Jefferson Reporter

Teresa Taber Doughty, Ph.D., has been selected as the next dean of the UAB School of Education following a national search. She will begin her new role April 3.

With more than 30 years of experience, Taber Doughty has served as dean of the College of Education at the University of Texas at Arlington since 2016. She also spent 17 years at Purdue University as a special education professor and associate dean in Purdue’s College of Education. Prior to Purdue, Taber Doughty taught children with disabilities in Alabama and Georgia before becoming a faculty member at Georgia State University and Oglethorpe University in Georgia.

"Dr. Taber Doughty is an accomplished leader and renowned educator who has shaped and enhanced instruction for students across top-ranked institutions," said Pam Benoit, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs. "She is a builder and connecter committed to working collaboratively and developing strong relationships with faculty, staff, students and the community."

Taber Doughty is highly motivated and says she is excited to join UAB.

"I am honored to be named dean of the UAB School of Education and look forward to cultivating collaborative relationships with faculty and staff that will enhance the student experience and facilitate strong community and institutional partnerships," she continued. "There is an exciting future ahead for the School of Education, and I am thrilled to be a part of building on its legacy."

Throughout her career, Taber Doughty has been dedicated to preparing outstanding education professionals; she believes that quality professional preparation grounded in evidence-based research is the foundation for effective schools, impactful leadership and thriving communities. She led UTA’s College of Education in meeting successfully its strategic goals as part of a leading research university (Carnegie R1) focusing on scholarship, program and enrollment growth, service to the university and community, social justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.

Tabor Doughty is the author and co-author of more than 60 professional publications, and is a Quality Review team lead for the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation. Previously, she has served on the board of examiners for Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation and National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and as the executive director of the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division of Autism and Developmental Disabilities. She earned her undergraduate degree in special education from Auburn University and her master's and doctorate from Georgia State University.

Benoit also commended the search committee, led by College of Arts and Sciences Dean Kecia Thomas, Ph.D., for its success in identifying a dynamic, experienced and visionary candidate.

"I want to thank the search committee for their exemplary work in identifying and recruiting strong candidates for this important position," she said. "I commend Dr. Kecia Thomas for chairing the search committee, and I appreciate the participation by faculty, staff, students and community members in the search process."

Original source can be found here.