to get back to the warm South. Fourteen years of Nebraska winters were getting to me! Once I made the decision to move closer to home, it was easy to decide on Tennessee. The School Psychology program is very strong and my colleagues are well respected in the field. In addition to a warmer climate and supportive colleagues, I am much closer to my parents in Mississippi and my brother and sister in law in North Carolina. The University of Tennessee has been a perfect fit for me, both professionally and personally.

What would you tell the next new faculty member who joins EPC?
I was hired along with 4 other fantastic ladies and it has been nice to learn about UT together. I would tell a new faculty member to take advantage of the networking opportunities provided by the university. UT administration has hosted a Faculty Mic Nite, a Faculty Pub happy hour, and many other on campus professional meetings. Use these opportunities to meet faculty within your department and college but also across the University. Who knows? You might meet your next research colleague!

What has surprised you about the state of Tennessee?
I’m not used to having beautiful mountain views. Seriously, East Tennessee is gorgeous! I never had the chance to spend much time in Tennessee and when I interviewed, it was winter. Like most places, winter is not the best time to get a sense of a new place. This summer when I moved to Knoxville, the city was vibrant with lots of downtown activity. The outdoor activities, especially hiking, are numerous and varied. I wasn’t aware that Knoxville has so many festivals! Here’s a link to prove it: http://www.cityofknoxville.org/newcomers/festivals.asp. There is always something new and fun to experience in Knoxville.

What’s your favorite activity outside of work?
I’m an avid reader and always have at least two books going at the same time. If you want to start a book club, just let me know! Right now, I’m reading Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, which was loaned to me by a new colleague. I’m just getting started but it’s really good! Also, I love being near water. If I’m not near the beach, the lakes will do just fine. The Knoxville area has many beautiful lakes. I can’t wait to visit them all.