• France Bestows Knighthood on Watkins
• Born to Teach
• Fox Receives United Way's Highest Award
• University Recogizes Distinguished Faculty, Alumni
• 2000s
• 1990s
• 1980s
• 1970s
• 1960s

France Bestows Knighthood on Watkins

Bryan Watkins (BA ‘91) has been named a knight in France’s Order of Academic Palms, or l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques, an honor created by Napoleon himself.

But don’t expect Watkins to go around slaying dragons, rescuing fair maidens, or hanging around castles in a polished suit of armor. Instead, he plans to continue teaching French at Harry A. Burke High School in Omaha.

And whatever you do, don’t call him Sir Bryan.

“ France abolished all titles of nobility during the French Revolution,” Watkins said. “My official title actually comes after my name, ‘Bryan Watkins, Knight in the Order of Academic Palms,’ but not before.”

In notifying Watkins of the honor, Jacques Treffel, inspector general and national president of the Association of the Members of the Order of Academic Palms, wrote: “I send you my very warm and sincere congratulations for this wonderful award that honors you and attests to the perfect quality of services that you have rendered to the teaching of the French language and culture in your country.”

Watkins said he was anonymously nominated for the honor in spring 2003. Colleagues were subsequently asked to write letters on his behalf, and Watkins himself had to pen a letter describing his career as a French teacher.

Watkins attended Southeast Polk High School in Runnells, where his French teacher, Diane Larson, inspired him to study the language. In addition to his UI studies, he spent a year at the University of Angers as an exchange student.

Watkins is a Knight in the Order of Academic Palms.

Watkins has been teaching French for 13 years. At Harry A. Burke High School in Omaha, he teaches French levels I, III, IV, and Advanced Placement French. Through AP, he helped start a dual enrollment program that allows his high school students to earn undergraduate credit from the University of Nebraska and, by virtue of the arrangement, he will become an adjunct professor at UN–Omaha while still teaching at Burke High.

In addition to teaching, Watkins is past president of the Nebraska International Languages Association and the Nebraska chapter of the American Association of Teachers of French. He is also a reader for the Advanced Placement French Language Examination and travels to Ewing, New Jersey, each year to grade the AP French Language exam. He has made seven trips to France to date, two of them with Burke High School students.

Watkins is currently working on his master’s in education through University of Nebraska–Lincoln. –by Stephen Pradarelli

Born to Teach

When Nathalie Mingo (BA ’95) started teaching, no one in her family was really surprised. After all, both of her parents were teachers. Both her grandmothers had been teachers. Even two of her father’s uncles had been school principals.

“I have been surrounded by teachers all my life,” she said.

Mingo's students appreciate her teaching and her caring.

The surprise came last spring, when Mingo was named one of Illinois’ Milken National Educators for 2004. Recipients are chosen for their inspiring presence in the classroom, their exceptional educational talent, and their potential for professional policy leadership. Nathalie Mingo plans to use the award prize to pursue her doctorate.

The event was also attended by her father, Charles E. Mingo, who was named a National Educator in 1993 when he was principal of Chicago’s DuSable High. It’s the only time in the award’s history that two family members have been so honored.

For ten years, Mingo has taught first grade at Willow Elementary in her hometown of Homewood, Illinois. She has class meetings where students share their ideas. She livens up reading lessons with art and dance. Mingo’s coworkers say they can always go to her to learn the latest teaching techniques.

But Mingo uses her heart in teaching as often as she uses her head. She stays after school to help students who are struggling. She goes to their little league games and their birthday parties. To Mingo, being a teacher isn’t just about the three R’s. It’s about respecting her students and helping them grow.

“A good teacher is an effective one who cares about the total child and not just their academic performance,” Mingo says. “Good teachers form solid working relationships between themselves and their students.”

Even before she could put such ideas into words, Mingo instinctively knew where her talents and passion would lead.

“I’m not only going to be a teacher,” she told her parents when she was a child, “I’m going to be a very good teacher.”

Indeed—she is. –by Jennifer Hemminsen ©2005 Iowa Alumni Magazine

Fox Receives United Way's Highest Award

Gillian Fox is Agency Director of the Year.

Gillian Fox (BS ’89/MA ’05), founder and executive director of the non-profit LIFE Skills Inc., received the local United Way’s highest award—Agency Director of the Year—for her efforts to improve social service quality for children and adults.

