Ed. Psych. alum M. Cecil Smith (Ph.D., 1988) has been named the next Dean of the School of Education at Southern Illinois University. Cecil was a student in the Human Development area, working under the direction of Steve Yussen. He follows in his mentor’s footsteps (Yussen is former Dean of Schools of Education at Minnesota and University of Iowa). Cecil was on the faculty at Northern Illinois University for many years before taking the position of Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education at West Virginia University. His research has centered on adult learning, literacy, and continuing education.
“I was a first-generation college student, and I appreciate that many students at SIU Carbondale are also the first in their families to attend college,” Smith said in the news release. “As my college education opened new pathways for me that led to countless opportunities for growth, I am confident that the same will hold true for our students.”