After celebrating her 19th year of service to Hannibal-LaGrange University, Dr. Julie Jackson Albee, Division of Education Chair, Director of Assessment, Director of Teacher Education, and Distinguished Professor of Education, retired from full-time teaching at Hannibal-LaGrange University at the end of the 2022 academic year. She will be staying on in a part-time capacity in the education department and remain as Director of Assessment.
Dr. Melanie Smith, Dr. Albee’s colleague says, “Dr. Albee has enriched the lives of so many at HLGU and throughout the Hannibal community! She is an excellent teacher and leader who brings knowledge, passion, and a faithful servant’s heart to all she does. She shines brightest, however, when she is teaching and pointing others to Christ. Dr. Albee’s legacy of excellence will remain in the hearts and minds of all who have been privileged enough to learn from her or serve alongside her. She is a remarkable woman who makes everyone around her shine a little bit brighter. I am blessed to call her a mentor and friend.”
Dr. Albee earned her Bachelor degree in elementary education from Missouri Western State University, her Master’s degree in professional studies in education (Gifted Education) from Iowa State University, and her Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in higher order literacy (diagnosing and remediating reading problems) and urban and policy studies in higher education from University of Missouri-Kansas City.
She began teaching at HLGU in the fall of 2003 when God moved her family to Hannibal. “I have a passion for the Lord and for teaching and preparing future teachers for tomorrow’s classrooms,” says Dr. Albee. “It is so exciting to see God work in the lives of our students through answered prayers, and to watch them develop into effective classroom teachers! Christian teachers have the added privilege of seeking God’s insight and wisdom into the specific needs of their students.”
Dr. Albee has been awarded the Outstanding Faculty Member for 2003, Mortar Board Society at Northwest Missouri State University, Parkway Distinguished Professor from HLGU in 2009 and 2018, and Distinguished Professor of Education from HLGU in 2020. She is only the second HLGU professor to receive the distinguished professor title. This title is awarded to HLGU professors who have achieved excellence and made significant contributions in their field. HLGU highlights this placement as, “an honor bestowed on a person by the University president and trustees,” not one that is applied for as other rank advancements are.
She has co-authored a Reading Diagnosis and Correction textbook, published numerous articles, served in consulting roles for area school districts, has been invited to speak in several areas of literacy, and actively participates in several professional organizations to remain current in the field of education.
She is a member of the International Literacy Association, and Professors of Literacy and Teacher Education, and she holds Missouri Teaching Certification in Elementary Education and K-12 Math.
“Dr. Albee’s knowledge about the field of education is so vast and she wants her students to be just as knowledgeable,” said Jacquelyn Salmons, a 2020 HLGU graduate of the early childhood education program. “You can always go to her with a question and she will help you find the answer. She truly cares about her students as people first and foremost. She starts every class session with prayer and genuinely cares about you outside of her classroom just as much as she cares for you in the classroom.”
Dr. Albee is the picture of Christ-like servanthood and leadership both inside and outside of Hannibal-LaGrange University. She is known for her personal and professional integrity as well as her passion to serve others. Her Christ-like character, dedication to all students, and her continuous extensive research beyond expectations exemplifies her value to the University, the future of education, and to kingdom building.
Dr. Albee is married to Mark, pastor of Edgewood Baptist Church. They have three grown children: Tim, who is in corporate business partnerships and lives in Kansas City, MO; Christina Argo (with son-in-law Jordan and grandchildren Morgan, Logan, Emma, and Ephraim), who is a licensed professional counselor in Arkadelphia, AR; and Ben (with wife Abby), who is a computer network engineer in Columbia, MO.
She enjoys serving the Lord as a pastor’s wife, VBS teacher, and ladies’ Bible study coordinator.