Education Professor Guides Global Honor Society

VALDOSTA -- Mathematics Education Professor Peggy Moch is a transformative leader dedicated to educational achievement, student development and professional fellowship. Her humble, yet effective, leadership style is among the reasons International Honor Society Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) named Moch vice president of the 45,000-strong group committed to promoting excellence and advancing scholarship, leadership and service among educators.

Becoming vice president of the association’s Executive Council for the 2010-12 biennium was a natural step for Moch after serving two terms as chair of the society’s constitution and bylaws committee. Moch, who was inducted into KDP in 1994, has served as faculty counselor for Valdosta State’s Alpha Beta Kappa (ABK) Chapter since 2004. Under her leadership, VSU received recruitment awards at KDP’s international Convocation in 2007 and again in 2009.

“KDP has afforded me the opportunity to meet with and discuss important educational issues with top scholars in education,” said Moch, who was born and raised in northeast Iowa. “Likewise, it has given me the opportunity to work with the top education majors at my university, creating a bridge between theory and practice that will help them become strong educators and leaders.”

University Service

Moch, who joined the VSU faculty in 2002, helped establish the VSU chapter two years later. Since its induction, ABK has inducted nearly 500 students into the organization. Members have participated in a variety of service projects, from Habitat for Humanity to Project Teddy bear and Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. Most recently, student members are working with Dr. Tracy Woodard-Meyers, director of Women's and Gender Studies, to collect food supplies for the Hispanic Community Food Bank.

“The motto of Kappa Delta Pi is ‘Knowledge, Duty, and Power.’ I hope to raise awareness about our organization and recruit top-level students to become members,” said Moch, who earned her doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Central Florida. “I see my role as a member of the KDP Executive Board as championing excellence and thereby empowering members to strive for quality as leaders in education.”

Professional Connections

The former high school mathematics teacher said that her participation in KDP has made her a better educator -- more aware of the latest teaching theories and best practices. Moch said KDP is dedicated to providing faculty and students with access to top scholars and the most recent educational news and ideas.

“The best part about being a professor is helping students to have those ‘ah-ha’ moments. The look on students’ faces when they understand a concept they have been struggling with absolutely makes my day,” said Moch, who mostly teaches mathematics education courses to pre-service early childhood and middle grades education majors. “It is also a pleasure to work with the KDP students on campus. VSU should be proud of how the KDP officers represent our campus when they attend convocations.”

For more information about KDP and its mission, go to http://www.kdp.org/ .