Sheri Lynn Voss, assistant professor and director of the B-12 Literacy program, was awarded the 2021-2022 William Eller Scholarship at the University at Buffalo in November 2021.

 

The $3,000 scholarship is awarded each year to an outstanding doctoral student in the Department of Learning and Instruction (LAI), with preference given to students pursing a degree in reading education. 

 

This scholarship fund was established in 1994 to honor Dr. William Eller, who served the department with distinction as professor and chair for 30 years and achieved international recognition as an expert in reading education. Eller’s accomplishments included election to the Reading Hall of Fame by the International Reading Association (now the International Literacy Association), establishing the reading education program at UB, and developing a wealth of instructional materials for teachers.

 

Voss's doctoral dissertation topic is "Exploring digital video reflection in the novice classroom." Her work is partly inspired by John Dewey who said, "We do not learn from experience; we learn from reflecting on experience;" and by Jean Clandinin's work on narrative inquiry about the collaborative benefits between researcher and participant.

 

Ultimately, Voss is researching what a first-year teacher’s video reflective practices can offer teacher educators about utilizing and designing video reflection in teacher prep programs for crossover into teaching careers. Voss's support is a next step in teacher education, as recognized by the Eller Scholarship, as a means to lead the way changing education for the better.