Holmes Highlights From AACTE 70th Annual Meeting
The annual Holmes Program gathering at AACTE’s Annual Meeting was held in Baltimore, Maryland, from February 28 to March 2. To date, this was the largest assembly we’ve had from the program, with students from over 47 universities and institutions in attendance as well as faculty, coordinators, and program alumni. The theme for the conference was “Celebrating Our Professional Identity,” and the subtheme for our preconference event was “I Too Am Holmes.”
A wide variety of sessions was available for Holmes Cadets, Honors, Master’s, and Scholars. Students were able to share their research through poster sessions, roundtable discussions, and paper presentations. Breakout sessions covered topics such as Effective Strategies to Recruit and Retain Minority Preservice Teachers, Beginning the Doctoral Journey, Navigating Dissertation, and Navigating Untenured Faculty Positions, to name a few. Members also had the opportunity to network, collaborate, and share their experience of being part of this dynamic community called HOLMES.
Dissertation Funding Competition
This year’s Holmes Program preconference was also unique because Scholars were able to compete in a dissertation funding competition with a chance to win $5,000 from AACTE (see this article for more information). Four Scholars were selected as finalists from the applications submitted in December and January, and they each had 5 minutes to present their proposal to the Holmes community and a panel of judges in Baltimore. The finalists were Nevin J. Heard, University of Central Florida; Lillian (Sharon) Leathers, William Paterson University (NJ); Kayla C. Elliott, Florida Atlantic University; and Cherjanét D. Lenzy, University of Northern Colorado. Elliott was named the winner for her study, Pride, Power, and Prejudice: The Impact of Performance-Based Funding on Public Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Once she was announced as the winner, Elliott, exemplifying the true spirit of the Holmes Program, offered to share the funding with Heard. Congratulations to all the Scholars who made it to the final round, and best wishes in your continued dissertation work!
Governance Updates
During the business meeting in Baltimore, elections were held for the 2018-2019 Holmes Council. The following individuals will serve for the coming year:
- President: Dana N. Dunwoody, Boston University
- Vice President: Carlos D. Richardson, Bowie State University
- Secretary: Marquetta Strait, Purdue University
- Historian: Benita Kluttz-Drye, Rowan University
- Sergeant at Arms: Priscilla Bell, University of Florida
- Research Coordinator: Temitope Adeoye, Purdue University
- Social Media Coordinator: Monique Matute, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
- General Alternate 1: Georgette Richardson, University of Houston
- General Alternate 2: Tytianna Wells Smith, University of Louisville
- Holmes Master’s Representative: Jessica Ferguson, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
- Holmes Honors Representative: Alex Caston, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
- Holmes Cadets Representative: Karla Yong, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
The council works closely with the AACTE liaison, Tim Finklea, to plan activities and communicate with Holmes participants throughout the year.
Also at the Holmes Program business meeting, members voted on updates to the Council bylaws. These revisions included (a) changing the name of the Holmes Scholars Council to the Holmes Council; (b) adding language for the three new council positions (Holmes Master’s, Honors, and Cadet Representatives); and (c) updating the standing committee descriptions.
To keep up with the latest news about the AACTE Holmes Program, sign up for our monthly e-newsletter here or read the archives online here.
Tags: Annual Meeting, diversity, equity, Holmes Program
