Brad Buck, the new director of the Iowa Department of Education, will speak about “priorities and initiatives” he’ll pursue in his role in a talk at the University of Iowa College of Education on Wednesday, Oct. 23.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Teacher Leader Center, 140 Lindquist Center North on the UI campus. It will be preceded with a welcome reception from 1:30 to 2 and followed by a question and answer session after Buck’s presentation.

Buck is a Cedar Rapids native who began his career in education in 1992 as a middle school science teacher. Before he was named director by Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad in August, Buck was superintendent of the Saydel Community School District in Des Moines. He has degrees from Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa.

College of Education Dean Nicholas Colangelo says he looks forward to interactions between Buck and education leaders and scholars at the UI, and to discussions about how the UI can work with the new leader.

“Those who know him describe him as a ‘doer’ and ‘collaborator,’” Colangelo says.

In a news release announcing Buck’s appointment, Branstad touted Buck’s knowledge of utilizing teacher leadership, which is a focus in Iowa’s current education reform efforts.

“He understands the importance of collaboration as educators and parents work together to assure students are prepared to compete in the global economy,” Branstad says in the release.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all UI-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to attend this event, contact Cristina Cardenas in advance at cristina-cardenas@uiowa.edu or 319-335-6111.