July 2026 Recap

Dr. Candice Byers, assistant professor in Jacksonville State University’s College of Education and Professional Studies, has been selected as a Longview Foundation Global Teacher Education (GTE) Fellow, a national professional development program designed to help higher education faculty integrate global learning into teacher preparation.

The yearlong fellowship is a virtual opportunity that brings together educators from across the country. Hosted by the Longview Foundation, the program helps educators revise existing courses, incorporate global learning outcomes, and cultivate cultural competence in future teachers.

Megan Meade successfully defended her dissertation proposal in July.

Mrs. Meade's committee members are Dr. Ahmad Alhammouri (Chair), Dr. Tammie Brown, and Dr. Aimee Weathers.

Congratulations, Megan!

Our administrative professionals had a great day of training this past month.

The CEPS is fortunate to have a team of exceptionally helpful and knowledgeable individuals who serve as the backbone of our daily operations. Thank you for all that you do. Your hard work, dedication, and commitment are truly appreciated and do not go unnoticed.

SAEA members visited Denver for the National Education Association's Aspiring Educators (NEA AE) Conference, and they left with new friends, lots of ideas, and a motivation to make the chapters on their campuses amazing. The spirit of cooperation they displayed and the way they took care and watched out for one another was wonderful.

Some of the CEPS faculty enjoyed representing at the 2026 MEGA Conference in Mobile, AL this past month.

Go Gamecocks!

The Regional Inservice team spent an exciting day at Challenger Learning Center of Northeast Alabama, bringing together gifted education teachers, STEAM teachers, and school librarians for hands-on learning, collaboration, and discovery.

Highlights included an aspiring librarian panel, where one educator shared how reorganizing her library and trusting her students as readers increased circulation from 2,871 books to more than 15,000 books in a single year. Participants also experienced an immersive Mission to Mars simulation, navigating asteroids, tracking storms, and successfully locating water on the Red Planet.

Alabama Educational Technology Conference

Congratulations to Dr. Janet Kutchinski for successfully defending her dissertation this past month! Dr. Kutchinski also walked across the stage and received her doctorate at the summer commencement ceremony.

Committee members included Dr. Torsten Dryden-Chair, Dr. Nilufer Guler (not pictured), and Dr. Sean Creech.

Dean White, Dr. Peel, and Dr. Calhoun served at the Cleburne County Back2School Bash at the Heflin Rec Center. The HEARTS of Cleburne Family Resource Center provided backpacks, school supplies, shoes, and even haircuts for children attending the event. There were bounce houses, popcorn, cotton candy, hotdogs, music, an awesome emcee, and lots of laughter and excitement.

When the families came to our table, they were able to test how strong their lungs were by blowing up balloons with various sizes of straws, including coffee stirrers. Children discovered it is much more difficult to blow up a balloon through any size straw. We then taught them this is what it is like to breathe with weakened lungs. And your lungs can be weakened by nicotine use. So don’t ever start smoking!

Next, participants explored what may remain in the lungs after vaping. They held out their hands while we sprayed a small amount of hairspray onto them. Even after the hairspray dried, a sticky residue remained. This demonstration helped illustrate how nicotine and other chemicals can leave residue behind after vaping.

Children learned valuable lessons in a fun way, and perhaps a few parents did as well.

CTEPS Hospitality & Culinary Management Summer Interns Paisley Russell, Bobby Fryer, and Kaitlin Ingle prepared a delicious luncheon for CTEPS faculty and staff. We were very grateful to Chef Chris, Chef Paul, and Meredith at Jax State's Sodexo for mentoring these outstanding students this summer. They planned and implemented an amazing three-course meal. We appreciate this partnership and look forward to the fall!

Stay connected with us by following our new Facebooks page. Learn more about the EdD program, including admission requirements, coursework, and program benefits. Please visit the link below.

Torsten Dryden

Angie Roberts

Anna Rebekah Smith

Ty Coleman

Billy Jenkins

Kim Mitchell

Taylor Chandler

Laura Browder

Niki Peel

Email: amroberts@jsu.edu
Website: https://www.jsu.edu/education/index.html
Location: 115 College Street Southwest, Jacksonville, AL, USA
Phone: 256-782-8200
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Twitter: @JSU_SoE