Dean Kimberly Gaiters-White and Dr. Diane Best were honored at Jax State University's NAACP Student Chapter's Image Awards on March 19th. Dean White received the Lifetime Achievement Award and Dr. Best was honored as the Staff of the Year.

Congratulations to all of our faculty and staff that received awards at the College Check-In.

The CEPS team is the best!

Jax State’s College of Education and Professional Studies Department of Career Technical Education and Professional Studies hosted the Alabama Consortium of Technology Education Region 4 Tech Fair on March 4th.

Over 400 area students competed in the annual event. Winners will represent the region at the state tech fair later this month. As always, the students and their sponsors did an amazing job!

It’s incredible to see what these 3rd-12th grade students have designed in over fourteen different categories. Thank you to all who participated and made it a great day.

We can’t wait for next year!!

EdTPA submission for undergraduate teacher preparation candidates in the CEPS was held this past month.

The edTPA is a performance-based, subject-specific assessment and support system used by teacher preparation programs throughout the United States to emphasize, measure and support the skills and knowledge that all teachers need from day one in the classroom. Aspiring teachers must prepare a portfolio of materials during their internship experience and submit unedited video recordings of themselves at work in a real classroom. This portfolio is scored by highly trained educators and serves as one measure of the candidate's readiness to teach.

The CEPS had a 96% first time pass rate during the 2023-2024 academic year, and we look forward to outstanding results again this year. Way to go to all of the students and teachers on this huge accomplishment!

Nallely Ocelo Vega was recently awarded "Best of the College of Education and Professional Studies" for her Undergraduate Student Oral Presentation at the Jax State Student Symposium held back in February.

Ms. Vega's presentation, titled “Can an Instant Pot Sterilize Media?", was recognized for its excellence and impact. We are so proud of her and this great accomplishment!

Her research was carried out as part of the science methods course in The Lab, where she was mentored by Dr. Ashley Turner. It’s a fantastic example of how classroom learning and hands-on research come together to inspire future educators.

Thanks to the hard work of our faculty and staff members, the CEPS was awarded the GOAT (Greatest OF ALL TIMES) award this semester for having all midterm grades submitted on time. A special thanks to the ladies who participated in the Sunday night midterm grade report "watch party"!

Please join us in congratulating Ms. Kimberly Mitchell as the recipient of the Jewell L. Taylor Fellowship!

We are excited to continue celebrating Kimberly and her achievements at the AAFCS 2025 Annual Conference!

The Jewell L. Taylor Graduate Fellowship is awarded to an individual who has exhibited the potential to make contributions to the family and consumer sciences profession. The individual who receives a graduate fellowship will be given financial support for the study of family and consumer sciences.

Preservice teachers from Early Childhood Block and Literature Block spent Read Across America Week sharing stories with students at Saks Elementary, Piedmont Elementary, and Alexandria Elementary!

They brought books to life, engaged young learners, and helped foster a love for reading in the classrooms they visited.

Two sessions of TU were held early in the JSU Spring semester. For these sessions, the Jax State Special Education Teacher Candidates provided transition lessons and field trip experiences around campus for over 50 college-age students with disabilities from 10 area high schools.

Activities included lessons on staying healthy including exercise, and on appropriate clothing for various occasions and seasons. Field trips were held at the Jacksonville Recreation Center and at the TMB, where a display of clothing and fabric samples provided a fun hands-on activity for students. The Candidates contributed their own clothing and donated many of the items to a local thrift store afterwards. During both TU sessions, the high school teachers were provided professional development by guest speaker, Dr. Shannon Romano, Resource Specialist Student Support Services Calhoun County Schools.

Jax State University's Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America, (FCCLA), participated in the Alabama FCCLA State Leadership Conference and STAR Events (competitive events) 2025. They received a Gold Chapter Award. This is the highest award a chapter can receive at the state level.

Dulce Diaz, an FCS Education major from Albertville, Alabama, won first place overall in Gold for her "Say Yes to FCS" project. Emma Dalton, an FCS Education major from Fyffe, Alabama, won first place overall for her Fashion Construction Project. Emma was also featured in the general session Fashion Show on Thursday night.

Both young ladies received bids to compete at the FCCLA National Leadership Conference in Orlando, Florida this summer in July.

Dr. Alhammouri and Mrs. Weathers attended the World of Works event at the Oxford Civic Center, where they engaged with numerous students about career opportunities available after high school.

Drs. Kimberly Warfield, Stacey Gill, and Niki Peel recently presented, "Transforming Faculty Success through Dynamic Mentorship," at the Alabama Association of Professors of Educational Leadership (AAPEL) Spring Virtual Conference.

For more information regarding the Instructional Leadership and Teacher Leader programs that are offered by Jax State's College of Education & Professional Studies, please view the link below:

Please join us as we welcome Mr. Adam Clark to the Jax State CEPS family. Mr. Clark will serve as the new field and clinical experience director in the Office of Accreditation, Certification, & Partnership Initiatives.

Mr. Clark grew up in Etowah County where he attended Gaston High School. He has spent the past 13 ½ years in the Oxford City School district where he served as a Social Studies teacher for 10 years and as an Instructional Technology Specialist for the past 3 ½ years. Mr. Clark earned both his undergraduate (Secondary Education) and graduate degrees (Instructional Technology) from Jax State. He currently resides in Hokes Bluff with his wife Emily and daughter Sadie. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, and Atlanta Braves Baseball.

Our featured faculty member for the month of March is Dr. Ahmad Alhammouri. Dr. Alhammouri is an Associate Department Head and Associate Professor in the Teacher Education Department at Jax State University. He holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics Education from Ohio University, where his research focused on teacher engagement and professional development in mathematical modeling. Dr. Alhammouri has been involved in curriculum development, teacher training, and research on mathematical modeling.

As a Teachers Teaching with Technology™ (T3™) Regional Instructor for Texas Instruments, he works with educators nationwide to enhance mathematical pedagogy using technology. He has been awarded multiple grants, including an NSF-funded project supporting STEM education for underrepresented students in rural Alabama. Also, he actively serves as a CAEP site visitor, NSF grant reviewer, and manuscript referee for several mathematics education journals.

Dr. Alhammouri is committed to engaging in and contributing to mathematics education through research, outreach programs, and professional development initiatives. For example, along with a CEPS team, he leads and enacts Full STEAM Ahead camp, a summer camp designed to engage school students in STEAM learning.

Thank you, Dr. Alhammouri, for your dedication to the CEPS!

Annah Sparks is a senior at Jax State University, majoring in Education with plans to graduate in December 2025. While not at school, she balances two jobs—Blonde Designs and Captured Bliss Photography. Living in Jacksonville, Alabama, with her husband, Dylan Sparks, she is passionate about making a positive impact in education and looks forward to applying the skills she’s gained at Jax State in her future teaching career.

In her free time, Annah enjoys shopping and exploring new coffee spots, always seeking new experiences and ways to unwind. Being named the Student Spotlight of the Month is a true honor for her, and she credits Jax State with providing the education and tools she needs to be the best teacher she can be. She hopes to teach in Calhoun County after graduation.

Ashley Turner

Ahmad Alhammouri

Candice Byers

Russell Hammack

Angie Roberts

Krystal Cochran

Martha Dingler

Heisman Brown

Will Edge

Emily Ellis

Whitley Petty

Madison Atchley

Kennedy Holmes

Daniel Harris

Krystal Cochran

David Scott

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