Bishop Jane Alexander would be the first to affirm the lyric of William Cowper’s famous hymn: “God moves in a mysterious way his wonders to perform.” She never dreamed as a music and special education teacher in her native England that she would one day pursue a PhD in educational psychology at the University of Alberta. Nor did she imagine that her academic career would reach “a fork in the road” that would lead her to become the bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Edmonton.

“It’s proof God has a sense of humour, I’ll say that,” Alexander said.

I am so honoured to have joined the Faculty of Education as Dean in July 2017. As a proud alumna of the University of Alberta (BEd ’94, PhD ’04), returning after 13 years at the University of Regina represents an opportunity for me to give back to a faculty and, indeed, an institution that profoundly shaped me as a teacher, researcher and scholar.

It’s not unusual for someone receiving professional accolades to pay tribute to their alma mater, but Mary Beisiegel is unequivocal about the impact her time at the University of Alberta had on her professional life.

Everyone seems to have an opinion on the renovation of the Stanley Milner Library. Perhaps that’s inevitable when you decide to make over a building that not only borders one side of Edmonton’s main public square, but also acts as an anchor for community-building in the urban core.

Spring is off to an exciting start in the Faculty of Education!

In early March, we were very fortunate to welcome the Honourable David Eggen, Minister of Education, for a pre-budget talk and Q & A session with students about the Alberta government's commitment to funding for K-12 education, the current curriculum development process and other government initiatives that will impact future teachers.

He’s raised millions of dollars in support of hospital patients, the LGBTQ community and numerous other social causes, yet Salah Bachir isn’t one to brag. Far from it, in fact: Bachir is jovial, earnest and eminently humble as he discusses his philanthropic career.

What constitutes a city? Is it the sum of urban physical features within a defined boundary? Is it the bylaws and regulations that maintain order in that specific place? Do the citizens make up a city and, if so, who gets to be a citizen?

There is no substitute for that feeling you get when you pick up a good book and find yourself transported to another world and immersed in the lives of other people.

Step into Jessica Maloughney’s (BEd’11) Grade 2 classroom at St. Patrick’s Community School in Red Deer, Alta., and you may be reminded of a six-year-old’s bedroom. Minecraft posters decorate the walls, Lego figurines are tucked around the classroom, and collections of Star Wars and Frozen books populate the bookshelf.

The year Lori Friesen (‘12 PhD) began teaching, she adopted a puppy: a Maltese-poodle named Tango. It was the first dog she’d had since the passing of her beloved childhood dog, and she was thrilled. So were her Grade 1 students, who begged to meet the puppy. Seeing the learning opportunities for students, Friesen agreed to bring the dog to class.

Once Tango had been introduced to the children, pairs of students were allowed 10 minutes with the dog in the reading corner. That’s when the canine magic began. “They started bringing books to read to her,” recalls Friesen.