LIFE Skills, Inc. helps individuals with mental illness, mental retardation, or other challenges live as independently as possible by providing or arranging for the provision of education, transportation, employment opportunities, counseling, treatment and other forms of assistance.

Paula Kasper-Lundahl, co-chair of the UWJC’s Agency, praised Fox’s work with LIFE Skills, as well as with United Way.

“Since founding LIFE Skills, Inc. 16 years ago, Gillian has built the agency into a strong, well-managed, certified agency with 20 staff that provide personalized services to more than 130 people with disabilities each year,” Kasper-Lundahl said. “Her agency has extraordinary staff longevity, in a field of service that traditionally struggles with high turnover rates, which says something about her management style.”

Fox, a longtime advocate of people with disabilities, founded LIFE Skills in November 1989 while completing her bachelor’s degree in Secondary Special Education. She also is a licensed social worker for the state of Iowa.

“I have the idea that the community is our classroom, and that we are its counselors and teachers,” Fox said.

“Gillian’s work influences so many for the good,” said Professor Vilia Tarvydas, Fox’s advisor. “She demonstrates how personal dedication, the utmost ethical standards, motivational leadership skills, and a caring heart can set the highest tone for her agency, students in the Rehabilitation Counseling program, and the community as a whole.

University Recognizes Distinguished Faculty, Alumni

Hood honored as UI's 2005 Distinguished Faculty.

The University honored Professor Emeritus Albert Hood with a 2005 Distinguished Faculty Award in recognition of his significant achievement in student development.

Hood’s work has brought the University international renown during his 40 years as an outstanding scholar. He also devised important instrumentation to measure the effects of college experiences on college students’ intellect and identity.

One of his most significant recent accomplishments is his work with the Senior College, which brings together a group of volunteers who have provided opportunities for intellectual growth for retired people in Iowa City and beyond. It’s through this work that Hood continues to serve others tirelessly and selflessly.

Norm Nielsen

Norm Nielsen (MS ’69/PhD ’86) received a 2005 Distinguished Alumni Award for Achievement for his significant accomplishments in education.

For more than 40 years, Nielsen has dedicated himself to the betterment of public education in Iowa and the nation—as a teacher and coach, high school principal, school district superintendent, administrator, and for the past 18 years as president of Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids.

With leadership and vision, Nielsen transformed Kirkwood into a leading U.S. learning center, recognized in 2001, as the Community College of the Year. Also in 2001, the Association of Community Colleges selected Nielsen as Executive Officer of the Year from 1,240 community college leaders across the country.

Al Jarreau (MA ’64) received a 2005 Distinguished Alumni Award for Achievement for significant accomplishments in his professional life and his ongoing service and support to the University.

Al Jarreau

The only vocalist in history to win Grammy awards in three different categories—jazz, pop, and rhythm & blues—Jarreau earned his degree in Rehabilitation Counseling, an appropriate discipline for someone so dedicated to helping others. A star on the “Hollywood Walk of Fame” commemorates his status as one of the best singers of his generation.

After receiving tenure at the University of Cincinnati, Cindy Goody (PhD ’00) decided to transition from academia to the private sector. She recently accepted a position as a dietician at Iowa City Hy-Vee stores where she offers individual counseling, gives store tours, and provides community education. One way she reaches the community at large is through radio spots where she discusses cutting-edge nutrition topics such as organic labeling and trans-fatty acids. She also offers glucose screening and helps customers with calorie counting issues. Her bilingual skills have also been a boost for the Spanish-speaking population who visit the grocery stores as well.

Lance Thurman (MA ’00) accepted the position of principal at Olympia High School in Stanford, Illinois, in July, where he immediately laid out a new reading program.

Thurman believes building good relationships is one of the most important things any school can teach students. “Kids need to feel good at school and realize the relevance in what they are doing,” he said.

Thurman started teaching in 1994, and has worked as a special education teacher, department chairman, dean of students, assistant principal, principal, athletic director, boy’s football and wrestling coach, and girl’s track coach at Galesburg and Monmouth high schools. –with Pantagraph.com © 2005

Jane Bolgatz (PhD ’01) taught high school social studies and language arts for seven years. She is now an assistant professor at Fordham University’s Graduate School of Education in New York City.

