Office of the Dean

Beering Hall at Purdue University College of Education

As the college’s chief academic and administrative officer, the Dean provides vision and leadership to ensure the College’s learning and research activities are of the highest levels of excellence. The Dean works closely with the College’s associate and assistant deans, department heads, faculty, staff and student leaders to foster a culture of academic excellence and inclusiveness.

The Dean provides leadership for interdisciplinary teacher education programs from the six colleges that collaborate on teacher preparation at Purdue University: Education, Science, Agriculture, Liberal Arts, Health and Human Sciences and the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.

The Dean works collaboratively with local and national educational leaders to advocate for equitable, accessible and high-quality education for all students.

Phillip J. VanFossen
Interim Dean and Ackerman Distinguished Professor

Since June 1, 2022, I have been honored to serve as the Interim Dean of the College of Education. I have been blessed to have a variety of experiences over my nearly three decades at Purdue, and I will draw on all of these in continuing to move the College forward as we leverage the momentum we have built with our cutting-edge curriculum that has transformed our teacher education programs—as well as our other highly successful, nationally-ranked programs across both departments.

My primary goal has been to be the College’s ‘cheerleader-in-chief’—to share the amazing successes of our faculty, students and staff. I’ve been using a metaphor to encourage folks to share these successes. Economic theory tells us that markets only work perfectly when they trade in commodities such as barrels of oil or bins of coal—or bushels of wheat. Too often, Colleges of Education are viewed as interchangeable bushels of wheat. But each success we celebrate helps define us as quinoa in a field of wheat!

Indeed, I have enjoyed working with faculty, staff, and students across the entire College to support the outstanding work being done across all of our program areas, and to ensure all of our stakeholders know what makes us ‘quinoa’!

I did not attend Purdue, but I bleed Old Gold and Black, and both of my daughters—Madison (ELED, 2017) and Lilly (ELED/SPED, 2021; MS in ABA, 2022)—graduated from the College of Education. That, in addition to my time here, makes me feel like I’m a Boilermaker. A Boilermaker Educator.

Boilermaker educators are helping their students make giant leaps. Boilermaker educators are equipping their students to build a better world. Boilermaker educators have an ‘ever true’ commitment to lifelong learning.

We pride ourselves on offering our students the best of both worlds—“a small college experience in a Big Ten environment” and I invite you to come to the College of Education to see for yourself what it means to be a Boilermaker Educator!

Staff

Phillip J. VanFossen
Interim Dean, and Ackerman Distinguished Professor
Email: vanfoss@purdue.edu
Phone: 765-494-2367
Room: BRNG 3281J

Rita Neidlinger
Administrative Assistant to the Dean
Email: rneidlin@purdue.edu
Phone: 765-494-2336
Room: BRNG 3281K

Administrative Council

Ad Council is convened by the dean and is advisory to the dean; its purpose is to function as a representative and leadership-oriented body of both departments, academic services, and the College as a collective with the purpose of addressing college-level issues and initiatives along with proposing, discussing, revising, and determining directions in policies and procedures that impact personnel and students in the College. Members include the dean, associate deans, assistant dean, and department heads.

Meets: 2^nd Tuesday/month from 9:00 – 12:00

View Administrative Council

Jennifer Barce
Director of Academic Services/Assistant Dean for Teacher Education

Selcen Guzey
Department Head of Curriculum and Instruction

Tara Johnson
Associate Dean for Learning

Christine Kiracofe
Department Head of Educational Studies

Phil VanFossen
Interim Dean

Sunnie Watson
Assistant Dean for Diversity and Global Engagement

Wayne Wright
Associate Dean for Research, Graduate Programs and Faculty Development

Expanded Administrative Council

Expanded Ad Council is convened by the dean and is advisory to the dean; its purpose is to function as a representative body of key stakeholders within the College with the purpose of fostering collegial support between individual units and reinforcing an atmosphere of collaboration and awareness while reviewing activities, plans, and general policies and procedures that may impact the College. Members include the dean, associate deans, assistant dean, and department heads, Director and Assistant Director Financial Affairs, Director ELRC, Chief Development Officer, Director of Communication, Director Office of Information and Technology, Director of Assessment and Accreditation, Manager of Online Programs, Director Office of Diversity, Office of Graduate Studies, Diversity Fellow, and Faculty Affairs Committee representatives.

