Four Spartans will receive the reinstated College of Education Alumni Awards in October 2024. The annual awards celebrate alums across the college for their significant contributions to their field, their communities, the college and the university.
“These alums represent a fraction of the incredible community of MSU College of Education graduates,” said Jerlando F. L. Jackson, dean and MSU Research Foundation Professor. “It is an honor to celebrate them and their meaningful and varied contributions.”
The awards are bestowed by the college’s Office of Development and Alumni Relations.
Read on to learn more about our honorees:
- Joy Efron, B.A. ’61 (Special Education – Visually Handicapped, and Elementary Education)
- Lauren Jasinski, STRCT ’12 (Secondary Teacher Certification) and M.A. ’18 (Teaching and Curriculum)
- Darrius Alexander Stanley, Ph.D. ’18 (K-12 Educational Administration)
- Lucas VanEtten, B.S. ’06 (Kinesiology)
Previous iterations of awards for College of Education graduates were given by the college’s Alumni Board. The last in this series of awards was given in 2011.
Joy Efron
Efron is a retired educator, administrator and advocate. Her career, which spanned more than 40 years, included roles as a teacher in public and specialty schools, such as the Michigan School for the Blind. She was also instrumental in local and statewide groupings dedicated to supporting all students, including her longstanding connections to the Educational Advisory Committee for the Braille Institute.
It is no surprise that Efron’s tireless advocacy across California and Michigan received several accolades throughout her career. Among her distinguished honors, Efron received the Humanitarian Award from the California Council of the Blind (2002), Irvin Schloss Advocacy Award from the American Foundation for the Blind (2003) and the Distinguished Member Award from the California Transcribers and Educators of the Visually Handicapped group (2004).
Prior to her retirement in 2004, Efron interviewed with Division for the Visually Impaired Quarterly. She reflected on the accomplishments of her career: “Despite [more than 20] years in administration and [several] years at the university level, I am a teacher!”
Lauren Jasinski
Jasinski is the civic education specialist for the Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy in Detroit. She is also a steering committee member and Michigan Education Association liaison for End Gun Violence Michigan.
Previously, Jasinski was a middle school and high school studies teacher at Oxford Public Schools (Michigan). Among her many efforts outside the classroom, Jasinski regularly advocated for and supported student and staff mental well-being at OPS. For example, she coordinated a program that supported ninth-graders in their transition to high school and was an active leader in a professional learning community that focused on student learning and achievement. She conducted mental health fairs and a program called “Wildcat Wellness,” which was eventually adopted by the entire district. Jasinski survived the tragic shooting at Oxford High School on November 30, 2021. The experience impacted her profoundly, leading her to her current career path.
“The College of Education and the Department of Teacher Education … strive to create educators that value diversity, equity, inclusion, civic awareness, media literacy, democratic participation and social justice,” wrote one individual who nominated Jasinski for the award. “[Lauren] has taught and modeled these tenets as an educator and citizen …. She represents the ideal Spartan teacher through her pedagogy, leadership, civic engagement and public policy advocacy.”
Darrius Alexander Stanley
Stanley is an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota’s College of Education and Human Development. In addition, he is a Carmen Starkson Campbell Endowed Fellow for Innovation in Teacher Development. Stanley joined the University of Minnesota in 2022.
Previously, he was an assistant professor at Western Carolina University (North Carolina). Outside of this role, he was instrumental in teacher professional development efforts. For example, he developed the Black Educator Excellence Cohort, a non-governmental organization, for a local city school district. In 2021, he earned a CoThinkk Community Leader Award. Since transitioning to Minnesota, Stanley has joined the Franklin Community Partnership Advisory Group and a committee for the Black Men Teach community group. Stanley is the editor of “#BlackEducatorsMatter: The Experiences of Black Teachers in an Anti-Black World (Race and Education)” (Harvard Education Press, 2024).
In a nomination letter, one individual wrote: “[He] is one of the most outstanding scholars who has graduated from our program. He is not only a dynamic scholar, but he is changing the field through his research and his commitments to the broader community. If MSU is known for ‘advancing the common good with uncommon will,’ then Dr. Darrius Stanley surely demonstrates why.”
Lucas VanEtten
VanEtten is the associate dean for college performance and professional learning at the MSU College of Nursing. VanEtten provides strategic planning leadership for tracking and trending how the college performs on key metrics linked to the college’s strategic plan and other primary initiatives. He also oversees the operations and manages modifications to the clinical skills lab.
VanEtten is a board-certified specialist in orthopaedic physical therapy and has a background in orthopaedic and sports medicine. Before joining MSU in 2023, VanEtten was the assistant chief of physical medicine and rehabilitation for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Florida. VanEtten has also held roles as a physical therapist, physical therapy manager and career coach, among other roles. In 2015, he received an Outstanding Physical Therapist award from the Ohio Physical Therapy Association.
In a nomination letter, one individual wrote: “[His] diverse educational experiences empowered him to make significant contributions across fields such as healthcare, leadership, mentorship and research, showcasing the transformative impact of his educational journey from the College of Education [and beyond]. Lucas’s journey from a standout graduate to a position of influence highlights the lasting impact of MSU’s educational offerings on individuals making significant contributions to their communities.”
If you would like to nominate an alum for the 2025 College of Education Alumni Awards cycle, please email cedalum@msu.edu for further information.