April: A time for completion and recognition. We have some siginificant celebrations to share with you.

Professors Carolyn Stuart and Bird Stasz have been awarded Professor Emerita rank and will conclude their careers in a few weeks. Hundreds of Elon students have benefitted from the experiences provided by these faculty. And even more schoolchildren have benefitted from a teacher educated by Carolyn and Bird. Their commitment to social justice and global awareness have set examples for the campus.

At our annual awards ceremony, we'll recognize this year's outstanding faculty for excellence in scholarship, service and teaching.

• Scholarship:  Liz Bailey, lecturer in health and human performance, for her research program documenting the beneficial effects of physical activity for children.
• Service: Janice Richardson, associate professor of mathematics and education, who has served as coordinator of math education and director of the Elon Teaching Fellows.
• Teaching:  Mary Knight-McKenna, for preparing teachers to work with students with disabilities, especially in the area of literacy development.

Finally, the Elon Teaching Fellows program was recognized by the state review team as a model program, meeting all standards. Congratulations to Glenda Crawford, Jennifer Fish and the Teaching Fellows who worked so hard to prepare for the review.

David Cooper, Dean

Christopher Emdin headlines
Teaching Fellows event

Christopher Emdin, an assistant professor in the Teachers College at Columbia University and an expert on the use of hip-hop culture to better teach students in urban schools, visited Elon in March for the annual Teaching Fellows Speaker Series. His address, "Reality pedagogy: Teaching and learning from the student's standpoint," focused on his thesis that "teaching is not divorced from cultural things going on." The following day, Emdin held two workshops with Teaching Fellows. Read more about Emdin's visit to Elon.

Stephen Charles '03 receives
Elon's Top 10 Under 10 Award

Stephen Charles '03, director of medical education at the Unviersity of Kansas School of Medicine in Wichita, Kan., was one of 10 young alumni honored by the Elon Alumni Association in March. Stephen graduated from Elon with a bachelor's degree in secondary biology education and a minor in music. He went on to receive a master's degree from North Carolina A&T State University and is completing a second master's degree and doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of South Florida. At the University of Kansas, Stephen is tasked with redesigning the medical education program, overseeing the standardized patient center, implementing an expanded four-year medical school and working with faculty at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Congratulations, Stephen!

Read more about the 2012 Top 10 Under 10 Award recipients.

Terry Tomasek promoted
to associate professor

Terry Tomasek, who currently serves as the program coordinator for elementary education, has been promoted to associate professor. She maintains deep and comprehensive partnerships with public schools that are under-resourced and serve disadvantaged children, and prepares teacher candidates who can work effectively and take leadership roles in these areas. Her service, leadership and scholarship is highly regarded in the Department of Education, the Elon Academy and university community, and our local school partners. Her accomplishments include a $250,000 grant from the National Science Foundation and the School of Education's Excellence in Teaching Award. Congratulations, Dr. Tomasek!

Elon to host local teachers
for writing institute

The Department of Education, in collaboration with faculty in Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences, and Alamance-Burlington Schools (ABSS), has developed a writing institute for ABSS K-12 teachers. The institute will strengthen teachers' understanding of the writing process, the workshop approach to writing and how to incorporate various genres into their writing instruction. ABSS teachers will participate in a two-day workshop in June and return to their school sites in the fall prepared to share their knowledge with school colleagues. Thanks to the partnership's supporters, who include Richard Mihans and Marna Winter (Department of Education), Steve Braye (Department of English), and Lisa Thompson, Beth Hodge and Betty Dillashaw (ABSS).