Alumni spotlights: Minor named chancellor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville


James T. Minor was approved on Dec. 2, 2021, as the 10th chancellor of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE).

Minor is the first Black chancellor at SIUE and will begin his tenure on March 1, 2022.

Minor earned his PhD from the School of Education’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis in 2001. He received the School’s Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award in 2010 and is currently a member of the School of Education’s Board of Visitors.

Minor most recently served as assistant vice chancellor and senior strategist in the Office of the Chancellor at California State University.

Bach’s work featured in New York’s ‘CowParade’

The work of UW–Madison alumna Gail Bach was featured in the global public art exhibit, “CowParade” across New York City from August through September of 2021.

Bach earned her bachelor’s degree from the School of Education’s Art Department in 1980.

Bach painted one of 78 cows, which were decorated by artists from all over the United States. Her cow, titled “Tropical Moood,” reflects her love for the dazzling colors of the Caribbean.

Throughout the exhibit, the cows “grazed” in eight pastures throughout New York City. Following the public exhibition, the cows were sold at an auction to support the nonprofit God’s Love We Deliver.

Pfeiffer named Wisconsin Superintendent of the Year

The Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators in November 2021 announced Mary Pfeiffer as the Wisconsin Superintendent of the Year.

She has served as the superintendent of the Neenah Joint School District since 2009.

Pfeiffer earned two degrees from the School of Education’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis — a master’s in 1999 and a PhD in 2006.

According to a news release, Pfeiffer is credited with helping the district grow its technological resources to have one-to-one technology in place since 2017. The district also has mental health services available across all schools, and is the only Wisconsin district recognized as a Platinum Level Wellness Workplace.

Stonewall named Outstanding Public Interest Law Student

Crystal Stonewall, a UW–Madison School of Education alumna and current UW–Madison third-year law student, was recognized by the State Bar of Wisconsin as a 2021 Outstanding Public Interest Law Student of the Year.

Stonewall earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the School of Education’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction in 2019.

Explains a story on the State Bar of Wisconsin website, at just 23 years old Stonewall already has an impressive CV including numerous examples of her commitment to be a “change agent, an interpreter of the law, an advocate of legal rights, a representative of the ‘invisible,’ and a voice for the voiceless.”

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