Each year, the College of Education presents Distinguished Alumni Awards to celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of its graduates. This year, LaSonya L. Moore, EdD, and Caprice Edmond were recognized during the College of Education’s Distinguished Alumni Awards program on Thursday, May 5 at the College of Education on USF’s Tampa campus.
ST. PETERSBURG — A Pinellas County School Board member and a faculty member from the University of South Florida (USF) St. Petersburg campus were among those named as recipients of the USF College of Education’s 2022 Distinguished Alumni Awards.
Each year, the College of Education presents Distinguished Alumni Awards to celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of its graduates. Recipients are selected by a committee of College of Education faculty, staff, and administrators from nominations submitted by the USF community.
The recipients were recognized during the College of Education’s Distinguished Alumni Awards program on Thursday, May 5 at the College of Education on USF’s Tampa campus.
Dr. LaSonya L. Moore – Spirit of Partnership Alumni Award
LaSonya L. Moore, EdD, is a passionate and persistent social justice and equity change agent. She is driven by what she has coined “teacher/educator persistence,” the characteristics and attributes that enable urban educators to remain in high-poverty, low-performing schools. Moore’s research focuses on boundaries between sets of interdependent relationships, educational, social, economic, political, and cultural trends.
A two-time USF graduate, Dr. Moore received her bachelor’s degree in special education in 2003 and a master’s degree in educational leadership in 2007. She later went on to earn a Doctor of Education from the University of Central Florida.
As a faculty member at USF’s St. Petersburg campus, Moore teaches undergraduate and graduate education courses and provides service to K-12 schools by delivering speeches and professional and parental development workshops to students, teachers, assistant principals, principals, and district leaders.
Moore is a co-founder of the National Urban Special Education Leadership Network (NUSELNET), a national network of progressive educational leaders in the field of Special Education and Leadership. She is dedicated to improving the educational outcomes of all individuals, especially individuals with exceptionalities, while enhancing opportunities for those who teach, lead and work side-by-side with students daily.
Dr. Moore has received numerous awards and fellowships throughout her career:
- 2017 Florida Administrator of the Year Award, the 2018 College of Education Faculty Member of Service Award
- 2019-2020 McKnight Junior Faculty Development Fellowship by the Florida Education Foundation
- 2019 Florida Council for Exceptional Children Landis Stetler Award
- Council for Exceptional Children Division of International Special Education and Services (DISES) Spotlight Member Award
- Florida Council for Exceptional Children with Behavior Disorders Presidents Award.
Caprice Edmond – Young Educator Alumni Award
A lifelong resident of St. Petersburg, Caprice Edmond has served within the Pinellas County school district as a science coach and teacher. She currently serves as a board member with the school district, a role she was elected to in 2020. She is recognized as a Certified School Board Member by Florida School Boards Association.
Edmond is a three-time graduate of USF. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2010, a Master of Arts in Elementary Education in 2015, and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership in 2017.
Before being elected to the Pinellas County School Board, Edmond was a teacher and Guardian ad Litem for 10 years, advocating for children in the foster care system, becoming their champion at their schools, in court, and at their group homes.
Edmond has passionately given back to the education profession through many service roles, including serving as part of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) at numerous Pinellas County schools. She also served on the City of St. Petersburg’s Youth Development Grant Review Committee and the South St. Petersburg Community Redevelopment Area Advisory Committee.
She currently serves on the board of R’Club, Louise Graham Regeneration Center, Pinellas Community Alliance, Habitat for Humanity, Pinellas County Urban League, and other civic organizations.
