Campus Briefs

Long's Hat Trick
Appointed by President Obama. Confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Announced by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Not a bad couple of weeks for Professor Bridget Terry Long who, in late June, joined three other educators as the newest members of the National Board of Education Sciences, a 15-member advisory panel whose responsibilities include reviewing and approving the research priorities of the Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences.

What's In a Name?
The Risk and Prevention Program has been renamed Prevention Science and Practice (PSP)/Counseling C.A.S. Although the curriculum and educational experience of students will not change, the new name, says program director Mandy Savitz-Romer, better reflects the integrated nature of the program and its mission to prepare graduates to improve the social, emotional, and academic outcomes of children and youth.

Now This is the Story All About How My Life Got Flipped, Turned Upside Down
They say education can be disorienting. Recent graduate Jenny Schneider, Ed.M.'10, certainly thought so. To commemorate her time at the Ed School -- and the education process that turned her life upside down -- Schneider created "20 Headstands: A Year at Harvard." The photo project saw Schneider doing headstands through the Harvard campus, including some particularly daring choices such as the median strip of Massachusetts Ave.

Guiding GoodWork
The GoodWork Team at Project Zero recently launched a GoodWork Toolkit website, as well as Facebook and Twitter pages to share information and build community around encouraging excellent, ethical, and engaging work. These web resources offer discussion around relevant news and research, regular blogs from faculty, Project Zero staff, and others, plus ways to connect with other scholars, practitioners, and parents interested in good work.

Clinton Commissions Reimers
Professor Fernando Reimers was appointed by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to serve on the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO. Reimers will act as one of 30 representatives to the commission, which supports worldwide humanitarian development and values by coordinating efforts and delivering expert advice from the federal, state, and local governments and from nongovernmental organizations on issues of education, science, communications, and culture.

Bay State Blues
Though Massachusetts leads the nation on national standardized tests, new findings by Associate Professor Nonie Lesaux indicate that there is room for significant improvement. Her research revealed that 43 percent of Massachusetts third-graders read below grade level, which may lead to continued struggles in high school and puts them at significant risk of not graduating or contributing to the state's knowledge-based economy.