By Amy Kurfist
On Friday, Aug. 25, Dr. Jane S. Bray, dean of the Darden College of Education, addressed a packed room of over 150 college faculty, staff, advisory board members, university administrators, and community stakeholders as she spoke, using the theme of the Dr. Suess classic Oh, The Places You'll Go, about the exciting places the college has been over the past year, and where the organization is headed in the future.
The new, state-of-the-art Education Building, located on the corner of Hampton Boulevard and 43rd Street, was a highlight of the presentation. This was the first State of the College Address to be delivered in new building, referred to as the Gateway to Campus at Old Dominion University. In discussing the new building, Bray jokingly referenced a comment made by former Chief Operating Officer David Harnage at the building dedication event for the Broderick Dining Commons.
"At the dedication of the beautiful new John and Kate Broderick Dining Commons, Mr. Harnage referred to the building as a home run," said Bray. While I wholeheartedly agree with that statement, I would respectfully say that while that building was a home run, the new education building is a grand slam."
On display was the diversity of the six departments located within the college - Communication Disorders and Special Education (CDSE), Counseling and Human Services (CHS), Educational Foundations and Leadership (EFL), Human Movement Sciences (HMS), STEM Education and Professional Studies (STEMPS) and Teaching and Learning (TL). Bray wove the ongoing theme of Diversity Transforms throughout her presentation as she urged attendees to learn more about the various academic programs offered at the undergraduate and graduate level and tour the facilities located both within and outside of the new building (HMS is located in the Student Recreation Center while CDSE is located in the Child Study Center).
"You especially need to check out the fourth floor laboratories, known as 'the best kept STEM secret on campus,'" said Bray.
Of prominent focus in the address was faculty research success. Bray proudly announced "hot of the presses" that the college of education had retained the number two rank in grant expenditures university-wide. Among the research projects highlighted were the Motivation, Identity, and Learning Lab (MilLab) directed by Dr. Tony Perez; Dr. Petros Katsioloudis' research trip to the arctic; and the Teacher In Residence (TIR) program led by Dr. Janice Underwood. Bray, addressing the 15-member graduating class of the TIR program in attendance, proudly proclaimed that with the placement of these teachers in full-time secondary math and science teaching roles, the Darden College of Education had helped the City of Norfolk - for the first time - close the teaching gap in these subjects.
In addition to looking back on the successes of the previous year, Bray also looked ahead to the 2017-2018 academic year. Among the upcoming events highlighted by Bray, on Monday, Sept. 25, the college will host Dr. Pedro Noguera, renowned scholar and expert on the impact social and economic conditions on schools in urban settings. Bray also touted enhanced community college agreements which, in partnership with Tidewater Community College and Thomas Nelson Community College, will augment participation in several of the college's undergraduate offerings including industrial technology.
Bray concluded the event with a message about the college's renewed focus on marketing efforts, accentuated by the debut of a Darden College of Education promotional video, seen online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW3bVvcPqNc.