Faculty & Staff Spotlights

University Faculty Chair Jessica Summers, who represents faculty as a member of President Robert Robbins’ cabinet and is a professor in the college, has been quoted in numerous media outlets regarding the cost of the university’s strategic plan, including this story in the Arizona Republic.

Professor Sonja Lanehart, a Faculty Fellow in the Graduate College who holds appointments in both the College of Education and the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, has been elected to a prestigious national leadership role to serve a three-year term on the governing board of the Linguistic Society of America. The LSA is the largest national organization in the world devoted to advancing the scientific study of language, and is the publisher of the quarterly journal, Language. Lanehart is a staunch advocate for mentoring and sponsoring emerging scholars of color, anti-racism, social justice, equity, and inclusion.

Many of you will remember Alice Paul, who was a faculty member in the college for 30 years. She served as head of the college’s Department of Teaching & Teacher Education (now the Department of Teaching, Learning & Sociocultural Studies) and was the first Native American academic department head at the university. She was recognized nationally as an authority on early childhood education and was remembered in this Arizona Alumni magazine article.

A side note: Paul’s daughter, Debbie Bergman, is a three-time College of Education alumna! Read more more about Paul’s daughter.