The School of Education and Human Development at the University of Houston-Victoria is beginning the semester under the guidance of a new dean, Dr. John Stansell. With over 30 years’ experience in teacher education, Stansell comes to UHV from the University of North Texas where he served as chair of the Department of Teacher Education and Administration.

This is not Stansell’s first association with the University of Houston, however. In 1974 he earned a master’s degree in curriculum instruction/reading from UHV. After completing a doctoral degree at Indiana University, he returned to Texas as a

visiting assistant professor in education at UHV. Prior to his appointment as a department chair at North Texas, he served on

the faculty of Texas A&M University for 20 years.

“I’m very glad Dr. Stansell was interested in returning to his roots in this area,” said UHV Provost Don Smith. “He is a major-league player in the profession, and we can all benefit from the experience and perspectives he brings to the job.”

Stansell’s focus in education has been on language and literacy development, reading and teacher research. He has authored or coauthored more than 60 publications and 160 conference presentations on literacy and literacy development. An active member of the academic community, Stansell has been a longtime affiliate of the International Reading Association, the National Reading Conference, the National Council of Teachers of English and the Center for Expansion of Language and Thinking.

“UHV and the School of Education and Human Development are fortunate to have Dr. Stansell’s leadership and expertise. I feel confident that he will assist in maintaining the school’s status as a major contributor to the education workforce in the Coastal Bend region,” remarked UHV President Tim Hudson.

In addition to his work at universities, Stansell has been directly involved with Texas teacher training and enrichment. He helped establish a professional development school where he team taught reading courses with a public school principal and teacher and worked with teachers in the classroom.

“I’m very excited to be a part of the UHV community once again,” said Stansell, “and am looking forward to working with the outstanding faculty and staff of the School of Education and Human Development. We have a tradition of serving our students well as they prepare to be excellent teachers, counselors and school administrators, and for serving the region’s schools and other educational agencies in many ways. I’m eager to find ways for us to build upon that fine tradition.”

The School of Education and Human Development at UHV currently has 962 students enrolled in its degree programs. Graduates go on to teach in elementary, secondary, and special education capacities. For further information on course offerings in the School of Education and Human Development, contact Deborah Biner at (361) 570-4266.