UMaine alum Jon Doty receives award from College of Education and Human Development
Jon Doty, assistant superintendent of RSU 34, the school district for Old Town, Alton and Bradley, received the inaugural Robert A. Cobb Award for Extraordinary Service to the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Maine. The award was presented at the college’s Pinning and Recognition Ceremony on Friday.
Doty received his bachelor’s degree in elementary education with a concentration in natural sciences from UMaine in 2000. He went on to earn three more degrees from the university: a master’s in education with a concentration in instructional technology in 2004; a certificate of advanced study in education with a focus on gifted and talented education and educational leadership in 2006; and a Doctor of Education in educational leadership in 2018.
He has served RSU 34 in a variety of roles, including technology education teacher; middle school math and science teacher; coordinator of gifted and talented services; director of curriculum, instruction and assessment; and currently assistant superintendent. Doty’s love of community and outdoors is reflected in his past work in Maine’s whitewater rafting industry, emergency medicine, directing youth summer camps and currently as a leader of the local Cub Scouts.
Among the initiatives that Doty has spearheaded is an educator accelerator program that engages preservice teachers from UMaine, Eastern Maine Community College, Husson University and the University of Maine at Augusta’s Bangor campus to work in RSU 34 schools as paraprofessionals and substitute teachers. Doty serves as president-elect of the Maine Curriculum Leaders Association and as treasurer of the Rural Futures Fund. He is also an adjunct instructor and regular classroom guest speaker at UMaine.
The Robert A. Cobb Award is named for the former dean of the College of Education and Human Development from 1977 to 2007. At the time of his retirement, he was the longest tenured dean of a college of education in the United States. Cobb passed away in 2022. Members of the Cobb family plan to be in attendance for the ceremony.