Congratulations to Dr. Kevin Randall from the department of Family and Consumer Sciences, winner of the 2008 Caterpillar Inc. Faculty Achievement Award for Teaching!

The Institute for Gifted and Talented Youth celebrates its 25th Anniversary this summer. The program originated in 1983 through a collaboration grant project with Bradley University and Peoria County Schools, and in 1984 was formally established as an institute at Bradley. The Institute's World of Wonder Program, a summer education opportunity for Gifted Youth, was recently featured in Bradley Hilltopics.

First Class In Doctoral Physical Therapy Program Graduates :  Bradley University and the College of Education and Health Sciences celebrated its first graduating class from the Doctoral Physical Therapy Program.  First offered as a bachelor’s degree in 1990, the program evolved into a master’s program in 1997 and finally into a three-year doctoral program in 2005. Incorporating classroom studies with hands-on work in local clinics with patients, it is the only program of its kind in downstate Illinois and the first professional doctorate program to be offered at Bradley.  About half of the graduating group plans to stay in central Illinois.  Physical Therapy and Health Sciences department chair Dr. Mary Jo Mays, who started the DPT program, was happy to celebrate with the first graduating class as she retired this year.  CLICK HERE to watch WEEK News 25's Postcards From Home special about Dr. Mays and the DPT Program.

Dr. Joan L. Sattler, Dean of the College of Education and Health Science (left),  Dr. Mary Jo Mays, founding chairwoman of PTHS (center), and Bradley President Dr. Joanne Glasser (right)

EHS Alum to Lead Manual High School Restructuring:  Former Whitter Primary School principal Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat has accepted the position of principal at Manual High School, and is focused on significantly improving student learning through a major restructuring venture.  A graduate of the EHS Educational Administration and Teacher Education programs, Sharon is passionate about education and dedicated to helping students achieve their potential.  Whittier Primary School and Manual High School are both professional development school collaborative sites with Bradley Univeristy's College of Education and Health Sciences' William T. Kemper Foundation-Commerce Bank Trustees project.

ELH's Chris Rybak Promotes Cultural Diversity:  Professor Chris Rybak was recently featured in the Peoria Journal Star, discussing the importance and benefits of cultural diversity.  Rybak says he "encourages students to explore other cultures as much as possible and be open to other points of view."  Since joining the Bradley faculty in 1993, Dr. Rybak's successful ELH 586: Counseling Diverse Populations course has become required, rather than an elective for counseling students. 

FCS Outstanding Intern Awarded:  Congratulations to Amy Musselman, the recipient of the Bradley University/Smith Career Center 2007 Outstanding Co-op/Intern of the Year Award!  Amy conducted her internship at the University of Wisconsin under the supervision of Jan Skell, Nutrition Program Coordinator.

Grief and Growth Course:  Associate Dean and professor in Educational Leadership and Human Development, Dr. Lori Russell-Chapin recently led a graduate level course called "Introduction to Human Development Counsing," in which students developed curricula for dealing with grief for various age groups.  A professional grief counselor, Dr. Russell-Chapin's book "Writing Your Grief Story," about her personal struggle with the death of her mother as well as the benefits and missteps of the grief process, was recently published.  More information on the process of grieving as well as student reactions to the ELH620 course can be found in this recent Journal Star article.

ETE's Dr. Britner Awarded:  Dr. Shari Britner of the Teacher Education Department was awarded the Caterpillar Inc. Faculty Achievement Award for Scholarship for her work in science education research and publication over the past six years.  Congratulations and continued success to Dr. Britner!

FCS Deparment Awarded:  The Family and Consumer Sciences Department was honored with the William Rainy Harper Award recognizing their commitment to excellence and ever-improving level of performance.

College Recognized in National Publication:  The College of Education and Health Sciences and its STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) activities have been recognized in July 2007's AACTE "Preparing STEM Teachers: the Key to Global Competitiveness".  EHS was included in the publication as one of 59 national institutions who are dedicated to preparing effective K-12 STEM educators.

College of EHS Awarded Continuing NCATE Accreditation:  The College of Education and Health Sciences was awarded continuing accreditation of the Professional Education Unit by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the Illinois State Board of Education.  This marks 50 years of continued accreditation for Bradley, which was one of the first private universities in the nation to be accredited.

ELH Department to Host Visiting Fulbright Professor: During fall semester 2007, the Department of Educational Leadership and Human Development and the College of Education and Health Sciences will proudly host Dr. Dharitri Ramaprasad, a psychology professor from India. She will be visiting ELH and other classes to offer lectures and discussions based on her experiences and areas of expertise.  read more>

EXPO Project Nominated for National Award, FCS Students to Present:   The Family and Consumer Sciences Department is proud to announce that the undergraduate spring EXPO research project with the Healthy Gourmet Company has been selected for a national award. Molly Hammar and Rachel Rogers, who are recent graduates in Dietetics and collaborated on the project, will present at the Kappa Omicron Nu national conference in Dallas, TX this August. FCS faculty members Dr. Kevin Randall and Dr. Nina Collins served as mentors for the project.

Bradley Students Create New Designs With a Purpose:  A number of Family and Consumer Sciences students collaborated with faculty and alumni to design insulin pump packs and other related accessories for area children with diabetes.  These packs were individually designed to fit each child's specific health needs, and custom-made to fit each child's personality.  Made possible by a special emphasis grant, the idea originated with Bradley alumna Nicole Herron.  On March 26, 2007, the sixteen children were allowed to show off their exciting new accessories in a fashion show.

