UVU Education Dean Accepts Emma Eccles Jones Endowed Chair in Early Childhood Education at Utah State University

Dr. Parker C. Fawson, Dean of Utah Valley University’s School of Education, has accepted the Emma Eccles Jones Endowed Chair in Early Education at Utah State University and will also serve as the University’s director of the Center for the School of the Future.

Fawson will continue to collaborate with the Utah State Office of Education, school districts, colleges of education across the state, and the Utah System of Higher Education. Dr. Vessela Ilieva, assistant dean of engagement at UVU’s School of Education, will serve as interim dean until a successor is selected.

“UVU has been heavily committed to improving teacher preparation within the state, and I plan to continue that collaborative effort in my new assignment,” Fawson said. “This will allow us to continue to build strong inter-institutional collaborations that will guide important educational outcomes in the state.”

Fawson joined UVU’s School of Education in 2013. Prior to UVU, he was the department chair and associate dean at the University of Kentucky and assistant dean at Utah State University. He engages regularly with teachers of at-risk readers in high poverty settings including schools in urban and rural environments. He is a sought-after speaker, an author, participates in many education-related associations, and is active in local and national education policy discussions.