January 2026 Recap

The College of Education and Professional Studies is pleased to announce that it has been awarded the Alabama Summer and After School Program grant in the amount of $50,000 to support and enhance its STEAM summer camp. This funding will strengthen on campus literacy, mathematics, and science activities, support the addition of STEAM focused field trips, and expand after school STEAM lessons in partner schools across the area. The proposal was written by Dr. Aimee Weathers and Dr. Ahmad Alhammouri.

Congratulations, Drs. Alhammouri and Weathers!

Dr. Russell Hammack, Professor in the Department of Teacher Education, represented Alabama in the 2025 National Council for the Social Studies House of Delegates. He also delivered three presentations at the National Council for the Social Studies annual conference in Washington, D.C., collaborating with Dr. Liza Wilson and Dr. Lisa Matherson of the University of Alabama.

The presentations included "Inquiry Leading to Student Documentaries: Stories of the Anniston Freedom Riders", "Drop the Mic: How Music Inspires and Amplifies the Fight for Democracy", and "We Interrupt This Broadcast."

The CEPS held the Fall Stoling Ceremony in December. Congratulations to all of our Fall graduates.

Congratulations to Dean Kimberly White on her recent presentation at the Third National Convening Conference on Registered Apprenticeships.

The conference was held in New Orleans, LA.

Congratulations to recent CEPS graduate, Lauren Brisendine, for receiving the Alabama Power Foundation Grant.

Mrs. Brisendine currently teaches Computer Science at Alexandria Middle School (AMS).

While finishing her Masters in Library Media in the Fall of 2025, she completed an assignment that provided the opportunity to write a grant that would benefit the students at AMS. She applied for the Alabama Power Foundation Grant and focused her attention on Maker Space opportunities for the library or classroom setting.

Finding out that she was a recipient of this $1,000 grant was very exciting, as this will provide the students at AMS with wonderful hands-on learning opportunities in the field of STEM. She stated that this would not have been possible without the meaningful assignment in her Library Media coursework.

Congratulations, Mrs. Brisendine, on this huge accomplishment!

Dr. Aimee Weathers recently presented at the TCEA International Conference in San Antonio.

Her session, "Rewriting the Script: How AI Guides Future Math Teachers", focused on how generative AI can support preservice teachers in mathematics lesson planning while strengthening instructional decision making in K–12 classrooms.

Dr. Weathers shared practical classroom applications, research-based insights, and strategies for preparing future educators to use AI responsibly and effectively.

Dr. Christi Trucks is the Department Head of Career Technical Education and Professional Studies at Jax State. Holding undergraduate and graduate degrees in early childhood education and instructional technology, Dr. Trucks taught preschool, kindergarten, and second grade before joining the faculty at Jax State in 2015. She teaches early childhood literacy, instructional technology, and doctoral program courses.

As the department head of CTEPS, she oversees Jax State’s Child Development Center. Dr. Trucks led the move and expansion of the CDC from its previous location to the College of Education and Professional Studies Complex in fall 2021. This included adding three new Alabama First Class Pre-K Classrooms and full-day care for infants through three-year-olds.

In 2023, Dr. Trucks was awarded a $1.5 million Child Care Access Means Parents in Schools (CCAMPIS) grant. The CCAMPIS grant provides funding for Pell Grant eligible student-parents to enroll their children at the CDC at a reduced tuition rate. CCAMPIS removes the financial barrier that many student-parents face when trying to complete their degree and find childcare. The CDC provides a strong foundation for children and parenting resources to support families.

Dr. Trucks’ department includes FCS -Education, Business Marketing Education, and Family & Consumer Sciences concentrations (Fashion Merchandising, Hospitality and Culinary Management, Human Sciences, and Child Development). CTEPS also offers graduate degrees in Instructional Technology, Library Media, FCS and BME Education. The department is proud to host FCS Days for high school students to learn more about FCS concentrations, experience classes, and interact with students and faculty. CTEPS also operates two businesses, Cocky’s Café and Cocky Couture, providing culinary, fashion merchandising, and FCS-Ed students first-hand experience working in their respective fields.

Dr. Trucks lives in Birmingham with her husband, Wayne. They have two sons, one of whom is a junior at Jax State, two dogs, and a cat who is an honorary member of CEPS who was found outside the offices. Pharaoh Trucks is grateful to have been found at the Friendliest Campus in the South!

The Trucks recently bought a home built in 1904 that they are enjoying refreshing inside and out. Dr. Trucks also enjoys baking, cooking, reading, and needlepoint.

Congratulations to Dr. Candice Byers on her recent article publication!

The article "The Impact of Female Led Multicultural Young Adult Literature on Rural Adolescent Girls" was published in the Fall edition of The Reading Paradigm. The Reading Paradigm is a journal of the Alabama Literacy Association.

