Tusculum dean elected to board of directors for Tennessee Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

GREENEVILLE — Dr. Miriam Stroder, dean of Tusculum University’s College of Education, has been elected for a three-year term on the board of directors of the Tennessee Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.

Dr. Miriam Stroder

Dr. Miriam Stroder

Representing East Tennessee on the board, Dr. Stroder continues Tusculum’s longtime connections to that organization. Dr. Tricia Hunsader, Tusculum’s provost and vice president of academic affairs, served as president from 2020-2022 and in other leadership posts during her time on that board.

“I am honored to represent Tusculum, our College of Education and the rest of East Tennessee as I serve on this important board,” Dr. Stroder said. “I am pleased to facilitate and participate in ongoing cooperative and collaborative discussions that influence policy, program and activity recommendations as TACTE proactively promotes careers in education and quality teacher preparation using all of the organization’s available research and resources. This work leads to an enhanced classroom experience for students.”

Dr. Stroder has served as dean since 2021 and is an associate professor of education. Earlier in her extensive career, she taught students in fifth through eighth grades. Dr. Stroder has been a faculty member in higher education since 2008, with a primary focus on literacy. She taught at Western Kentucky University and Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky, before coming to Tusculum in 2018.

She serves on Tennessee Comprehensive Review teams for the state. Previously, she was a member of the state’s Educator Preparation Working Group and Tennessee’s Advisory Committee on Educator Preparation. She also served on the Northeast Tennessee Equity Scholarship Initiative, a collaborative venture of the United Way of Greene County and the Niswonger Foundation.

TACTE serves as the collective voice of those who train educators in the state to protect and promote high-quality educator preparation for the ultimate benefit of Tennessee’s students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

“Dr. Stroder is passionate about teacher education, and her mentorship has positively impacted our students who are entering the profession,” Dr. Hunsader said. “She will be an excellent board member and representative of Tusculum University and our commitment to civic engagement. We commend her for her leadership in the profession.”

People can learn more about the organization at https://tnacte.org/. Further information about the university is available at www.tusculum.edu.