Teachers College Press published her book, Talking Race in the Classroom, which will help teachers develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to successfully address racial controversies in their classrooms.

“Race is too important and too controversial a topic to be treated without careful understanding of the complexities surrounding it,” said Pedro Noguera, one of America’s most important voices on education reform and diversity and an advocate for a strong and vibrant public education system. “Talking Race in the Classroom is a practical guide to discussing an issue that has confounded educators for years and that is essential for preparing young people to become thoughtful citizens in the 21 st century.”

Daniel J. Carrell (MA ’02) is director of Student Teaching at Cornell College, a newly created position to oversee, organize, and orchestrate student teaching. Carrell also teaches Educational Psychology courses for the college.

Rick Osborn (PhD ‘90) is an associate dean in the School of Continuing Studies at East Tennessee State University. He received the Milton Phillips, Jr. Award at the 2004 Annual Meeting of the Tennessee Alliance for Continuing Higher Education.

Rick Osborn

The award, TACHE’s highest, is given to a Tennessee professional continuing educator who has a demonstrated record of outstanding service and leadership, has promoted the concept of lifelong learning, and has a documented history of supporting innovation and creativity in the field of continuing education.

The award, initiated in 1981, has been given only five times since its inception.

Laura Apol (MA ‘88/PhD ‘94) is an associate professor of education at Michigan State University. Her second full-length collection of poetry, Crossing the Ladder of Sun (Michigan State University Press, 2004), received the Oklahoma Book Award. In this poetry collection, Apol explores the ordinary moments of life—watching her daughter, picking blueberries, sharing confidences with friends, arriving and leaving, and driving, always driving—and transforms them into the extraordinary. It is a book that is rich with the lyrical found in the mundane as it portrays the multiple roles of a woman’s life—mother, daughter, lover, ex-wife, friend.

Apol’s poetry has appeared in numerous anthologies and literary journals, including her first full-length collection, Falling into Grace. Her co-edited collection for young readers, Learning to Live in the World: Earth Poems by William Stafford, was the winner of a Hungry Mind Book of Distinction Award.

Chen-Yung Lin (PhD ‘94) is a professor of Science Education and Biology Philosophy at National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei.

Michael Dinsmore (BA’96/MAT ‘99) taught computer science for one year before deciding he would rather “implement” computer science than teach it, so he pursued an IT career.

John Bacon ( BA ‘97/MA ‘03) began serving as principal at Iowa City’s Lemme Elementary School, the school he attended from 1979 to 1986.

Bacon began his teaching career at Columbus Junction, where he spent two years before moving to Hills Elementary. He taught third and fourth grade there until 2003, when he took the principal job at Colorado Elementary in Muscatine.

He said he looked forward to returning to his former elementary school to bridge tradition with good things happening at the school today.

“Lemme is a special place,” Bacon said, “a true school family.”

Superintendent Lane Plugge said it is unique for a former student to return to lead his former school.

“John is very committed to public education and to children,” Plugge said. “His enthusiasm will maintain a strong community at Lemme.”

Bacon is currently a doctoral student in the College’s Educational Administration Program. –with the Press-Citizen ©2005

Chris Pisarik (BA ‘99), a fifth- and sixth-grade teacher at Iowa City’s Longfellow Elementary School, specializes in reading and language arts. He’s been recognized for the creation of a successful writer’s workshop at the school.

With their parents watching, students from kindergarten to sixth grade sit in a circle and wait their turn to share their stories or poems. Some of the students mutter under their breath and some read their stories with the gusto of a thespian, but everybody shares their work. Seemingly everything, from chocolate factories to dreams of being a professional skydiver, is covered.

Chris Pisarik creates writer’s workshop.

“The workshop’s purpose is to try to get the students more enthusiastic about writing,” Pisarik said.

Pisarik said the best thing about the school-wide writer’s workshop is the sharing of stories by each student. Parents say the best thing about the workshop is how it provides a way to “see what our children are thinking about and the way they think about it.”

Principal Mary Ellen Maske (BS ’66/MA ’93) said promoting writing would improve student achievement.

–©2005 Press Citizen

Anthony Koyzis (BA ’80/MA ’83/PhD ’88) is dean of the School of Education and Counseling at Wayne State College in Nebraska.

Robert Hammon (PhD ’83) retired as superintendent of the Sycamore School District after more than 20 years of service.

