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17 Things That Happened at NC State Education in 2017

STEM teaching


The NC State College of Education had an extraordinary year in 2017. We look back at 17 things that happened in the past year. Items listed in no particular order.

1. We Were Selected to Host N.C. Teaching Fellows Program
The NC State College of Education is one of five institutions in North Carolina that has been selected to host the re-established North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program, which is aimed at supporting students preparing for a teaching career in the fields of science, technology, engineering, math or special education. The program will return in the 2018-19 academic year. | Apply by Jan. 16

2. College Magazine Ranked Us No. 9 in Nation
College Magazine listed the NC State University as one of the 10 Best Colleges for Education Majors in the U.S. in rankings the publication released Dec. 12. NC State is ranked No. 9 in the nation, and is the only college or university in North Carolina included on the list. | See the Top 10

3. Our Faculty Received $16.5M in Research Funding
NC State College of Education faculty received $16.5 million in research funding during the 2016-17 — more than any other college of education in North Carolina. Their work also has been featured this past year in dozens of news outlet around the nation and world,  including NBC News, Associated Press, NPR and BBC News. | Browse Research Projects and See Our Faculty In the News

4. We Hosted Our Inaugural STEM Education Day
Over 400 K-12 students and their parents attended the NC State College of Education’s first STEM Education Day Sept. 23, 2017. Our faculty held 20 hands-on activities to spark their interest in STEM education.“It has been fun,” 10 year-old Rachel McNeill said. “I like science and math more.” | View Our Photo Essay and Read How We Became STEM Ed Leaders

Jere Confrey
5. Jere Confrey Named 2017 AERA Fellow
Professor Jere Confrey, Ph.D., was named a 2017 AERA Fellow — the American Educational Research Association’s highest honor that recognizes research contributions to education. She is the first faculty member at NC State to receive this honor. | Learn More About Jere Confrey

6. Our New Graduate Student Enrollment Jumped Nearly 45 Percent
Enrollment of new graduate students in the NC State College of Education jumped nearly 45 percent from 2016. In raw numbers, the number of new graduate students increased from 274 in 2016 to 397 in 2017. With that bump, the college began the 2017-18 academic year with its largest incoming group of undergraduate and graduate students since 2010. | Read More

7. We Launched Pathway to Practice NC with UNC School of Education
The NC State College of Education and UNC School of Education have partnered to launch Pathway to Practice NC, a 100 percent online and competency-based education program designed for lateral entry teachers. The first participants began in October. | Learn More About Pathway to Practice

8. We Welcomed 7 New Faculty Members
Meet the NC State College of Education’s seven newest faculty members helping us advance our mission to prepare professionals, conduct research and engage communities where they are to address the needs of all learners across their lifespan. | Meet Our New Faculty

Science Class

9. We Partnered with The Innovation Project to Create a $10K Awards Program
The NC State College of Education and The Innovation Project (TIP), a nonprofit collaborative of 24 public school districts in North Carolina, have established the TIP Teaching Scholars Award Program to create a pipeline of teachers for rural and semi-rural areas in North Carolina. In its pilot phase, the TIP school districts will provide $10,000 financial awards to at least 10 highly qualified teachers who commit to work for at least two years in one of five public school districts: Cabarrus, Johnston, Lenoir, Onslow and Wayne counties. | Learn More About TIP Teaching Scholars

10. Penny A. Pasque Joined Us as Department Head of Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development
Penny A. Pasque, Ph.D., joined the NC State College of Education as the head of the Department of Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development, effective July 13. Previously, she was the Brian E. & Sandra O’Brien Presidential Professor and program area coordinator of Adult and Higher Education in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Oklahoma. She also served as a core faculty member for Women’s and Gender Studies in the University of Oklahoma’s Center for Social Justice. | Learn More About Penny A. Pasque

11. 3 Graduate Students Won NSF Graduate Research Fellowships
Three Ph.D. students in the NC State College of Education’s Department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences won prestigious Graduate Research Fellowships from the National Science Foundation: Amanda Gosek, Sarah Kessler and Whitney McCoy. The College of Education is one of only two schools in the nation to have up to three students receive fellowships in the field of STEM Education Research and Learning. | View the Ph.D. Candidate’s Research Projects
Bill Cower with College of Education students

12. Bill Cowher ’79 Offered Us Leadership Tips
Bill Cowher ’79, the former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach who won Super Bowl XL, learned three things from his father: Work hard, don’t quit, and never be intimidated by anyone or anything. Those lessons helped shape Cowher’s leadership, teaching, and coaching philosophy, and those are among the lessons that Cowher passed on to a packed house of NC State College of Education students, faculty, and staff Monday, April 3. | Read Bill Cowher’s Leadership Tips

13. We Introduced #WhyIChoseEducation
We launched the Why I Chose Education digital campaign as part of celebrating 90 Years of NC State Education. Educators and leaders share why they chose the profession of education — and how they’re working to change the world one student, one school and one community at a time. | Browse Stories. Share Your Own.

14. Our Higher Education Program Was Ranked No. 19 in Nation
U.S. News ranked the College of Education’s higher education program No. 19 in the nation. No other higher education program in North Carolina was ranked. | Explore Our Higher Education Program
December 2017 Graduation

15. We Welcomed 496 New Education Alumni
The NC State College of Education conferred 496 degrees in 2017 over three commencement ceremonies held in May and December. Among the advice the new alumni received: Invest in duct tape, remember your why, and remain fearless. | Browse Our May Recap and December Recap

16. John K. Lee Was Named Department Head of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences
John K. Lee, Ph.D., will be the permanent head of the NC State College of Education’s Department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences, effective Jan. 1. He has served as the interim head since January 2017 and has been a faculty member with the NC State College of Education for 11 years.| Learn More About John K. Lee

17. Our Technology Education Program Was Ranked No. 2 in Nation
Universities.com ranked the NC State College of Education’s technology education program No. 2 in the nation. The ranking is based on compiled data that include government sources, student surveys and interviews with graduates from the programs. | Explore Our Technology Education Program