Early Career Awards

Crystal Beach (Ph.D. ’17)
Early Career Practitioner Award

Crystal Beach currently serves as an academic specialist at Union County High School in Blairsville, Georgia, where her passion and commitment to literacy and the literacy practices of the community were recognized with the 2022 Divergent Award for Excellence in Implementation of Literacy Initiatives in a Digital Age for her district.

Her scholarship has appeared in several publications, including Writing and Pedagogy, Journal of Media Literacy Education, Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, and several books exploring the intersections between literacy, multimodality, teacher education, and classroom practices with digital tools.

She has presented extensively at the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), the Literacy Research Association, the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders, the Georgia Association of Curriculum and Instructional Supervisors, and abroad at the United Kingdom Literacy Association and the British National Association of Teachers of English. Beach serves on the editorial boards of several literacy journals and previously served on NCTE’s Committee Against Racism and Bias in the Teaching of English. Her commitment to teacher education is further reflected in her mentorship of pre-service and early-career teachers.

Brittany Anderson (Ph.D. ’17)
Early Career Researcher Award

Brittany Anderson is an assistant professor of urban education in middle, secondary, and K-12 education at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She is a former Texas elementary educator who received her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Baylor University, master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of North Texas, and Ph.D. in educational psychology from the Mary Frances Early College of Education.

Anderson’s research focuses on pre-service and in-service teacher development related to talent development and the identification of minoritized youth. Her research also centers on the lived experiences of gifted Black girls and women, with an emphasis on their academic and social-emotional needs. Her grant work focuses on university-school-community partnerships that situate STEM engagement through critical and culturally relevant experiential learning with high-ability Black girls, their teachers, and families. In recognition of her work, she was named a 2022 National Science Foundation CAREER Fellow.

For the past several years, Anderson has been involved in the professional learning of in-service teachers in urban schools, focused on anti-racist and culturally responsive teaching, STEM, and gifted education. She also serves on several university, local, and national committees aimed to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in K-12 settings.

Mid-Career Awards

Deborah Altschul (Ph.D. ’99)
Mid-Career Practitioner Award

Deborah Altschul is a professor, vice chair for community behavioral health research, and co-director of the Division of Community Behavioral Health at the University of New Mexico (UNM). She began her career at UNM in 2006 after serving as a faculty member at the University of Hawaii. Altschul is a licensed psychologist who completed a National Institutes of Health-funded postdoctoral fellowship in mental health services research aimed at improving racial and ethnic disparities in mental health services.

Her research examines the connection between behavioral health disparities and evidence-based practice. Altschul works closely with tribal communities and the state of New Mexico’s behavioral health authority to develop and study culturally competent behavioral health services. Altschul created a pre-doctoral clinical psychology internship rotation in public policy and mental health services research in 2007 and mentors trainees annually through this rotation.

She has been awarded numerous federal grants throughout her career and is currently the primary investigator on a federally funded research study in collaboration with a local tribal community.

Janice Fournillier (Ph.D. ’05)
Mid-Career Researcher Award

Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Janice Fournillier completed both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in elementary and secondary teaching in her home country. She taught at all levels of the educational system in Trinidad and Tobago for 28 years before moving to the United States, where she completed her Ph.D. in educational psychology and obtained the Interdisciplinary Qualitative Research Methodology Certificate from the Mary Frances Early College of Education.

Fournillier currently serves as a professor in the College of Education and Human Development’s Department of Educational Policy Studies at Georgia State University. For the past 16 years, she has been teaching, advising, and mentoring faculty, as well as students with interests in qualitative research methodologies.

Using material from her Ph.D. dissertation on mask making in Trinidad and Tobago and data collected from her teaching and learning practices in higher education in the U.S., Fournillier has published several articles and book chapters that explore issues related to the design and use of qualitative research methodologies from her perspective as a “native” ethnographer.

As a research methodologist, Fournillier is working on National Science Foundation and state-funded evaluation projects.

Lifetime Achievement Awards

Jason Branch (B.S.Ed. ’97, M.Ed. ’98)
Lifetime Achievement Practitioner Award

Jason Branch has worked in five Georgia school systems as a teacher, coach, assistant principal, principal, and superintendent. In these positions, he’s presented at the local, state, and national levels on leadership development, strategic planning, technology, and instruction. Branch holds both a bachelor's and master's degree in English education from the University of Georgia, as well as specialist and doctoral degrees in educational leadership from the University of Southern Mississippi. 

Since 2012, Branch has served as superintendent of Oconee County Schools, leading the district through the development of its first strategic plan in over two decades. He also implemented a one-to-one Chromebook initiative, developed a $150 million building campaign to modernize instructional facilities, and accelerated student learning opportunities through partnerships with the University of North Georgia and Athens Technical College.

In 2017, Branch graduated from Leadership Georgia, one of the nation’s oldest and most renowned leadership development programs; was appointed by Georgia Governor Nathan Deal to the Board of Trustees for the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia in 2018; received the prestigious Bill Barr Leadership Award from the Georgia School Superintendents Association in 2019; and was named chair of the Governor’s Superintendent Advisory Council in 2020.

