MITCHELL, Judy

The Arizona Daily Star, 5 July 2009 Judy Nichols Mitchell 70, dean of the Washington State University College of Education and a former resident of Tucson, passed away at her Pullman, Wash., home on June 26, 2009. Judy was born July 11, 1938 in Columbus, Ohio, to George and Odelia (Tebben) Nichols. She moved with her family as a child to Flint, Mich., where she grew up and graduated from St. Matthews High School. She earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan, then worked for Dow Corning, first in New York City and later in Midland, Mich., where she married Neil Mitchell. They lived in Brussels, Belgium, where their daughter Amy was born, later moving to Evanston, Ill., where their son Ian was born. After their divorce, Judy attended National College of Education, now called National-Louis University, where she received her master's degree. She then earned her PhD in Linguistics from Northwestern University. Judy moved to Tucson in 1976 when she joined the faculty at the University of Arizona and later became chair of the Department of Language, Reading and Culture. She took a leave of absence to serve as interim executive director of the Center for Excellence in Education at Northern Arizona University and then moved to Pullman in 1998 to become dean of the College of Education at Washington State University. Under her leadership, a number of undergraduate and graduate programs in the College grew in prominence, including statewide doctoral programs in educational leadership, teacher leadership and community college leadership. In 2005, the college dedicated an $11 million, 27,000-square-foot Education Addition, which was linked to existing college facilities. From 2004 to 2006 she was president of the Washington Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and from 2005 to 2007 she served as the president of the Council of Academic Deans from Research Education Institutions. She was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta Women's Fraternity and received its Distinguished Citizen Award in 2001 for her work in education. Judy is survived by her daughter, Amy and husband, Neal of Tucson; her son, Ian and wife, Julie of Evanston; a brother, George Nichols and her four grandchildren, Grace, Scott, Connor and Brendan. She was preceded in death by her parents. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at St. Cyril of Alexandria, 4725 E. Pima St., where Judy was a member when she lived in Tucson. Burial, immediately after the Mass, will be at Our Lady of the Desert Catholic Cemetery, with a reception to follow at La Mariposa, 1501 N. Houghton Rd. In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorials to the College of Education Dean's Excellence Fund through the WSU Foundation, P.O. Box 642114, Pullman, WA 99164. Arrangements in Tucson are being coordinated by ADAIR FUNERAL HOME.