New members initiated into the OTT-Alpha Gamma Chapter

Tampa, FL - December 9, 2013. The Alpha Gamma Chapter of the Omicron Tau Theta professional organization, established at the University of South Florida in 2013, held an initiation ceremony to welcome new members on board. Shetay Ashford, Treasurer and Membership Secretary, reported that 16 new members were inducted into OTT’s Alpha Gamma Chapter at USF on December 7th in the Tampa campus.

Sponsored by our OTT chapter, Prior to the initiation ceremony, Dr. William Underwood presented the results of his dissertation research to the group. In his dissertation study Bill examined the relationship of community college Opticianry student outcomes with instructional delivery methods and student age. He defended his dissertation on November 7, 2013.

After lunch, which was provided by Chef Bonnie James, Shetay Ashford’s mom, Dr. Johanna Lasonen, Chapter Advisor, introduced the ceremony providing some historical background about OTT and the Alpha Gamma Chapter at USF. Dr. Lasonen also sponsored the cake to celebrate the initiation of new members.

The new members are Dian Ginsberg, Deborah Lanigan, Candice Pietri, Paula Rich, Cheryl Rizi, Lori Scribner, LaTonya Williams, Jenny Burrell, Denise Skivers, Marilyn Leon, Corella Edwards, SharlTonya Weathers, Dioan Johnson, Norma Bedell, Simone Brookins, Anthony Grant. The new members are currently in the process of completing the Master of Arts in Career and Technical Education. Congratulations on your induction to OTT’s Alpha Gamma Chapter!

In an upcoming ceremony scheduled on January 4th, 2014, doctoral students will be inducted into our OTT chapter as well. Below are some pictures of the initiation on December 9th.

  

 

 

 

OTT presents awards at national meeting in Las Vegas

Las Vegas, NV - December 6, 2013. The OTT Executive Board had a busy meeting at the annual meeting in Las Vegas as several awards were presented in recognition for service and scholarship.  As a national professional organization with a core mission to acknowledge the achievement of graduate students, professional educators, leaders in business, industry and government in career and technical education, the Executive Board presented the following awards:

Dr. Elaine Adams presenting award
to Dr. John Cannon

OTT Service Award. Dr. John Cannon, Coordinator of CTE Programs at the University of Idaho-Boise Center, was presented with a plaque for distinguished service on the Omicron Tau Theta (OTT) professional organization at the annual meeting in Las Vegas held on December 3-4, 2014. Dr. Elaine Adams of the University of Georgia, and OTT Advisor/Director, presented Dr. Cannon with the service award. Dr. Cannon has served on the OTT Executive Board as President-Elect, President, Past-President, and is currently serving on the national Executive Board.

Outstanding Chapter Award. This award has been established to recognize outstanding OTT Chapters based on the activities reported in annual reports. The outstanding chapter is selected based on activities that revolve around the active involvement, membership activities, chapter activities, and national participation. There are currently twelve active chapters and based on historical reports for 2012 submitted to the National Secretary/Historian, the 2012 Outstanding Chapter Award was presented to the Upsilon Chapter at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland.

Dr. Daisy Stewart receiving
dissertation award on behalf of
Dr. Rosemaliza Mohd
Kamalludeen

Outstanding Dissertation Award. An award for outstanding doctoral research is presented annually in the form of a plaque. The award is named Omicron Tau Theta Outstanding Doctoral Research Award. The award recognizes original research completed by doctoral students and this year’s award was presented to Rosemaliza Mohd Kamalludeen for her dissertation entitled “Curriculum Track and Its Influence on Reducing High School Dropout Likelihood.” The award was received by Dr. Daisy Stewart Cartwright, Associate Professor Emerita in the School of Education in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at Virginia.

Outstanding Journal Article. An award for outstanding JCTE article of the year is presented annually in the form of a certificate.  The award is named Omicron Tau Theta Outstanding Journal Article Award and seeks to recognize high quality research reports published in the Journal of Career and Technical Education. This year’s award was presented to Holly Yettick (University of Colorado at Boulder), Fred Cline and John Young )Educational Testing Service) for their article entitled, "Dual Goals:  The Academic Achievement of College Prep Students with Career Majors:.” The article was published in volume 27, Issue No. 2, in 2012.

Congratulations to award recipients your achievements!

New OTT officers installed

Steve McCaskey in his role of OTT President installing
Kristin Stair and Ryan Foor.

Las Vegas, NV. – December 5, 2013. At the Annual OTT Meeting held in Las Vegas on December 3-4, new officers were installed to begin service in executive roles in 2014. Dr. Sally E. Arnett-Hartwick, currently service as OTT President-Elect was installed as President. Dr. Arnett-Hartwick was not able to attend the meeting as she is in maternity leave. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) at Illinois State University since Fall 2013.  She also serves as the FCS Teacher Education Coordinator for the department and teaches courses in FCS teacher education. She earned her B.S. degree from Illinois State University in Home Economics Education and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in Workforce Education and Development.

Kristin Stair, currently serving as OTT Secretary was installed as President-Elect for the 2014 term. Dr. Stair is Assistant Professor in the Agricultural and Extension Education Department at New Mexico State University.  She earned her B.S. in Agricultural Information Science and Education from Mississippi State University and taught high school agriculture in North Carolina before completing her M.S. in Agricultural Education and her PhD in Agricultural Education at North Carolina State University.

Further, recognizing the need to enhance internal OTT communication and visibility in the field, the office of Communications Director was created to help with related supports and strategies. Dr. Ryan Foor was installed to serve as Communications Director in 2014. Dr. Foor is

an Assistant Professor and is the Director for Graduate Studies in the Department of Agricultural Education at Arizona State University.  He taught high school agriculture for five years in Iowa before going to The Ohio State University for graduate where he earned his master and doctoral degrees in Agricultural and Extension Education.

Congratulations to Drs. Arnett-Hartwick, Stair, and Foor for their installation into new executive OTT roles.