Meet Our Professors: Dr. Tony Pellegrini, Elementary Education
Posted: March 24, 2017 | Author: Abigail Wyatt | Read Time: 2 minutes
Dr. Tony Pellegrini grew up on a farm digging ditches and growing wheat, beans and hay in Monticello, Utah. He didn’t know what he wanted to be when he grew up, but he knew he didn’t want it to involve more ditches.
In high school, Pellegrini enjoyed theater. When his drama teacher told him he could do whatever he put his mind to, he took her encouragement to heart. Enrolling at Utah State University and Brigham Young University for his theater education and administration degrees, Pellegrini went on to teach theatre, English and dance before becoming an elementary school principal for 12 years. He earned his Doctorate of Educational Leadership and Higher Education from the University of Nevada in 1992.
In 2002, Pellegrini was hired to teach at Southern Utah University and has been here ever since. He says he never imagined he’d become a professor at a university, a job that would allow him to prepare other education leaders and pass on his experience.
Pellegrini teaches the following classes:
- EDUC 2000 Exploring Education in Society
- EDUC 6020 Information & Technology in Education
- EDUC 6036 Leadership with Technology
- EDUC 6030 21 Century Research & Data
- EDUC 6650 MEd Thesis Proposal Wiring
- EDUC 6652 MEd Portfolio Writing
- EDUC 6895-99 Supervisory Capstone
Pellegrini says the most satisfying part of his job is when he sees the potential for growth in his students, and can be a small part of it. “As a high school teacher with 30 students, I had a very small lever,” said Pellegrini. “Now, as a university professor, I see the impact I have on my students and how that can carry on to impact their own students.”
Pellegrini is dedicated to ensuring his students have a quality educational experience. For his online courses, he uses a tool called Zoom to create an electronic classroom, maintain office hours, and share his computer screen with other students. He believes it is important to be easily accessible to his students.
When Pellegrini is not teaching, he’s spending time with his family and grandchildren. He loves to ride his four-wheeler to Brian Head with his wife to eat pizza, and to snow plow his neighbors’ driveways during winter months. All of his children have attended SUU, except for his youngest who just graduated high school. Pellegrini maintains a love for acting and enjoys attending the Utah Shakespeare Festival.
This article was published more than 3 years ago and might contain outdated information or broken links. As a result, its accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
Tags: Faculty College of Education and Human Development