The research study focused on the experiences of rural adolescent girls reading female led multicultural young adult literature with the guidance of a female mentor teacher. The study used two multicultural young adult novels one with a strong female protagonist and one with a female antihero protagonist to facilitate discussions and explore the lived experiences of the participants.

Congratulations to the CEPS Associate Dean, Nilufer Guler, on her recent published article in The Reading Paradigm titled, "Missed Opportunities in Teaching English Language Learners: Narratives of Ten Teachers in an Online Class."

Congratulations to Dr. Jessica Cannon, Dr. Krista Gilliland, and Dr. Aimee Weathers on their recent publication in The Reading Paradigm.

Their article examines how joy in literacy can be fostered through meaningful connections among technology, STEM learning, and authentic reading experiences. The work highlights practical classroom approaches that encourage engagement, collaboration, and student voice, while emphasizing the role of purposeful learning in strengthening motivation and understanding.

Congratulations to Dr. Ahmad Alhammouri and Bre Winningham, a graduate of the Mathematics Education master’s program at Jax State, on the acceptance of their manuscript for publication in the Ohio Journal of School Mathematics, titled “Helping Students Hit the Target on Probability."

The author team also includes Steve Phelps, a mathematics coach from Mariemont City Schools in Cincinnati and Dr. Gregory D. Foley, the Robert L. Morton Professor at Ohio University.

Our CEPS staff spotlight for January is Mrs. Lori Reynolds-Manns. Lori is originally from upstate New York and joined the JSU team in 2019 as the Administrative Assistant for the Department of Professional Counseling and Leadership. Prior to JSU, she worked for several years with the Alabama Department of Public Health and spent 14 years in Chemical Demilitarization. She currently serves as the Data Manager for the Office of Accreditation, Certification, and Partnership Initiatives.

Lori is passionate about serving students, faculty, and staff, and is guided by the belief that “people may forget what you said or did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”

In her spare time, Lori enjoys reading, attending the theater, watching action movies with her husband, and spending time with her new granddaughter.

Thank you, Mrs. Reynolds-Manns for all that you do here on a daily basis for the CEPS. Your efforts and dedication do not go unnoticed.

January marked an incredible start of the Spring semester for Content Block!

Our students are excited to delve into what promises to be a fantastic semester ahead.

Teacher Ed kicked off the spring semester with ECE Block orientation. It was great to see these students excited to begin their journey in the Teacher Education Program!

2025 was a year of partnership for Challenger Center. Challenger’s Board of Directors, Executive Director Farrah Hayes and Education Coordinator Chad Strawn, have worked as a team to build relationships across Challenger’s twelve counties.

We are so excited to partner with Challenger Center and cannot wait for the grand opening reveal!

Cocky's Cafe reopens in February!

Our Hospitality and Culinary Management students are proud to prepare and serve lunch to you on the following dates this spring:

Wednesday, Feb. 11th: Fried chicken sandwich, fries, and a cookie

Wednesday, March 18th: Bacon Cheeseburger, fries, and a cookie

Wednesday, April 8th: Chicken Caesar Wrap, chips, and a cookie

Lunch Ordering Instructions

Menu Access: The full menu for each date is available below.

Order Period: You can place orders for one week or multiple weeks at once—one order per form.

Order Deadline: Place orders by 10:00 AM on Monday before Wednesday lunch.

Order Confirmation: You’ll receive a confirmation email on Monday afternoon.

Availability: Limited number of lunches; no further orders can be accepted once sold out.

Pickup Information: Lunches can be picked up between 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm in the CEPS Common Area. Lunches not picked up by 1:00 pm will be sold to another customer.

Dietary Restrictions: Currently, there are no options for dietary restrictions.

Fill | Cocky's Cafe Lunch Order Form Spring 2026

Thank you for choosing Cocky's Cafe!  Our Hospitality and Culinary Management students are proud to prepare and serve lunch to you on the following dates this spring: Wednesday, Feb. 11th: Fried chicken sandwich, fries, and a cookie Wednesday, March 18th: Bacon Cheeseburger, fries, and a cookie Wednesday, April 8th: Chicken Caesar Wrap, chips, and a cookie All lunches are $10.  We can only take cash at this time. Lunch Ordering InstructionsMenu Access: The full menu for each date is available below.Order Period: You can place orders for one week or multiple weeks at once—one order per form.Order Deadline: Place orders by 10:00 AM on Monday before Wednesday lunch. Order Confirmation: You’ll receive a confirmation email on Monday afternoon.Availability: Limited number of lunches; no further orders can be accepted once sold out. Pickup Information: Lunches can be picked up between 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm in the CEPS Common Area. Lunches not picked up by 1:00 pm will be sold to another customer.Dietary Restrictions: Currently, there are no options for dietary restrictions.

l.facebook.com