The College of Education and Health Professions has combined its field placement and teacher licensure services for education students at the University of Arkansas.

Leah Chamberlain, director of the new Office of Field Placement and Teacher Licensure, announced the hiring of Myra Haulmark as assistant director of the office. Chamberlain was hired in September 2012 to direct the field placement services for the college. She will continue that work while Haulmark, who began working Sept. 9 of this year, will primarily handle teacher licensure, but both will be able to assist students with either procedure.

“We are excited about the merging of these areas because we will be able to better serve students and faculty better,” Chamberlain said. “We will both be available to assist students with all necessary steps on the path to teacher certification.”

Some of the same processes – such as Praxis tests and background checks – are required for both procedures.

“We are looking forward to streamlining our policies and procedures and making the process more user-friendly,” Chamberlain said.

Haulmark formerly worked at Rogers State University in Claremore, Okla., where she spent 13 years as director of the Center for Teaching and Learning. She has a doctorate in educational administration from Oklahoma State University.

She also has a master’s degree in speech-language pathology from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Okla. She recently completed the licensure process after moving to Arkansas when she thought she might want to go back to work as a speech-language pathologist in a school setting.

“I had just gone through the process when I learned about this position so I knew it was something I was interested in,” Haulmark said.

The office provides field placement and licensure services not only to students in the College of Education and Health Professions but also to students in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences and the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Life and Food Sciences who plan to go into teaching.