Dr. Sherry Powers has been selected as dean of the College of Education at Eastern Kentucky University. She will join EKU on June 17.
Powers brings 17 years of experience in higher education, including the past four years as dean of the School of Education at Asbury University. Previously, she served 13 years at Western Kentucky University, the last three as associate dean and director of its School of Teacher Education in the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences. She began her career as a classroom teacher, teaching eight years in Hindman, Harrodsburg and Nicholasville, and receiving the Ashland Oil Teacher Achievement Award in 1995.
Powers said she was delighted at the opportunity to join “a student-focused institution of higher education” and the effort to “develop creative and critical thinkers who have expanded their ability to analyze problems and implement solutions to become citizen leaders. The prospect of engaging in a collective vision and making shared decisions to illuminate and articulate the mission of EKU is exciting.”
In addition to a lengthy record of scholarly publications and presentations, much of it related to equity pedagogy in literacy instruction, Powers has been active in her profession and in community service. She serves on several committees with the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board and as Awards Committee Chair for the American Education Research Association. She also serves on the editorial review boards of the International Journal of Leadership and Change, Kentucky Reading Journal, Balanced Reading Instruction and the Journal of Urban Education Research.
Since 2013, Powers has served as Chair of the Board of Directors for Hindman Settlement School. She was a member of the Asbury University Board of Trustees from 2005 to 2012.
“I am confident Dr. Powers will be a dynamic and effective leader for our College of Education,” said Dr. Janna Vice, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost at EKU. “Her knowledge of the issues facing education at all levels in Kentucky and her proven leadership and commitment to improving the lives of learners of all ages and backgrounds through quality programs and services will enable her to adapt quickly to the college and to EKU.”
Powers holds a bachelor's degree in social work from Asbury, a master’s degree in elementary education from the University of Kentucky, and a doctoral degree in instruction and administration reading specialization, also from UK. She also earned an elementary education certification from EKU, and attended the Harvard Performance Assessment in Higher Education Institute and the Harvard Management Development Program, as well as the Academy for Leadership Development, sponsored by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.
Vice thanked Dr. Laurence Hayes for his service as interim dean of the college; Hayes will continue in his prior role as associate dean. She also thanked College of Business and Technology Dean Dr. Thomas Erekson and the Search Committee for “their excellent work finding the next leader of our College of Education.”