CLARKSVILLE, Ark. --- Dr. George C. Stone has been named the new chairman of the Education Division at University of the Ozarks.
Stone, who earned his undergraduate and advanced degrees at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, has served as Dean of the School of Education at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa, for the past two years. From 1990-99 he held the Roundtree Caldwell Bryan Distinguished Professor of Education Chair at Lyon College in Batesville, Ark. I’ve known about University of the Ozarks for years and I’m excited about helping this university develop a top-flight teacher education program in a liberal arts environment," said Stone, who is a native of Rosiclare, Ill. "I’ve already been very impressed with the caliber of students and faculty here." Stone, who earned his Ph.D. in cultural foundations of education at SIU, said he was looking forward to overseeing an education program that is expected to move into a new facility --- $7 million Walker Hall --- in 2003. Construction on Walker Hall will begin this summer. Walker Hall will be a state-of-the-art facility and it will help our program here tremendously," Stone said. "We have a good education program right now, but I think in the next couple of years we can take it to another level. I anticipate that our graduates will become even more employable in the teaching field." Dr. Caroline Whitson, provost and vice president for academic affairs, said Stone’s experience and background will help Ozarks’ Education Division excel in a liberal arts setting. "We want to lead the way in preparing teachers who exhibit the best in liberal arts education with outstanding critical thinking and communication skills," Whitson said. "Dr. Stone chaired a program (at Lyon) which won four national citations from the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and we eagerly anticipate his leadership as we reshape our program to meet future needs." Stone will replace Dr. Betty Robinson, who has served as acting chair of the Education Division since May 1999. Robinson will continue to teach in the division. I cannot express strongly enough my admiration for and gratitude to Dr. Betty Robinson for her leadership of the Education Division as acting chair," Whitson said. "Betty has brought honesty, openness and fairness to the division during the period of transition." Stone also held several positions at Sterling College in Sterling, Kan., from 1971-90, including chair of the Division of Education and chair of the Division of Humanities. He and his wife, Helen, have five grown children and eight grandchildren
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