Michael G. Morris Endowed Chair

A photo of Dr. Brigid Beaubien outdoors amongst trees..
Dr. Brigid Beaubien: 2022-2023 Morris Co-Chair
A photo of Dr. Brigid Beaubien outdoors amongst trees..

Dr. Brigid Beaubien: 2022-2023 Morris Co-Chair

A photo of Dr. Amanda Maher.
Dr. Amanda Maher: 2022-2023 Morris Co-Chair
A photo of Dr. Amanda Maher.

Dr. Amanda Maher: 2022-2023 Morris Co-Chair

Dr. Brigid Beaubien (Professor, Teacher Education) and Dr. Amanda O. Maher (Assistant Professor, History and Philosophy) will serve as Michael G. Morris Endowed Co-Chairs for 2022-2023. Their project, entitled From the Campus to the Classroom: Integrative Approaches to Empowering Civic Educators, engages in the questions and possibilities that address, “How can Eastern Michigan University do better at preparing our classroom educators to be the teachers of citizenry?”

Through extensive previous research, Drs. Beaubien and Maher have crafted three areas of civic education: Civic Dialogue, Cultivating Civic Connections, and Inquiry and Civic Action. Their specific goals for the project include:

  1. Finalizing a faculty/lecturer civic capacity self-audit tool and student experience survey in order to identify EMU’s instructional assets and discern where we can enhance our current practice
  2. With the support of the Faculty Development Center, building a working group of CAS and COE faculty, lecturers, supervisors, and teacher education students to build civic capacities and implement democratic practices
  3. Mentoring graduate and undergraduate students in a civics research agenda
  4. Disseminating project outcomes.

The potential of their Morris Chair vision cascades from university courses to classroom teachers to impacting the learners and communities where our graduates will teach and lead.

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    Democracy Fellowship

    As Dewey argues, a democracy cannot sustain itself without the participation of informed citizens, and we, as educators, hold an essential role in the process of its ongoing rebirth. Join us in an exploration of citizenship education at Eastern Michigan University. Discover how you can implement civics ideas in your classroom (regardless of discipline), and sustain democracy in Southeastern Michigan.

    Fellows will meet bi-monthly during the Winter semester 2023 (Friday); 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. in the Faculty Development Center.

    DATES:

    January 13th                        January 27th

    February 10th                       February 24th

    March 10th                            March 24th

    April 6th                                 April 21st

    The application deadline for the Democracy Fellowship program is Friday, December 9, 2022. The cohort will be capped based on available funding. Please apply early. Note: You will need to use your EMU NetID credentials to access the application.

    Democracy Fellowship Application

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    Call for Proposals

    Proposals for the 2023-2024 Morris Endowed Chair are due to the COE Dean on March 6, 2023 by 5:00 p.m. EST.

    The Michael G. Morris Endowed Chair will facilitate learning and leadership experiences to support the EMU faculty, staff and students in developing the knowledge, research, and capacity needed to enhance and/or transform education.

    Morris Chair Info and Proposal Guidelines [PDF]

    Morris Chair Proposal Form

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    Recipients

    Brigid Beaubien and Amanda Maher | 2022-2023

    Brigid Beaubien, Professor and Amanda Maher, Part-Time Lecturer, both from the Department of Teacher Education, serve as the 2022-2023 Michael G. Morris Endowed Chair.

    Read Brigid Beaubien's bio page.

    Read Amanda Maher's bio page.

    Phillip Caldwell, II | 2020-2021

    Phillip Caldwell, II, Assistant Professor from the Department of Leadership & Counseling, serves as the 2020-2021 Michael G. Morris Endowed Chair.

    Read Phillip Caldwell, II's bio page.

    Rema Reynolds | 2018-19 & 2019-2020

    Rema Reynolds, Assistant Professor from the Department of Leadership & Counseling, serves as the 2018-2019 & 2019-2020 Michael G. Morris Endowed Chair.

    Read Rema Reynolds' bio page.

