Terrill Saxon Appointed Interim Dean of Baylor’s School of Education

July 10, 2017
Terrill Saxon

Terrill F. Saxon, Ph.D., professor of educational psychology and associate dean for research and graduate education, has been appointed interim dean of the School of Education. (Meg Cullar/Baylor School of Education)

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WACO, Texas (July 10, 2017) – Baylor University Interim Provost Michael K. McLendon, Ph.D., has appointed Terrill F. Saxon, Ph.D., professor of educational psychology and associate dean for research and graduate education, as interim dean of the School of Education, effective immediately.

Saxon has served in several administrative roles in the School of Education, including stints as department chair in educational psychology from 2001 to 2008 and from 2015 to 2017 and as interim associate dean for academic affairs and faculty development from 2005 to 2006. He also directs the master’s programs in educational psychology.

“Terrill’s vast experience as a department chair and his excellent working relationships with faculty and staff throughout the School of Education will enable him to lead effectively at this important moment in the School’s history,” McLendon said. “He is keenly prepared to provide leadership for the wide-ranging initiatives in which the School is engaged. I know he will be warmly received by his fellow dean colleagues.”

“I am honored to serve Baylor’s School of Education and our students in the role of interim dean,” Saxon said. “The School of Education’s faculty are among the University’s most productive researchers and effective teachers; they and our dedicated staff represent the best of Baylor. We are eager to continue the work and develop the vision Interim Provost McLendon had for the School as dean.”

Saxon’s research interests include cross-cultural studies of youth, schooling, teachers and a variety of other education-related factors. He has published numerous articles in the area of child language development and the role played by parent-child interaction behaviors and other environmental influences in top journals, such as Child Development, Educational Psychology Review, Comparative Education Review and the Journal of School Psychology.

Saxon is co-principal investigator with Tamara Hodges, Ed.D., senior lecturer of educational psychology, for the EnAbled for College program, funded by a grant from the AT&T Foundation. The program provides one-on-one mentoring to disabled and at-risk high school students to encourage and enable them to pursue post-secondary education.

Saxon earned his B.A. in psychology and M.S. in educational psychology from Baylor and his Ph.D. in educational psychology at the University of Kansas. He completed post-doctoral work in KU’s Infant Cognition Center before joining the Baylor School of Education faculty in 1995.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 16,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.

ABOUT BAYLOR SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

Founded in 1919, Baylor School of Education ranks among the nation’s top 20 education schools located at private universities. The School’s research portfolio complements its long-standing commitment to excellence in teaching and student mentoring. Baylor’s undergraduate program in teacher education has earned national distinction for innovative partnerships with local schools that provide future teachers deep clinical preparation, while graduate programs culminating in both the Ed.D. and Ph.D. prepare outstanding leaders, teachers and clinicians through an intentional blend of theory and practice.