Character expert to speak to education alumni

“Why Morals Are Back: The Return of Character Education” will be the topic of the School of Education Alumni Weekend program Saturday, May 12, at 9:30 a.m. in 204 Educational Sciences Building, 1025 W. Johnson St.

The free public event’s featured speaker will be James Leming, Carl A. Gerstacker Professor of Education, Saginaw Valley State University, Michigan.

School of Education alumnus (Ph.D. ’73) Leming is considered one of the nation’s leading experts in the field of character education. In his address, Leming will compare current public demands that schools develop “moral behavior” to similar discussions that took place in the 1920s and ’30s. He’ll explain the cultural roots of both movements and their underlying ideology.

Following Leming’s presentation, the School of Education will honor outstanding alumni:

• Alumni Achievement Awards: James Leming; Ronald Trent Anderson (B.S. ’61, M.S. ’62, M.F.A. ’63), a Massachusetts high-school art educator whose career spans 38 years; Barbara Brodhagen (B.S. ’72, M.S. ’76, Ph.D. ’98), educational researcher and seventh grade teacher at Madison’s Sherman Middle School; Margaret J. Safrit (M.S. ’62, Ph.D. ’67), a physical education professor and researcher for over 30 years at UW–Madison and American University; and Sky Yaeger (B.S. ’76, M.A. ’78, M.F.A. ’80), vice president, product development and marketing, Bianchi USA.
• Outstanding Recent Graduate Awards: Victoria Hays (Ph.D. ’94), assistant director for psychology training at the University of Michigan.
• Lois Gadd Nemec Distinguished Elementary Education Alumni Award: Diana Kasbaum (B.S. ’73), teacher, Eastside Elementary School, Sun Prairie.

The event concludes with a luncheon in the Virginia F. Harrison parlor, Lathrop Hall, 1050 University Ave. The lunch requires advance payment and registration; the remainder of the program is free.

For more information, call (608) 262-0054.

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