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Home » Archives for April 2025

Michael Skyer Awarded with the Dr. Jon Henner Memorial Early Career Award by the Association of College Educators – Deaf & Hard of Hearing

Archives for April 2025

Michael Skyer Awarded with the Dr. Jon Henner Memorial Early Career Award by the Association of College Educators – Deaf & Hard of Hearing

Michael Skyer Awarded with the Dr. Jon Henner Memorial Early Career Award by the Association of College Educators – Deaf & Hard of Hearing

April 28, 2025 by Douglas Edlund

Michael Skyer Awarded with the Dr. Jon Henner Memorial Early Career Award by the Association of College Educators – Deaf & Hard of Hearing

By Carly Utterback, CEHHS Student Reporter, Class of 2025

Our very own Michael Skyer, assistant professor of deaf studies and deaf education in the department of Theory & Practice in Teacher Education (TPTE), has received an award for showing an early record of a promising career in both teaching and research in deaf education within five years of obtaining his doctoral degree.

He has been with UT since August 2022 after graduating from the University of Rochester in 2021 with a Doctor of Philosophy degree. He has had over 25 publications listed on Google Scholar since then. His contributions to the TPTE/Deaf Studies team have been recognized by this award.

The Association of College Educators – Deaf & Hard of Hearing (ACE-DHH) presented this award to Skyer at their annual conference in Washington, DC on Feb. 1, 2025.

Skyer says that Henner taught him a lot about writing with clarity and expression.

“That is one of the most important things that I’ve taken away from my friendship and collegial working relationship with Jon. Because this is not just an award, but a named early career

Side view profile shot of Michael Skyer. He has light skin and dark hair and beard. He is wearing classes and is communicating via American Sign Langugage
Michael Skyer

award, I want to recognize and uplift Jon’s legacy in our research field. May he forever rest in power,” said Skyer.

He said also expressed his gratitude toward the ACE-DHH awards committee, for their commitment and nomination. His colleagues, national and international, such as his research mentors and even graduate students sent in letters of support to the directors.

“This award is a recognition by my colleagues of my abilities. This signifies their endorsement of my research agenda primarily, but also their support of me as a person whose ideas matter,” said Skyer.

The Dr. Jon Henner Memorial Early Career Award by ACE-DHH is an incredible accomplishment and testament to the hard work Skyer is putting into his research.

The design of teaching methods has made an appearance in Skyer’s previous publications. In Applied deaf aesthetics towards transforming deaf higher education Skyer focused on the changes that need to be made in classrooms to benefit those who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.

This design is called “deaf aesthetics,” which creates a more compatible learning experience created specifically for those who are deaf, deaf-blind or hard of hearing. Deaf aesthetics also happens to be more accessible for non-deaf students. Skyer’s work is intended to benefit marginalized deaf learners understand curricula in an equitable manner.

The University of Tennessee has started adapting these designs and Skyer is leading the charge.

“I believe this is one of the most important aspects of how we approach thinking and action within deaf higher education contexts,” said Skyer.

He said it is not enough to just talk about ethics and equity but to embody them physically and conceptually. The development of curricular frameworks and day to day materialization of these aesthetics is a tangible change towards his approach. The conceptual side is building paths away from audism and ableism in all aspects of education.

Skyer oversees a research team consisting of four other faculty including the director of the Council on Education of the Deaf and former masters/doctoral committee advisors. They are working to formalize their approach towards the integration of deaf aesthetics.

This year Skyer said he is most excited about enriching his working relationships both national and international. He is also excited to continue to develop “the empirical arm of [his] study about queerness in deaf communities.”

Since August of 2022, he has brought in one PhD student and has become the dissertation chair for three of UT’s doctoral students. He is also a member of two other dissertation committees at UT as well as two outside of UT. Skyer says most of his doctoral students are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH), queer, or disabled like himself.

As of right now Skyer has a book under contract on Vygotskian deaf pedagogy theory in addition to four other working book proposals. He recently had a poster session with American Educational Research Association (AERA) where he presented about curriculum and deaf education.

His favorite topics of research are the ethical, cognitive, and sociopolitical aspects of art and design in teaching. “This is the wellspring I shall drink from all my life,” said Skyer.

Throughout his own learning career many mentors supported him in pursuit of a doctorate degree. But his strive for higher education came from his mom more than anything. She is a deaf woman with several advanced learning degrees and was a college instructor and counselor for 40 years.

He shared a memory from childhood of him thinking, “That is the peak… that’s the pinnacle… that’s the goal—become a college or university instructor.”

Skyer remarked that his experience at UT has been “tremendous” and that his is “dedicated to supporting an approach to resolving the deep problems of deaf education, that is equally pragmatic and critical. UT gives me wings and space to fly.”

Filed Under: CEHHS, Departments, Featured, Informative, Recognition, Theory and Practice in Teacher Education, Uncategorized

Doctoral Students Win Dissertation Fellowship

Doctoral Students Win Dissertation Fellowship

April 21, 2025 by Douglas Edlund

Doctoral Students Win Dissertation Fellowship

Two Doctoral Students from TPTE Win Dissertation Funding in National Competition

Dani Rimbach-Jones and Bethany Parker are the recent recipients of a $25,000 fellowship from the American Association of University Women (AAUW) to help offset expenses related during the final year of dissertation writing. Both are doctoral students in the department of Theory and Practice in Teacher Education (TPTE) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, under the mentorship of Frances Harper, Associate Professor in TPTE.

According to Harper, the AAUW Dissertation Fellowship is a national, competitive fellowship that offers financial support to students completing their dissertations. The program is open to all women in all fields of study though those engaged in science, technology, engineering and math fields, or those researching gender issues, are especially encouraged to apply.

“Both Dani and Bethany have worked tirelessly this year to apply for multiple dissertation fellowships, which has finally paid off,” said Harper. “They are both doing such exceptional work, and I am overjoyed that they will have this support as they finalize their dissertations.”

Rimbach-Jones and Parker expressed deep gratitude for being selected for this prestigious fellowship.

Bethany Parker

“Becoming a recipient of the AAUW’s American Dissertation Fellowship is an incredible honor; and a testament to the support I have received from my dissertation committee, particularly Dr. Frances  Harper, and broader community of colleagues, family, and friends,” said Parker. “I’m excited that this funding will provide me with the opportunity to compensate research participants, without whom this research would not exist. Thank you to everyone! My dissertation research will explore the lived experiences of PhD students through critical, philosophical, and feminist lenses with a particular focus on conceptualizations of knowledge and sense of belonging.”

Headshot of Dani Rimbach-Jones. She has light skin and dark long hair. She is weaing a grey sweater and is leaning against a wooden beam. She is smiling in the photo.
Dani Rimbach-Jones

“Being a recipient of the AAUW Fellowship is a significant achievement. One I am beyond proud of, after a few rejections. However, this fellowship would not have been possible without Aginisi, who has taken me under her wing, taught me, and shown me tremendous love and grace.” said Rimbach-Jones.  

AAUW American Fellowships are the oldest non-institutional source of graduate funding for women in the United States. The program began in 1888, at a time when women were discouraged from pursuing an education.

Through its seven departments and 13 centers, the UT College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences enhances the quality of life for all through research, outreach, and practice. Find out more at cehhs.utk.edu

Filed Under: Uncategorized

CEHHS Earns National Recognition in 2025 U.S. News & World Report Rankings

CEHHS Earns National Recognition in 2025 U.S. News & World Report Rankings

April 8, 2025 by Douglas Edlund

CEHHS Earns National Recognition in 2025 U.S. News & World Report Rankings

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has received national recognition in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best Graduate Schools rankings, with several programs achieving high marks—including those in the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (CEHHS).

CEHHS graduate education programs saw a significant rise, ranking 43rd among public institutions (up from 51st) and 54th (up from 63rd) nationally among all institutions.

“Our teacher educators are not only committed to addressing teacher shortages but also to preparing high-quality educators,” said Ellen McIntyre, dean of CEHHS. “These rankings reflect their dedication to impactful research and community engagement.”

“This achievement is a testament to the hard work and excellence of our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community partners,” said David Cihak, associate dean of Professional Educator Programs and director of the Bailey Graduate School of Education. “We are excited to build on this momentum as we continue to innovate in education.”

CEHHS was also recently recognized on the Tennessee Educator Preparation Report Card, receiving the highest-tier “Exceeds Expectations” designation—one of only two public institutions in the state to do so.

The college continues to play a key role in addressing statewide teacher shortages, particularly in Knox County Schools (KCS). At the start of the 2024-2025 school year, KCS had only six vacant teaching positions across 92 schools, a dramatic improvement from the 80-100 vacancies in previous years.

The Best Graduate Schools rankings serve as a guide for prospective graduate students, assessing programs in business, education, engineering, law, and nursing. These rankings are based on expert evaluations and statistical data, reflecting program excellence, faculty credentials, research activity, and student outcomes.

“The success of our graduate programs underscores the dedication of our faculty, the excellence of our students, and the impact of our research,” said Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor John Zomchick. “These rankings highlight our commitment to excellence and our role in preparing the workforce and thought leaders of the future.”

Through its seven departments and 13 centers, the UT Knoxville College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences is dedicated to enhancing quality of life through research, outreach, and practice. Learn more at cehhs.utk.edu.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

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