Two professors win awards of excellence from K-State's College of Education

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Sources: Pam Monroe, 785-532-5525, pmonroe@k-state.edu;
Marjorie Hancock, 785-532-5917, mrhanc@k-state.edu; and
Gail Shroyer, 785-532-6737, gshroyer@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Andy Badeker, 785-532-6415, abadeker@k-state.edu

Friday, April 27, 2007

TWO PROFESSORS WIN AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE FROM K-STATE'S COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

MANHATTAN -- Kansas State University's College of Education is honoring two of its faculty for their achievements in service and research.

Marjorie Hancock, a professor of elementary education, has won the award for faculty excellence in research and creative activities. Gail Shroyer, a professor of elementary education, has received the college's award for faculty excellence in service.

Hancock teaches undergraduate pre-service teachers and graduate courses in reading. She also coordinates the college's graduate programs in curriculum and instruction. She emphasizes literature-based literacy instruction, and she finds that her research has been extended through the work of her Ph.D. students, many of whom are now teacher educators elsewhere.

"The rationale for research in literacy education is to ultimately enhance student learning," she said. "When literature creates engaged readers, then my research-into-practice efforts result in celebrating the joy of reading, with the promise of tomorrow's children becoming lifelong literate citizens."

Hancock has published two textbooks, "A Celebration of Literature and Response"and "Language Arts: Extending the Possibilities." Her most recent research focuses on international and multicultural children's literature.

Hancock earned her bachelor's degree in elementary education from Northern Illinois University and went on to earn a master's and a doctorate in education from the same institution. She joined K-State in 1991.

Shroyer has taught more than 20 undergraduate and graduate courses on science education, curriculum development, teacher research and school improvement in her years at K-State. She also directs the K-State Professional Development School Partnership, which involves faculty, teachers and students from colleges and school districts across the state. Shroyer also is a principal investigator of a grant to redesign the College of Education's undergraduate teacher-preparation program.

She began her career as a high school teacher in Santa Cruz, Calif. "I went into teaching in 1975 to make a difference in the lives of children," she said. "This has become a lifelong pursuit for me. I am most proud of the service I have provided to improve teaching and learning in our educational systems and to help K-State become nationally recognized as a leader in teacher education."

Shroyer holds a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of California at Santa Cruz and a master's and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from K-State. She joined the faculty in 1988.