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Alumni Spotlight
CEHS Hall of Fame 2018
Four outstanding individuals were inducted in the CEHS Hall of Fame for 2018 at the College’s annual induction ceremony on Oct. 26, 2018. The four inductees were Elizabeth Dooley, Daniel Hursh, Victoria Risko and Barbara Gibson Warash.
Elizabeth A. Dooley, Ed.D., is the provost and vice president for academic affairs at the University of Central Florida, which has more than 68,000 students as one of the nation’s largest universities.
Dooley is the first woman and African-American to be named provost in school history. She is UCF’s chief academic officer, providing leadership for 13 colleges, including a college of medicine, along with multiple campuses, research centers and institutes. Her responsibilities include curriculum, faculty development and oversight of UCF’s $1.8 billion operating budget.
Dooley is a native of Fairmont, West Virginia. She is a proud alumna of West Virginia University, where she earned her master's in special education and her doctorate in education, special education, with a minor in higher education administration.
After being an assistant professor in the Department of Special Education at Northeastern Illinois University, Dooley returned to WVU, where she served in various leadership roles during her 24-year tenure. Those roles included being a department chair, founding dean of the WVU University College, associate provost for academic affairs, and interim dean for the College of Education and Human Services.
In 2015, Dooley joined UCF as the vice provost for teaching and learning and dean of the College of Undergraduate Studies. Before being promoted to provost and a vice president in October 2018, she served as interim provost. Dooley champions academic excellence and encourages innovation in scholarship, teaching and learning. She is a highly respected leader who is at the forefront of reimagining higher education for the 21st century. She believes that transformative change only happens when we expand opportunities and value diverse viewpoints. Dooley has launched initiatives and organizational structures to leverage the power of technology and build interdisciplinary strength to help solve problems, create economic impact and empower people through education.
Daniel E. Hursh, Ph.D., was a professor and chair of the Department of Learning Sciences and Human Development at CEHS. He is being inducted posthumously into the CEHS Hall of Fame.
Among many professional achievements, Hursh was a leader in applied behavioral analysis, and was passionate about children and parents with behavioral challenges.The majority of his 28 professional publications and 32 service roles were tied to that work.
Hursh was a founding editor of Education and Treatment of Children, and served in many other professional service roles throughout his career. He was committed to developing competent learners and thoroughly integrated that into his teaching, research and service. Prior to his role at CEHS, Hursh also taught at the University of Oregon, Western Michigan University and Western Carolina University. Hursh was actively involved at CEHS as both a professor and mentor, and always went the extra mile for his students.
Hursh earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Oregon, his master’s degree in human development and his doctoral degree in developmental and child psychology, both from the University of Kansas.
Victoria J. Risko, Ed.D., professor emerita, Vanderbilt University, served on the faculty of Vanderbilt’s Peabody College for more than 35 years. She was the recipient of the CEHS Hall of Fame Distinguished Alumni Award for 2018. Throughout her career in academia, Risko has studied high leverage instructional practices for the preparation of literacy teachers, comprehension instruction for diverse and struggling readers, comprehension instruction for English learners, and affordances for building academic knowledge and cultural connections within multimodal, cross-curricular learning environments.
Risko’s research has appeared in publications such as Reading Research Quarterly, The Reading Teacher, Language Arts, Journal of Literacy Research, and Research in Teaching English, among others. Recently, she co-authored two books – “Be That Teacher! Breaking the Cycle for Struggling Readers” with Doris Walker-Dalhouse, and “Professional Learning in Action: An Inquiry Approach for Teachers of Literacy” with Mary Ellen Vogt.
Risko was president of the International Reading Association, now the International Literacy Association, from 2011 to 2012; she was also a member of the organization’s board of directors from 2002 to 2005.
Risko has received numerous academic and professional honors, including the Distinguished Professor Award from the Tennessee Reading Association, the Literary Award for Leadership, Global Outreach, Research and Leader Organization from the International Reading Association, the Alan C. Purves Award from NCTE for research investigating instruction for English learners, and induction into the Reading Hall of Fame.
Risko holds her BS in English and elementary education from the University of Pittsburgh and her MA and Ed.D. in reading and literacy education from WVU. Currently, she is a literacy consultant on the K-12 literacy initiatives advanced by the Tennessee State Department of Education.
Barbara “Bobbie” Gibson Warash, Ed.D., served as director of the WVU Nursery School for 38 years. Throughout her career, Warash has demonstrated leadership and community commitment while directing the WVU Nursery School and serving on multiple committees of the West Virginia Governor’s Cabinet on Children and Families.
Warash has taught more than 16 courses, published more than 50 articles in peer-reviewed publications, presented more than 73 papers and received funding for numerous research grants. She has been known for her creative approaches and concern for each and every student in her care. Warash insists that her students are exposed to the best and most unique aspects of everything the College and University has to offer. She has been a teacher and a mentor to her students and colleagues, both as director of the WVU Nursery School, and as a professor of child development and family studies at CEHS.
In 2010, Warash received the Centennial Laureate Award from Florida State University, and in 2005, Warash received the Ethel and Gerry Heebink Award for Distinguished State Service from WVU. She has also been recognized for Outstanding Teacher, Outstanding Service in the Family and Consumer Sciences, and Outstanding Service Contributor. Prior to her role at WVU, Warash was an education director at North Central West Virginia Head Start.
Warash received her undergraduate and doctoral degrees from WVU, and she earned her master’s degree from Florida State University.
This is the 15th class to be inducted into the CEHS Hall of Fame. The award recognizes those who have distinguished themselves in their fields, exemplified outstanding leadership qualities and possess strong community and West Virginia ties. Special consideration is given to those who have demonstrated support of and/or service to the mission and values of the WVU College of Education and Human Services. Inductees are representative of the tremendous successes of many CEHS graduates and friends of the College.