By Jenna Somers
The American College of Iraq—Baghdad has employed three alumni of Vanderbilt’s Peabody Faculty of schooling and human improvement as the primary college members of its new Faculty of Schooling and Human Growth. Allison Webster-Giddings, EdD’19, is the brand new dean of the faculty, and Pallavi Reddy, MEd’04, EdD’20, and Jason Fatz, EdD’23, are assistant professors.
In 2022, Peabody Faculty and AUIB have been awarded a two-year, $2.5 million grant from the U.S. State Division to design and launch AUIB’s new Faculty of Schooling and Human Growth targeted on coaching and supporting the subsequent era of educators in Iraq. Commitments to research-based decision-making and learner-centered schooling information the faculty’s design. College students will have interaction in evidence-based practices and approaches to strengthen academic alternatives in Iraq, the area, and throughout the globe.
Webster-Giddings, Reddy, and Fatz moved to Iraq in August and commenced educating programs at AUIB’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences and the Faculty of Enterprise in September. Earlier than their departure, they accomplished an orientation and residency program at Peabody targeted on constructing relationships with Peabody and AUIB colleagues, designing insurance policies and processes, and understanding the wants of schooling and trainer coaching throughout the Iraqi context.
In spring 2024, Webster-Giddings, Reddy, and Fatz will spearhead the launch of the Faculty of Schooling and Human Growth’s first degree-granting program. They are going to train studying design and different foundational programs for the main. AUIB plans to rent three further college members to the faculty by subsequent August.
Allison Webster-Giddings, dean of AUIB’s Faculty of Schooling and Human Growth
Since 2001, Webster-Giddings has held positions of accelerating accountability with the US Naval Academy. Most just lately, she was a college member within the Weapons, Robotics, and Management Engineering Division, the place she was answerable for the combination and alignment of undergraduate scholar analysis and core and engineering main curriculum with the event of U.S. Navy packages for 3,300 college students. She supported college students and colleagues in creating analysis plans and tasks and led initiatives for the school senate, the Heart for Instructing and Studying, and the Worldwide Applications Workplace. Webster-Giddings additionally labored in administration on the U.S. Naval Academy, together with as a grasp’s program scholar advisor, core course program director.
“Taking over this position of dean is a singular alternative to guide within the creation of a brand new college and to collaborate with Vanderbilt’s design workforce and AUIB colleagues to strengthen schooling in Iraq, from kindergarten via school,” Webster-Giddings stated. “As an American, former army member, and educator, I really feel a way of service in doing this work.”
Webster-Giddings is dedicated to supporting a various cohort of outstanding college students with scholarships funded by the grant, making certain that the faculty’s inaugural tutorial yr is profitable, and that six extremely certified college members are educating programs by subsequent August. She additionally needs to proceed collaborating with Vanderbilt and to attach with different larger schooling establishments and Ok-12 faculties within the U.S., in addition to plan for the opening of a devoted Ok-12 mannequin college at AUIB.
Previous to her management in schooling, Webster-Giddings served within the Navy for 23 years, primarily as an experimental flight check pilot in program administration and design, after receiving her credential from the U.S. Naval Check Pilot Faculty in 1991. She earned her schooling doctorate in larger schooling management and coverage from Vanderbilt in 2019, her grasp of science in aviation techniques from the College of Tennessee, House Institute in 1994, and her bachelor of science in naval structure from the US Naval Academy in 1984.
Pallavi Reddy, assistant professor, AUIB’s Faculty of Schooling and Human Growth
All through her profession, Reddy has sought to enhance techniques of schooling. She is a marketing consultant with Goodworks Partnership consulting firm, began by Peabody alumna, Kathleen Lennard, EdD’20. Together with Vice President Beth Ann Rankin, EdD’20, they develop built-in and evidence-based methods and options to advance the work of academic establishments and non-profits.
As an educator for Metro Nashville Public Faculties for 13 years, Reddy taught in elementary faculties with multilingual college students and, most just lately, was a district coach and household engagement specialist for multilingual learners, working with a workforce to launch and scale skilled improvement initiatives for the college district.
Reddy additionally served as a venture supervisor at Vanderbilt and on the manager committee and the board of administrators of the Nashville Worldwide Heart for Empowerment to advocate and supply academic alternatives for college students and households. Moreover, she taught English in China and the Czech Republic.
At AUIB, Reddy needs to help college students to suppose critically about what it means to be an educator—not simply within the classroom however in varied contexts throughout Iraq—and the way educators can contribute to a tradition of studying all through the nation. Supporting the design of a high-quality schooling system can be personally vital to Reddy.
“My dad and mom moved to the U.S. from India for alternative, and so they missed out on moments of their youthful years with their households, so I like that Vanderbilt isn’t solely targeted on bringing college students from world wide to its campus however dedicated to working with communities to develop significant studying journeys,” Reddy stated.
Reddy is a Double ’Dore, having earned her schooling doctorate in management and studying in organizations from Vanderbilt in 2020 and her grasp of schooling in elementary schooling in 2004. In 2002, she earned her bachelor of science in schooling and philosophy from East Tennessee State College.
Jason Fatz, assistant professor, AUIB’s Faculty of Schooling and Human Growth
Fatz brings a mixed 16 years of academic management and educational expertise to his position at AUIB, together with as a vice principal and trainer at Bahrain Bayan Faculty in Isa City, Bahrain, the place he supported the recruitment and retention of lecturers, initiated a social emotional studying program, and collaborate with colleagues to develop a STEAM studying curriculum.
Fatz was additionally an interim assistant principal and tutorial coach at center and excessive faculties in California and has taught at faculties throughout the U.S.
In 2016 Fatz retired from the U.S. Military Reserve as a grasp sergeant after 21 years of service. He served in Iraq as a piece sergeant in an engineering firm after which as a reserve officer coaching corps teacher at larger schooling establishments throughout the U.S.
“I joined Vanderbilt’s doctoral program in management and studying in organizations as a result of I needed to show lecturers, so it’s significant to me to return to Iraq and practice a brand new era of the nation’s lecturers,” Fatz stated. “Peabody instills in college students a dedication to problem ourselves and to use what we study to create constructive change. Becoming a member of AUIB was the proper alternative to do this.”
Fatz earned his schooling doctorate from Vanderbilt in 2023 and his grasp of arts in educating and bachelor of science in interdisciplinary social research from James Madison College in 2007 and 2006, respectively.
The grant proposal was supported by Analysis Growth and Assist (RDS) which provides proposal improvement help for each non-public (foundations) and federally funded alternatives. RDS is within the Workplace of the Vice Provost for Analysis and Innovation.
