COE May eNews: Future principals, Haley Graduate Mentoring Excellence Award, new bachelor's program, and more

[Christine Cress]

Congratulations Dr. Karen Haley, PACE Professor!

What a well-deserved honor to receive the PSU Graduate Mentoring Excellence Award!

-------- Forwarded Message --------

Subject:	COE May eNews: Future principals, research awards, new bachelor's program, and more
Date:	Tue, 07 May 2024 14:00:10 -0000
From:	PSU College of Education <coe-commu...@pdx.edu>
Reply-To:	coe-commu...@pdx.edu
To:	cre...@pdx.edu

Student, Staff & Faculty Newsletter – May 2024 Dear COE Community, Before we jump into this month’s newsletter, I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge how difficult the events of last week were for PSU students, staff, faculty, and community members. I’m thankful that we’ve been able to return to normal operations, and want to convey my support to each of you as we navigate through this challenging time together.  Your messages of concern and compassion have not gone unnoticed. I assure you that your well-being and our collective healing is of utmost importance to me. As educators, fostering an environment of understanding and respect is core to our mission. Recent events globally and within our campus community have left many of us feeling unsettled. As passions continue to run high, it’s critical that we unite in demonstrating kindness and empathy towards one another. While the atmosphere on campus has calmed down, there will likely be lasting effects from recent events. As a reminder, there are various campus resources available to you, and you can find the latest official protest updates and communications from the Office of the President. Please continue to take care of yourselves and each other, and let me know if you need assistance accessing any of the resources available for support. Warmly, Tina Peterman Interim Dean and Professor College of Education Portland State University FEATURED NEWS Bridging the leadership gap: Portland State and Portland Public Schools pilot Future Principals Program The nationwide teacher shortage has made headlines regularly in recent years. Low pay, heavy workload, difficult classroom dynamics and lack of support for educators have fueled the growing crisis. The Covid-19 pandemic only exacerbated these issues.    But while the spotlight has been focused largely on teacher attrition, principals have been leaving K-12 schools at alarming rates as well.    One could argue that being a school leader has never been easy, but when you add stressors like navigating an ongoing global health crisis, polarized politics, staffing shortages, low pay, student learning loss and school violence into the mix, the position has become untenable for many.    The National Association of Elementary School Principals reported that one in five principals stepped down between the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 academic years. They predict that another 70% of K-8 principals will depart in the next three years.    The landscape in Portland, Oregon schools mirrors the national trend.   Partnering to Close the Gap   To address this issue and help build a pipeline of qualified school principals, Portland State University (PSU) and Portland Public Schools (PPS) have partnered to create the Future Principals Program. The program aims to prepare the next generation of leaders by identifying promising assistant principals in the district and preparing them to become impactful and enduring principals.    Madhu Narayanan, assistant professor of Educational Leadership and Policy at Portland State, noted that a big challenge for assistant principals is that they’re typically so busy managing the day-to-day administration at their schools that they don’t get to practice the leadership skills needed to be an effective principal; and they don’t have time away from their buildings for professional development.   This innovative workshop series for a diverse group of principal candidates is held on PSU’s campus at the College of Education and features a different leadership task each month. The assignments are designed to mirror the challenges that principals regularly face in the field so that, come hiring time, job candidates can easily articulate their vision for the school and their approach to creating a strong school culture and leading change. BIG NEWS!! The COE College of Education is excited to announce the launch of its innovative Elementary Education Bachelor’s degree program, offering undergraduates a direct pathway to becoming licensed teachers in the state of Oregon. The program is now admitting students for fall term 2024. FACULTY SPOTLIGHT Karen Haley receives Graduate Mentoring Excellence Award Portland State University (PSU) recently recognized Dr. Karen Haley, professor of Educational Leadership and Policy, with the 2024 Graduate Mentorship Excellence Award – a top honor acknowledging PSU faculty members who provide outstanding mentorship to graduate students and postdoctoral scholars engaged in research at the university. Since 2011, Haley has taught in the Postsecondary, Adult, and Continuing Education master’s program and the Post-Secondary Specialization of the doctoral program in the College of Education.  “Of all the recognitions that faculty might receive, the PSU Graduate Mentoring Excellence award is the one that means the world to me,” Haley said.  “In my faculty role, I care most about working with both master’s and doctoral students. In fact, mentoring is a natural extension of my research on higher education career paths and professional development. Helping students see their own potential is my primary mentoring joy.”  Haley has led the last two doctoral cohorts as the program coordinator and, in this leadership role, is essentially a mentor to all. For the current cohort, she has served as formal advisor and dissertation chair for ten of 17 students and is a committee member for an additional six.  “This is an unrivaled advising load in our doctoral programs,” said Chris Borgmeier, professor of Special Education and doctoral program director for the College of Education. Haley’s dedication extends beyond the doctoral cohorts to the master’s programs, where she advises an average of 42 students per year.  Borgmeier notes that the range of leadership positions held by Haley’s alumni, and the organizations they work for, illustrates her effectiveness and the widespread impact of her mentorship on Oregon Higher Education and beyond.  But perhaps the best measure of Haley’s success is heard through the voices of her former students who attest to her exceptional mentorship; describing her as supportive, compassionate and instrumental in their academic and professional growth. Rana Yaghmaian named College of Education Researcher of the Year Dr. Rana Yaghmaian, associate professor and department chair of Counselor Education, has been named 2024 College of Education Researcher of the Year at Portland State University (PSU).  Yaghmaian’s research focuses on the psychosocial experiences of people with disabilities at the intersection of race, gender, disability and sexuality. She is recognized for this award based on a research project funded by the Spencer Foundation's prestigious Racial Equity Research Grant.  The interdisciplinary research project titled "Interrogating college student support spaces: Examining the experiences of disabled students of color using critical disability race spatial analysis" was done in collaboration with Molly Siuty, associate professor of inclusive teacher education, and colleagues in PSU’s Department of Geography.  The team studied how disabled college students of color at PSU experience campus support spaces and whether or not their needs are being met in these spaces. The aim is to use their research findings to design improved services, improve student retention and build a stronger sense of belonging and community among disabled students of color at PSU. “This project is important to me because higher education is frequently a space where ableism, white supremacy and racism are perpetuated, and institutional pressures can exacerbate these forces,” Yaghmaian said. The research looked at students’ experiences across PSU campus support spaces including the Disability Resource Center, Queer Resource Center, Women's Resource Center, TRIO Services, Basic Needs Hub and Cultural Resource Centers.  “One of our findings was that while universities tend not to favor disabled students of color on a systemic level, individual people and spaces could disrupt their negative experiences on what we called an ‘ad hoc’ basis,” Yaghmaian explained.  David Banis, Department of Geography GIS lab manager and associate director of the Center for Spatial Analysis and Research at PSU, along with graduate student Rachel Cheyney, have been working on the presentation and visualization aspect of the research project with Yaghmaian and Siuty for nearly a year. View all 2024 PSU Research Award Recipients PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS Strong College of Education showing at AERA Fourteen faculty members representing multiple disciplines presented at the 2024 American Educational Research Association (AERA) annual meeting in Philadelphia, PA, April 11–14. Their talks explored topics aligned with this year’s theme: "Dismantling Racial Injustice and Constructing Educational Possibilities: A Call to Action."  