Dr. Jon Engelhardt, dean of the Baylor School of Education since July 2007, is retiring at the end of June 2015.

Baylor School of Education has gained much from Engelhardt’s service and experience, said Dr. Doug Rogers, Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction.

“Jon elevated the School’s profile within the university, the state, and at a national level because of his experience and his influence in all of those arenas,” Rogers said.

Prior to the Baylor deanship, Engelhardt served for 20 years as an education dean at the University of Texas El Paso, Northern Arizona University, and Wichita State University. He also served as a faculty member in mathematics education and administrator at Arizona State University for 16 years.

In honor of Engelhardt’s lifetime achievements and his service to education, the Texas Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (TACTE) presented him the Robert B. Howsam Award in November.

The Howsam Award is presented only on occasion and recognizes individuals who have exhibited exceptional leadership at state and national levels, have made significant contributions to educational spheres, and have a long and enduring history with teaching.

Engelhardt has served on national boards for teacher preparation (AACTE and CPED) as well as Educational School accreditation (NCATE, now CAEP) and has chaired a national representative organization (ACSR) in support of state associations of Education Schools.

He has led major developments in redefining teacher education as a clinical enterprise—both nationally and at Baylor—and received a variety of recognitions, including the Distinguished Administrator award for Higher Education from the Arizona School Administrators Association. He has worked to develop an understanding of how Schools of Education are part of the systemic development and improvement of preK-12 public education and the critical nature of community engagement and support for schools.

During his tenure at Baylor, Engelhardt has worked to strengthen partnerships between universities and public schools to improve the effectiveness of both schools and teacher preparation. He organized an award-winning collaboration, the Greater Waco Area Superintendents, between the School of Education and the superintendents of school districts in the area.

Engelhardt received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education (music and math) from Arizona State before earning a PhD in mathematics education from the University of Texas in 1972. He began his career in education as a middle-school math teacher in Tempe, Ariz., and served for seven years in the military during the Vietnam War period.

Engelhardt said, “While I am in great health, remain excited about all that we are doing—and can yet do at Baylor—and enjoy the challenges of Baylor, community, state and national leadership, there comes a time for each of us to move on to the next phase of life.”

Concluding his 28th year as a dean, eight at Baylor, Engelhardt said, “I like to say I saved the best for last in coming to Baylor.”

On July 1, Dr. Michael McLendon will become dean of the Baylor School of Education.

_______________________________________________________________

For more information or high resolution photos, contact Meg_Cullar@baylor.edu.

For more Baylor School of Education news, visit Instant Impact.