Meets 4^th Tuesday/month from 9:00 – 12:00

View Expanded Ad Council

Jennifer Barce
Assistant Dean for Teacher Education

Selcen Guzey
Department Head of Curriculum and Instruction

Tara Johnson
Associate Dean for Learning

Christine Kiracofe
Department Head of Educational Studies

Phil VanFossen
Interim Dean

Sunnie Watson
Assistant Dean for Diversity and Global Engagement

Wayne Wright
Associate Dean for Research, Graduate Programs and Faculty Development

Willie Burgess
Director, Evaluation and Learning Research Center

Chris Beck
Senior Managing Director of Online and Professional Education

Amanda Goodwin Bowman
Director, Office of Graduate Studies

Marshay Jolly
Director of Financial Affairs

Katie Skeel
Senior Director of Development

Amber Reed
Director of Assessment and Accreditation

Brittne Paramore
Director, Office of Student Success and Global Engagement

DeEtte Starr
Director of Communication

Kirke Willing
Senior Director of Financial Affairs

FAC Representatives:

Bill Watson
COE Faculty Affairs Committee co-chair

Xiang Zhou
COE Faculty Affairs Committee co-chair

Faculty Committee Assignments

View Faculty Committees Assignments

AREA PROMOTION AND TENURE COMMITTEE

Phil VanFossen, Chair

EDCI – Laura Bofferding

EDCI – Bill Watson

EDCI – OPEN

EDCI – Brenda Capobianco

EDCI – Victoria Lowell

EDST – Eric Deemer

EDST – OPEN

EDST – Hua Hua Chang

EDST – Rick Olenchak

EDST – Alice Johnson

Department of Curriculum and Instruction – Selcen Guzey, Head

Department of Educational Studies Head – Christine Kiracofe, Head

EX OFFICIO MEMBERS

Tara Johnson, Associate Dean

Wayne Wright, Associate Dean

AWARDS COMMITTEE

EDCI – John Broome, Chair

EDCI – Muhsin Menekse

EDST – Jennifer Smith

EDST – Xiang Zhou

EX OFFICIO AND STUDENT MEMBERS

Wayne Wright, Associate Dean

EDCI – Rose Mbewe, Graduate Student

EDST – Fangfang Mo, Graduate Student

Staff – Amanda Goodwin Bowman

Staff – Ted Fondak

Administrative Support – Julie Correll

CURRICULUM COMMITTEE

EDST – Jasmine Begeske, Chair

EDCI – Virak Chan

EDCI – Janine Duncan

EDCI – Laura Bofferding

EDST – Anne Traynor

EDST – Terron Phillips

EX OFFICIO MEMBERS

Tara Johnson, Associate Dean

Amanda Goodwin Bowman, Dir. of OGS

Jackie Thomas-Miller, Dir. of Advising

Joy Garton Krueger, Asst. Dir. of OTL

Jodie Conner, Administrative Support

DIVERSITY AND EQUITY COMMITTEE

EDCI – Chrystal Johnson, Chair

EDCI – Ofelia Schepers

EDCI – Amber Neal-Stanley

EDST – Xiang Zhou

EDST – David Stanley

EDST – Juliana Aguilar

EX OFFICIO AND STUDENT MEMBERS

EDCI – OPEN, Graduate Student

EDST – Abigael Johnson Allen, Graduate Student

Jackie Thomas-Miller, Dir. of Academic Advising

Tatyanna Jordan, Academic Advisor

Brittne Paramore, Director, Office of Student Success & Global Engagement

Sunnie Watson, Assistant Dean for Diversity

FACULTY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

EDCI – Christy Wessel-Powell

EDCI – Bill Watson, Co-chair

EDCI – Amber Neal-Stanley

EDCI – Virak Chan

EDST – Rick Olenchak

EDST – Xiang Zhou, Co-chair

EDST – Lisa Snodgrass

EDST – Jennifer Smith

EX OFFICIO MEMBERS

Wayne Wright, Associate Dean

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION COMMITTEE

EDCI – John Broome

EDCI – Marisa Exter

EDCI – OPEN

EDST – Juliana Aguilar

EDST – Kristen Seward

EDST – Yukiko Maeda

EX OFFICIO AND STUDENT MEMBERS

Sunnie Watson, Assistant Dean for Diversity

Erin Schultz, Academic Advisor

EDCI Grad: OPEN

EDST Grad: Enheang Nol

NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS COMMITTEE

EDCI – Victoria Lowell

EDCI – Jake Burdick

EDST – Yan Ping Xin

EDST – LaMonica Williams

University Committees

View University Committees Assignments

UNIVERSITY FACULTY MEDIATION COMMITTEE

COE – Alissa Cress

UNIVERSITY GRADUATE COUNCIL

EDCI – Stephanie Masta

EDST – Lisa Snodgrass

UNIVERSITY GRIEVANCE HEARING COMMITTEE

EDCI – Marisa Exter

EDST – Bryan Duarte

At-Large – Stephanie Oudghiri

UNIVERSITY HONORS FACULTY GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE

COE – Tara Johnson

UNIVERSITY P & T REPRESENTATIVES

COE – Yan Ping Xin

UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM COUNCIL

COE – Jasmine Begeske

UNIVERSITY SENATE REPRESENTATIVES

EDCI – Trish Morita-Mullaney

EDST – Alice Johnson

At-Large – Stephanie Masta