    Devika Dibya Choudhuri | 2017-18

    Devika Dibya Choudhuri, Associate Professor from the Department of Leadership & Counseling, serves as the 2017-2018 Michael G. Morris Endowed Chair, with Carmen McCallum, Assistant Professor from the Department of Leadership & Counseling, serving as the Project Coordinator.

    Read Devika Choudhuri's bio page.

    Read Carmen's McCallum's bio page.

    Co-Chairs: David Anderson and James Berry | 2016-2017

    David Anderson & James Berry are both Professors from the Department of Leadership & Counseling. They serve as Co-Chairs for the 2016-2017 Michael G. Morris Endowed Chair.

    Phillip J. Bowman | 2015-16

    Phillip J. Bowman, Ph.D. (Professor of Higher Education at the University of Michigan) will serve as the 2015-16 Michael G. Morris Endowed Chair. Raul A. Leon, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor, Eastern Michigan University) will serve as project coordinator while Reginald Barnes (Director, EMU Office of Diversity & Community Involvement) will serve as project collaborator. Their project is titled, "Building Sustainable Communities: Fostering Student Success at EMU". It seeks to help students, faculty, and staff develop the knowledge and capacity needed to enhance and transform education. Through research, networking, and program planning, with a particular focus on black males attending EMU, there will be targeted meetings, seminars, and a speaker series to fulfill the varying needs of students of color enrolled.

    Jerlando F. L. Jackson | 2014-15

    Jerlando F. L. Jackson, Ph.D. (Vilas Distinguished Professor of Higher Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison) will serve as the 2014-15 Michael Morris G. Endowed Chair. Raul A. Leon, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor, Eastern Michigan University) will serve as project coordinator while LaVar J. Charleston, Ph.D. (Assistant Director and Senior Research Associate at the University of Wisconsin's Equity and Inclusion Laboratory) will serve as project collaborator. Their project is titled, "Enhancing Institutional Capacity: Transforming EMU into a Thought Leading Center".

    Downloads

    Feb. 18, 2015 - "Understanding Key Challenges of African American Men in the Academic Workforce"

    Sylvia Nassar-McMillan | 2013-14

    Sylvia Nassar-McMillan Ph.D. (Professor and Program Coordinator of Counselor Education at North Carolina State University) served as the 2013-14 Michael G. Morris Endowed Chair. Her project was entitled, "Emergent Voices of MENA (Middle Eastern/North African) American Youth: What They are Saying".

    Downloads

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    History

    Michael G. Morris graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a bachelor's degree and master's degree in biology and he served as an ROTC brigade commander during his graduate school years. Morris also earned a law degree from the Detroit College of Law and is a member of the Michigan Bar Association. This two-time graduate of EMU also served on the EMU Board of Regents from 1997-2004 and is currently vice chair of the EMU Board of Regents, serving a term from 2011-2018.

    Morris retired from American Electric Power (AEP), one of the nation's largest generators of electricity, after serving as AEP's chairman, president and chief executive officer. To honor Morris, the American Electric Power Foundation donated funds to EMU in 2011 to establish an endowed chair within the College of Education.

    Before joining AEP, Morris was chairman, president and CEO of Northeast Utilities System from 1997 to 2003. Prior to that, he was president and CEO of Consumers Energy, a principal subsidiary of CMS Energy, and president of CMS Marketing, Services and Trading.

    Established in 2011, the Michael G. Morris Endowed Chair provides funds for "outstanding faculty members or visiting faculty performing in the top echelons in their disciplines or professional fields" to assist the Eastern Michigan University (EMU) College of Education in achieving its vision of playing a leadership role in transforming education. The Michael G. Morris Endowed Chair will facilitate learning and leadership experiences to support the EMU faculty, staff and students in developing the knowledge, research, and capacity needed to enhance and/or transform education.

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    Contact Us

    Ryan Evely Gildersleeve
    Dean, College of Education
    310 Porter Building
    734.487.1414
    [email protected]

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