PC’s Education Department will welcome three new professors to campus this fall. The education professors will continue PC’s longstanding tradition of preparing exceptional teachers for the classroom.

Janelle Dugger Bouknight will join PC as instructor of education and is a Ph.D. candidate in Theory and Practice in Teacher Education at the University of Tennessee. Bouknight has taught at the University of Tennessee and in the Greenville County school system.

Dr. Elizabeth Lilly will join PC as associate professor and chair of the department. Lilly received her Ph.D. in 1989 from Florida State University in Early Childhood Education and has served on the faculties of Valdosta State University, Appalachian State University, Berry College, Kennesaw State University, and—most recently—Mercer University.

Dr. Penelope J. Saurino will join PC as visiting assistant professor of education. After receiving her Doctor of Education degree from Boise State University in 2005, Saurino taught at Western Carolina University and Limestone College, where she was associate professor of elementary and middle grades education.

“I am confident that each of our new colleagues will bring new strengths as we expand our commitments to provide first-class teacher instruction to PC students and continue to enhance strong relationships with local school districts including Greenville, Laurens 55, and Laurens 56,” said PC provost, Dr. Don Raber.

PC’s Education Department offers five programs of study that are uniquely dedicated to prepare students for the education profession: early childhood education, elementary education, middle level education, secondary education, and music education. PC education majors enjoy an exceptional pass rate on national licensure exams. Approximately 95 percent of PC educators remain in the teaching profession after three years, as opposed to almost 50 percent of the teachers nationally who leave the profession after just three years.