I firmly believe in giving something back. I think being a member of the academy means that I have a responsibility to use my knowledge to impact the lives of others in positive ways. To this end, I have served my program, college, the university, and my community. I have chaired two Search Committees, and served as Co-chair on one Search Committee. All efforts were successful, and new candidates were ushered into the program to begin making their contributions to the academy and those around them. As chair, I was responsible for making sure the candidates saw the Dean and Associate Deans. I also made arrangements and scheduled gatherings and made sure all visitors had the things they needed. I also delegated tasks, and I could not have been successful if I had not worked with my colleagues. Together, we made great things happen to benefit our program and the academy.
In addition to serving as the Chair of Search Committees, I spent a great deal of time writing my program’s NCATE and SACS documentation. We were successfully accredited by NCATE on two different occasions, and we were successfully accredited by SACS two times. I served as the UG Coordinator for the Minor in Computer Education and served as both a member of the Promotion and Tenure Committee (PAC) and the Chair of this committee. I also served on the COE Undergraduate Affairs Committee and submitted paperwork necessary to make sure course prefixes for the undergraduate curriculum were changed to reflect our new department. I also served two years on the COE Advisory Committee for Research and Professional Development. This committee made decisions about supplemental travel, evaluated Research Assistant Program Proposals, modified the college Promotion and Tenure Workbook, and advised the Associate Dean on other COE matters.
In addition to serving my program and both the college of COE and COI, I engaged in a number of service activities that benefited the university and my community. My service activities for the university include work with the following: The University Autism Task Force, the ASD Research Cluster, The Jr. Faculty Summer Research Fellowship Program, The Jr. Faculty RIG Program, Inauguration Steering Committee, Installation Ceremony Co-Chair, and member of the Foundations on Excellence – Faculty Dimensions Committee. My service to my community includes my service on the Easter Seals of North Texas Autism Advisory Board, The Autism Society of America, and the Autism Societies of Dallas, Tarrant, and Collin Counties. In addition, I worked with the Asperger’s Group in Denton, and I work with many parents and caregivers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders sharing information about technology tools and teaching techniques.