2022 - 2023 Spotlight
Congratulations to the Class of 2023 BSW Seniors!
Check out our BSW Seniors highlighted at the 2023 BSW Senior Recognition Event!
Congratulations to the 2023 College of Education and Social Work 1871 Awardees!
Select the names below to read about their accomplishments.
Jessica Aniloff
"I am a third year, Early Grades Preparation PreK-4 major, with minors in Mathematics PreK-8 & Civic and Professional Leadership. I am a member of the Honors College, and am involved in The Abbé Society (Fundraising chair), Alpha Phi Omega (past roles: VP of Service, Treasurer), and Honors Student Association (Assistant Coordinator of Peer Leadership Program). I also serve as a Leadership Consultant, in connection with the Office of Student Engagement. Some of my academic accomplishments include placement on the CESW & Honors College Dean's Lists and membership in Kappa Delta Pi, an education honor society. After graduation, I hope to teach in an elementary school."
Morgan McKeon
"Middle Grades Preparation Major with a Concentration in Social Studies, Senior, I plan on teaching a 5th or 6th Grade Classroom in the future. I have applied to many local districts, and I would love to work in any of them. However, my dream job would be to work in the West Chester Area School District. I served as Membership Chair of SPSEA, Co-Membership Chair of Kappa Delta Pi, Secretary of The Abbé Society, I was the Committee Head for the Time Capsule Project for the College of Education and Social Work, and I was a Commuter Assistant. All of these positions allowed me to work with inspiring people like myself. I also volunteered in the West Chester Community, and I have worked consistently with children in this community. This has allowed me to grow both as a person and as an educator. I have been on the Dean's List each semester I have attended West Chester University. I also am a part of the Education Honors Organization, Kappa Delta Pi, which focuses on both Educator Excellence and Academic Excellence. I also was recently inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa because of my involvement on campus and my academics."
Luke Mundorf
"I am a senior Middle Grades Preparation major with minors in Earth Science, Science Education, and Theatre. I am currently the Treasurer of High Street Harmonix. I am involved in community service through my participation in the Broadway Cares/Equity fights AIDS Benefit Concert. I was also inducted in Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honor Society. I am currently in the Professional Development School partnership with the West Chester Area School District where I have been teaching 8th grade science for the whole year. My goal is to teach science at the middle school level where I can also assist with musical theater productions."
Rachel Yeung
"I am a fourth-year Early Grades Preparation PreK-4 major with a minor in American Sign Language. I hope to teach at the elementary school in the district I grew up in and eventually teach abroad! On campus, I have been working as an undergraduate research assistant alongside Dr. Crystal Loose for the past two years and tutored ASL students under the Department of Languages & Cultures. I also serve as the Parliamentarian for the Abbé Society and used to serve as the Vice President of Membership and Secretary for Alpha Phi Omega. Outside of campus, I work at my local YMCA back at home."
Wall of Honor Recipients 2022
Judith S. Finkel, '73, PH.D.
West Chester University - College of Education and Social Work - Wall of Honor Recipient
An alumna of West Chester University, Dr. Judith S. Finkel spent 40 years in the field of education. Since 1966, when she started teaching in the Philadelphia public school system, she has been engaged with students, teachers, and other professionals in all aspects of education.
After joining the faculty at WCU, Judy played many roles including that of teacher, administrator, supervisor, dean, director, evaluator, and consultant. She was always on the cutting edge of education, from the “open classroom” in the 1970s to computer-assisted instruction and teaching machines in the 1980s to becoming the first female dean when she accepted the position of Interim Dean of the School of Education (now the College of Education and Social Work).
In the 1990s, Judy founded the Institute for Educational Excellence and Entrepreneurship (3E) as a national hub for identifying, disseminating, and funding innovative “best practices” developed by educators and entrepreneurs. Judy has always believed that teachers create our world, and she has taught, honored, supported, and rewarded them.
Judy retired as a WCU faculty member in 2006 and is now an Emeritus Faculty of the College. She continues to generously support West Chester University’s education program and other meaningful priorities. The Stillman Room in Recitation Hall is named after her parents, first-generation immigrants from Russia, who were her inspiration in life and a source of great pride. In 2022, Judy served as the inaugural funder of the PRIZE initiative, created to recruit future educators for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and was inducted into the 150 Influential Women of West Chester University during the sesquicentennial.
Awarded in 2022
Darla Spence Coffey, Ph.D., M.S.W
West Chester University - College of Education and Social Work - Wall of Honor Recipient
Before serving as the President of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), Darla Spence Coffey, Ph.D., M.S.W served as a Professor of Social Work, Associate Provost, and Dean of Graduate Studies at West Chester University. Dr. Coffey received her B.S.W. from Eastern College, her M.S.W. from the University of Pennsylvania, and her Ph.D. from Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research. She was a member of the Social Work faculty at West Chester University beginning in 1998, where she contributed to the initial accreditation of the MSW program in 2000 and served as the director and chair of the University’s undergraduate Social Work program from 2002 to 2005.
From 2005 to 2012, Dr. Coffey served in senior University administrative capacities, providing leadership for academic program development, curriculum, academic policies, assessment of student learning, transfer articulation, accreditation, and faculty development. During the 2008–2009 academic year she served West Chester University as Interim Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs. Her service activities within the university were extensive, including co-chairing West Chester’s Campus Climate Intervention Team and serving as a founding member of the Advisory Board of Women in Leadership and Service. She was inducted into the 150 In uential Women of West Chester University during the sesquicentennial. Dr. Coffey has supported Women in Leadership & Service, the Presidential Gala, Frederick Douglass Scholarship & Statue, and the Honors Program.
Darla, a Philadelphia native, is the proud mother of 3 children and 4 grandchildren.
Presented in 2022
Welcome New Educational Leadership and Higher Education Administration Department
The Department of Educational Leadership and Higher Education Administration was created in July 2022 to bring together faculty interested in supporting and researching educational leadership and higher education. The Department includes faculty members from a variety of disciplinary areas who share a commitment to supporting future and current educational leaders.
The Department of Educational Leadership and Higher Education Administration houses four distinct programs:
The Ed.D.(Doctorate in Policy, Planning, and Administration) which has two tracks:
Curriculum and Instruction and Higher Education Administration
The M.S. in HEPSA (Higher Education Policy and Student Affairs)
The Transformative Principalship Certification
The Graduate Certificate in Advanced Educational Leadership (Part of the Letter of
Eligibility for Superintendency)
All four of these programs prepare students for leadership in an educational setting.
At a time when leadership in education is essential, these programs encourage students
to take a critical look at the programs and policies in their current or potential
work setting. The courses and instructors in the programs prepare students to understand
how to identify barriers to success for students and other stakeholders and to lead
efforts to make change.
Students interested in these programs can access the application information from this page by clicking on the specific program tab on the left of the screen. Student can also reach out to the contact listed at the bottom of the page to learn more information about the specific program.
Congratulations to the 2022-2023 Scholarship Awardees!
