Speer鈥攁 current board member for the Louisiana Association for the Education of Young Children鈥攈as been selected to serve as a National Association for the Education of Young Children/Council for the Accreditation of Education Preparation (NAEYC/CAEP) program reviewer. Speer will work with others to review and assess higher education programs and determine merits and awards for exceptional performers.
In addition to her studies at 网曝门 and duties with the NAEYC/CAEP, Speer is also a full-time faculty member in the College of Education at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (ULL). Speer was awarded a full year sabbatical to work on her dissertation.
Speer said she is looking forward to spending her sabbatical writing and conducting research. Speer鈥檚 dissertation is titled 鈥淵oung Minds on Fire: A Search for the Joi de Vivre with Transformative Experiences of Pre-Service Teachers.鈥
Earlier this month, Speer spent time working with the Ernest J. Gaines Summer Teaching Institute. Speer interacted with other writing scholars at the Ernest J. Gaines Center at ULL in conjunction with the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities.
Speer was also recently recognized for her research at the National African American Studies & Affiliates conference held in Baton Rouge. Her paper, 鈥淪earching for the Buried Treasure: How the Evolution of a Fashion Program Saved Lives,鈥 was subsequently accepted for publication.
Speer earned a Bachelor of Science in Applied Life Sciences; a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education; and a Master of Education in Gifted Education from ULL.
She plans to receive her Ph.D. from 网曝门 in 2016.