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Alumni Awards 2020

The College of Education and Human Ecology at The Ohio State University is proud to present the 2020 Hall of Fame and Alumni Award recipients chosen by the EHE Alumni Society.

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Hall of Fame

Phillip T.K. Daniel, JD, EdD

William and Mary Adamson Flesher Professor of Educational Administration

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Philip T.K. Daniel sets an example that inspires thousands of educators, with special significance for American educators of color at a time when too few exist. He is an expert in law related to K-12 schools and higher education, disability/special education and intellectual property in education. Daniel is the college’s scholar-in-residence and was named the Flesher Professor Emeritus by the Ohio State Board of Trustees, an honor rarely offered to a retiree.

Daniel’s more than 200 scholarly works address legal subjects such as how the law applies to school districts’ service to homeless youth or English language learners, and analyzing education case law. His peer-reviewed articles, law journal publications, and presentations and seminars at major conferences have cemented his reputation worldwide.

Daniel has produced research cited in legislation, case law and appellant briefs. The Education Law Association recognized these contributions with its highest honor. Three of his four co-authored books, all with former Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee, will release new editions in 2020.

A trusted mentor since 1973, Daniel first joined the professoriate at Kent State University. He later was appointed at Northern Illinois University and rose to associate dean of the Graduate School. He joined Ohio State in 1990 and his students have achieved careers honoring his legacy. Adept at guiding groups to consensus, Daniel’s peers elected him to four terms on the University Senate and as chair of multiple university committees. He serves on the advisory board of the Columbus Africentric Early College K-12 and the Board of Trustees of the King Arts Complex in Columbus.

 

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Rudine Sims Bishop, PhD

Professor Emerita, Literature for Children and Young Adults

Rudine-Sims-Bishop

Scholars call her “the mother of multicultural literature.” Through her teaching and scholarship, Professor Emerita Rudine Sims Bishop changed the way the world views children’s literature. In the 1980s, her studies were among the first to look at representation of African Americans in children’s books, setting a framework for cultural analysis that views literature as a tool of self-affirmation for all children. Bishop served at Ohio State from 1986 until she retired in 2002. Her seminal essay, “Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors,” emphasizes that literature reflects “our own lives and experiences as part of the larger human experience,” and has been cited in academic journals, university classrooms, TEDx conferences and blogs the world over. 

Beloved by generations of her students, Bishop was known for introducing them to acclaimed authors and illustrators at conferences and gatherings in her home. She was inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame and received the International Reading Association’s Arbuthnot Award. In 2017, she received the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award. She served on selection committees reading and reviewing hundreds of children’s books for the John Newbery Medal, Randolph Caldecott Medal and Ohioana Library awards. In March, she was cited as a recipient of the Walter Dean Myers Award for Leadership and Advocacy in Children’s Literature by We Need Diverse Books.

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Career Acheivement

Kristyn Butler, PhD

‘91 BA, Psychology; ‘93 MA, Early Childhood Special Education; ‘97 PhD, Special Education

A three-time degree earner from The Ohio State University, Kristyn Butler has dedicated her career to making a difference in the lives of people with autism and disabilities. She has tirelessly advocated for special needs students and their families in public schools as well as community-based organizations in Central Ohio.

A former teacher, special education coordinator, consultant, adjunct professor, director of operations and superintendent, Butler is currently the founder and CEO of Ability Matters, a waiver and autism scholarship program provider agency providing comprehensive social and behavioral services – with a focus on community inclusion – to adolescents and adults. Butler has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards, served on the Ohio Governor’s Autism Task Force, and was invited to share her expertise in multiple venues including Franklin County and Federal Courts of Law, The State of Ohio House of Representatives, and on National Public Radio and WOSU Public Media.

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Michael Metzler

'79 PhD, Physical Education Teacher Education

Michael Metzler

A dedicated scholar who has advanced the physical education field for more than 40 years, Metzler’s expertise in sports pedagogy has been a trusted asset for national and international researchers. He developed the first physical education teacher education assessment program – still considered the gold standard. He published research on students’ abilities to absorb specific instruction in college and their fidelity to it as professional physical educators in schools.

Metzler was founding editor of the Journal of Teaching in Physical Educationin 1981. The journal is now the flagship resource on sports pedagogy research. He authored the textbook Instructional Models in Physical Education, used by students at universities worldwide.

His selfless commitment to the profession turned a struggling physical education program at Georgia State University into one of the best in the southeast United States. He was named Fellow of the National Academy of Kinesiology (2009), SHAPE America (2012) and the National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education (2015). In 2020, Metzler received the Gulick Award, SHAPE America’s highest honor.

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New Leader

Renae Mayes

’13 PhD, Counselor Education and Supervision

Renae Mayes has emerged as an important voice in studies about little-explored topics of educational research, including twice-exceptional learners, school counseling and black girls. Now associate professor of educational psychology and director of school counseling, Teachers College, Ball State University, she is published in top-tier outlets with international reach. Her honors include the Outstanding Dissertation Award from the American Educational Research Association, Division E; NAACP Muncie Chapter’s President Award, the MENSA Foundation’s Excellence in Research Award (Junior Faculty) and recognition as an East Central Indiana Top 20 Leader Under 40. In autumn 2020, Mayes will begin a new appointment at associate professor at the University of Arizona.

In 2017, the Lilly Endowment awarded Mayes a major grant to help build culturally responsive practices among local school counselors and administrators. This initiative showcases her influence: she identifies a critical need, then leverages resources to effect change where need is greatest. Her research documented the benefits, then she created training for preservice and current school counselors. She collaborates with educational leadership faculty to create better training models for preservice school administrators.

 

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Colin McGinnis

‘15 BS, Human Development and Family Science

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A passionate advocate for families, children and students, Colin McGinnis believes investing in high-quality early learning and care is the foundation for breaking the cycle of poverty for families in Ohio. As CEO of South Side Early Learning, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Columbus, McGinnis leads a team of teachers and administrators who educate children from infancy through pre-school, support healthy families and call on policymakers to rethink training, compensation and resources for early childhood educators.

At South Side Early Learning, McGinnis has fostered numerous community partnerships and created a social enterprise, Project NUDL, which combines research and professional development for early childhood educators through training, mentorship, monitoring and storytelling. As a result of this work, McGinnis was recognized with a 2019 Innovation award from CityPulse, a digital guide to Columbus neighborhoods, and was featured in Columbus CEO Magazine as a Future 50 Innovator. He is a 2015 graduate of the College of Education and Human Ecology earning his bachelor’s in human development and family science. He recently returned to earn a PhD in human development and family science, with an anticipated graduation in 2021.

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Brian McGowan

’07 MA, Higher Education and Student Affairs

Brian McGowan

McGowan’s early career has been marked with accomplishment. As a Higher Education and Student Affairs master’s student at The Ohio State University, he was awarded the 2009 Emerging Professional Award. From there, honors accrued from leading higher education associations, including the NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, and ACPA – College Student Educators International.

His interest in Black male college student experiences in higher education led to his doctoral studies at Indiana University and now to his role as a tenured professor. His energetic engagement in his work, along with his quest for knowledge, has resulted in a prolific record of publications in leading journals and presentations at high-profile conferences. As an emerging leader in higher education, he displays commitment to creating inclusive and equitable environments for all students.