Clifford Conner (M.Ed. ’69)
Lifetime Achievement Researcher Award

Clifford Conner is an author, educator, and social activist whose primary academic field is the history of science. After graduating from Georgia Tech, he worked for Lockheed Aircraft, which sent him to England for a year and coincided with the escalation of the Vietnam War. When he returned to Georgia, he became a leader of Atlantans for Peace and resigned from Lockheed in a public act of protest.

His antiwar and civil rights activism introduced him to Reverend Andrew Young and his wife, Dr. Jean Young, who headed a UGA–affiliated National Teacher Corps work-study program. Conner joined the program and worked with a team of teachers-in-training who desegregated the faculty of Clara Maxwell Pitts Elementary School in Atlanta.

Conner earned a master’s degree in early childhood education from UGA in 1969 and continued to teach at Clara Maxwell Pitts school. In 1985, Conner earned a Ph.D. at the City University of New York Graduate Center and went on to teach and write books on historical subjects. He taught history of science at CUNY’s School of Professional Studies with courses designed to introduce students to new ways of understanding the interaction of science and society. Now retired, he continues his social activism as a member of Science for the People and an editor of its magazine.

Outstanding Service Award

Xernona Thomas (A.B.J. ’91, M.S.W. ’92, Ed.D. ’17)

Xernona Thomas is a native Athenian who has spent her entire career serving the Athens area community. She is currently the executive director of College Factory, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to providing college and career planning resources to youth and families in Athens. Prior to this role, she served as superintendent of the Clarke County School District, the first female to work in this capacity. During her 30 years in education, she has worked as a school social worker, assistant principal, principal, and chief of staff.

Her professional collaboration with the Mary Frances Early College of Education began when she served as principal of Judia Jackson Harris Elementary School. Under her leadership, the school hosted an unprecedented number of field placement and practicum students and student teachers. The professor-in-residence model in which a UGA faculty member spends 20 hours per week on-site in a school began at J.J. Harris and served as an exemplar for other schools. In addition, site-based university courses were held on the school campus, and other innovative instructional practices were implemented.

Thomas has dedicated her professional career to supporting students academically and socially to improve their future opportunities. She believes in the potential for every child to experience success when given the appropriate support. Thomas earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism, master’s degree in social work, and doctoral degree in educational leadership and policy from the University of Georgia.

Two College alumni named to UGA’s 2022 40 Under 40 list

Two alumni of the Mary Frances Early College of Education were recently named to the University of Georgia’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2022. The program celebrates the personal, professional, and philanthropic achievements of UGA graduates who are under the age of 40.

The College’s honorees are Kenneth Johnson, Jr. (B.S.Ed. ’05, Ph.D. ’24), co-director of the Governor’s School Leadership Academy (GOSA), and Andrew Rasmussen (B.B.A. ’05, M.Ed. ’09), owner and advisor of Rasmussen Wealth Management.

Both honorees exemplify leadership in their industries and communities and uphold the Pillars of the Arch, which are wisdom, justice, and moderation.

Johnson, who received his bachelor’s degree in social studies education from the College of Education, is co-director of GOSA. The academy provides statewide leadership preparation and support designed to develop school leaders across Georgia.

“It is a tremendous honor to be recognized as a member of the 40 Under 40 Class of 2022,” says Johnson. “Education is one of those fields where one is driven most by the prospect of impacting the lives of others more than the lure of accolades or earning potential. So, to be recognized for work that I believe is a ‘passion project’ is a bit surreal.”

Prior to joining GOSA, Johnson served as a high school social studies teacher and a program coordinator for the international baccalaureate diploma program. Later, he served as a principal at Meadowbrook Elementary School and then dean of the Early College in the Richmond County School System. The latter institution serves as an intervention strategy for students who may not be well served by traditional high schools. Johnson is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in educational administration and policy in the College of Education.

“To represent the Mary Frances Early College of Education and to be the only K-12 educator in this year’s class makes this selection that much sweeter,” he added. “As a third-generation educator and the husband of an educator, I have a great sense of pride in representing not only the profession but also my family.”

Rasmussen, who received his master’s degree in college student affairs administration from the College of Education, is the owner and advisor of Rasmussen Wealth Management. After earning his M.Ed. in 2009, he worked in higher education for one year as a full-time professional before starting his financial planning business in 2010.

Today, Rasmussen runs both a local and national practice, specializing in work with business owners, physicians, executives, and professionals. He helps clients with comprehensive financial planning in managing wealth, mitigating risks, and minimizing taxes.

“UGA has such a special place in my heart, and to make 40 Under 40 is a fun surprise that kind of came out of nowhere,” says Rasmussen. “So many old friends, some of whom I haven’t spoken with in a long time, have reached out with very kind well-wishes. A good reminder of how deep and important the friendships you develop at UGA are.”

Johnson and Rasmussen were recognized during the 12th annual 40 Under 40 Awards Luncheon on Sept. 9 at the Tate Student Center on UGA’s campus.

The 40 Under 40 Class of 2023 will be announced this summer with a celebration scheduled to take place in September.