Wishing to recognize the significant impact so many educators have made in the lives of students, the UNC Greensboro School of Education launched a new initiative in 2018 honoring Inspirational Educators. All monies raised through the nomination of Inspirational Educators will fund new Student Excellence Awards for UNC Greensboro School of Education students. When you nominate an Inspirational Educator, your gift not only honors a legacy, but inspires our students and helps us provide them with the best preparation possible.
Celebrating Impact & Inspiration
Launched in 2018, Inspirational Educators recognizes educators who have made a transformative impact on students’ lives. The UNC Greensboro School of Education values the difference educators make in engaging communities and promoting life-changing opportunities through education while remaining steadfast in the advancement of equity, diversity, and inclusion.
The goals for the Inspirational Educators program are simple: elevate the profession of education, create an opportunity to honor people who have made a difference in the lives of others, and raise much needed funds for our future educators. A permanent recognition, the Inspirational Educators Wall, is displayed in the School of Education Building.
Recipients
Learn More About the 2024 Recognition Ceremony and Honorees
UNC Greensboro’s School of Education (SOE) is proud to recognize the following individuals for their extensive contributions to the field of education.
Inspirational Educators recognizes and highlights the service of those educators to whom SOE alumni and friends are most grateful. This permanent recognition is displayed prominently in the School of Education Building.
- Clinton Edward Alexander (B.A., Olivet College, 1987; M.Ed., Spring Arbor University, 2016)
- Ruth Frank Andreve (B.S., University of Pennsylvania, 1935; MLS, Drexel University, 1938)
- Deborah J. Bartz (B.A., Purdue University, 1990; M.A., Western Michigan University, 1999)
- Sarah Burke Berenson (B.S., University of Massachusetts, 1959; M.S., Western Connecticut State University, 1972; Ph.D., Florida State University, 1985)
- Rochelle Brock (B.A., University of California, Berkeley, 1996; Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University, 1999)
- Anessa M. Burgman* (B.S., Appalachian State University, 1991; M.Ed., UNC Greensboro, 1995; Ed.S., UNC Greensboro, 2004; Ed.D., UNC Greensboro, 2011)
- Jim Carmichael (B.A., Emory University, 1969; M.Ln., Emory University, 1977; Ph.D., UNC Chapel Hill, 1988)
- Flo Denny Durway* (B.A., Queens University, 1960; MAT, Duke University, 1971; Ed.D., UNC Greensboro, 1989)
- Lenwood Earl Edwards, Sr. (B.S., Johnson C. Smith University; M.S., Springfield College; M.Ed., North Carolina A&T State University)
- Tricia Booth Fish* (B.A., Duke University, 1957; M.Ed., UNC Greensboro, 1968)
- Ye “Jane” He* (B.A., Shanghai Normal University; M.A., Shanghai Normal University; Ph.D., UNC Greensboro, 2005)
- Robert Lee Howard, Sr. (B.A., Williams College, 1966; M.B.A., University of Chicago, 1968; Ph.D., Ohio State University, 1978)
- Dorothy Kendall Kearns* (B.A., UNC Greensboro, 1953; M.Ed., UNC Greensboro, 1974)
- Carl Lashley (B.A., West Virginia University, 1968; M.A., West Virginia University, 1976; Ed.D., Indiana University Bloomington, 1994)
- Thomas “Gabe” Leonard (B.S., Winston-Salem State University, 1974)
- Linda Wilson McDougle* (B.S., North Carolina Central University, 1966; M.Ed., UNC Greensboro, 1970; Ed.S., Appalachian State University, 1988)
- William Watson Purkey (B.S., University of Virginia, 1957; M.S., University of Virginia, 1959; Ed.D, University of Virginia, 1964)
- Leslie Martin Rainey* (B.A., Pfeiffer University, 1971; M.A., Appalachian State University, 1978; Ph.D., UNC Greensboro, 1995)
- Bob Satterfield* (B.S., East Carolina University, 1965; M.Ed., UNC Greensboro, 1969)
- Katherine Davis Smith* (B.A., Woman’s College (now UNC Greensboro), 1944; M.Ed., East Carolina Teachers College, 1966)
- Jennifer Tomon Stephens* (B.A., UNC Chapel Hill, 2003; M.S., North Carolina State University, 2008; Ph.D., UNC Greensboro, 2014)
