HONORARY DEGREE BESTOWED
Hiromasa Ikeda (fourth from right), eldest son of Daisaku Ikeda and a Soka University trustee, accepts an honorary doctorate of humane letters on his father’s behalf from DePaul’s president, the Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M., in recognition of his prolific career in education and peacekeeping. Fr. Holtschneider and Jason Goulah (third from left), director of DePaul’s Institute for Daisaku Ikeda Studies in Education, traveled to Japan to present the award in December. (Photo credit: Seikyo Shimbun)
FOOD TRUCK EVENT BENEFITS inSTEM
A group of middle-school students made a big impression on attendees at a Blinderman Construction event hosted by Elizabeth and David Blinderman last October. The girls demonstrated solar-powered cars and other projects they completed through the College of Education’s Inspiring Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics in Middle-school Girls (inSTEM) summer camp. Ticket proceeds from the event were donated to inSTEM.
The Food Truck Fest, which featured delicacies from gourmet food trucks, generated much more than operating funds, according to inSTEM director Nell Cobb, associate professor of elementary math and associate chair of the Department of Teacher Education. “I have a rocket scientist who wants to do a project with us. I have people volunteering their services to help grow and sustain inSTEM,” she says. “The fundraiser gave us the kind of exposure we needed across the board.”
Elizabeth Blinderman learned about the inSTEM program through her service on the Dean’s Advisory Council. As an engineer, she knows the impact of such programs. “Mentorship is absolutely critical for girls in STEM fields, particularly at a young age,” she says. “inSTEM is an invaluable resource in creating and maintaining the necessary momentum for success in STEM careers.”
“Amongst its many benefits, STEM will create over 2 million new jobs in the next four years alone, and the supply of people to do these high-impact, high-paying jobs is far short of the demand,” adds David Blinderman. “STEM fields are the engine of innovation and change in the world.”
The Blindermans will host the event again this fall and donate proceeds to inSTEM. For an invitation or more information, email smagnuso@depaul.edu.
MANY 2016 GRADUATES ACE SECTIONS OF STATE ASSESSMENTS
Teachers from CPS’ Bernhard Moos School in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood were the first cohort to complete DePaul’s International Baccalaureate Educator Certificate (IBEC) in Teaching and Learning for the Middle Years Program. With support from the Office of Innovative Professional Learning, a select number of Moos teachers piloted the IBEC for DePaul while gaining the training needed to teach in an IB program. In 2014, Chicago’s mayor, Rahm Emanuel, selected Moos to begin an IB middle-years program. At press time, the school was preparing for its official evaluation prior to being named an IB World School.
SOLTERO HEADLINES CONFERENCE
Sonia Soltero was the keynote speaker at the Second Annual Dual Language Symposium held in June 2016 by the National Association for Bilingual Education. Soltero, who is associate professor of bilingual-bicultural education and chair of the Department of Leadership, Language and Curriculum, spoke on leadership and sustainability at the event, held at the Universidad del Este of the Sistema Universitario Ana G. Méndez in Puerto Rico.
DePAUL-SUPPORTED PUBLIC SCHOOL LAUNCHES IB PROGRAM
Teachers from CPS’ Bernhard Moos School in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood were the first cohort to complete DePaul’s International Baccalaureate Educator Certificate (IBEC) in Teaching and Learning for the Middle Years Program. With support from the Office of Innovative Professional Learning, a select number of Moos teachers piloted the IBEC for DePaul while gaining the training needed to teach in an IB program. In 2014, Chicago’s mayor, Rahm Emanuel, selected Moos to begin an IB middle-years program. At press time, the school was preparing for its official evaluation prior to being named an IB World School.