Identifying and Over Coming Barriers to Learning and Success
Overcoming Barriers to Student Learning and Success
The Mentoring Group is hosting a panel discussion and workshops on Overcoming Barriers to Student Learning and Success with an emphasis on African-Americans on May 7, 2009. Please see the letter to stakeholders with an invitation to this solution oriented event.
Bobby Caples, Ed.S.
Bobby has 10 years of experience in after-school and community-based education programs. He has worked with several Boys & Girls Club organizations, the YMCA, The United Way of Greenville County, several Parks and Recreation Departments, faith-based organizations, schools, and other community-based organizations as a volunteer, employee, researcher, founder, director, and consultant. He has conducted research into the implementation of evidence-based behavioral strategies in community-based after-school programs. He holds a B.A. in Sociology with a concentration in African-American studies from the University of Virginia, as well as an M.A. and Ed.S. (Educational Specialist Degree) in School Psychology from the University of South Florida with interests in community-based education, reading interventions, and behavioral interventions. He is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist, and is currently working on his dissertation for his Ph.D. in School Psychology. Bobby serves as the Executive & Program Director of YouthBASE, providing organizational leadership as well as program management, training, and consultation.
Kinneil Coltman, M.A.
Kinneil Coltman is the Director of Diversity and Language Services for Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center. Prior to her appointment at GHS, she was the Manger of Diversity Training and Consulting at The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, Texas. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Diversity from the University of North Carolina at Asheville and a Master of Arts in Cross Cultural Studies and Organizational Diversity at The University of Houston – Clear Lake. In addition to serving as Chairman of the Board of the International Center of the Upstate, she is also a member of the YWCA Board, the Communicare Advisory Council, and the South Carolina Hospital Association Diversity Council and participates in a variety of community activities related to diversity and inclusion. "To this day, I often reflect on the powerful life lessons I learned from mentors I had as a youth. Now, having served as a mentor myself, I realize how important that a mentorship bond is to both mentor and mentee. I am grateful for the opportunity to be involved with The Mentoring Group, because I know that this organization's initiatives will ultimately alter so many lives for the better."
Manuel Dudley, MS, Ed.S.
Manuel Dudley attended UNC-Greensboro where he received a BS degree in Human Development/Family Studies and Psychology.
He also received a Master of Science in Counselor Education and Specialist in Education degrees in Gerontology from UNC-Greensboro.
Manuel was one of fifteen applicants admitted into the Ph. D. program in Leadership Studies at North Carolina A&T State University Fall 2005 and plans to complete the program in December 2009.
Manuel worked at Wayne Community College for six years as the Department Chair of Human Services Technology and currently works at Mitchell Community College in Statesville, NC as Division Chair of General Education that includes the Math, Natural and Social Sciences, Human Services and Criminal Justice departments.
He is married to Kimberly Dudley and they have a six-year-old daughter named Sonni Myelle.
Shawn Foster, Ph.D.
Dr. Shawn D. Foster was born in 1976 in Greensboro NC to a single parent. Raised in the projects, Dr. Foster did not allow the trials and tribulations facing an African-American male living in this environment to affect his success. He went on the graduate from James B. Dudley High School, one of the last historically predominately black high schools in the state of North Carolina in May of 1994. Dr. Foster went on to earn a full football scholarship to attend Livingstone College where he served as the team captain three of the four years he played. In May of 1998, Dr. Foster graduated from Livingstone College with a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Degree. He then moved to Spartanburg, SC where he accepted a job as an Intervention Specialist at the University School of Spartanburg County (now called the Spartanburg County Alternative School). While working as an Intervention Specialist, Dr. Foster went back to school at night and received his Master of Arts Degree in Counseling from Webster University in December of 2000. He continued his education enrolling at Columbia College in Columbia SC where he received a second Masters Degree in Education in May of 2002.
