Wasik retires from School of Education
Barbara Wasik, William R. Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Professor, has retired from the School of Education.
Wasik joined the School of Education faculty in 1969 and became a leading researcher in the development and evaluation of early intervention programs for children at risk for social, emotional or academic difficulties.
Wasik was one of the developers of Project CARE, a longitudinal, early childhood intervention study of the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center. She has also led research on home visiting, family literacy and classroom observation.
Wasik’s research and service have included consulting for several national organizations, serving on national boards, and holding office in state and national organizations. For the American Psychological Association, she was chair of the Board of Educational Affairs, a member of the Council of Representatives, and chair of the Task Force on Early Childhood Education.
She has been president of the North Carolina Psychology Association and an invited participant at the White House Conference on Child Care. She also served on the Committee on Early Childhood Pedagogy of the National Academy of Sciences and was a co-director for the National Forum on Home Visiting.
Wasik served this year as acting director of FPG while Director Samuel Odom was on research leave.
Simeonsson named Donald and Justeen Tarbet Professor
Rune Simeonsson, professor of school psychology and early childhood education, has been named the School of Education’s first Donald and Justeen Tarbet Professor.
The professorship is intended to recognize Simeonsson’s contributions in teaching and research on child development, special education, particularly the developmental and psychological characteristic of children and youth with chronic conditions and disabilities, said Dean Bill McDiarmid.
Among Simeonsson’s contributions, he worked with the World Health Organization to develop a version of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health for Children and Youth, a coding system for identifying health and functioning issues related to body systems/structures, activities, and participation in youth with and without disabilities.
He has served as a leader in several professional societies including the International Society on Early Intervention, the American Public Health Association, and, the Association on Disability and Health.
In 2011, Simeonsson’s work was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Disability Section of the American Public Health Association.
The Tarbet Professorship was made possible by estate gifts from the late School of Education faculty member Donald Tarbet and his wife, Justeen.
The gifts, totaling more than $3 million and the largest ever received by the School of Education, funded establishment of the Donald G. Tarbet Endowment Fund for Faculty Support, which will provide faculty stipends to facilitate development of innovative educational interventions and programs, support for junior faculty, and other areas of faculty support.
Donald Tarbet joined the School of Education faculty in 1952. While remaining on the faculty, he also served for 18 years as director of the Summer School during a period of its expansion.
Thad Domina, Michael Dominguez join School of Education faculty
Thurston “Thad” Domina and Michael Dominguez have joined the School of Education faculty.
Domina comes from the University of California, Irvine, were he had been on the faculty since 2007.
His research interests include the sociology of education and education policy. He studies how students move from undifferentiated instruction in elementary schools to highly stratified environments in higher education and how policies and educator practices affect students’ opportunities.
Dominguez comes to Carolina from the University of Colorado where he obtained his Ph.D. and worked on outreach and diversification efforts, including co-founding a project that provided Latino youth with community development opportunities while also serving as a research and teacher development program.
His research interests include the intersections of critical pedagogy, decolonial theory, learning science and teacher education.