Spelman College News August 31, 2017 Professor Andrea Lewis Awarded Impact Academy Fellowship Andrea Lewis, Ph.D.,<http://www.spelman.edu/academics/faculty/directory/profile/andrea-lewis> was recently awarded an Impact Academy fellowship, joining a cohort of fellows chosen for their commitment to improving educator preparation. Dr. Lewis chairs the Department of Education<http://www.spelman.edu/academics/majors-and-programs/education> at Spelman College. The year-long Impact Academy fellowship aims to accelerate field-wide transformation by supporting and empowering a network of leaders who are committed to improving their educator-preparation programs. Each cohort of fellows is limited to no more than 20 leaders, each of whom went through a rigorous nomination and application process. "We believe it will be the collective work of leaders like Dr. Lewis that will transform how we prepare future educators," said Benjamin Riley, founder and executive director of Deans for Impact<https://deansforimpact.org/>. "Efforts such as the Impact Academy will nurture and support those leaders as they work to improve their own educator-preparation programs and the field more broadly." Deans for Impact is a national nonprofit that empowers, supports and amplifies the voices of leaders in educator preparation who are committed to transforming the field and elevating the teaching profession. Deans for Impact launched the Impact Academy fellowship in summer 2016. The fellows announced today are the second cohort to participate in the fellowship. "It was an honor to be selected for participation in the Deans for Impact Academy, along with an esteemed group of leaders who represent colleges and universities across the country," said Dr. Lewis, C'96 "The summer academy and ongoing professional development with my assigned learning cohort and mentor dean has allowed me to develop a deeper sense of self as a leader, as well as refine a vision for Spelman's teacher education programs as we embark upon new accreditation mandates." Deans for Impact's work is grounded in its guiding principles: that educator preparation should be outcomes focused, data informed, empirically tested, transparent, and accountable. Impact Academy fellows are chosen, in part, based on their demonstrated commitment to these guiding principles. Deans for Impact is committed to reflecting the broad diversity of programs preparing new educators in this country, and today's announcement reinforces that commitment. Dr. Lewis is one of 17 fellows in the 2017 cohort, who collectively lead programs that enroll more than 7,400 candidates in 13 states and Washington D.C. Seven of the fellows lead programs at public institutions, and one fellow leads an alternative provider. Eleven of their programs are located in urban communities, five in semi-urban locations, and one in a rural community. About Deans for Impact Founded in 2015, Deans for Impact is a national nonprofit organization that empowers, supports, and advocates on behalf of leaders at all levels of educator preparation who are committed to transforming the field and elevating the teaching profession. The organization is guided by four key principles: * Data informed; * Outcomes focused; * Empirically tested; and * Transparent and accountable. More information on the organization and its members can be found on the Deans for Impact website. SANDRA M. PHOENIX HBCU Library Alliance Executive Director Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library 111 James P. Brawley Drive SW Atlanta, GA 30314 404-978-2118 (office) 404-702-5854 (cell) http://www.hbculibraries.org/ sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org%3cmailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org>> Honor the ancestors, honor the children. Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hbculibraryalliance1/ and Twitter https://twitter.com/HBCULibAlliance Check out "PULSE!" The HBCU Library Alliance's News Source! - https://hbculibraryalliance.wordpress.com/