Dr. Foster went on to receive his Doctorate Degree in Educational leadership and administration from South Carolina State University in December of 2005. All which he completed by the age of 27.
Dr. Foster spent 6 years working with at-risk students at the Alternative School as an Intervention Specialist, Guidance Counselor and 1 year as the Assistant Director before being moved to Dorman High School where he served as an Assistant Principal for 3 years. In the spring of 2007, Dr. Foster was named Principal of Fairforest Middle School where he currently works.
Dr. Foster has served on many boards throughout the Spartanburg and Greenville Counties. He is very active in the Spartanburg and Greenville Communities. He is the advisor to young African-American males at Wofford College, USC-Upstate, Furman University and Presbyterian College. He is an active member of the Omega Psi Fraternity Inc. on the local and District Level. He is currently the Vice President of the Epsilon Nu Chapter of Omega Psi Phi and a member of the Regional Intake Team for the Six District of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.
Dr. Foster has received many awards and recognitions ranging from being named an Empowering Scholar, Who’s Who among young African-American Leaders to being named Omega Man of the Year in 2006.
Dr. Foster is married to Mrs. Tanya Elise Foster and they have a beautiful daughter, 21 month old Alyx Elise Foster.
Linda Gallicchio, MBA
Linda Gallicchio joined the Rutland Institute for Ethics at Clemson University in September 2007 as associate director for business outreach. She relocated to the Upstate from Lexington, KY in June 2006. Since then Linda has become an active participant in the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce, the Anderson Rotary (2008-2009 chair of the Four Way Test Committee for District 7750), the Upstate chapter of Professional Network Connections, and as an advisory board member of the Carolina First Center for Excellence as well as the South Carolina Women’s Connection.
Linda received her MBA, with distinction, from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She has more than 22 years of experience in managerial and executive roles across a variety of industries and at another land-grant university. This experience is an invaluable background with which to build relationships with businesses, communities, and professional associations for the purpose of linking the Rutland Institute for Ethics, its good work and resources, with various people and organizations.
O. Cyrus Hinton, Esq.
O. Cyrus Hinton became licensed to practice law in the state of South Carolina in 1998. Also, he has been admitted to practice in the United States District Court of South Carolina and in the United States Court of Appeals. Mr. Hinton graduated cum laude from Winston-Salem State University. There he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Sociology in 1992. Wanting to continue his education, Mr. Hinton enrolled in the The University of Richmond's T.C. Williams School of Law from which he received his Juris Doctorate in 1996. Mr. Hinton is a member of several professional organizations. These include: The South Carolina Bar Association, Spartanburg County Bar Association, American Bar Association: Family Law Section, South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association, American Trial Lawyers Association, and The National Bar Association. Additionally, Mr. Hinton is a certified family court mediator by the South Carolina Board of Arbitrator and Mediators.
Karen Hornsby, Ph. D.
Karen Hornsby is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at North Carolina A&T State University, a historically black college located in Greensboro, NC. She joined the faculty of North Carolina A&T in 2003 after earning her PhD from Bowling Green State University in applied ethics. Dr. Hornsby was selected as a 2005-2006 Carnegie Scholar and carried out a year-long scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) study exploring the development of moral reasoning skills in undergraduate students. Currently, Dr. Hornsby co-directs A&T’s Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (CASTL) Institutional Leadership Program and A&T’s Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education assessment project. As part of the Wabash National Study project she co-developed and manages the Wabash/Provost Scholars initiative at North Carolina A&T. The Wabash/Provost Scholars are a group of 17 undergraduate students who conduct focus groups throughout the academic year to gather qualitative data about the factors that promote or impede students’ learning and success at the university. Dr. Hornsby regularly leads conference presentations and conducts workshops on scholarly teaching and has published articles on student learning both nationally and internationally.
Daniel Miller, Ph. D.
