Issue date: 2/1/07 Section: News

Media Credit: John Blackie President Cavanaugh (right) congratulates Joe Peters for a job well done.

Joseph Peters, chair of the Division of Teacher Education, was the University of West Florida Employee of the Month for January 2007.
The associate dean of the College of Professional Studies was nominated through the Excellence Matters Faculty and Staff Reward and Recognition Program that is designed to recognize the tremendous efforts and contributions that faculty and staff make to UWF.
"I was surprised," said Peters about his reaction to receiving the award. "I am very happy about it. But I also have really good people I work with, so they really are the ones who made it possible."
The Excellence Matters Program provides individual recognition for outstanding employee service and actions that exemplify UWF's core values, such as caring, integrity, quality, innovation, teamwork, stewardship and courage.
Peters, who has been working at UWF since 1990, said he came to Pensacola right after he earned a doctorate.
"Pensacola is a nice community to work in," he said. "I think that it's quickly moving into being a kind of environment that will attract people from around the nation, looking for the creative class to come here and start doing innovative jobs."
Peters said that one of his most recent accomplishments was to add an innovative online Teacher Education program to the University's offerings.
"There are many students who cannot afford to commute to campus, work full time, have family obligations in the early evenings or are part of military families deployed throughout the world," Peters said. "They would like to be able to pursue a teaching degree but need to do so in non-traditional ways."
Peters also said that his biggest challenge is trying to keep the program going in a competitive environment.
"I am a chairperson serving 34 outstanding full-time colleagues and 13 full-time staff associates in the Division of Teacher Education," he said. "As chair, I try to support our undergraduate teaching candidates in their pathway to graduation, so we can maintain the tremendous need for qualified teachers in the state."
In a news release posted on UWF's Web site, Don Chu, dean of the College of Professional Studies, said Peters represents the finest qualities of faculty and staff in the Division of Teacher Education and the College of Professional Studies.
"Selfless service, compassion and application of the highest intellect are what mark him as a model faculty member, division chair and associate dean," Chu said. "We are most fortunate to have Dr. Peters' talented and principled leadership at our service."
Peters said he advises his students to work hard and make the best of opportunities.
"I would like to thank President Cavanaugh for his vision of making us the best regional comprehensive university in the world," Peters said.

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