- Barbara Reynolds Todd* (BSHE, UNC Greensboro, 1973; M.Ed., UNC Greensboro, 1975; CAS, UNC Greensboro, 1981; Ph.D., UNC Greensboro, 1984)
- Joan Morrison Tolley* (B.S., East Carolina University, 1965; M.Ed., UNC Greensboro, 1981)
- Jackie Bridges Upton* (B.A., Greensboro College, 1963; M.Ed., UNC Greensboro, 1970)
- Carol C. Williams (B.A., Columbia College, 1972; M.Ed., Mercer University, 1978)
- Kay Plemmons Zimmerman (B.A., Furman University, 1970; M.A., University of South Carolina, 1972)
* denotes UNC Greensboro alumnus
- Margaret Bourdeaux Arbuckle* (B.A., Salem College; M.Ed., UNC Greensboro, 1975; Ph.D., UNC Greensboro, 1983)
- Cheryl Armstrong (B.A., Western Michigan University, 1969; M.A., Hollins College, 1982)
- Mark R. Armstrong* (B.A., Davidson College, 1977; M.A., UNC Greensboro, 1985; Ph.D., UNC Greensboro, 1996)
- Judy Arnette* (B.A., UNC Greensboro, 1971; M.Ed., UNC Greensboro, 1973)
- Marie Crist Blackwood (B.A., Salem College, 1918)
- L. Dianne Borders* (B.A., UNC Greensboro, 1972; M.Ed., Wake Forest University, 1979; Ph.D., University of Florida, 1984)
- Theresa Ward Brown* (B.A., UNC Greensboro, 1954)
- Dennis M. Campbell (A.B., Duke University, 1967; B.D., Yale University, 1970; Ph.D., Duke University, 1970; Honorary doctoral degree, D.D., Florida Southern University)
- Thomas P. Carpenter (B.A., Stanford University; M.A., San Diego State University; Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison)
- Craig S. Cashwell* (B.A., UNC Chapel Hill, 1986; M.S., UNC Greensboro, 1991; Ph.D., UNC Greensboro, 1994)
- Maude Talley Caudle* (B.A., UNC Greensboro, 1967)
- Jewell E. Cooper* (B.S., UNC Greensboro, 1976; M.S., University of Memphis (formerly Memphis State University), 1984; Ph.D., UNC Greensboro, 1997)
- Janie Copple* (B.A., Gardner-Webb University, 1999; M.A., UNC Greensboro, 2002; Ph.D., University of Georgia, 2022)
- Katherine Bland Davis* (B.S., UNC Greensboro, 1974; M.Ed., UNC Greensboro, 1978)
- Carol J. Doniere (B.S., Northern State University; Library Science Certification, Middle Tennessee State University)
- June P. Galloway* (B.S., University of Georgia; M.A., UNC Greensboro; D.Ed., UNC Greensboro)
- Deborah Davis Gough* (B.S., UNC Greensboro, 1970; M.S., UNC Greensboro, 1976; M.Sc.A., UNC Greensboro, 1996)
- Philip Ware Homiller (Mus., Northwestern University, 1992; ABT MM, Bowling Green State University, 1996)
- Jennifer Smith Hooks* (B.A., UNC Greensboro, 1976)
- Sandra Anita Howard* (B.A., University of the District of Columbia; M.S., North Carolina A&T State University; Ph.D., UNC Greensboro)
- Paul S. Huber III (B.A., Yale University, 1972; M.A., Middlebury College, 1978)
- Hilda Davis Jennings* (B.A., Woman’s College (now UNC Greensboro), 1956)
- Celia Gomedela Jolley* (B.A., UNC Greensboro, 1971; M.Ed., North Carolina State University, 1983)
- Deborah E. “DJ” Jones* (B.S., UNC Greensboro, 1975; M.Ed., UNC Greensboro, 1982; M.S., North Carolina A&T State University, 1987; Ph.D., UNC Greensboro, 1997)
- Frances Faircloth Jones* (B.S., Appalachian State University, 1964; M.Ed., UNC Greensboro, 1971; Ed.D, UNC Greensboro, 1978)
- Jeane Murdoch Joyner (B.A., Mary Baldwin College, 1963; M.A., North Carolina Central University, 1982; Post-graduate, North Carolina State University, Sacramento State, UNC Chapel Hill)
- Sam George Kasias* (B.A., High Point College, 1954; M.Ed., UNC Greensboro, 1968)
- Mary Joe Lentz* (B.S., UNC Greensboro, 1969; M.S., North Carolina A&T State University, 1984; M.Ed., North Carolina A&T State University, 1986; Ed.S., Appalachian State University, 1988)
- Barbara Barry Levin (B.S., University of California, Berkeley, 1968; M.S., University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1971; Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, 1993)
- Jennifer Robinson Mangrum* (B.A., UNC Wilmington, 1987; M.Ed., East Carolina University, 1989; Ph.D., UNC Greensboro, 2004)
- Sam Miller (A.B., Providence College, 1971; M.Ed., Rhode Island College, 1979; Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1985)
- Patricia M. Morris (B.A., Boston College, 1973; MAT, Bridgewater University, 1977)
