A longtime professor at Brenau University has been named dean of the College of Education at the university.
Eugene Williams succeeds Sandra Leslie, who retired at the end of the 2015-16 academic year.
After a nationwide search narrowed the field of applicants to three candidates, according to Brenau officials, a selection committee recommended Williams in part because of his significant experiences in working with Chinese students. Brenau in August begins the Georgia phase of a long-term agreement with Anhui Normal University in China to provide the last two years of undergraduate studies in early childhood education to dozens of former Anhui students expected in the program each year.
“Dr. Williams’ years of experience as a school administrator and principal makes him an excellent choice for the dean’s role,” said Brenau Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Nancy Krippel. “His knowledge of the education landscape in Georgia and his abiding interest in student success prepares our students to be the best teachers they can be.”
Williams and a Brenau colleague, Bryan Sorohan, spent part of last year in China working with the first group that will come to Brenau this summer, and the two were instrumental in developing, and training Chinese professors to teach, the preparatory curriculum that those students took at their home university in the first year of the program.
Keeping with statewide public education demand, Williams said he would like to emphasize English to Speakers of Other Languages, as well as science, technology, mathematics and engineering education. He also said he wants to “increase Brenau’s footprint” by collaborating with more local and state school organizations.
“We have great faculty and staff, all experienced teachers and educators, and that is a huge strength for our department,” Williams said. “Moving forward, I would like them to use their talents and expertise to continue to grow as people. As long as they keep doing that, we are going to keep growing as the College of Education.”
Williams, who began his Brenau tenure in 2008, served as both an assistant professor of education and chair of initial certification. He developed the college’s ethics course, and he was heavily involved in expanding math education, multicultural education, classroom management and research curriculum.
Prior to Brenau, Williams gained about 30 years of experience in K-12 public education as both a classroom instructor and administrator in Georgia schools.