Amanda Sugimoto Lauren Vega O'Neil Olivia Murray Bernd Ferner Madhu Narayanan Rachel Snyder Bhansari Dot McElhone Micki Caskey Rana Yaghmaian Gayle Thieman Molly Siuty Shanté Stuart McQueen Ingrid Anderson Nicole Rigelman Tina Peterman More Accolades John Nimmo, Curriculum and Instruction faculty, presented in a plenary session on "Navigating the Intersection: Exploring Race, Racism, Equity and Diversity in the Early Years Sector" in April at the World Forum on Early Care and Education, Vancouver, Canada. Madhu Narayanan, Educational Leadership & Policy faculty, presented the paper titled “Breaking Institutional Ground: Beyond Public and Private Discourses In Educational Change” at the Comparative International and Educational Society conference in Miami, FL. NEWS BRIEFS Library Update The Millar Library is closed for repairs through summer term. For information about library operations, visit Library Closure FAQs.   Study Spaces in the Vanport Building These spaces are available for group and individual study needs:   - 430A & 430B; No reservation required. - 233, 234, 235; Students can reserve through faculty or department admin.  - Department lounges on the 2nd & 4th floors are great for independent study or quiet discussions.  Thanks to your support, the COE raised $20,000+ on Spring Day of Giving Dean search finalists on campus Two of the Dean of College of Education Finalists will be interviewing on campus this week. Faculty, staff and students are invited to attend via Zoom.   Finalist C: Tues. May 7, Noon - 1pm Finalist D: Thurs. May 9, Noon - 1pm   Candidate CVs will be available on the COE dean search webpage 24 hours in advance.   Learn more about all active PSU searches >>   Get your commencement regalia Purchase regalia items such as caps, gowns, tassels, stoles of gratitude and hoods for commencement at Grad Fair on May 14 & 15.  Order today and save! Avoid shipping charges by ordering your regalia from the University Market in Smith Memorial Student Union or from its online store. Order by Monday, May 10 for pick up at Grad Fair.  EVENTS Research Week: May 6-10 Celebrate PSU explorers, problem-solvers, and changemakers. Our research and scholarship bring discoveries and possibilities into focus. Together we're answering some of the world's toughest challenges while equipping our students with the skills they need to reach their full potential. Research Week honors and elevates the exceptional research, scholarship, and creative work of PSU faculty, staff, and students. Check out the exciting lineup of events >> Embracing our Majority-BIPOC Future Symposium: May 9 Join us for a day of meaning making, priority assessment, and application as we lean into our desire to serve our changing demographics and aspiration to be the premier majority-BIPOC student institution in the Pacific Northwest. With a rich agenda featuring insightful discussions, engaging performances, and collaborative workshops, this symposium will be an inspiring day of learning and dialogue as we delve into shaping the future of our university and community. 9:30am - 3:00pm | Smith Memorial Union Register Presidential Speaker Series: May 9 Please join us for the fifth and final session of the Presidential Speaker Series featuring UC Riverside Chancellor, Dr. Kim Wilcox. A friend and mentor to PSU President Ann Cudd, Chancellor Wilcox has led UCR to become a beacon of innovation and inclusivity — reaching new heights in research, enrollment, and graduation rates.  Learn more about Dr. Wilcox › May 9, 3:30pm Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom RSVP >> Movement building through connection, hope, and healing Registration is now open for the inaugural BIPOC Adoptees VOICES conference. The multi-day conference includes keynote speakers, formal support groups, performances, and much more. Click on the Sign Up button below to register and learn more about the conference schedule, facilitators, accommodations, the Container of Care framework, FAQs, and ways to support. EMPLOYMENT PSU College of Education is hiring: Director, Oregon Center for Career Development in Childhood Care and Education Clinic Director, Community Counseling Clinic ----- Helen Gordon Child Development Center is hiring: Student Workers SUBMISSIONS Have news or a story idea to share with the College of Education community? Every month we publish stories about student success, staff achievements, faculty accomplishments, alumni news, upcoming events and more. Send your submission to coe-commu...@pdx.edu.  Follow us on your favorite social media channels: Manage your preferences | Opt Out using TrueRemove™ Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails. View this email online. College of Education 1810 SW 5th Avenue | Portland, OR 97207 US This email was sent to cre...@pdx.edu. To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.