I am the program director for CPED and have been with the project since January 2007. The past year has been an inspirational journey both professionally and personally. Professionally, I can't begin to describe the priveledge and excitement I feel to be part of a nation-wide conversation that brings together faculty who want to consider the best ways to prepare educational professionals for today and the future. The US is in dire need of a make-over in education and CPED members have risen to the challenge to figure out a way to do that. Our institutions don't have the answers necessarily. The CPED leadership team doesn't have the answers either. We are working together from the bottom-up to figure this out. This has been a great joy for me since my background is in higher ed. Watching faculty grapple with program design and administrative-type roles has been rewarding and down-right funny at times. My favorite quote come sfrom VCU. When asked about types of clinical experiences should be embedded in professional practice doctoral programs, their response was "This is a nightmare nut to crack!"

Personally, well, CPED has given my own research direction that builds upon my past experiences as a higher education administrator and develops my interests in designing teacher education programs abroad. It has also given me the inspiration and confidence that I can be a faculty member when I reach the end of the disseration, yellow brick road!