EdNews - Fall 2008
A Publication of the College of Education at Florida State University
Becker Named Mode L. Stone Distinguished Professor of Educational Statistics
The Florida State University College of Education has conferred its second Mode L. Stone Distinguished Professorship upon Betsy Jane Becker, a professor in the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems. The honor was bestowed at the college’s spring faculty meeting and was followed by a lecture given by Becker and a reception.
Becker joined the Measurement and Statistics Program at the College of Education in 2004 after 21 years of experience at Michigan State University. Her area of expertise is meta-analysis, a way of using statistical analyses to summarize the results of related studies. Becker’s current research aims to evaluate various kinds of teacher knowledge and determine how they may predict positive outcomes such as student achievement or effective teaching behavior.
Becker’s influence is not limited to the field of education; she also has contributed to statistical methods utilized by scientists in other domains. As a measure of her recognition and standing in the field, she was named a 2008 Fellow of the American Statistical Association.
“Dr. Becker’s work and world-class reputation have greatly enhanced the success of our program,” said Marcy Driscoll, dean of the College of Education. “She has become one of the foremost authorities in the field of meta-analysis, as well as in related areas in educational statistics.”
The Mode L. Stone Distinguished Professorship is a competitive award given annually to a faculty member nominated by his or her colleagues in the College of Education. Driscoll established the award in 2007 as a means of rewarding faculty scholarship and celebrating the values of dedication and excellence that are integral to the college’s mission.
“Dr. Becker has contributed not only to her program and field but to the College of Education in both scholarship, service and teaching,” Driscoll said. “Her outstanding record and commitment to excellence make her an outstanding choice for this year’s Mode L. Stone Distinguished Professorship.”
Becker noted that she never set out to garner personal recognition through her work but strove to produce quality research that would enhance the field of educational statistics that she so values.
“It is really an honor to be selected as a distinguished professor,” she said. “I have always sought to achieve high-quality work in my research and with my students and to be a good citizen of the department, college and university. It is very meaningful to be recognized for that.”
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