- Jo Ann Payne Norris* (B.A., UNC Greensboro, 1964)
- Donna Cox Peters* (B.S., Pembroke State University, 1979; M.S., UNC Greensboro, 1980; M.S., North Carolina A&T State University, 1990; Ph.D., UNC Greensboro, 1999)
- Carrie Davis Ponder* (B.A., Woman’s College (now UNC Greensboro), 1958; M.Ed., Western Carolina University, 1981)
- Jean Griffith Ritchie* (BSSA, Woman’s College (now UNC Greensboro), 1956)
- Lee R. Roane (B.S., Bridgewater University, 1977)
- Lee Robinson
- Orvin Lee Shiflett (B.A., University of Florida, 1969; MLS, Rutgers University, 1971; Ph.D., Florida State University, 1979)
- Paula Myrick Short* (B.A., UNC Greensboro, 1967; M.Ed., UNC Chapel Hill, 1970; Ph.D., UNC Chapel Hill, 1983)
- Claudia Flick Siegal* (B.A., Bloomsbury State University, 1975; M.Ed., UNC Greensboro, 1985)
- Lawrence J. Sorohan (B.A., University of Dayton, 1954; M.Ed., Ph.D., Ohio University, 1962)
- Barbara LaSota Stewart (B.S., Indiana University, 1967; M.S., University of Illinois, 1970)
- Nancy Teague* (B.A., UNC Greensboro, 1970; M.Ed., UNC Greensboro, 1973)
- A. Edward Uprichard (B.A., State University of New York (Fredonia); M.S., Syracuse University; Ph.D., Syracuse University)
- Nicholas A. Vacc (B.A., Western Reserve University; M.A., Syracuse University; Ed.D., SUNY Albany)
- Julie Davie Wright (B.A., Birmingham-Southern College, 1964; M.S., Florida State University, 1972; Ph.D., Florida State University, 1979)
- Keith C. Wright (B.A., Willamette University, 1955; M.Div., Union Theological Seminary, New York City, 1958; M.S., Columbia University, 1968; Ph.D., Columbia University, 1972)
* denotes UNC Greensboro alumnus
How it Works
A gift of at least $1,000 ensures a permanent place on the Inspirational Educators Wall for the honoree.
- An Inspirational Educator may be nominated by a single individual or by groups of individuals, such as family, friends, colleagues, classroom parents, or alumni who share the cost of the nomination.
- An Inspirational Educator may be honored more than once.
- Your $1,000 gift may be paid in installments over a 12-month period.
- All gifts in support of Inspirational Educators are tax-deductible.
All nominees will be reviewed by a committee of faculty, staff, and Advisory Board members from the UNC Greensboro School of Education. Once accepted as an Inspirational Educator, we will notify your honoree and their family. We will include the name of the nominator(s) in this information at their discretion.
Honor a Legacy
The person you nominate can be a star in their field or have had a significant impact on you or your family. This is a chance to publicly recognize someone who has made a difference in your growth personally and professionally. Individuals may be honored as Inspirational Educators posthumously. Your nominee could be one of the following:
- Teachers
- Counselors
- Administrators
- Librarians
- Coaches
- Community Leaders
- Mentors
- Professors
- Other education professionals
You do not have to be a UNC Greensboro alumna/us or otherwise affiliated with the UNC Greensboro School of Education to nominate or be nominated. However, if the honoree holds a degree from UNC Greensboro, they will be identified with the UNC Greensboro seal on their nameplate.
The Impact of Inspiration
Over time, the UNC Greensboro School of Education will honor 1,000 Inspirational Educators, creating an Inspirational Educators Endowment of over $1,000,000. Each year, annual interest from this endowment will fund scholarships and awards recognizing outstanding School of Education students. Awards from the Inspirational Educators Endowment may be given to any student, undergraduate or graduate, in the School of Education. Recipients will be selected by a committee appointed by the Dean.
This prestigious awards program will highlight promising young educators. When you nominate an Inspirational Educator, your gift honors a legacy and inspires our students.
School of Education Development Office
Courtney Dabney, Senior Director of Development chdabney@uncg.edu
Location:
School of Education Building, Room 346
Mailing Address:
School of Education Building
PO Box 26170
Greensboro, NC 27402