Genelle Morris

1)    What is your current position and place of employment?

I am currently serving as the Superintendent of the Olean City School District in Olean, New York.  

2)    What path led you to attaining your current position?

Early on, my personal philosophy drew me to a career in education. I have always wanted to give back to my community and serve through education, in part because of my background. Specifically, I’ve always had an interest in educational research.  

3)    How did your education in GSE prepare you for this position?

My education in GSE gave me the tools to be successful. I was fortunate to study with a great group of educators. My instructors helped to hone my empirical and theoretical thinking and my colleagues served as resources and friends through the process. I use what we learned in classes all the time. For example, I use the policy option brief format that I learned with Dr. Stephen Jacobson.  

4)    What did you learn in your degree program that was the most beneficial?

I learned about the importance of relationships. In all of my degree programs, it was a common theme and I have used that to guide my work. For example, in my past role as Chief Accountability Officer/Chief Information Office for Buffalo Public Schools, my department focused on research and assessment, we utilized a participatory evaluation philosophy, where we ensured that we are engaging our teachers and staff as active partners throughout our research and evaluation process. Establishing these relationships with the school and district staff ensures that our research and assessment studies are focused on meeting the needs of our constituents while providing useable, valuable recommendations that can be used by the staff to improve outcomes.

5)    What was your favorite part or your most memorable experience during your degree program?

I’d like to say that the most incredible part of all of my programs at UB was the people. You meet incredible people in the program, educators who are constantly challenging, inspiring and surprising you. Another notable experience was simply taking advantage of the amazing amount of resources that are available at UB, specifically in education, research and networking within the profession.

6)    How have you impacted your local community through your work? In my role, we are very interactive with our community.

During my time in Buffalo, I worked with Say Yes, Promise Neighborhood, and Leadership Buffalo, as well as served on the alumni board for the GSE Alumni Association. I try to volunteer whenever needed to speak to classes in GSE.

7)    What accomplishments (e.g., awards, publications) have you achieved that demonstrate the work you do?

At my doctoral graduation, I earned the Delbert Mullens “Thinking Outside the Box” Award. For me, this is truly significant because it reflects the aspect of my educational approach and my professional life.

8)    What advice would you give to current students looking to enter your field?

My path was not a traditional path that most consider when thinking about the field of education, but it is one that is very rewarding.