From welcoming a new dean and students back for in-person activities across our three campuses to celebrating numerous gifts and awards in support of access and opportunity, this academic year has been a memorable one for the College of Education.
Read more below about notable events and activities in the college during the 2021-22 academic year.
August
College of Education welcomes R. Anthony Rolle as new dean
In August, the College of Education welcomed R. Anthony Rolle as its new dean. An experienced leader with more than two decades of professional service to the field of education, Dr. Rolle has established a long-standing commitment to supporting student access for student academic success, faculty excellence in research and instruction, and increasing community engagement.
September
College of Education celebrates educators during Extra Yard for Teachers Week
To celebrate the difference that educators make in the lives of their students, the College of Education partnered with USF Athletics to host festivities during Extra Yard for Teachers Week, an annual salute to teachers supported by the College Football Playoff Foundation and its partners. The week of festivities included a pre-game tailgate, in-game recognitions of College of Education alumni and community partners and $6,700 worth of donations to teacher-led projects in Tampa Bay school districts.
USF receives $1.2 million gift to expand assistance to students with intellectual disabilities
The College of Education received a $1.2 million gift from Andrew and Eileen Hafer to benefit UMatter, an innovative, inclusive postsecondary education program created to provide young people with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to experience higher education and campus life. The gift named the program after Eileen Hafer and will support the program’s operations and year-round initiatives for participating students.
October
Dean Rolle writes community memo on USF’s efforts to revitalize its commitment to the education profession
In a message to the community, Dean Rolle shared some of the initiatives under development in the College of Education to attract accomplished, articulate, and passionate individuals to the education profession and to the college’s programs across all three USF campuses.
November
Education in Action explores the intersection of politics, K-12 schools
At this year’s Education in Action event, leading experts in the fields of education finance and policy studies explored various issues impacting K-12 schools, such as school choice, teacher pay and how politics influences the teaching profession. This year’s keynote speaker was R. Craig Wood, EdD, a professor of educational administration at the University of Florida and a leading scholar in the field of education finance.
December
USF joins as partner institution in Hillsborough County Public Schools’ Transformation Fellowship Program
The College of Education joined a new initiative launched by Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) to place college students and recent graduates as academic interventionalists and tutors in schools across the district’s Transformation Network. The program aims to attract several hundred university and college-level students to serve as tutors, mentors and support staff to help close the achievement gap and bolster student learning in Hillsborough County’s high-needs schools.
January
PowerSchool gift to provide financial support to USF students completing teacher certification exams
The College of Education received an $80,000 gift from education technology company PowerSchool to support students with the financial costs associated with state teacher certification exams. The gift will help students cover costs associated with initial teacher certification, such as testing fees, fingerprinting and background checks. The donation was made as part of the PowerSchool Education Fund, an initiative launched to address the national teacher shortage and attract underrepresented populations to the education profession.
February
Scholarship recognition event celebrates the spirit of giving
The College of Education hosted its annual Scholarship Recognition Event in February to show gratitude to our donors who empower the college’s students to earn their degrees and pursue careers in the education profession. We are incredibly proud of our student scholarship recipients and grateful to our donors for making their studies at USF possible.
March
USF selected to host first Florida chapter of Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement Schools Program
The College of Education was selected to host a chapter of the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) Schools Program, an academic program that supports underserved students and helps them excel in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. USF’s chapter will launch at the St. Petersburg campus and grow to include additional campuses in the future.
April
USF STEM Teacher Preparation Initiative awarded $1 million in funding from House Appropriations Committee
A community project proposed by the College of Education was awarded $1 million by the House Appropriations Committee to enhance science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) teacher preparation across the Tampa Bay region. The project, endorsed for funding support last year by U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, will create a pipeline of new STEM teachers within Hillsborough County Public Schools and other Tampa Bay region school districts.
May
College of Education announces recipients of 2022 Distinguished Alumni Awards
Each year, the College of Education presents our Distinguished Alumni Awards to celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of our graduates. This year’s recipients include Dominic J. Puglisi, LaSonya Moore and Caprice Edmond. Each recipient was recognized at the college’s annual alumni awards program in May.
About the USF College of Education:
As the home for more than 2,200 students and 130 faculty members across three campuses,
the University of South Florida College of Education offers state-of-the-art teacher
training and collegial graduate studies designed to empower educational leaders. Our
college is nationally accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator
Preparation (CAEP) and our educator preparation programs are fully approved by the
Florida Department of Education.