Hammon’s education career spans 34 years, including service as assistant superintendent, high school principal, and history and speech teacher. Over the years, he helped develop many quality programs and a sense of pride for the students.

Hammon said his love for history helped him become interested in education. “I thought it would be the greatest thing ever to be a history teacher,” he said. “I loved history, and that’s what I set out to do.”

In 2003, Hammon received an Excellence in Education Award and the Citizen of the Year Award.

Hammon’s future plans include remaining involved in his community. –©2005 The MidWeek

Mike Kelley (MA ’87) retired after 33 years as a teacher and principal in the Iowa City Community School District, including the last 14 years as principal at Lemme Elementary School.

Jean Goodnow (BA ’70/MA ’73/PhD ’80) was recently selected president of Delta College in University Center, Michigan. She is the first woman to hold the top position at the 44-year-old college.

Jean Goodnow

Formerly, Goodnow served nine years as president of Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby, Illinois.

The Search Advisory Committee said Goodnow’s strengths include her record of developing partnerships with business and industry, an understanding of the Tri-Cities area, promotion of diversity, long-term planning, and outstanding leadership experience.

Barbara Chiles (BS ’70) retired after serving 35 years at Westmer Community School District in Joy, Illinois, where she taught physical education at all levels.

Chiles started high school girls’ athletics in the early ‘70s and coached volleyball and basketball. She was the first female athletic director in charge of boys and girls athletics in Illinois. She served as advisor for cheerleading, pompon, Girls’ Athletic Association, Junior High Scholastic Bowl, as well as for Challenge’s Unlimited Club and A Novel Approach to Reading Club. Chiles also developed and taught a junior high wilderness survival course for nearly 20 years.

Barbara Chiles

“Barb teaches by example. Her character, dedication, and goals speak louder than words,” Superintendent William Heitman said. “She does a tremenous job working with kids, teaching 100 percent of the time.”

Chiles served as an external reviewer for the Illinois Board of Education. While working on the Illinois Academic Standards Project, she drafted standards for learning and benchmarks for P.E. She is a certified evaluator for the Illinois Blue Ribbon Physical Education Program.

Her extraordinary efforts and personal commitment have been recognized with numerous awards during her career, including a Milken National Education Award, a “Those Who Excel” merit award, a Distinguished Educator Award from the Illinois State Board of Education, was recognized for 30 years as an official for the Illinois High School Association and was also recognized by the National Federation of High School Associations.

Although Chiles retired in May, she continues to remain active in education. Her recent book, Doodly Do It! True Confessions from Summer Camp uses humorous stories of how camp teaches kids the necessary skills to rise to any occasion.

Chiles hopes the legacy she leaves as an educator is one of success. “I try to show students that we go where our thoughts lead us,” she said. “I hope I make them see that self motivation is essential to success.”

Vicki La Brie (MA ’72) retired after serving 31 years in education, 22 of these as elementary school principal, at Kennebunk and Kennebunkport, Maine.

Hector Ibarra (BS ‘75/MS ‘92/PhD ’05), a sixth- and seventh-grade science teacher at West Branch Middle School, was named Wal-Mart State Teacher of the Year. Ibarra received a $10,000 educational grant from the Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club Foundation, along with a personalized Teacher of the Year jacket, a crystal apple, business cards, and a certificate. He received a one-year membership in Phi Delta Kappa, a professional education association that helped choose the winners of the state contests.

Ibarra’s students have done projects that have included clarifying laws for pedestrians and motorists that were then adapted into the Iowa Department of Transportation’s driver manuals, identifying homes in West Branch that used lead-based paint, and raising awareness on the need to recycle oil filters.

Ibarra’s students nominated him through the Iowa City Wal-Mart, where he won Teacher of the Year in the city before being nominated for the state award.

“A great deal of credit goes to the students’ work,” Ibarra said. “I’ve been recognized because of their hard work.” ©2005 Iowa City Press-Citizen

Richard Hanzelka

Richard Hanzelka (BA ’61/MA ’64/PhD ’74) is the director of the Eastern Iowa Writing Project, one of 180 National Writing Project sites, at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa. He was elected president of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), a 170,000 member organization with members in 135 countries. Previously, Hanzelka worked for the Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency for 30 years and served as Iowa’s ASCD executive director for 10 years.