25-12-Annual Report 2025_FINAL no bleed pages-1 - Flipbook - Page 18
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
Clemson University to lead
national rural education center
is well positioned to make a significant impact in the
lives and livelihoods of our rural communities. According
to Cuthrell, the partner institutions have agreed to utilize
the research framework outlined in the National Rural
Education Association Research Agenda, which includes
focus areas ranging from health and wellness to teacher
and leader recruitment and development.
Faculty in partner institutions have already started
to pursue funding to support new and expanded
research-practice partnerships. One of many examples
is Matthew Militello, Wells Fargo Distinguished Professor
in Educational Leadership at East Carolina University,
who will serve as a CIRCLE associate director; he
plans to host regional and national community learning
exchanges to involve community stakeholders more
directly in the work of the center.
Kristen Cuthrell, chair of the
Department of Education and Human
Development, will serve as director
of the Center for Innovative Rural
Collaborative Leadership Education
(CIRCLE), which will involve faculty
from Clemson University and partner
institutions, including East Carolina
University, Kansas State University and North Carolina
State University.
CIRCLE at Clemson will continue the work of University
Council for Educational Administration (UCEA)’s first rural
center hosted by faculty at the University of ColoradoDenver. The center began through practice-research
partnerships explicitly focused on the preparation and
practice of educational leaders in rural contexts with the
goal of improving learning opportunities and outcomes
for rural students across the country.
“Clemson University and our partners seek to continue
this mission to amplify rural voices and champion rural
educators through leadership training,” Cuthrell said. “We
also aim to disseminate the results of this partnership
so any educator or leader can lean into their practice,
expanding the strengths of their rural communities.”
By leveraging collaborative expertise in rural education
and research across all the institutions involved, CIRCLE
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“We are excited to support and partner with Clemson
University’s CIRCLE to expand and sustain researchpractice partnerships in rural spaces,” Militello said.
“We look forward to contributing to this important work
and strengthening rural educational leadership on a
national scale.”
CIRCLE leadership joining Cuthrell include:
Associate Director
Lisa Bass, Ph.D.,
Associate Professor at North Carolina State University
Associate Director
Karen Eppley, Ph.D.,
Professor of rural education and Director of the rural
education center at Kansas State University
Associate Director
Hans Klar, Ph.D.,
Professor and Chair of the Department of Educational
and Organizational Leadership Development at
Clemson University
Associate Director
Matthew Militello, Ph.D.,
Wells Fargo Distinguished Professor
in Educational Leadership at East Carolina University
