Elizabeth D. Phillips facts for kids
Elizabeth D. "Betty" Phillips (born Capaldi; around 1945 – September 23, 2017) was an important leader in American universities. She held many top jobs, like being a provost (a senior academic leader) at places like Arizona State University and the University of Florida. She helped these universities become better for students and teachers.
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Her School Days
Betty Phillips loved learning! She earned her first degree from the University of Rochester in 1965. Later, in 1969, she received her Ph.D. (a very high degree) in experimental psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. Psychology is the study of how people think and behave.
Her Career in Education
Betty Phillips started her career as a psychology professor at Purdue University. She even became the head of the psychology department there. She also helped lead Purdue's Graduate School.
Making Universities Better
At the University of Florida, Betty Phillips was a provost and a psychology professor. She was very good at helping the university get more money for research. She also helped create a new system to advise students. This new system made the graduation rate go up by seven percent! That means more students finished their degrees.
Later, she became a provost at the University at Buffalo, SUNY. Here, she helped make the university's money situation stable. This allowed them to hire more teachers and offer more scholarships. These changes made the student body better and more diverse. She also helped increase research at UB and supported new inventions.
From 2003 to 2006, Betty Phillips worked for the entire State University of New York system. She helped plan for the future and made sure all the universities worked well together.
Leading at Arizona State University
From 2006 to 2013, Betty Phillips was a top leader at Arizona State University (ASU). She was in charge of 23 colleges! At ASU, she worked hard to help more students stay in school and graduate.
She helped create a new way for students to get academic advice. This system used an online tool to help students plan their courses. This idea was based on a system she had worked on earlier at the University of Florida. Betty Phillips also helped ASU team up with another group to study how students learn important skills like critical thinking.
Her Research and Books
Betty Phillips was also a researcher. She studied how people learn and what motivates them, especially when it came to eating. She wrote over 65 articles and chapters for scientific journals. She also helped write three versions of a psychology textbook for beginners. Plus, she edited two books about the psychology of eating.
She also helped lead The Center for Measuring University Performance. This center looks at information about universities. It offers a different way to understand how well universities are doing, instead of just using traditional rankings.
Awards and Recognition
Betty Phillips was a respected leader in psychology. She was once the president of the Association for Psychological Science. She was also chosen as a fellow in several important groups, like the American Psychological Association. This means she was recognized for her excellent work.
In 2000, she was honored by the University of Florida. In 2003, she received the Citizen of the Year award in New York State.
Her Passing
Betty Phillips passed away on September 23, 2017, at her home. She was 72 years old and had been battling brain cancer for a year.
