Trinity Western University welcomes Dr. Lara Ragpot as new Dean of the School of Education.
Trinity Western University is pleased to announce the appointment of Lara Ragpot, DEd as Dean of the School of Education, commencing August 16, 2022. Lara received her DEd Psych and MEd Psych in Educational Psychology from the University of Johannesburg in South Africa, and she is a Registered Educational Psychologist with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).
Recognized for teaching excellence
Nationally recognized in South Africa for teaching excellence, Dr. Ragpot was awarded a prize for Excellence in Teaching in Higher Education by the Council on Higher Education (CHE) and the Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of South Africa (HELTASA), an award commending exceptional teaching at the tertiary level across 53 national higher education institutions and universities in South Africa. In 2014, she won the Vice Chancellor’s Distinguished Award for Teaching Excellence at the University of Johannesburg, an award given to the best instructor across all four of the university’s campuses and over 50,000 students.
International research partnerships
Partnering internationally with the University of Helsinki (Finland) and the Universities of Potsdam and Duisburg-Essen in Germany, Dr. Ragpot studies young children’s math cognition and executive functioning in South Africa. Her research interests lie in childhood development and education, executive functioning in childhood, and children with exceptionalities. She helped launch the UJ Centre for Education Practice Research Cognition Lab, which focuses on the research of young children’s conceptual development to inform education in South Africa. A Research Associate at the University of Johannesburg, Dr. Ragpot continues to publish in the fields of social issues in education, childhood cognitive development, early mathematical cognition, the interface of neuroscience, psychology and pedagogy, and teacher education. In 2020, she won the OASIS Laureatus Award for the most highly cited manuscript of 2019 within the AOSIS Humanities and Social Sciences scholarly field.
Experienced in academic leadership
Dr. Ragpot is currently a full professor in TWU’s School of Education, serving as the Director of the Master of Arts in Educational Studies—Special Education (MAES—SPED), a role she has held since 2019. As director, she is responsible for program development and fostering academic partnerships between local K-12 schools and Trinity Western University. Additionally, Dr. Ragpot serves in multiple academic leadership capacities at TWU. A current member of the Faculty Association Executive Committee, the Faculty of Graduate Studies Director’s Council and the Graduate Academic Council, she works collaboratively with other leaders across campus to advance the work of the university.
Passion for the field of education
Reflecting on the depth of Dr. Ragpot’s professional experience, scholarship, passion for the field of education and Christian commitment, President Mark Husbands comments: “I am thrilled that Dr. Ragpot will be the new Dean of the School of Education at Trinity Western University. We are honoured to have such a remarkable individual in this position of strategic leadership for the university. Lara is uniquely equipped to use her exceptional gifts, experience, passion, leadership abilities and deep faith to advance key university priorities, including Indigenizing the curriculum, encouraging interdisciplinary collaborations, and developing a global and culturally inclusive perspective in education.” To which, President Husbands, added, “In her new role as dean, Dr. Ragpot will provide academic leadership in the School of Education by prioritizing the achievement of the university’s mission, core values, and vision through a commitment to high‐quality, Christ-centered, innovative and student‐focused learning experiences.”
A vision to 'teach, guide, and support each and every student towards a beautiful future'
Provost W. Robert Wood, remarks, “Since joining the TWU faculty just a few years ago, Dr. Ragpot has quickly demonstrated that she is a gifted faculty member with strong academic leadership potential. Dr. Ragpot brings a valuable mix of academic and professional experiences, as well as a caring approach to leadership. We are proud of what the TWU School of Education has achieved to date, and are excited to see what this next chapter in the life of the School will look like under Dr. Ragpot’s leadership.”
As she looks forward to her new role as dean, Dr. Ragpot expresses her appreciation for colleagues at TWU, “What I have learned is that I have colleagues at Trinity Western who serve God unconditionally, who are knowledgeable and most capable, who have an absolute positive regard for their students, and who work in a collegial manner as I have ever witnessed in all my years in post-secondary education.” She adds, "I am honoured and so thankful that I can walk alongside colleagues in the School of Education to teach, guide, and support each and every student towards a beautiful future. In the words of Jeremiah 29:11, I believe that God has plans to prosper us and not harm us and to give us hope and a future."
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Lara Ragpot as TWU’s Dean of the School of Education.
See also — Relationship as key to education: TWU's Dr. Lara Ragpot applies highlights from her research in South Africa to teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic
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About TWU's School of Education
The School of Education exists within the ethos of a Christian university of the liberal arts, sciences and professions. Faculty have advanced degrees in education and are actively involved in the profession. We are also engaged with the wider educational community through our investment in advancing educational research and educational practice that nurtures wisdom, compassion and care for all, integral ways of understanding and caring for the world, locally and globally, and transformation of learners and communities.
Learn more at TWU's School of Education.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is Canada’s premier global Christian liberal arts university. We are dedicated to equipping students to discover meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. Drawing upon the riches of the Christian tradition, seeking to unite faith and reason through teaching and scholarship, Trinity Western University is a degree-granting research institution offering liberal arts and sciences as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has four campuses and locations: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, and Ottawa. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.