College of Education Pair Named Editors of Vocational Journal

by Hannah Chakan (June 2011)

University Park, Pa.—Two faculty members from Penn State’s College of Education, Rose M. Baker and David L. Passmore, will become co-editors of the International Journal of Vocational Education & Training on July 1, 2011. The pair has published in the journal before and was selected as the next editing team over several competing organizations.

“We were selected because we bring substantial research and editorial experience to bear on the work of editing the Journal,” said Passmore, who will be co-editing the 20th volume of the publication.

Baker and Passmore have worked together on countless research projects through the Workforce Education and Development program at Penn State. They have presented their research at meetings of the International Vocational Education & Training Association (IVETA) in Hong Kong, Ireland, and Jamaica. IVETA is the organization that publishes the Journal and selected the new editors.

“The work of a journal editor is long and difficult,” Passmore said, “but we are looking forward to working behind the scenes to help our authors make contributions to knowledge and practice in vocational education and training.”

Baker is an assistant professor of education in the Workforce Education and Development program at Penn State. She will become research associate in the Office of Associate Dean for Research, Outreach, and Technology starting on July 1. Baker earned a B.A. degree from Washington & Jefferson College and then an M.Ed. and Ph.D., both from Penn State. She has worked with many organizations, which include General Motors, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and the Pennsylvania Public School System.

Passmore is a professor of education in the Workforce Education and Development program at Penn State. He also holds an appointment as professor of operations research in the dual degree, intercollege Operations Research program and as director of Penn State’s Institute for Training & Development. Passmore earned a B.S. degree from State University College of New York at Buffalo, an M.Ed. from Bowling Green State University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. He has held positions at many institutions, which include the Harvard School of Public Health, National Technical Institute for the Deaf, University of Massachusetts, and University of Minnesota.

“We admire the Journal’s international mission and enjoy the diverse articles published in it,” Baker said, “especially as they inform readers about topics of importance for alleviating poverty and improving economic well-being in less developed countries.”

The purpose of the International Journal of Vocational Education & Training is to provide a forum for the discussion of vocational education and training issues and practices, to assist in the dissemination of information on research and practice, and to strengthen the lines of communication among individual researchers, practitioners, institutions, and organizations.