Alumna is new dean at Texas A&M college

A College of Education alumna has been named to a leadership position at Texas A&M University.

Joyce Alexander, ('90 MEd, '92 PhD) is now the dean of the College of Education and Human Development after years teaching at Indiana University-Bloomington.

After graduating from the University of Georgia with a doctorate in educational psychology, Alexander moved to Indiana, where she moved from faculty member to department head and, most recently, associate dean.

Her research interests focus on the development of self-regulated learning and science interests, and she is particularly interested in how children's early interests affect their later learning and school achievement.

Her former professor, Paula Schwanenflugel, a professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, recalls Alexander finishing her degrees quickly, within four years, and her work at UGA later found its way to a number of publications.

"She was my research assistant and she always managed to move the project forward white maintaining excellent quality," said Schwanenflugel. "Joyce was always practical in how she used her time. she was very goal-directed and was always able to juggle her obligations."