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- Dean Colleen A. Kennedy
Deans of College of Education
Dean Colleen A. Kennedy, 2003–Present
Following the resignation of Dean Jane Applegate in 2001, Dr. Harold Keller served as Interim Dean for one year. In 2003, Dr. Colleen S. Kennedy became the sixth dean of the College of Education. Prior to her tenure at USF, she served as the Dean of the Graduate School of Education (now known as the College of Education) at the University of Utah from 1989 to 1999. Dean Kennedy earned her master’s degree in the area of special education and her doctoral degree in the areas of special education and applied behavioral analysis in education. She also served as a professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning at the University of Utah.
Dean Kennedy’s distinguished career in education began more than 30 years ago. In addition to special education, her research interests include issues surrounding the factors that facilitate and hinder the acquisition and use of technology among teachers. More generally, her research includes studying how technology is being used in K-12 education. She is also involved in the classroom as a professor in the Instructional Technology Program in the Secondary Education Department.
Dean Kennedy’s Administrative Team
From 2003 to 2006, Dean Kennedy’s administrative faculty members included: Dr. Michael Stewart, Associate Dean for Educator Preparation; Dr. Carine Feyten. Associate Dean for Academic Affairs; and Dr. Dick Puglisi, Assistant Dean and Director of the Stavros Center for Free Enterprise and Economic Education. In 2006, Dr. Feyten resigned from her position when she was appointed as the Dean of the School of Education and Allied Professions at Miami University in Ohio. Dr. Harold Keller, formerly the Chair of the Department of Psychological and Social Foundations, became Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Also, Dr. Bruce Jones was appointed as Associate Dean for Research and Director of the David C. Anchin Center in 2006.
Accomplishments and Milestones
- 2004 – The College is ranked in the top one-third (60th in the United States) among graduate schools of education by US News and World Report.
- 2005 – The Laptop Initiative receives $ 500,000 in funding from the Florida State Legislature for program support.
- 2005 – USF College of Education secures $28.8 million in grant funding, a record high for the College.
- 2005 – The enrollment level for graduate students reaches 1,507 students and surpasses the number of undergraduate student enrollment level at 1,250.
- 2005 – The number of graduates from the College of Education exceeds 50,000 within its first 50 years.
- 2006 – USF College of Education becomes the fifth largest among public universities in the nation.
- 2006 – Apple chooses USF to participate in its iTunes Universities partnership that provides students, faculty, staff, and the public with easy access to educational content through podcasting. Provost Renu Khator selects the College of Education and USF Health to pilot this program for USF.
Dean Kennedy’s Continued Mission for the College of Education
Dean Kennedy sees the University of South Florida, College of Education, as an opportunistic place for students and faculty that embraces diversity and offers programs that provide the intellectual stimulation and challenges they seek as future educators, scholars, professionals and leaders. She continues to cultivate and develop high quality programs that engage and prepare the College’s students for fulfilling and life-long careers in the field of education. In her oral history interview Dean Kennedy said, “What I would say to someone who is thinking about a career in education is that I know of no more fulfilling career than to be an educator, because in this profession you can truly make a difference. You can help people realize their potential and to dream dreams that they never thought they could achieve. In the final analysis, I think that is the best path that one could choose in life is to encourage others and to help them be everything they can be.”