| June 30, 2009 CONTACT: Dr. Eddie Henderson, 806-651-2603, ehenderson@wtamu.edu COPY BY: Rana McDonald, 806-651-2129, rmcdonald@wtamu.edu O'Brien Distinguished Chair in Education Announced CANYON, Texas—The John G. O’Brien Distinguished Chair in Education was established in 2008 as a collaborative partnership between West Texas A&M University and the Amarillo Independent School District (AISD), and this week Dr. Eddie Henderson, dean of the College of Education and Social Sciences, announced the position has been filled. “I am delighted to announce that Dr. Nancy Cartwright has accepted our offer of employment as an assistant professor of education and has been appointed the John G. O’Brien Distinguished Chair in Education,” he said. Cartwright will hold a joint appointment with WTAMU and AISD and will be responsible for facilitating the planning, execution and leadership of “The John G. O’Brien Professional Learning Community Development School Partnership.” The program will place prospective teachers in AISD classrooms while enrolled in education classes at WTAMU. The partnership will create a model for teacher preparation designed to prepare WTAMU students to successfully teach in today’s culturally diverse classrooms and will focus on the core principals and practices of professional learning communities which emphasize student learning, a culture of collaboration and a focus on results. The John G. O’Brien Distinguished Chair in Education was created by members of the John G. O’Brien family, the Amarillo Area Foundation and the Don and Sybil B. Harrington Foundation to honor the 91-year-old O’Brien and his dedication to public school education in the Texas Panhandle. The joint appointment will be funded through a $1.25 million endowment administered by the Amarillo Area Foundation with additional costs covered by WTAMU. Cartwright comes to WTAMU from Burien, Wash., where she served as executive director of learning, teaching and school programs for the Tukwila School District. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1968 from Quachita University in Arkadelphia, Ark., and a Masters in Education in 1988 from Whitworth College in Spokane, Wash. She holds a Ph.D. in leadership studies from Gonzaga University. —WTAMU— | 
