Lindenwood Magazine - Spring / Summer 2019

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 | 5 Yearian Honored with Reading Educator of the Year Award Dr. Stephanie Yearian a teacher of teachers at Lindenwood University-Belleville, was recently honored with the 2018 Jerry Johns Reading Educator of the Year Award by the Illinois Reading Council at its annual conference in Peoria, Ill. The award recognizes an outstanding teacher who makes significant contributions in promoting literacy among students, colleagues, and school communities. The award winner receives a monetary award, an engraved plaque, a personalized banner, and recognition at the annual Illinois Reading Council conference. Yearian, associate professor of education leadership, was nominated for the award by fourth grade teacher and Lindenwood Belleville alumna Sharon Ray; Tracy Keilbach, parent of a student at Mascoutah Middle School; and the late Dr. Steve Suess, former chair of the Education and Counseling Division at Lindenwood Belleville. “Since 2010, Dr. Yearian has served…at Lindenwood University-Belleville, where her major deployment revolves around reading and literacy pedagogy,” wrote Suess in his nomination letter. He cited her broad scope of reading analysis and methods class, as well as her direction of Camp Lynx Tales, a summer reading camp in which children from the community learn from Lindenwood Belleville reading methods teachers, which helps struggling young readers and provides valuable experiences for education students. Beyond her impact at Lindenwood Belleville, nominator Jackye Biehl, administrator from the First Baptist Academy, said Yearian has worked with that school to provide one-on-one instruction to struggling readers in the Opportunity for Academic Restoration (O.A.R.) program. “Stephanie has an exciting classroom that engages students to think deeply while reinforcing comprehension, oral reading fluency, and phonetic foundations, and does it all with excellence,” said Biehl. “Without a doubt, she is one of the most skilled and creative teachers I have had the pleasure of working with over my years at the First Baptist Academy.” Likewise, Keilbach’s daughter received tutoring from Yearian to assist with her reading skills, which her mother said gave her the tools she needed to enhance her reading ability. “She has gained a new appreciation for reading and has flourished in the classroom because of the relationship she has with Dr. Yearian,” said Keilbach. “I have been so impressed with the confidence she has gained through the tools Dr. Yearian gave her.” n R. ANDREA BOYLES, Lindenwood University- Belleville division chair and associate professor of social and behavioral sciences, took her profession to the global stage at the United Nations Commission of the Status of Women in New York City March 11-22. She intends to bring her experience there back to the classroom to the benefit of her students. As a member of the non-governmental organization Sociologists for Women in Society and as co-chair of that organization’s Women of Color Committee, Boyles joined other experts in the field of gender equality as a catalyst for social change. “I have a unique opportunity as a feminist race scholar and researcher to represent an academic organization and committee in a global space and be engaged in ways that help shape what we know about gender inequality,” said Boyles. During the gathering, Boyles joined international women from diverse backgrounds and engaged with other women who are leaders in the advancement of gender equality. Other UN entities and non-governmental organizations from throughout the world attended the event. “This is important to me because I’ve been engaged in this work throughout my career,” said Boyles. “I had the opportunity to work with peers who specialize globally in the kind of work I do.” Boyles intends to bring her experience back to the classroom with her and further her students’ knowledge by giving them relevant real-world examples and experiences to study. “Education fuels research, and from there research fuels education,” said Boyles. “So, it’s essential to me that I bring these experiences and knowledge back to the classroom with me.” The CSW’s annual two-week convention is entirely dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women and also focuses on promoting women’s rights, documenting the reality of women’s lives around the globe. Boyles has been a member of the SWS for nearly 11 years. Boyles has been teaching at Lindenwood University-Belleville for nearly eight years on issues of gender and race, bringing her research and experience into her classroom lessons and discussions. She has a Ph.D. in sociology with concentrations in gender and criminology from Kansas State University and a master’s degree in sociology and a bachelor’s degree in English from Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo. She is the author of Race, Place, and Suburban Policing: Too Close for Comfort and was a contributor/ essayist in Segregation by Design with a forthcoming manuscript on Community Disorder and Social Ties in Post-Ferguson and is involved an a number of other social initiatives. n D BOYLES ATTENDS UN COMMISSION on the Status of Women by Ryan Koberstein Outstanding FACULTY 4 | SPRING/SUMMER 2019 Outstanding FACULTY LINDENWOOD UNIVERSITY BELLEVILLE