The College of Education (COE) will be hosting three finalists for the dean position on campus the week of April 7. All faculty, staff, students and interested members of the community are welcome and encouraged to attend each of the finalist’s campus presentations and ask questions about their qualifications to lead the college. The campus presentations will be open to all campus constituents.
See the full search committee listing below.
Meet the Candidates
Joseph Wehrman | Monday, April 7
Joseph Wehrman, Ph.D. is a Professor and Interim Dean of the College of Education (COE) at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS). He is a former department chair in the Department of Counseling & Human Services (DCHS) and Faculty Director of the Counseling and Leadership Program, a specialized master’s degree program developed in partnership with the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA). For the academic year 2021-22 he served as a Visiting Professor at USAFA in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership. Additionally, in 2015, he served as the Interim Dean of the COE and Acting Dean in the summer of 2022. He is a former Army Medical Service Corps Officer and a combat veteran. Prior to coming to UCCS, he was a faculty member at The Citadel Military College of South Carolina. He earned his doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision from The University of South Dakota.
Dr. Wehrman is an Emeritus Director of the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) and Affiliates Board. NBCC is a national and international credentialing body for mental health professionals with more than 65,000 credential holders worldwide. He served twice as a visiting faculty member at Universidad Iberoamericana Ciudad de México in Lomas de Santa Fe, Mexico and has provided humanitarian aid in the United States and internationally. Following the 2004 Asian Tsunami, he traveled to Sri Lanka to provide psychological first aid to children and train caregivers and local officials regarding the symptoms of child trauma. He aided victims of Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast region through the American Red Cross Disaster Mental Health Team.
Dr. Wehrman has worked in and/or traveled professionally to countries including China, Taiwan, Honduras, Kuwait, Iraq, Bhutan, Portugal, Malawi, South Africa, France, England, Canada, and Mexico. He has received several awards including: two South Dakota Board of Regents Technology Awards, South Dakota Counseling Association Outstanding Service Award, UCCS COE Outstanding Teaching Award, a UCCS COE Technology Award, and a UCCS COE Outstanding Service Award, DCHS Outstanding Student Mentor Award, and the UCCS Chancellor’s Award for overall excellence in areas such as teaching, research, and service.
- Campus Presentation Time and Location: Monday, April 7 from 8:45-9:45 a.m. in UC 303
- Campus Presentation recording
Submit a question for Joseph here
Evaluation Form due Tuesday, April 15 by 5 p.m.
Cynthia Chambers | Wednesday, April 9
Dr. Cynthia Chambers is a Professor of Special Education and serves as the Associate Dean of Academics & Educator Preparation at East Tennessee State University (ETSU). During her tenure as associate dean, she has led the institution through accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation earning the Frank Murray Leadership Recognition for Continuous Improvement. She has engaged faculty, staff, and partnering school districts in broadening licensure pathways that meet school’s needs and maintain the rigor expected within higher education. Chambers is widely respected for her ability to build teams, think creatively, and connect community needs with educational opportunities. Chambers has distinguished herself in the area of program development and has established a network of local, regional and national partnerships.
Chambers operates with a community-minded philosophy. Specifically, in her role as faculty, she promoted inclusive community-based programming for individuals with disabilities resulting in numerous honors including ETSU’s Distinguished Faculty in Service award and the Harold Love Outstanding Community Involvement Award from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. Chambers has maintained an active scholarly agenda including receiving grants at the local, state, and federal level. Most notably is her role as the Associate Director of the Vanderbilt Consortium LEND that provides enhanced interprofessional training to medical professionals and others who work with persons with disabilities. She is the Co-Principal Investigator for a personnel preparation grant to train speech language pathologists and special education teachers. In addition she serves as key personnel on two federal training grants aimed at future school administrators, school counselors, and special educators.
Chambers earned a Bachelor of Science in Special Education: Interrelated from Georgia College & State University, a Master of Education in Severe and Multiple Disabilities from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University and a doctorate (Ph.D) in Early Childhood Special Education from the University of Kansas.
- Campus Presentation Time and Location: Wednesday, April 9 from 8:45-9:45 a.m. in UC 302
- Campus Presentation Recording
Submit a question for Cynthia here
Evaluation Form due Tuesday, April 15 by 5 p.m.
Alonzo Flowers | Thursday, April 10
Dr. Alonzo M. Flowers III is a distinguished educator, researcher, and administrator dedicated to advancing equity, justice, and transformative leadership in higher education. Currently serving as Professor and Department Chair of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), Dr. Flowers brings a wealth of experience in fostering inclusive academic environments. Before joining UTSA, he made significant contributions as the inaugural Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice in the Graduate College at Drexel University, where he championed initiatives to support underrepresented scholars and integrate justice-oriented practices into graduate education. A proud product of Texas higher education, Dr. Flowers earned his B.A. in political science and multiculturalism from Texas State University, a master’s in higher education administration from UTSA, and a Ph.D. in higher education administration from Texas A&M University-College Station. His research focuses on critical issues in academia, including academic identity formation for men of color in STEM, faculty development, and the intersection of diversity and pedagogy. Recognized for his teaching excellence, he received Drexel University’s 2022 Teaching Excellence Award for Tenured Faculty. A prolific scholar, Dr. Flowers has authored 26 publications, three books, and 16 book chapters. His edited volume, Black Scholarship in a White Academy: Perseverance in the Face of Injustice (Hopkins Press), amplifies the voices of Black faculty navigating systemic barriers while offering actionable strategies for resilience and success. He is also finalizing an edited book on Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), centering practitioner experiences with “servingness” and belonging in higher education. Committed to institutional transformation, Dr. Flowers has led efforts to redesign graduate programs for accessibility, embed equity-centered curricula, and bridge disciplines to address societal challenges. His leadership philosophy centers on collaboration, community engagement, and bold innovation—principles he would bring to the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) as Dean of the College of Education. Driven by the belief that education can reshape society, Dr. Flowers envisions an academy where courage, purpose, and equity drive change. As he often affirms: “When we educate with courage and purpose, we don’t just change institutions—we change the world.” Through scholarship, leadership, and advocacy, he continues to inspire the next generation of educators and leaders to build a more just and inclusive future.
- Campus Presentation Time and Location: Thursday, April 10 from 8:45-9:45 a.m. in UC 303
- Campus Presentation Recording
Submit a question for Alonzo here
Evaluation Form due Tuesday, April 15 by 5 p.m.
Search Committee
Co-Chairs:
- Minette Church – Associate Dean, Letters, Arts, and Sciences
- Tabatha Farney – Associate Dean, Kramer Family Library
Committee Members:
- Chelsea Lawson – Teaching Professor, English (Faculty Assembly & Equity Advocate Representative)
- Kylie Rogalla – Assistant Professor, Counseling & Human Services (Faculty Assembly)
- Jeremy Anderson – Associate Director of Operations, Dining & Hospitality (Staff Council Representative)
- Patty Witkowsky – Associate Professor & Department Chair, Leadership, Research, and Foundations (COE Faculty Representative)
- Monica Yoo – Chair, Department of Teaching and Learning (COE Faculty Representative)
- Cory Gavitt – Associate Teaching Professor, Education (COE Faculty Representative)
- Lori Notestine – Associate Teaching Professor, Counseling & Human Services (COE Faculty Representative)
- Collin McAllister – Associate Professor w/ Tenure, Music (LAS Faculty Representative)
- Sarah Long – Assistant Dean & Director of Student Affairs (Staff Representative)
- Stacy Aldridge – District 12 Assistant Superintendent (Community Member)
- Sofi Cruz – Graduate Student, SAHE Master of Arts (Graduate Student Representative)