Colorado State University’s School of Education fosters student, alumni, and faculty success in a diverse array of fields aligned with creating top-notch educators, researchers, and leaders. This spring, the School celebrates many accolades from within CSU and beyond, and achievements including publications, fellowships, and retirements.
Faculty and Staff Recognition
Associate Professor Antonette Aragón (’93, ’03) was presented with the College of Health and Human Sciences Faculty Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award at the All-College Awards and Reception on April 19. Aragón is a leader in curriculum development that centers social justice and promotes diversity and cultural competency. She has designed several high-impact courses in the School of Education built on a foundation of DEIJ, including an introductory course for undergraduate aspiring teachers, and a graduate course on educational practices across the lifespan. She brings these perspectives to service at the school, college, and university levels, including her role as co-chair of the College’s DEIJ committee. Aragón created Caminos, an innovative program at Fort Collins High School designed to support Latinx and Indigenous secondary students on a pathway to college engaging CSU student mentors with similar backgrounds. She is the author of numerous scholarly publications and presentations that center DEIJ in education. Learn about all CHHS Awards.
Assistant Professor DaeSeok Chai has been recognized with the Early Career Scholar award by the Academy of Human Resource Development for his research on leadership in international cultural contexts.
Assistant Professor Kari Dockendorff’s recent publication, “Beyond the Binary: Gender Image and Experiences of Marginalization on Campus” is available online.
Professor and Director Susan Faircloth was named an Associate Editor of American Educational Research Association Open.
Assistant Professor Jessica Gonzalez-Voller’s manuscript, “A Preliminary Longitudinal Study of Multicultural Competence in Counselor Education,” was recently recognized as a top cited article in the Journal of Counseling and Development.
Assistant Professor Alex Lange received an Honorable Mention, Queer Studies Special Interest Group of the American Educational Research Association Dissertation of the Year Award for their dissertation titled, How Transgender Students Get in, Pay for, and Explore Gender in College. Lange also co-authored a book chapter, “Cultivating intersectional consciousness: Considerations and suggestions from LGBTQ resource center professionals.” This chapter was coauthored with Nicole Bravo, Bailey Krestakos, and Alex Sylvester and published in Critical praxis in student affairs: Social Justice in Action, edited by Susan B. Marine and Chelsea Gilbert.
Associate Professor Dawn Mallette (’00) was honored by the Association for Career and Technical Education Region V with the Teacher Educator of the Year Award.
Dave McKelfresh (’74, ’76) retired after having studied and worked at CSU since 1970. McKelfresh most recently served as the co-coordinator of the Student Affairs in Higher Education master’s degree program, a collaboration between the School of Education and the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs.
Associate Professor Kelly McKenna has been selected as a 2022-2023 Presidential Leadership Fellow, a program that provides professional development and mentorship. McKenna, whose focus is Adult Education and Training graduate programs, will focus her fellowship project on performance management with mentor Robyn Fergus.
Associate Professor David Most was presented with the Best Teacher Award from the CSU Alumni Association. One nominator, Hsiao-Ching Lin (’17, ’21) noted, “David Most is kind, humble, and considerate of his students. The vibe of his classes was always welcoming and democratic, and he never portrayed himself as a professor who could not be challenged. He always gave us the confidence to ask questions.”
The CHHS Award for Outstanding Adviser was presented as a Group Award recognizing the College’s Academic Support Coordinators and Professional Advisers to undergraduate students. The award included School of Education team members Associate Professor Dawn Mallette, adviser to Family and Consumer Sciences, as well as Juliana Searle and Ben Bongers from the Center for Educator Preparation. The award acknowledges the many ways these advisers went above and beyond to support undergraduate student success during the pandemic.
Three faculty earned tenure, with promotion to the rank of associate professor: Kelly McKenna and Jill Zarestky from Adult Education and Training, and DaeSeok Chai from Organizational Learning, Performance, and Change. In addition, three faculty are being promoted to the rank of associate professor: Ann Sebald and Wendy Fothergill in the Center for Educator Preparation, and Kalpana Gupta in Adult Education and Training. All promotions will be effective July 1, 2022.
Recent Graduates
Friends, family, and advisers gathered in person on May 14 for the Hooding Ceremony for the 17 graduates of the Master of Science in student affairs in higher education and nine graduates of the Ph.D. in higher education leadership. Watch a recording of the ceremony.
Bella Olsson (B.S., family and consumer sciences, ’22) and Hannah Ramirez (B.S., English, ’22) were recognized by the Colorado Department of Higher Education on its 2022 Future Educator Honor Roll. Learn more about Olsson’s journey to her bachelor’s degree in Family and Consumer Sciences
Colette Sterling (’22), recent graduate of the SAHE program, is the 2022 recipient of the Outstanding RSO Advisor of the Year Award, part of Celebrate! Colorado State. This award recognizes a faculty/staff Registered Student Organization adviser who demonstrates strong relationships with students, employs effective interpersonal skills, respects students’ agency and supports their holistic development.
Students
Educational Equity and Transformation/Construction Management doctoral student, Cassandra Puletapuai is partnering with Construction Management Associate Professor Rodolfo Valdes-Vasquez on a National Science Foundation grant to build capacity to support a more equitable infrastructure.
Counseling and Career Development student Amaury Rodriguez-Penilla (’21) was named to the National Board for Certified Counselors Minority Fellowship Program for Mental Health Counselors. The program works to ensure that the behavioral and mental health needs “of all Americans are met, regardless of language or culture, thereby reducing health disparities and improving overall community health and well-being.”
Educational Equity and Transformation doctoral student Khuc Phan was awarded an American Association of University Women International Doctoral Fellowship in the amount of $20,000 for the 2022-23 award year. Since 1881, AAUW has been one of the largest sources of funding for graduate women, investing in women who go on to change the world.
The School of Education is part of CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences.