The School of Education recently unveiled a display that honors alumni who have made an impact in education.
The School of Education recently unveiled a display on the second floor of Koury Athletic Center that features five alumni who have made an impact in education.
Featured are:
Alexandra Solender Boyd ’12
Alexandra Solender Boyd is a classroom teacher with a distinguished career in the field of education through her work in physics. In 2017, she was named the National PhysTEC Teacher of the Year for her success in the classroom. She is sought as a speaker on physics education for many organizations including the American Association of Physics Teachers, the APS Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics and Bridging the Gap. Boyd is a Kenan Fellow and has participated in international educator workshops to further her knowledge and better serve her students.
John D. Denning ’93
John D. Denning has a thriving career focused on creating teacher development and career and college readiness policies. He has worked with the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, All Kinds of Minds, the North Carolina New Schools Project and the North Carolina Teaching Fellows Commission. Prior to his current role as the senior program officer for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, he was North Carolina’s State Director for K-12 and Postsecondary Alignment Initiatives and served with distinction as an American history and government teacher.
Julia Finneyfrock ’15
Julia Finneyfrock is a Desmos and Peardeck Fellow who focuses on collaborative learning and technology integration. She presents to various groups including Desmos and Peardeck, on collaborative learning strategies, standards-based grading and integrating Socratic seminars in math classrooms. She values the use of technology in the classroom and is currently enrolled in the Masters in School Leadership program at the University of Pennsylvania.
Tyronna Hooker G’09
Tyronna Hooker has a passion for children and education, which she combines with extensive professional experiences in classroom teaching, social work and education policy. Her accomplishments include time as an adviser for the North Carolina State Board of Education, working for Teach For America, and serving as a correctional officer and a parole officer for the state of North Carolina. She was named the Alamance-Burlington School System Teacher of the Year for 2010-11. She advanced to become a regional finalist and then was named North Carolina Teacher of the Year for the 2011-12 academic year. Hooker now serves as the executive director of Alamance Achieves.
Richard Thompson ’64
Richard Thompson’s distinguished career has positively impacted children and teachers. He served as vice president for University-School Programs at the University of North Carolina, state superintendent of education in Mississippi and deputy state superintendent of public schools for North Carolina. He has been recognized for his work with many accolades, including the Order of the Long Leaf Pine award, and he was named to the Alumni Hall of Fame at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and received a Distinguished Alumnus Award at both Elon University and Chowan University.