School of Education | SES

UNC Greensboro

SES faculty and Ph.D. students gather at an event

SES Works to Build Community Among Doctoral Students, Faculty

The 2023-2024 Belonging Project Grants, led by Dr. Heather Coleman and alongside three Ph.D. students in the Department of Specialized Education Services (SES) – Kyle Dunlap, Rahaf Alsaidalani, and Faris Alshahrani – aim to engage a sense of belonging among the department’s doctoral students at UNC Greensboro. This initiative seeks to hold more events to meet the needs of doctoral students and faculty members in the SES department to build an interactive community.

Marissa Colon, student teacher at Wiley Magnet Middle School, works with students

Student Teachers Become Classroom Leaders

You probably remember a teacher who went above and beyond. Someone who encouraged you, showed you new possibilities, or created a fun place for you to learn. Believe it or not, that teacher was once taking the reins of a classroom for the very first time. This spring, many UNCG student teachers are taking that first step themselves. Soon, they’ll be a life-changing teacher for the next generation.

Heather Coleman sits at her desk in the School of Education

Cracking the Code of Communication

Parents, each with a Bluetooth device in their ears, sit in a play-based early intervention therapy session with their autistic child. As they interact through a series of exercises, they receive instruction, feedback and encouragement audibly through their earbuds. The voice talking to them is a community-based early intervention professional trained by a team of coaches led by Heather Coleman, UNC Greensboro Assistant Professor in the Department of Specialized Education Services. The goal: support early intervention therapists, who work with families of autistic children to help them better understand and communicate with each other.

Dauria Harrison pets a rabbit during her time abroad in Costa Rica

Smiley Award Helps Harrison Study in Costa Rica

The Smiley Award supports global educational opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students in UNC Greensboro’s School of Education and is presented annually. One of last year’s recipients, Dauria Harrison, was able to spend part of her summer on an immersive and service-learning program in Costa Rica. 

Jon Henner memoriam

SOE Mourns Passing of Dr. Jon Henner

It is with profound sadness that we share with you that Dr. Jonathan (Jon) Henner passed away following a battle with cancer. Jon joined the School of Education faculty in 2016 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Specialized Education Services and the Interpreting, Deaf Education, and Advocacy Services program. He became the first Deaf tenured professor at UNCG when he was promoted to Associate Professor in 2022.

Julie Bost headshot with SES department logo on a blue background

Bost Selected as CEC President-Elect

The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) has announced that Dr. Julie Bost, assistant clinical professor in the Department of Specialized Education Services, has been named 2024 CEC President-Elect. Bost will assume the presidency on January 1, 2025, overseeing CEC’s committees and Board of Directors and providing critical leadership on the organization’s planning and programs.

Elice Evans '18 before a flight on Piedmont Airlines

SES Alumna Using Her Degree in Midair

If you see a flight attendant using sign language to communicate with passengers aboard Piedmont Airlines, it’s likely UNCG alum Elice Evans ’18, who received her bachelor’s degree in Interpreting, Deaf Education and Advocacy Services (IDEAS).

Head shot of Calli Kessinger, the 2023 UNCG Student Teacher of the Year

Kessinger Named UNCG Student Teacher of the Year

A Special Education major, Calli Kessinger has been selected as the 2023 UNCG Student Teacher of the Year and will represent UNC Greensboro at the upcoming state competition sponsored by the North Carolina Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (NCACTE).

Smiley Award Recipient badge

Harrison, Hogan Named Recipients of 2023 Smiley Award

The Smiley Award, which supports global educational opportunities for current School of Education undergraduate and graduate students, has been presented to undergraduate student Dauria Harrison and graduate student Kevin Hogan. These students will represent the SOE as Global Education Ambassadors through international or local engagement.

The SOE building with spring buds on the trees

New Academic Support Hub to Provide Services to SOE Students

Undergraduate students in the UNC Greensboro School of Education can now take advantage of new support services thanks to the launch of the SOE Academic Support Hub. The center is the combined work of the SOE Office of Student Success, Michel Family Teaching Resources Center, Department of Teacher Education and Higher Education, Department of Specialized Education Services, and Department of Library and Information Science.