Congratulations to our new dean of the Teachers College - Dr. Ken Weaver! The IDT Department looks forward to even more success with your leadership and vision!
From the
ESU press release -
An educator with more than 40 years experience in the profession is
the new dean of The Teachers College at Emporia State University.
Dr. Ken Weaver, currently associate dean of the college, was named to
the lead position Thursday, May 17, 2012. He replaces Dr. Phil Bennett,
who retires June 9.
“After a national search, Dr. Weaver's track record as a leader
having served as a department chair, interim dean and associate dean
will be invaluable to The Teachers College as it continues its legacy of
excellence,” said Provost Tes Mehring in making the announcement. “Ken
is respected as an excellent teacher and scholar, and is actively
engaged in his profession and university committees.”
Emporia State’s Teachers College is recognized by the U.S. Department
of Education as a one of only three models for teacher education. It
recently earned reaccreditation from NCATE, the National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher Education.
“Ken’s experience with accreditation in many disciplines housed
within the college will position programs well for continued
recognition,” Mehring added.
“The Teachers College has sustained excellence preparing
professionals and serving Kansans for nearly 150 years,” Weaver said,
noting that The Teachers College includes more than education
preparation programs. It also includes nationally recognized and
accredited undergraduate and graduate programs in mental health,
rehabilitation services, art therapy, psychology, athletic training,
recreation and leadership.
“As the new dean of The Teachers College, I look forward to engaging
our students, faculty, staff and alumni as well as our P-12 partners in
USD 253 and throughout the state, our community college partners, the
business community and elected officials to create new opportunities for
excellence.
“We must work together to provide the best opportunities to develop
our students to meet the needs of the people of Kansas and the nation
through teaching them, healing them and strengthening them,” Weaver
said.
Weaver received his bachelor’s degree in biology and master’s of
education degree in science education from the University of South
Carolina and his Ph.D. in educational psychology from Columbia
University.
He has served the Emporia State community since 1986, but his teacher
career began long before that. In 1973, he served as a Peace Corps
volunteers in rural public health education in a small fishing village
in the Philippines. After returning to the United States, he taught
seventh- and eighth-grade science in Aiken, S.C., and remains certified
to teach middle- and high-school science in both South Carolina and
Kansas.
During Weaver’s 26 years at Emporia State, he not only has taught
education and psychology classes, but he also has directed the Emporia
State Honors Program and the 1992 Kansas Regents Honors Academy. He has
served as chair of the Department of Psychology and Special Education
and associate dean and interim dean of The Teachers College. In 1999,
Weaver was named the Roe R. Cross Distinguished Professor.
A Fellow of the American Psychological Association, Weaver recently
finished chairing the American Psychological Association working group
that developed national guidelines for credentialing high school
psychology teachers. He received the 2002 Robert S. Daniel award for
teaching excellence from APA's Society for Teaching of Psychology and
the 2006 Florence L. Denmark National Faculty Advisor Award from Psi
Chi, the national honor society in psychology.
He currently is president of the Kansas Association of Colleges for
Teacher Education and has written more than 50 articles, 10 chapters, a
study guide for a textbook and a book on statistics.
Weaver also is well-known in the Emporia community where he and his
wife, Katherine, have raised four children. Weaver has served as a Boy
Scout and Cub Scout leader and youth softball coach.
He credits the support of his family for much of his success.
Katherine Weaver is a substitute teacher for Emporia Public Schools.
Daughter Merriam Weaver graduated from Emporia State University and
works as a rehabilitation counselor in Bowling Green, Ohio. Son Andrew
is a graduate student at Kansas State University. Daughter Katie is
completing her junior year at Emporia State and has been accepted to the
pharmacy school at the University of Kansas in the fall. Daughter Janet
plans to major in teacher education when she enters Emporia State in
the fall.
