Boyd appointed dean of nationally recognized College of Education
Kim Chaudoin | 615.966.6494 |
Education veteran Deborah Boyd has been appointed dean of Lipscomb University’s College of Education, the top teacher preparation program in the nation, university Provost W. Craig Bledsoe announced.
Boyd, associate dean and director of graduate studies in the college since 2008, has served as interim dean of the College of Education since December 2014. She succeeds Candice McQueen, former senior vice president and dean of the college who was appointed Tennessee’s commissioner of education.
“Deborah Boyd has deep roots in education and has played a key role in the growth and success of Lipscomb’s College of Education,” said Bledsoe. “Dr. Boyd has put feet to the vision and innovation of the college and will continue to build on this strong foundation. She has been instrumental in hiring many of the strong administrators and faculty in the college as well as implementing many of its programs. We look forward to the ways this college will continue to thrive under her leadership.”
As interim dean, Boyd led the college to an increase in enrollment in its six undergraduate, four graduate and six graduate certificate programs, topping a total of more than 750 students enrolled in those programs this past spring. She has led the College of Education, ranked No. 1 in the nation by the National Council of Teacher Quality, to many important accomplishments, including being ranked the No. 15 best value in the nation by NCTQ, being ranked among NCTQ’s 35 “Top Colleges for Content Preparation” in the nation, being named the 2016 Model of Excellence in Partnerships by the Association of Independent Liberal Arts Colleges for Teacher Education and, for the fifth consecutive year, being named one of the top programs in state according to the 2015 Tennessee Report Card on the Effectiveness of Teacher Training Programs.
Under her leadership, the college received a $1.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education for the college’s IDEAL program for intellectually and developmentally disabled students and launched the Pionero Scholarship Program for first-generation students, received a Read to Be Ready grant to fund a literacy camp at J.E. Moss Elementary School in Nashville, and through the college’s Ayers Institute for Teacher Learning & Innovation launched eduToolbox.org, a free online resource for teachers.
“Strong, innovative education programs like Lipscomb’s are vital to ensuring the future we all want for the city, the state and the nation,” said Boyd. “I am proud to lead a college focused on building teachers and leaders who impact the larger community by improving education and increasing opportunity for their students. We work to prepare educators who are ready to change the world and who believe in a bright future for all children.”
Boyd has more than 35 years’ experience in education including teaching at the K-12 and college levels and serving as a school principal. She served as associate executive director for P-16 initiatives (GEAR UP TN) for the Tennessee Higher Education Commission from 2006-2008 and as executive director of curriculum and instruction for the Tennessee Department of Education from 2004-2006. Her experience in teaching and leading spans prekindergarten through doctoral levels, and her current areas of interest and expertise include teacher effectiveness, educational leadership, adult and professional learning, and international education.
She is on the advisory boards for the Mid-Cumberland Children’s Reading Foundation and the ACT State Council, and serves on the board of directors for Learning Forward TN. In addition, Boyd is a member of the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) Steering Committee, the Tennessee Department of Education Professional Development Council and the Implementation Working Group for the Tennessee Educator Preparation Program Standards. Last fall, Boyd was selected to participate in the third White House convening on Strengthening School Counseling and College Advising.
Boyd holds Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts and an Educational Specialist degree from Middle Tennessee State University and a Doctor of Education from Tennessee State University.