Sen. Dick Durbin Visits Bradley University to Discuss the Need for Education Reform:  On January 28, the Senator met with about 20 principals, administrators, and teachers from the Tri-County Area to discuss problems in elementary and secondary education and strategies to spark interest in math and science.   Durbin pointed out that the estimated number of engineers in India is five times that of the United States, stressing that more math and science need to be taught to students at all levels.   Among the many issues brought up during the discussion, Department of Teacher Education chairman Rex Morrow mentioned that few individuals are encouraging students to pursue careers in the technical fields.   Bradley University is looking into developing a math and science academy, and forming a partnership with District 150 to help Peoria's youth become interested in the math and science fields.

Family Mediation Training Program:  Dr. Lori Russell-Chapin, Judge Jerelyn Maher, and several on-campus and off-campus professionals have created a new Family Mediation Training Program, an initial training pursuant to earning a Certificate in Family Mediation.  The first class of 31 completed training in October, however the program will be offered again on February 2-4 and February 9-11.  If you wish to register, contact the Division of Continuing Education and Professional Development.  Don't miss your chance to participate!

Teacher Education Department Participates in National Project:  Bradley University is one of only three institutions of higher education in Illinois to have been selected to participate in a Library of Congress national project.  The project involves faculty from Teacher Education at Bradley working in conjunction with professional staff at the U.S. Library of Congress in Washington D.C. to develop interactive learning and teaching resources for P-16 classrooms.  At a recent professional meeting, faculty members presented a technologically focused and Internet-based session entitled, Using the American Memory Project's Primary Sources for the Study of Chicago and New York.

Nursing Department Celebrates 50 Years:  The Department of Nursing celebrated its 50th Anniversary on October 28, 2006 with a luncheon themed, "A Culture of Excellence, a Heritage of Pride."  Approximately 60 alumni attended.

ELH Department Receives Helen Bartlett Award:  The Educational Leadership and Human Development Department and the Lewis J. Burger Center for Student Leadership received Bradley's Helen Bartlett award for outstanding service to students!  This was awarded in recognition for excellence in the establishment of the Minor in Leadership Studies.

College of EHS Continues to Grow:  Undergraduate enrollment numbers in the College of Education and Health Sciences have increased greatly since the Fall of 2003 to Fall of 2006 - from 867 to 1,101 students.  Significant increases occurred in dietetics, health sciences, nursing, and special education.  Graduate enrollments have also increased, and are currently at 249 graduate students.  Also, secondary education enrollment is 243.  With all these students included, our grand total for the college is 1,593!

Board of Trustees Announces Emeriti and Centurion Society Appointments:  Bradley University's annual Founder's Day celebration on October 26 brought the appointment of the College of Education and Health Sciences' Dr. Starr L. Hull to Certification Officer and Clinical Coordinator Emeritus.  Additionally, the Centurion Society named College Advisory Council members Anne M. Fox, (Executive Director for the American Red Cross, received bachelor's degree in '63) and Francis H. 'Ken' Hinton, (Peoria School District #150 Superintendent, received bachelor's degree in '69 and master's degree in '71) as 2006 inductees!  Centurions are Bradley alumni with outstanding career achievements in business, public life, and who are leaders in their field.   read more>

Professional Development School Given Award for Excellence:  The Professional Development School Partnership brings together the College of Education and Health Sciences' students and faculty with District #150 schools to partner in teaching and learning. We are proud to announce that our most recent PDS partner, Whittier Primary School, has been honored by the U.S. Department of Education for academic success, adding to its many national and state recognitions. Federal Education officials Kristine Cohn and Todd Zoellick visited Whittier Primary on September 18th to celebrate the award with students and faculty (pictured below). Cohn states, “We have chosen Whittier because of their extreme commitment to reading and math and also their focus on the boys and girls and closing the achievement gap.”

Photo Credit: Leslie Renken / Peoria Journal Star

Photo Credit: Leslie Renken / Peoria Journal Star

Whittier Principal Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat is an alumna of Bradley University, having received her bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts with Teaching Certification in 1983, and her master's degree in Education Administration in 1986.  She also received a national award from the U.S. Department of education.  This joins the list of numerous awards for achievements in education Sharon has received, including the Terrell H. Bell Award for Exemplary Leadership (2005), the Educational Leadership and Human Development Alumni Award (2005), the NAACP's John W. Gwynn, Jr. Education Award for Eliminating the Achievement Gap (2005), and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drum Major Award (2006).

100 Years of Teacher Education:  During the 2005-2006 academic year, the Department of Teacher Education celebrated 100 years of teacher education.

Estate Gift to the Department of Family & Consumer Sciences:  An estate gift of $3.5 million resulted in the establishment of the C.C. Wheeler professorship, a scholarship in the Department of Family & Consumer Sciences, and the C.C. Wheeler Institute for the Holistic Study of Family Well-Being (Dr. G. Kevin Randall, Director). The Institute provides academic research and service to support the belief that family well-being is essential for individuals and the communities in which families function.

Minor in Leadership Studies:  Bradley is offering an undergraduate Minor in Leadership Studies, housed in the Educational Leadership and Human Development Department.  Designed to provide students the information, experience, and opportunities to gain in-depth knowledge of the theory and practice of leadership, this new minor is interdisciplinary and available to undergraduate students in any major across the university.  ELH 200 Introduction to Leadership Studies is offered in the fall semester to interested undergraduates. 

      The Department of Educational Leadership and Human Development and the Lewis J. Burger Center for Student Leadership and Public Service were recently recognized with the Helen Bartlett Award for excellence in service to students for their collaboration in developing this interdisciplinary minor in leadership studies.  Bradley's Minor in Leadership Studies is expected to grow and develop into a true interdisciplinary opportunity for Bradley students - tomorrow's leaders!

Doctor of Physical Therapy:  As of June 2005, Bradley offers a professional doctorate in physical therapy - the first of its kind in downstate Illinois!  Visit the doctorate's web site for information on how to apply and video clips with information on the department.