Southeast EDvolution Center's 'Makerspace' named for Smiths

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KFVS) - The Southeast Missouri University Foundation recently received a major monetary gift from Dr. Shelton "Butch" and Glenda Smith of St. Louis, Missouri, in support of the College of Education and Southeast's student teacher candidates.

Dr. Smith and his wife, Glenda, are both alumni of Southeast Missouri State and active supporters of their alma mater. Glenda is a retired counselor, special education director, and executive director of Student Services at Hillsboro R-3 Schools. Dr. Smith, director of Missouri Baptist University's Educational Leadership Programs, previously served as associate dean of students at Southeast and is currently president-elect of the Southeast Missouri University Foundation. He is past president of the Southeast Alumni Association and served for more than twenty years as an adjunct professor at the university. The couple also established the Shelton and Glenda Smith Trust Education Scholarship in 2014.

To honor the long-time service and philanthropy of the Smiths, the University christened the EDvolution Center's technology-learning laboratory in the Scully Building the "Dr. Shelton and Glenda Smith Family Makerspace."

The Makerspace area in the EDvolution Center is devoted to lesson creativity by providing education students with additional tools emphasizing science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

"This state-of-the-art space provides the tools and resources necessary to equip our teacher candidates to be effective educational leaders in their classrooms," said Dr. Diana Rogers-Adkinson, dean of Southeast's College of Education. "It is the learning laboratory for our students where they can learn how to design lessons using a variety of technology tools. Technologies like 3D printing, Lego robotics and Virtual Reality are pillar pieces of the Makerspace geared towards inspiring our teacher candidates to create informative, exciting and memorable lessons for the 21st century classroom."

"While it is easy to address today's issues, it is visionary to address the needs of tomorrow's future teachers, counselors and administrators," said Dr. Smith. "The is no better way for the University to prepare future teachers for life than by helping undergraduate and graduate students learn to make choices that improve the quality of their profession."

"Butch and Glenda have been longstanding friends of the University," said Bill Holland, vice president for University Advancement and executive director of the Southeast Missouri University Foundation. "Their generous gift exemplifies their dedication to the preparation of teachers now and tomorrow."

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