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In connection with the Department's recent celebration of its 50th anniversary, the Department is gathering memories from its graduates that will be incorporated into a digital reflection journal. The survey requests updates on personal and professional information as well as recollections of memories and words of advice for our current students.
If you haven’t participated in the survey or would like to update your answers from the previous survey, please click on the letters below that correspond with your last name. This will take you to a brief online survey that will collect your responses.
While many of the responses we have received thus far have made us laugh and smile, they also give us appreciated feedback that impacts how we improve our master’s and doctoral programs for the equipping of future generations of disability professionals.
Read here a sampling of our former graduates’ fondest Department memories and useful professional advice:
“I will always relish the memories of having classes and conversations (both personal and professional) with the late Dr. Floyd Hudson. What a marvelous human being. Otherwise, it is just the memory of driving Dr. Simpson and Dr. Deshler nuts wondering if I was ever going to finish my doctorate.” ~Claude Tidwell, Jr., 2002 Ed.D. graduate
“I remember when Jerry Chaffin said 'You've got to come to my office. There's something I want to show you.' What he showed me was the Internet, when there were only a handful of sites available. He said it was going to change the world, and he was right!” ~Pamela Cress, 1980 Master’s graduate
“I love my practicum experiences, which gave me the opportunities to learn from some wonderful classroom teachers, service providers, parents and young children! I am forever grateful for what I had learned from them.” ~Shih-hua Yang, 2005 Ph.D. graduate
“Every professor I encountered was always willing to help in any way while I was in grad school and it continues to this day. Thanks.” ~Edward Zamarripa, 1991 Ed.D. graduate
“My career advice is to always be in search of new ways to teach children. As a graduate, we never know all that there is to know about the "best" way to teach. Treat all children and their families with respect at all times and remember, children are gifts from God which the parents are sharing with you. What an honor it is to be able to work with them on a personal basis.” ~Donna Trainer, 1994 Master’s graduate
“Establish professional relationships with professors who have national reputations and learn how to involve yourself in national service, publications and grant proposal writing from them while you have the opportunity. Do not think of yourself as a student but as a professional.” ~Candice Hollingshead, 1997 Ph.D. graduate
“I enjoyed my office mates very much during my years of Ph.D. study. We had both deep and light discussions and shared our frustrations, achievements, milestones and hours of study and research work over several years. Some of these friendships endure to the present day, and it is wonderful to see each other at conferences or other venues and track each other’s accomplishments.” ~Tammy Steeples, 1999 Master’s graduate
“Take one semester at a time…and be sure to notice and try to enjoy the changing seasons as you commute between academic, work and family challenges. KU’s special education faculty are top notch scholars, demanding instructors and role models in education for all of us. Be sure to get to know them on a personal and professional basis for they have much to offer. Continue your unique mission of preparing special education leaders for the 21st century.” ~Gerard Buckley, 1977 Ed.D. graduate
“I was part of a small cohort of doctoral students receiving a stipend and we had weekly meetings with our advisor, Rich Simpson, to discuss our work and current practices, etc. These meetings were the highlight of my program because it was a time of collaboration, commiserating, counseling and learning that helped to keep me going when things were really tough. I have tried to create a similar team approach in my current position and it has been received very well.” ~Sonja de Boer, 2005 Ph.D. graduate
