ENGAGE - CONNECT - ADVANCE - LEAD
IHE GRADUATE NEWSLETTER
SEPTEMBER 2020
Suzanne Graham
Dear IHE alumni and friends,
The new semester and activity around Meigs Hall are a welcomed change from a summer filled with teleworking and telephoning. I know I am not the only one who missed seeing colleagues and students in person, even if masked and at a distance!
After a busy, introspective spring and summer, our faculty have launched several new initiatives to enrich our educational programs, including the addition of a deeper exposure in qualitative and quantitative research methods, an expanded set of core classes, and restructured electives. To achieve improved synergy between our academic and outreach programs, we are regularly offering zoom-tables on important and emerging issues in higher education.
I am also excited to announce a new Institute working group on diversity, inclusion, and equity. The group plans to launch a visiting scholar speaker series and other educational activities to better prepare us and our students for our current and future roles.
We are enthusiastic about this year, and we hope that you will be in touch. We need you to meet our goals and to be our best.
With gratitude for your friendship,
Libby Morris,
Director
|
|
Funded workforce development research
Karen Webber and Amy Stich started work on their NSF-funded research project this month.
Karen Webber and Amy Stich are PIs for a major NSF-funded project, “The Effect of Geographic Locale on Access to Work-Related Experiential Activities.”
Their study focuses on how students’ access to experiential learning opportunities is affected by their proximity to areas with major economic and workforce activity.
In addition to growing collaborations with several colleagues around campus, the grant also provides one of our students with valuable experience to further develop his skills.
Also, please take a moment to congratulate Dr. Webber. She recently was granted promotion to full professor.
|
|
Dr. Knapp and Dr. Wolniak conclude their grant, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, next month.
Their initial report articulates the impact of postsecondary attainment on the workforce by reviewing and summarizing existing empirical evidence and underlying data relating postsecondary degrees and credentials to career and economic outcomes in the U.S., and specifically in Georgia.
|
|
Workshops, Zoomtables & Mentoring
Screenshot of Dr. Webber's Zoomtable on data analytics in higher education
We continue to learn a lot from each other. Here are some ways to stay connected to the IHE community this fall.
- IHE Zoomtables
Data Analytics in Higher Education led by Karen Webber (August 31). Recording available.
The Value of "the Student Experience" during a Pandemic led by Greg Wolniak (September 21). Contact Suzanne for recording. - Professional workshops
Denisa Gándara (PhD 2016) and Meredith Billings (Postdoc, 2017-19) present Causal Inference for Policy Analysis in Higher Education on Friday, October 30 at noon (ASHE Research Workshop) - UGA Mentor Program
August marked the one-year anniversary of the program, directed by Jeremy Daniels (MEd 2017) and with current IHE student Kanler Cumbass serving as the first graduate assistant. We had about a dozen IHE partners during the year, and we hope to build on that momentum this academic year. Thank you to all who participated! - UGA Signature Lectures
All programs will be held online this fall, so it's never been easier to attend. - UGA Alumni Programs
An American Marriage virtual book club with author Tayari Jones (September 23).
Young Alumni Virtual Trivia Night hosted by Kevin Schatell of NBC News' TODAY and Emily Curl of iHeartRadio (September 24).
|
|
Faculty Crafts New Vision & Mission
The Institute has a noted strength in institutional innovation, and so in the course of drafting a five-year strategic plan, we did not shy away from inviting your input and critically examining our programs and identity.
As a result, the faculty created new vision, mission, and value statements to reflect our commitment to policy development and assessment; student access, equity, diversity, and success; and institutional effectiveness and innovation.
Thank you to all our graduates who took the time to complete the survey in February!
Starting a New Semester
Clockwise from top left: Kayle McKinney, Jonathan Barefield, Calli McCormack, Mary Kate Steinbeck, Monica Maldonado, Matt Colvin, Collin Case, Emily Chen-Bendle, Shellby Branch, Alex Monday, Tori Tanner, Courtney Cullen, Matt Grandstaff, Diana Wrenn-Rapp, Amanda Gay, Brionna Johnson & Bijana Birač
IHE welcomed a large incoming class of PhD and MEd students this fall. We've tried to find ways to make them feel the same inclusiveness that you remember from your first days in the program.
Our largest space, room 101, can accommodate only 10 occupants at a time, so faculty members creatively are embracing the hyflex model to give students opportunities to attend in-person classes and supplement the experience with small group work and synchronous and asynchronous online sessions.
Given the broad geographic spread of our Executive EdD students and various institutional restrictions on travel, we were unable to reconvene cohort 6 in person. Over the summer, we introduced a new online course, Seminar in Higher Education, to provide deeper coverage of professional literature. We applaud the resilience and perseverance of this extraordinary group!
|
|
|
|
Our 2020 IHE Report will ship soon. If you've moved recently, please make sure we have your current address.
Drop us a line
|
|
|
The University of Georgia Foundation is registered to solicit in every state and provides state specific registration information at http://www.ugafoundation.org/charity.