Nicole Uphold, Ph.D., of Coastal Carolina University’s Spadoni College of Education and Social Sciences, has been appointed the R. Grant and Elizabeth “Libba” G. Singleton Endowed Professor in Teacher Education at the University. The endowed professorship was established in 1993 by the Singletons to provide support for a faculty member in teacher education who demonstrates outstanding teaching ability and dedication to research. The Singletons were active members of the community, serving on multiple boards and charitable foundations, and dedicating their time to CCU and the greater Horry County community.

Uphold, who coordinates Spadoni College’s undergraduate and graduate special education degree programs, is grateful for the opportunities the three-year appointment will provide.

“I am excited to have the time and resources to focus on how to best prepare our special education teachers,” she said. “I am honored to have been selected by my peers: by people who know that I’m passionate about teacher education.”

Uphold is working on a project that focuses on teaching practices for pre-service teachers in special education, with an emphasis on elements including providing specific praise to students, managing classroom behaviors, and providing active supervision. She will develop rubrics to measure behaviors and will work with pre-service teachers to provide feedback on their teaching that will help them implement, improve, and measure success. She plans to present and publish her research at conferences and in professional journals for teachers and teacher education programs to use.

Carolyn Dillian, Ph.D., Spadoni College associate dean, oversaw the selection process for the professorship.

“We’re really excited about [Uphold’s] proposed work,” said Dillian. “It fits really well with the intent of the endowment, as it applies research to teacher education practices directly in ways that will benefit our students and community.”

Uphold earned a Ph.D. in special education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.