Dr. Rossana Boyd holds a B. A. in Educational Administration from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras, a M.Ed. in Educational Supervision from Southeastern Louisiana University, and a Ph D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Louisiana State University. Her experience as an educator spans more than 30 years. In Honduras, she worked as an elementary school teacher and as principal of a bilingual school. She also worked as coordinator of a master’s degree in curriculum for the Universidad Pedagógica Nacional Francisco Morazán and as a consultant for the Provost’s Office of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras.

In the United States she worked in Louisiana as a high school Spanish teacher for Tangipahoa Parish Public Schools, as the Louisiana Department of Education’s Title VII Director for ESL/Bilingual Education. At Southeastern Louisiana University she worked as coordinator of FIE and FIPSE federal grants for the preparation of alternative certification teachers, as director of two Title III National Professional Development federal grants for the preparation of English as a Second Language teachers and to provide as professional development for mainstream teachers with emergent bilinguals in Lafayette, Tangipahoa, Livingston, St. Tammany, and Jefferson school districts.

She worked for the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) of Austin, Texas, as a program specialist in the field office of SECAC in New Orleans. In that role she provided technical assistance and professional development for language and mainstream teachers with emergent bilinguals and migrant students in AL, AR, LA, GA, and MS public schools. She is a lifetime member of the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) and has served on the executive board during several terms adding up to 12 years. She is a long-time member of the Teachers of English for Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), the Texas Association for Bilingual Education (TABE), and the Bilingual Education Association of the Metroplex (BEAM). 

Currently, Dr. Boyd is in her 16^th year at UNT as Principal Lecturer in the Department of Teacher Education and Administration.  She teaches courses for teacher preparation in English as a Second Language and Bilingual Education, and she is the director of the Title III National Professional Development Project SUCCESS in Language and Literacy Instruction.  She has awarded scholarships to numerous students with high financial need. Such aid has helped students complete their certifications and become gainfully employed in Texas classrooms and beyond.

Dr. Jeannette Ginther is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Teacher Education and Administration. She earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership from Dallas Baptist University in 2017, her masters in Literacy Education from the State University of New York at Cortland in 2002, and her bachelors in Elementary Education from the State University of New York at Geneseo in 1999. Dr. Ginther happily began her career as a middle school English Language Arts and Social Studies teacher in New York. After a decade of classroom teaching in both New York and Texas, she served as a reading instructional specialist, student achievement specialist, professional learning coordinator, educational consultant, field supervisor for student teachers, and an adjunct instructor before joining the faculty at UNT in 2017. Dr. Ginther was the 2019 recipient of the UNT Student Government Association's 'Fessor Graham Award for Outstanding Service to Students, as well as the June 2019 UNT Teaching Excellence Spotlight Award. Dr. Ginther also enjoys her role as a Faculty Co-Advisor for Kappa Delta Pi, UNT's Education Honor Society.

James Hoffman is a Professor of Language and Literacy at The University of North Texas and currently serves as the Meadows Chair for Excellence in Education. Dr. Hoffman is a former editor of The Reading Research Quarterly and The Yearbook of the National Reading Conference. He has served as President of the National Reading Conference and as a member of the Board of Directors of the International Reading Association. Dr. Hoffman was an affiliated scholar with both the National Reading Research Center and the Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement. He was elected to the Reading Hall of Fame in 2002 and served as President of this organization from 2008-2010. Dr. Hoffman served as the chair for the International Reading Association’s Commission and the “Prepared to Make a Difference” research project. He has been active in international literacy projects in Central American, Africa and Asia. This past year he was awarded the Oscar Causey lifetime achievement award for research in literacy by the Literacy Research Association. The primary focus for his research has been on teaching and teacher preparation. Dr. Hoffman has published more than 150 articles, books and chapters on literacy related topics.