CELEBRATE College of Education Retirees
The College of Education is excited to celebrate the retirement of four great faculty members this spring. We hope you will join in honoring them by making a gift to their favorite funds.
Dr. Sonya Gunnings
Dr. Sonya Gunnings has been a Spartan since 1968. She earned her master’s in Urban Education and doctorate in Counseling Psychology at MSU. Gunnings served as an associate professor in the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Special Education and Associate Dean of Student Support and Engagement in the College of Education.
Dr. Gunnings established several major initiatives that focused on fostering the recruitment and retention of under-represented groups to undergraduate and graduate programs, and providing leadership for many urban education initiatives, including the Urban Educators Cohort Program, the Urban Immersion Fellowship and the Urban Partnership Pre-College Program.
Join us in honoring the extensive work and legacy of Dr. Gunnings by giving to her selected fund, the Gunnings Lecture Series, which supports diversity and equity in the landscape of education.
Dean Robert Floden
Dr. Robert Floden is former dean of the College of Education and a University Distinguished Professor of teacher education, measurement and quantitative methods, mathematics education, educational psychology and educational policy.
Dean Floden has served more than 40 years as a faculty member in the college, where he has a strong history of leadership, having served as director of research centers, as associate dean for research, and (twice) as acting dean. Floden received an AB with honors in philosophy from Princeton University and an MS in statistics and Ph.D. in philosophy of education from Stanford University. He has studied teacher education and other influences on teaching and learning, including work on the cultures of teaching, on teacher development, on the character and effects of teacher education, and on how policy is linked to classroom practice.
Join us in honoring the extensive work and legacy of Dean Floden by giving to his selected fund, The Robert and Gloria Floden Teacher in Education Policy Fund, which supports graduate students focused on research on Teacher Education policy.
Dr. Dan Gould
Dr. Dan Gould is director of the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports and a professor of kinesiology. In 2019, he was named the inaugural Gwendolyn Norrell Professor of Youth Sport and Student-Athlete Well-Being.
Gould is a specialist in sport psychology and is renowned for his work in youth sports, with additional research and expertise in mental training for athletic competition and coaching psychology. Specifically, his research covers the stress-athletic performance relationship, the psychological foundations of coaching, the psychology of athletic talent development, youth leadership, and positive youth development through sport. He is best known for conducting applied research and implementing outreach projects that maximize the benefits of youth sport participation.
Join us in honoring the extensive work and legacy of Dan Gould by giving to his selected fund, the MSU Summer Coaches School fund, which supports students enrolled in the MSU Sports Coaching and Leadership online master's degree program who desire to attend the Summer Coaches' School.
Dr. Michael Sedlak
Professor Michael Sedlak, a historian of education and steady leader of the College of Education, retired from Michigan State University after 38 years on the faculty in fall 2020. Sedlak has overseen all matters of academic affairs as associate dean since 1994, making countless contributions to the quality—and reputation—of the college’s degree programs.
He advocated for growing financial opportunities available to graduate students, first developing the Summer Research Fellowship for mid-stage doctoral students, and then adding a similar fellowship for students completing their first year. With the support of the MSU Graduate School, the college now provides funds to help roughly 80 doctoral students focus on developing their own research each summer.
Join us in honoring the extensive work and legacy of Dr. Sedlak by giving to his selected fund, the College of Education Fund, which will be used to provide additional assistance in the form of fellowships for students enrolled in the College of Education.
Our faculty give back to the College of Education and our students, every day. Please consider supporting their favorite funds to celebrate and honor their hard work, creativity and innovation.
Make a gift in their honor today!
If you have any questions or would like to discuss a different way to give in honor of our retirees, please contact Cameo King, Assistant Director of Development for the College of Education.