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Farewell to Dean Douglas Biklen

On January 31, 2014, Doug Biklen retired from the School of Education after over 40 years as a faculty member and 9 years as Dean. Friends and colleagues of Doug honored his incredible service to the School of Education and the Syracuse community in a variety of ways:

  • Sharon Jacquet, ’72 Elementary Education, and Cerri Banks, ’00 (BS Inclusive Elementary & Special Education Teacher Prep), G ’04 (MS Cultural Foundations of Education), Ph.D. ’06 (Cultural Foundations), presented Doug with two of his own art photographs, “Sky After Turner” and “Winter 2,” which they donated back to the University’s permanent art collection, and will be cared for by the curators and displayed in the Dean’s office suite.
  • Jeryl Mitchell, ’81 (BS Special Education), ’83 (MS IDD&E), made a leadership gift to help support the re-naming of the Landscape of Urban Education Lecture Series to the Douglas P. Biklen Landscape of Urban Education Lecture Series, an important way the SOE engages with leading education thinkers and do-ers. Thanks to Jeryl’s support, we will be able to expand our audience and national reach.
  • Capt. Robert Taishoff, ’86 (Arts and Sciences), and Laurie Bean Taishoff, ’84 (Newhouse), of the Taishoff Family Foundation provided a major gift to support the Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education in Doug’s honor. The Taishoff Center is committed to creating access to higher education for students with disabilities, particularly students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
  • Lauri Zell, ’77 (Special Education), and Jeff Zell, ’77 (Whitman, Marketing Management), and the Zell Foundation made a major gift commitment to establish a brand new fund to support Holocaust & Genocide Studies and our efforts to lead the University in creating a Minor by the same name. Lauri has been a dedicated volunteer in this area.
  • Gregory Allen, ’73 (Newhouse), and The Syracuse 8 intend to provide scholarship support to the SOE from the proceeds of the upcoming Syracuse 8 book – expected to be published later in 2014!
  • Marie Sarno and Christopher DeVoe, ’78 (Whitman) made a commitment to provide for the summer installation of a digital display in the Sharon H. Jacquet Education Commons. This will increase digital signage coverage in Huntington Hall, and can be used for lectures, presentations, and student projects in the Commons.

In addition, all donations made to The Dean’s Fund through June 30, 2014, will be acknowledged as gifts in honor of Doug Biklen.

Video Tribute to Doug Biklen

Photos from the Retirement Celebration

Photos from the retirement celebration for Doug Biklen held on January 11, 2014 can be viewed on the School of Education flickr page.