College of Education

Selcuk Acar, Ph.D., is an associate professor of educational psychology at the University of North Texas. He received his Ph.D. in Educational Psychology (with an emphasis in Gifted and Creative Education) from the University of Georgia. His primary area of research interest includes divergent thinking, assessment of creativity, and the education of the gifted and talented. Prior to UNT, Dr. Acar has worked at two different centers specialized in the field of creative education: Torrance Center for Creativity and Talent Development of University of Georgia, and the International Center for Studies in Creativity of SUNY Buffalo State. In addition to numerous book chapter and encyclopedia entries, Dr. Acar published over 50 peer-reviewed articles primarily on creativity. He has served as a PI in a 3-year grant by the Institute of Education Sciences to develop a new measure of original thinking called MOTES. He is currently serving as an Associate Editor at Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts and Journal of Creativity. He is also on the editorial board of Gifted Child Quarterly, Journal of Creative Behavior, Journal of Advanced Academics, and Creativity Research Journal. Dr. Acar is a recipient of APA Division 10’s 2022 Berlyne Award in recognition of outstanding research by an early career scholar and UNT College of Education’s 2021 Faculty Research Excellence Award. 

Dr. Anderson’s research program aims to promote positive youth development and social change in schools and mentoring programs. She studies the role of nonparental adult relationships in youth’s lives as an important interpersonal context during adolescence and emerging adulthood.  Her current work focuses on cultural humility and social justice supports for adults who work with youth in mentoring programs. She is also interested in advancing understanding of how adult mentors benefit and are changed by the experience of mentoring youth. Her work has been published in the American Journal of Community Psychology, Journal of Adolescent Research, and Development Psychology, among others.  

Prior to joining UNT, Dr. Anderson earned her Ph.D. in Community Psychology from DePaul University and was a postdoctoral fellow in the Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health at the University of Illinois Chicago. She earned an M.S. in Education from the Johns Hopkins University and B.A. in Psychology with concentrations in Child Development, and Gender & Women’s Studies from Oklahoma State University. She is currently a research board member of the National Mentoring Resource Center, a program of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

Dr. Veronica Baldwin (still publishing under Jones) earned her Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Texas A&M University in 2014. Before starting her career in higher education, she taught in various Texas K-12 school districts for more than 10 years as an English as a Second Language teacher. 

In 2014, Baldwin served as a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Texas at Austin and was a research team member for the Texas Education Consortium for Male Students of Color. She currently is faculty affiliate for Project M.A.L.E.S. — Mentoring to Achieve Latino Success — a research collaborative group dedicated to research on male students of color. In 2020, Dr. Baldwin received the award for Outstanding Junior Faculty Researcher for UNT’s College of Education

In the UNT higher education program, Jones teaches courses for masters and doctoral students, including risk management, proseminar and research seminar. Through her research, Dr. Baldwin explores topics such as male students of color, student engagement and activism, and rhetoric around equity and diversity issues. Her main research methodology is qualitative, and she utilizes frameworks such as critical discourse analysis and critical race theory to explore structures, policies and practices that influence underrepresented and marginalized student communities.

Brenda Barrio is an Associate Professor of Special Education — Critical Perspectives at the University of North Texas. Her research focuses on the areas of disproportionality of culturally and linguistically diverse students in special education, culturally responsive teaching, bilingual special education, and pre-/in-service teacher preparation. Dr. Barrio has more than 17 years of teaching experience including, graduate and undergraduate special education courses and K-5th bilingual and inclusive education in Texas. She is also the co-founder of the UNT ELEVAR and WSU ROAR post-secondary education programs for young adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and is the current President-Elect of the Council for Learning Disabilities.

Miriam C. Boesch, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Special Education. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and her Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Special Education with an emphasis in Severe Disabilities and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) from Purdue University. Her dissertation was awarded the College of Education Outstanding Dissertation Award. Her research focuses on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Specifically, she engages in AAC research to assess teacher preparation needs, compare strategies suitable for individuals with autism and complex communication needs, and reduce challenging behaviors. Dr. Boesch teaches courses pertaining to autism, intervention strategies, and behavior management. She is also the co-author of the book: Implementing Effective Augmentative and Alternative Communication Practices for Students with Complex Communication Needs: A Handbook for School-Based Practitioners. Dr. Boesch also publishes in peer-reviewed journals, presents at national and international conferences, and currently serves on the editorial board for the journals Communication Disorders Quarterly and TEACHING Exceptional Children. She is the recipient of the 2014 College of Education Junior Faculty Research Award and the 2017 College of Education Faculty Teaching Excellence Award from UNT.

