[199] Former Commissioner Seivers To Lead MTSU's College of Education

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 20, 2009
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919


FORMER COMMISSIONER SEIVERS TO LEAD MTSU’S COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
University Announces Appointment of Leader ‘Second to None’

(MURFREESBORO)—Dr. Lana C. Seivers, former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Education, will join MTSU’s ranks in 2010 when she becomes the new dean of the university’s College of Education.
A 1972 alumna of MTSU with a Bachelor of Science degree in speech and hearing therapy and minors in political science and secondary education, Seivers recently was announced as the newest member of the university administrative and academic team by MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee. She will assume her new responsibilities Feb. 1.
"Dr. Seivers comes with a level of knowledge and experience in the field of education that is second to none," McPhee said. "Attracting a professional of her extraordinary background and expertise speaks very highly of the university and the quality of our programs, faculty and students. Without a doubt, Dr. Seivers will be a tremendous asset to the university and will provide exceptional leadership for our College of Education."
Most recently, Seivers served as executive director of the Mississippi Center for Education Innovation, an entity funded primarily by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and dedicated to early childhood, teacher quality, community engagement and leadership.
She was appointed by Gov. Phil Bredesen to serve as the state’s education commissioner, a job she held for five years until her February 2008 resignation. At that time, in announcing Seivers’ departure from his cabinet, Bredesen described her service to Tennessee as “truly exemplary,” citing her leadership in a number of initiatives designed to enhance the quality of Tennessee’s education system, including working to raise teacher pay above the southeastern average to expanding the state’s pilot pre-kindergarten initiative into a program for 4-year-olds across the state.
“MTSU played a significant role in my life, and the opportunity to return to my alma mater is exciting and humbling,” Seivers said of her decision to seek the MTSU deanship. “Dr. McPhee has set high expectations that we become a national leader in teacher education, and I am very eager to work with him and MTSU’s excellent College of Education faculty and staff.
“The rich history of MTSU’s teacher-preparation program, the number and quality of teachers we currently graduate and the national focus on teacher-education programs create a perfect environment to make the president’s vision a reality,” she added. “It is wonderful to be back ‘home’ and to be a part of educating future teachers."
The recipient of numerous awards, including her 2008 induction into the Tennessee Teachers Hall of Fame, Seivers graduated from high school in Clinton, Tenn., before earning her undergraduate degree from MTSU. She received a Master of Science degree in educational administration/supervision in 1984 and a doctorate in educational leadership in 2003, both from the University of Tennessee.
“We are delighted to have Dr. Seivers reconnected to the Tennessee Board of Regents system, where she served as a board member in her capacity as Tennessee Commissioner of Education,” said TBR Chancellor Charles Manning, “and we look forward to working with her as MTSU’s dean of education. We feel this will be a good fit given her extensive background in education.”

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Seivers’s appointment follows an extensive nationwide search to replace former education dean Dr. Gloria Bonner, who moved into MTSU’s new Office of Community Engagement and Support in April 2008. Longtime psychology professor Dr. Terry Whiteside has served as interim dean for the college and has guided efforts to design and outfit the new College of Education building, which is under construction with a target opening date of spring 2012.
“The search committee did an excellent job providing the provost and president with an excellent list of candidates for this position,” said Dr. Bob Eaker, professor of educational leadership and chair of the search committee for the new dean.
“I think we are fortunate to have someone of the caliber of Lana Seivers to serve as dean of the College of Education. Not only is she highly respected as an educator, having successfully served in a variety of positions, including Tennessee's Commissioner of Education, she is widely viewed as a tremendous leader. I am confident she will do a wonderful job leading the College of Education into the future."

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With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, MTSU confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.

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For MTSU news and information, visit www.mtsunews.com.


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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For a color JPEG of Dr Seivers, please contact Lisa Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs via e-mail at llrollins@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-898-2919.