UGA Graduate School honors 2 College alumni

The University of Georgia Graduate School recently honored two College of Education graduates as "alumni of distinction."

R. Steve McCallum (PhD '79) and Alvetta P. Thomas (EdD '04) were among eight honored with the school's 2016 Alumni of Distinction Award. This award is for graduates who have achieved exceptional success in their professional careers and in service to their community. The awards were presented at a reception and dinner on Oct. 20.

McCallum, of Knoxville, Tennessee, is professor of school psychology in the department of educational psychology and counseling at the University of Tennessee, where he previously served as department head for 22 years. He has also served at the state and national level as an officer in school psychology organizations, and is the co-founder and consulting editor of the Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment. He is also a Fellow of the American Psychological Association.

Thomas, of Fayetteville, is the president of Atlanta Technical College. She was an educational specialist at the U.S. Department of Defense, teacher and curriculum specialist in the Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools, and an adjunct professor at Alabama State University. She has also received honors from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. House of Representatives, and was named one of Atlanta's 25 Most Influential Women.

The Graduate School Alumni of Distinction Awards were established in 2012. All graduate-level UGA alumni are eligible to be considered for the annual honor.