Former Dean Renée Middleton Named 2022-23 Hicks Executive in Residence. Executive Director Richard Murray presents Dr. Middleton the Hicks Award.
Former Dean Renée Middleton
Former Dean Renée Middleton Named 2022-23 Hicks Executive in Residence. Executive Director Richard Murray presents Dr. Middleton the Hicks Award.
Dr. Renée Middleton, who has worked extensively with public schools to advocate for student, family, and community needs, as well as her work on a national level as a leader in educator preparation was named the 2022-23 Hicks Executive in Residence.
On March 22, Dr. Middleton presented to the CORAS membership at the OU Inn. Her presentation, The Politicization of the Teaching Profession: Rand Findings, Implications and Recommendations was extremely timely with the current environment where politicians are changing educational requirements in public schools.
Renée A. Middleton, Ph.D. is a senior consultant with the Arredondo Advisory Group. She possesses a wide-ranging career in the education and human service professions. She received her bachelor’s degree in Speech and Hearing with a minor in Behavioral Sciences from Andrews University. She has an earned master’s degree in Clinical Audiology with a minor in Speech Pathology and Behavioral Sciences from The University of Tennessee—Knoxville. She received her doctoral degree from Auburn University in 1990, with a focus on Rehabilitation Administration and Rehabilitation Counselor Education.
Dr. Middleton has over 35 years’ experience in higher education and possess extensive knowledge navigating, mediating, and shifting institutional culture in higher education from a DEIB perspective. More recently, Dr. Middleton served fifteen-years as Dean of The Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. She began her career at Alabama A&M University as a Clinical Audiologist. She began her career at Alabama A&M University as a Clinical Audiologist. She came up through the faculty ranks at Auburn University (Auburn, Alabama) becoming a tenured Full Professor. She held an administrative appointment at Auburn University (AU) as Director of the Program for Training and Development (AU-PTD) in the Department of Rehabilitation and Special Education. The AU-PTD provided professional development to rehabilitation professionals throughout eight southeastern states (Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North and South Carolina, and Florida). These experiences have equipped her with the experience, knowledge and skills required for establishing an organizational culture that works for everyone.
Serving as a consultant to numerous organizations and agencies, she possesses noted experience with leadership in a variety of professional organizations to include the Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools (CORAS—ohiocoras.com), National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, National Association of Multicultural Rehabilitation Concerns, American Counseling Association, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services, the National Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research, the Food & Drug Administration-Center for Devices & Radiological Health and the Alabama Board of Examiners in Counseling working on Ethics/Consumer Protections.
Interim Dean Sara Helferich
At this meeting Interim Dean Sara Helferich was recognized for her support of CORAS during the past year. Dr. Helferich is leaving Ohio University to begin as the inaugural dean of the University of Missouri Kansas City School of Education, Social Work and Psychological Sciences starting June 1.