From the Director 2011

Libby V. Morris

The Institute of Higher Education experienced another successful year of research and instruction during 2010 and into 2011. IHE moved from 6 to 5 in U.S. News and World Report’s 2011 rankings of higher education programs. The University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents approved our request to launch a master’s program in the upcoming academic year (pg. 3). Our faculty conversations were lively as we considered how to integrate master’s level work into a curriculum that since the mid-1960s was oriented primarily to our resident doctoral programs.

The first cohort of students in the Executive Ed.D. program is on schedule to graduate in the upcoming year, and we look forward to launching a new cohort in January 2012. This past summer, the Ed.D. students traveled to China and Australia to study universities in Beijing, Shanghai, Melbourne, and Sydney (pg. 8).

The IHE Educational Policy Series (pg. 30) and the McBee lecture (pg. 20) once again brought outstanding leaders in higher education to campus. Nancy Zimpher, chancellor of SUNY, presented the 22nd annual Louise McBee lecture, and Tim Cain, Tatiana Melguizo, and Greg Wolniak met with students and made presentations to faculty and students under the auspices of the Institute’s Educational Policy Seminar series. International visitors to the IHE have consistently grown over the past several years. This year’s visitors gave presentations, met with students, and were guest lecturers in IHE classes (pg. 24). We benefit immensely from sharing ideas with these national and international colleagues who are generous with their time and ideas. Plans are being finalized for four international scholars to be in residence during the upcoming year from China (2), South Korea, and Norway.

In the summer, we wished Brendan Cantwell farewell as he departed his post-doc position and moved to Michigan State to begin a faculty career. In turn, we welcomed Lijing Yang from the University of Michigan as our newest post-doc. These recent Ph.D. graduates bring energy and new ideas to the Institute.

Over the course of the year, we were delighted to add four new Institute of Higher Education Fellows: James Minor from the Southern Education Foundation; Linda Renzulli from UGA’s Sociology Department; Randy Swing, executive director of the Association for Institutional Research; and Dave Spence, president of the Southern Regional Education Board. Each of these new fellows is highly accomplished and already a well established friend to the Institute. We much appreciate their commitment and engagement.

Our faculty remain highly productive as you will see within the report (pg. 4), but I want to note the faculty’s exemplary service to a wide variety of journals. Rob Toutkoushian is the new editor of Research in Higher Education, Jim Hearn is a consulting editor for RHE and associate editor for Educational Researcher, and I continue as editor of Innovative Higher Education.

Our accomplishments throughout the year, however, seem less important when we consider our great loss in the death of our colleague and friend, Professor Doug Toma (pg. 29). Doug came to the Institute in 2003, and in eight short years he made a profound and lasting impact on the Institute of Higher Education and the University of Georgia. Doug was always challenging the status quo, pushing the boundaries, and encouraging us to engage with cutting-edge ideas and issues. He developed and led our highly successful, Atlanta-based executive doctoral program in higher education. He built linkages between IHE and a network of international scholars around the globe. He was one of the most inclusive, engaged scholars whom I have known. Our international connections grew immensely under Doug’s guidance and comprehensive approach to people and ideas. And, in his last months, Doug taught us other lessons, in bravery, composure, love, and perseverance.

Our best wishes and heart-felt thanks go out to Doug’s many friends who came from far and near to Athens in the spring to celebrate Doug’s extraordinary life. Our deep sympathy goes to his wife, Linda, and his son, Jack.