The Daily Bulletin Archive

Kathy Wood, a faculty member in the Elementary Education and Reading Department, has been appointed director of the Center for Excellence in Urban and Rural Education (CEURE), effective October 1.

She most recently served as CEURE’s associate director and replaces Warren Gleckel, interim chair and associate professor of educational foundations, who served as interim director since July 2006.

CEURE provides leadership in urban and rural teacher education through more than 35 initiatives in areas such as teacher recruitment and retention, school reform, and staff development. The center partners with 133 schools in nine Western New York counties to improve the quality of education for disadvantaged students and the teachers who serve them.

Buffalo State had been seeking to fill the position for the past two years. After a few unsuccessful searches, the School of Education approached Wood, who had recently earned tenure and promotion to associate professor.

“This is an open opportunity; there’s so much that can be done,” she said. “I’d like to leave a legacy by strengthening our teaching programs. We’re doing a great job, but there’s always room for improvement.”

With a tough economic year ahead, Wood knows that patience will be the key to advancing CEURE’s mission. She said she’ll continue to work through the federal government for operation funding and will pursue grants for programs through the support of the Research Foundation and Buffalo State College Foundation.

At the top of Wood’s wish list of accomplishments is the creation of the Urban Teacher Academy. The program would offer aspiring teachers college credit while in high school; transition them to Buffalo State through the teachers’ learning community, as well as special tutoring and mentorships; offer support to help them stay in urban settings during their careers; and keep them connected to Buffalo State as mentors of future Urban Teacher Academy students.

Wood developed the Urban Teacher Academy concept while in her role as CEURE’s associate director but said the program needs funding. “I would like for people around campus to one day equate CEURE with the Urban Teacher Academy,” she said.

Wood would like to bring back the Curriculum Task Force and Faculty Associate programs that CEURE once offered. She also seeks to redouble efforts for promotion and awareness of CEURE around campus as well as cross-campus collaboration. And she hopes to create a student program, similar to the Urban Teacher Academy, that would offer students professional development opportunities to work with diverse populations during their early undergraduate years.

Wood joined Buffalo State in 2001. She holds a doctorate in philosophy and a master’s degree in education from the University at Buffalo. She is a member of the American Educational Research Association, the New York State Association of Teacher Educators, Kappa Delta Phi, and Sisters of the Academy. Wood also reviews manuscripts for Urban Education and is an editorial board member and reviewer for the Charter Schools Resource Journal.