Daniel M. Miller is an Associate Professor of Leadership Studies at North Carolina A&T State University. He earned his B.S. in Psychology from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and his M.S. and Ph.D. from Cornell University in educational leadership, organizational behavior and public policy. He has worked with public schools, non-profits, governmental agencies, and corporations in New York City, Columbus, OH, Omaha, NE, San Diego and North Carolina. His research interests include organizational behavior, leadership, community development, race, and dialogical engagement for self-knowledge and social transformation.
Rick Murphy, BS, M.Ed
Rick Murphy has been an educator in the upstate for over 30 years; he has held teaching, counseling and administrative positions in both secondary and post-secondary and holds degrees from Clemson University. In his current role as Regional Education Center Coordinator under the State's Personal Pathways to Success Initiative, Rick is committed to help increase the educational and workforce opportunities for South Carolina youth and adults. Rick is the Chairman of the Pickens County Special Needs and Disabilities Board and a Youth Council member for Worklink Workforce Investment Board; he has been a Consultant for groups including the US Department of Education, SC State Department of Education, National School to Work Office, Southern Region Education Board, Jobs for the Future, and SC Employment Security Commission.
S.T. Peden, B.A.
Mr. Peden earned a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.A.) degree from South Carolina State (College) University.
S.T. is currently the Chairman and CEO of the Minority Economic Development Institute, Inc. which is a Not for Profit Corporation whose mission is to development business opportunities and enhance the operational and business infrastructure for small disadvantaged, minority and women owned business enterprises. He is the President and Senior Consultant of The Ashdon Group Inc., a Small, Minority and Women owned Business consulting firm.
Other past experiences include:
Senior Consultant, MWBE (Minority Women Business Entrepreneurs) of Institutional Resources, Inc. of Greenville, SC
As an employee of GE, Mr. Peden served as a Human Resources Leader, Consultant to the Supplier Diversity Programs, and a Supplier to the Power System Division, which covered the states of South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, New York, California, Texas and Maine.
Denise Washington, M.Ed. (Not Pictured)
Denise has over 30 years of exceptional professional experience working with Fortune 500 companies, educational institutions, federal and state agencies, and the non-profit community. This includes working in various human resource and consultant roles with increase responsibility in the areas of: college recruiting, talent management, on-boarding, employee relations, compensation, AA/EEO, diversity management, strategic HR planning, organizational development, training and development, program management, change management, career development, work life, performance management, and as an executive coach.
Some significant accomplishments have included:
Managing programs with national and international implications in the areas of engineering, manufacturing, information technology, sales and customer service.
Successfully implementing and managing a Massachusetts literacy coalition which was comprised of over 30 regional and statewide partners that included: Massachusetts Department of Education, Regional and Statewide workforce development boards and systems, Statewide quasi-public / government entities, community and faith-based organizations, United Way, public school systems, regional businesses, and state and local government.
Managing youth leadership, mentoring, and academic enrichment programs in the areas of math, science, technology, career/academic development, and character/ behavior development for traditional student, high academic achiever’s, and At-Risk students.
Designing and implementing a system-wide career services system, including school-to-career programs, and coordinated testing process for the Bloomfield Public School System.
Served as a Team leader/ Human Resource consultant for Homeland Security/ Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recruitment/staffing project responsible for federalizing U.S. airports nationally.
Successfully managed the human resource start-up roles for an advanced technology , and other professional work environments, which included: HR Strategic planning, organizational development, leadership development, high performance work systems employee relations, diversity, staffing, compensation, succession planning, performance/ career management systems, and talent management.
Served as a Facilitator/Trainer for educational cognitive behavioral programs for the criminal justice system in the State of Florida. These programs are endorsed and accredited by the American Probation and Parole Association.
Currently she serves as the Director of Human Resources and Performance Management for the Girl Scouts of South Carolina Mountains to Midlands. She has a B.S. in Human Development/ Education from the University of Massachusetts, M.Ed. Education/Management from Cambridge College and is Federal Grant Reviewer for the U.S. Department of Education.