Interim Department Leaders Serving in College of Education and Psychology
Wed, 08/31/2011 - 01:15pm | By: David Tisdale
Dr. Thelma Roberson and Dr. Jeff Hinton are serving as interim chairs for the Department of Educational Leadership and School Counseling and the Department of Child and Family Studies, respectively, for the 2011-2012 academic year.
Roberson is currently an associate professor in the Department of Educational Studies and Research. She has more than 27 years of experience as an educator and administrator at the elementary, secondary and higher education levels. Hinton, an associate professor in Child and Family Studies, has served as director of clinical training for its Marriage and Family Therapy Program for the past eight years.
“We are very fortunate that Dr. Roberson and Dr. Hinton have agreed to serve as interim chairs in the College of Education and Psychology,” said Dr. Ann P. Blackwell, dean of the college. “They are both actively engaged in scholarship and have impressive records of leadership at Southern Miss.”
A Southern Miss alumna, Roberson has been a faculty member at the university for the last 11 years. She worked previously in K-12 administration at the building and district level, including serving as principal, federal programs director, district test coordinator and curriculum specialist, among others. She is also highly sought as a consultant and trainer by school districts on best practices in educational administration.
“I appreciate the opportunity to lead the Department of Educational Leadership and School Counseling,” Roberson said. “We've got a dedicated, hard working faculty committed to providing a quality academic experience for our students through excellence in instruction and research.
“We also look forward to continuing as a support resource to schools and for those already working in the field as school and district level administrators.”
At Southern Miss, Roberson serves on the Graduate Council, recently chaired the COEP Bylaws Committee, hosted the college's first “Insider's Guide to Getting Published” workshop and has chaired multiple dissertation committees. She also pursues an active research agenda, with numerous publications and presentations to her credit.
Her other professional work includes service to the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) standards as a lead reviewer for Educational Leadership Constituents Council (ELCC), and serving on university NCATE committee. In addition, Roberson has served as a trained assessor and scorer for School Leaders Licensure Assessment (SLLA) exams (principal licensure exams); and as a member of school evaluation teams for the Southern Association for Colleges and Schools (SACS).
She is a member of Phi Delta Kappa International and serves as executive officer for its Pine Belt Chapter.
Hinton is a licensed marriage and family therapist in Mississippi, and credentialed as a clinical member and approved supervisor by the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). His research interests include studying the impact of regulation on the practice of marriage and family therapy and the education and training of marriage and family therapists.
He recently completed two terms (eight years) on the Mississippi Board of Examiners for Social Workers and Marriage and Family Therapists after being appointed to the board initially by former Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck and then by current Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant for the second term.
Hinton said his goals as leader of the department are to work collaboratively with faculty to enhance its long-term vision for its degree programs, promote high standards of scholarship and maintain its intense focus on student and faculty success.
“I look forward continuing my service to the College of Education and Psychology and the Department of Child and Family Studies as interim chair of the department,” Hinton said. “I'm fortunate to work with a passionate group of faculty committed to excellence in all areas of scholarship.”
