Continuing Studies’ Gigliotti receives board recognition

FROM RICE NEWS STAFF REPORTS

Jennifer Gigliotti was honored at the Sept. 22 Rice Board of Trustees meeting for her achievements at the Glasscock School of Continuing Studies, where she has been director of teacher professional development since March ’07. She received special recognition and a monetary award.

	JENNIFER GIGLIOTTI

Gigliotti has directed the summer Advanced Placement (AP) program for teachers — the largest such program in the country. She has also envisioned, designed and implemented a number of new programs, including a fall seminar for AP teachers to learn best practices; a spring workshop to help AP teachers ready their students for exams; a pre-AP institute for middle school science and teachers; and the nation’s first online AP courses for teachers.

She also initiated the 4×4 Science Symposium to help teachers in the region explore viable fourth-year science options for their curricula. Gigliotti designed a mentoring program for new teachers and a collaboration with the Independent Petroleum Association of America to provide teacher training for a new magnet program in Houston Independent School District. She created the Global Education Certificate Program, an online program that helps teacher in the U.S. and other countries build an international perspective into their teaching.

Gigliotti oversees the Glasscock School’s international baccalaureate programs and was recently named executive director of all the school’s K-12 programs — soon to be renamed the Center for College Readiness.

She won a million-dollar grant from the U.S. Department Education that supports the improvement of teaching American history in two local school districts.

‘That Jennifer continues to accomplish so much is remarkable,’ said Mary McIntire ’75, dean of the Glasscock School, who noted that Gigliotti earned a doctorate from the University of Houston while also working for the Glasscock School. ‘She is also the proud mother of two small children.’