Divonna M. Stebick is the recipient of the Joseph R. Bailer Award from McDaniel College. She resides in Hanover, Pa.
The prestigious award, named for one of the college’s most highly respected career educators, is presented each year to a McDaniel College master’s degree recipient who has made a significant contribution to the field of education.
Stebick graduated with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1995. She earned a master’s degree in reading from McDaniel in 2000, where she later served as an adjunct literacy instructor and clinic mentor. She earned a Ph.D. from Union Institute and University in Cincinnati in 2009.
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An assistant professor of education at Gettysburg College, she teaches a wide range of literacy courses, serves on multiple faculty committees and mentors student teaching interns. She previously taught in public schools in Pittsburgh and Carroll County, Md.
Her research involves the innovative use of educational technology and social media. She has written for a number of scholarly publications and presented nationally, including for the International Reading Association, Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers and the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development.
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She co-authored “Comprehension Strategies for Your K-6 Classroom” with McDaniel alumna Joy M. Dain (2003), an adjunct faculty member at McDaniel. Stebick is also co-founder and education director of Enlightened Learning Center, a tutoring and educational services center for at-risk students and adults, in Hanover, Pa.
The Joseph R. Bailer Award was established by the family of Dr. Bailer, who died in 1974. Bailer was chair of the Education Department at McDaniel College, then Western Maryland College and also Director of its graduate program from 1949-1971. He was a primary contributor to the growth of the program and influenced the lives of hundreds of graduate students, many of whom have gone on to leadership roles in educational programs both in Maryland and beyond. In the spirit of dedication and professionalism, the Bailer Award is given annually to a former graduate of the master’s program who has subsequently made a significant contribution to the field of education. The award rotates among many of the graduate programs of the college.
For more information about McDaniel College, visit www.mcdaniel.edu.
