At the University of West Georgia, we are in the business of transforming lives, and we are focused on success. With so many advancements at UWG, our campus is constantly brimming with excitement. Through the Points of Pride we celebrate these achievements and examine our success through the four major Strategic Imperatives of our Strategic Plan – Student Success, Academic Success, Partnership Success and Operational Success. Congratulations to all those who have strived for excellence and have achieved it.

  • Points of Pride: June 2019

    At the University of West Georgia, we are in the business of transforming lives and we are focused on success. With so many advancements at UWG, our campus is constantly brimming with excitement. Through the Points of Pride we celebrate these achievements and examine our success through the four major Strategic Imperatives of our Strategic Plan – Student Success, Academic Success, Partnership Success and Operational Success. Congratulations to all those who have strived for excellence and have achieved it.

    Read through Student Success, Academic Success, Partnership Success and Operational Success to catch a quick glimpse of our most recent Points of Pride, or select the link below to view these via PDF.

    Points of Pride: June 2019

  • Student Success
    • The UWG COE chapter of NSSLHA (National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association) has earned Gold Chapter Honors for its demonstration of leadership for the future of the field and advocacy for future clients. 
    • The Jamaican Association for Debating & Empowerment (JADE) awarded UWG Debate its Medal of Friendship during a visit to Jamaica by UWG Debate for the purpose of teaching debate and public speaking workshops in Kingston and Montego Bay. UWG Debate is only the third recipient of the Medal of Friendship (and the first public institution in the U.S.), which is awarded only to those organizations that meet the criteria of a lasting relationship committed to mutual promotion of debate, with tangible collaboration and measurable results. 
    • The dissertation research of Dr. Amy Yarbrough, spring 2019 Tanner Health System School of Nursing (THSSON) graduate from the Ed.D. in nursing education program, titled “Discovering the Process of Reasonable Academic Accommodations for Pre-licensure Nursing Students with Learning Disabilities,” will be published in the National League for Nursing’s research journal, “Nursing Education Perspectives.” 
    • Perry Wasdin, a chemistry major in the College of Science and Mathematics (COSM), continues his international research adventures through the NSF iREU (International Research Experience for Undergraduates) Program at the Graz University of Technology in Graz, Austria, which is organized by Syracuse University in New York. Wasdin will conduct original chemistry research full-time during the 10-week program under faculty at TU Graz.

     

  • Academic Success
    • COE’s school improvement doctoral program has been recognized by BestColleges.com as one of the Best Online Doctorates in Curriculum and Instruction. 
    • COE’s Dr. Stacey Britton, assistant professor, and Kim Scasny, assistant professor, were named 2019 Georgia Project Wild Facilitators of the Year for their work on environmental education. 
    • Taylor Bryant, assistant professor of public relations in the College of Social Sciences, was recently named one of the state’s top communicators by the Georgia chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. Bryant received the award during a recent awards ceremony at Emory University’s Miller-Ward House. 
    • Dr. Melanie Lewis, assistant professor in COE’s Department of Educational Technology and Foundations, was honored by the American Libraries Magazine in its June 2019 edition. Her dissertation, “A Collective Case Study to Examine Administrators’ Instructional Leadership Perspective of the Role of Instructional Coaches and Teacher-Librarians in California Public Schools,” was selected as one of nine 2019 Notable Dissertations of the Year. 
    • Dr. Stacey Britton, assistant professor in COE, was named 2019 Georgia Project WET Facilitator of the Year for her dedication to water education and the promotion of the program at UWG. 
    • All four of THSSON’s spring doctoral graduates had either a poster or podium presentation accepted to present their dissertation research at the Nursing Education Research Conference, a prestigious conference jointly hosted by Sigma Theta Tau and the National League for Nursing. In addition, three faculty members were also accepted to present their research findings. 
    • The COE’s Ed.D. in Professional Counseling and Supervision has been selected as one of the Best Online Doctorate in Educational Counseling programs for 2019 by BestColleges.com. 
    • Dr. Jairus-Joaquin Matthews, COE assistant professor in communication sciences and disorders, has been invited to serve on the Multicultural Issues Board of the American Speech-Language- Hearing Association for a three-year term beginning January 2020.
       
  • Partnership Success
    • After winning Teacher of the Year for her school, Chattanooga Valley Elementary, Megan Hulse was recognized as the Walker County Teacher of the Year. Hulse teaches 3rd grade and is currently enrolled in the UWG COE’s M.Ed. in reading instruction program. 
    • Barbie Esquijarosa, an ESOL teacher for all grades at Burruss Elementary and COE alumna, was named the 2020 Marietta City Schools Teacher of the Year. 
    • In mid-June, UWG and UWG Newnan participated in the National Youth League Forum. Approximately 125 high school students (on each campus) who were possibly interested in the medical field were introduced to nursing and the simulation laboratory. Students submitted positive reviews. Faculty, staff and pre-licensure BSN students participated. 
    • Dr. Kristopher Williams, a COE alumnus of the business education master’s degree program, has has recently been named the new principal at Alcovy High in Covington, Georgia. 
    • Dr. Kim Fraker, who received her master’s degree and doctorate in the COE, has been named the new Gordon County Schools superintendent. 
    • Dr. Chainey Cherry, who received her master’s degree in administration and supervision from the COE in 2005, has been named the Teacher of the Year at Benjamin E. Mays High School in Atlanta and has launched a new book, “Education on the Real,” presenting vital lessons through fictional narrative about modern-day educators.

     

  • Operational Success
    • Dr. Dianne Hoff, dean of the College of Educationt (COE), along with co-PIs, Dr. Jennifer Edelman and Dr. Anne Gaquere-Parker, received $1.37 million from the National Science Foundation to implement a program at UWG to recruit, prepare and sustain STEM-certified teachers who become engaged teacher leaders for high-needs schools in the West Georgia region and beyond. 
    • Cordellya Smith Posivenko’s “Kawoni’s Journey Across the Mountain” has been included in a Yale- New Haven Teachers Institute literature curriculum plan to engage reluctant readers. “Kawoni’s Journey” is the only Cherokee version of “Little Red Riding Hood” ever published. Posivenko works in UWG’s Department of Housing and Residence Life. 
    • Dr. Lama Farran, associate professor of communication sciences and disorders in COE, has received $45,000 from the University System of Georgia Board of Regents, through Georgia College & State University to study mother/child vocal interaction in autism spectrum disorders. 
    • RA-LIN and Associates Inc., the construction firm contracted to build the new Student Health Center (right), won an award for the building in this year’s Build Georgia Awards sponsored by the Associated General Contractors. 
    • Dr. Chelsea Morris, assistant professor in early childhood through secondary education in COE, has received $6,000 from The Children’s Trust at the University of Miami to create a reflective mentoring process for practice-based coaches and training focused on trauma informed care, teacher efficacy, and shared action planning for targeted and individualized behavior support. 
    • Dr. Catherine Jenks, associate vice president for institutional effectiveness and assessment, won the “Best Paper Presenter” award for her presentation “Improving Teaching and Learning through Classroom Design” at the International Conference on Teaching, Education & Learning in Prague, Czech Republic.

     

Past Points of Pride