Dr. Kira J. Baker-Doyle, associate professor of Education and director of Master’s Degree and Certificate Programs, will enhance connected learning and teacher education as the University’s second Rosemary and Walter Blankley Endowed Chair in Education. Dr. Baker-Doyle was recognized at a reception in Grey Towers Castle on March 22.

Dr. Baker-Doyle’s research primarily focuses on professional development, social network theory, and community engagement in urban schools and communities. As co-founder of Arcadia’s Connected Learning Certificate, a graduate program that prepares K-16+ educators to engage in participatory learning experiences, Dr. Baker-Doyle leads education courses that emphasize writing proficiency, digital media, and connected technologies.

Her proposal, “Cultivating Transformative Teacher Education for A Connected World,” seeks to improve teaching and teacher education by helping educators build collaborative partnerships and seek educational resources through connected technologies and new networking practices. Dr. Baker-Doyle plans to develop her expertise in digital programming and open, online education, build a formal network of scholars interested in these areas, and establish a selective fellowship program for teacher-educators who wish to improve their practice through connected learning.

“Teachers are on the frontline of creating the next generation of citizens, yet they’re still teaching in an outdated paradigm of communication,” said Dr. Baker-Doyle. “We need to evolve in order to address critical issues of equity, inclusion, and cooperation, and to connect students to opportunities, resources, and people that exist beyond the walls of our classrooms.”

In addition to her contributions to Arcadia’s School of Education, Dr. Baker-Doyle is the author of Transformative Teachers: Teacher Leadership and Learning in a Connected World (2017) and The Networked Teacher: How New Teachers Build Social Networks for Professional Support (2011), as well as co-editor of the forthcoming book, Networked by Design: Interventions for Teachers to Develop Social Capital.

In 2013, Walter and Rosemary Deniken Blankley ’57, ’06H donated $1 million to create The Rosemary and Walter Blankley Endowed Chair in Education. The award recognizes the importance of education, as evidenced by the Blankleys’ commitment to supporting education throughout their lives. The Endowed Chair greatly supports the priorities of the School of Education and the outstanding teaching, research, and service of the faculty. Each recipient of The Rosemary and Walter Blankley Endowed Chair in Education holds the chairship for a three-year term. Dr. Baker-Doyle’s term will run from the 2017-18 academic year through the 2019-20 academic year.

In 2014, Dr. Ellen Skilton, professor of Education, was named the first Rosemary and Walter Blankley Endowed Chair in Education for her efforts to expand and understand local and global civic education through the arts. During her tenure as Endowed Chair, Dr. Skilton focused on multimodality and experiential learning, helping students critically reflect on study abroad and cross-cultural experiences through applied theater.

“I feel very lucky to have worked with the Blankleys in advancing the field of education,” said Dr. Skilton. “It’s made me a better educator and researcher.”