Dana Booker holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology with a concentration in Human Development and Family Science from the University of North Texas. Specifically, Dana has researched child advocacy practices, multi-system collaborations around prevention and intervention, and parent-centered education through her work at Prevent Child Abuse Texas. Her research interests also include working with military families and military systems to identify effective academic prevention strategies for youth. Dr. Booker has received evaluation training from the American Evaluation Association and worked as the program evaluator for the Texas chapter of the Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY). It was this opportunity that increased her passion for prevention and intervention work. Originally from Albuquerque, Dana received her B.A. in Psychology and M.S. in Educational Psychology from the University of New Mexico. Dana is married to her best friend and is a proud mom of three amazing boys.

Since coming to UNT in 1997, Dr. Bill Camp has contributed actively to the graduate programs in Educational Administration. His research interests include educational law and finance, and he teaches courses on various aspects of educational leadership. He also supervises interns in the public schools and directs doctoral dissertations. His bachelor's and master's degrees are both from Texas Tech University, and his doctorate is from Virginia Tech University. Prior to his work at UNT, he served as professor, chair, and acting associate dean at California State University. He also taught previously at Oklahoma State University and Texas Tech. Other educational experience includes serving as assistant superintendent of schools, high school principal, and high school science teacher.

Dr. Teresa Cardon is a dually certified SLP & a BCBA-D and has worked with learners with different abilities for over 25 years. Dr. Cardon is currently a Senior Lecturer at the University of North Texas. Her research interests include interprofessional education and practice, early intervention, video modeling, autism in the media, and collaboration bias. Dr. Cardon serves on editorial boards for prominent journals, volunteers in various capacities for professional organizations, and enjoys supporting educators and clinicians who work with unique populations.

Dr. Peggy Ceballos earned her Ph.D. in Counselor Education from the University of North Texas in 2008. She earned a Master in Education from Southeastern Louisiana University in 2002 and her Bachelor's from the University of New Orleans in 1999.

Dr. Chen engages in doing research and teaching in the area of quantitative methods. Her primary quantitative research interests include Growth Mixture Modeling (GMM), Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM), and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), and the application of these methods in longitudinal data analyses and mediation analysis. She is also interested in the application of these methods in educational and family-based data. Her interested substantive areas include children’s psychosocial functioning and self-regulation, school-based prevention, teacher-student relationship and peer relations, and the intersection of family and cultural contexts in shaping Asian American adolescent development.

Jason Chiang received his Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Science from Syracuse University, Master’s degree in Educational Psychology and Methodology from SUNY Albany, and Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from University of Toronto. As a first-generation Canadian and American, Dr. Chiang takes pride in his immigrant identity and actively participates in community activities. He is deeply in love with DFW area and everything Texas.

Informed by John Berry's ecological perspective and his work on acculturation strategies, Dr. Chiang's research involves investigating how familial, school, and cultural factors affect immigrant children’s capacity to cope with challenging educational and environmental situations and succeed.

Before moving to Texas, Dr. Chiang had previously taught at University of Akron as Assistant Professor of Instruction, and at Berkshire Community College as Assistant Professor of Psychology. He also worked briefly as a Head Start Administrator in California.

Sarah Deemer earned her BS and MS degrees from the University of Texas at El Paso and her PhD from Texas Woman’s University. Sarah then completed three years of postdoctoral training at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC). Sarah joined the faculty at UNT in the Fall of 2020. Sarah’s research interests include understanding of the role of exercise and/or nutrition on weight loss and equally important, weight loss maintenance. Specifically, she is interested in the role of the adipocyte and the adipose tissue depot in regulation of insulin sensitivity and metabolic health. Sarah’s research will aim to address the following questions: What important physiological changes occur in the adipocyte as a result of obesity and how does this influence adipocyte remodeling and metabolism, the efficacy of exercise and nutrition interventions for reversing the adverse changes in an “obese” adipocyte, and the integrative mechanisms that mediate the adverse changes associated with obesity and how exercise and nutritional supplements or dietary changes may favorably influence adipocyte metabolism and promote weight loss. Sarah’s additional research interests include the influence of omega-3 fatty acids on insulin sensitivity and adipocytokine production, as well as other nutrition- or exercise-related interventions aimed at reducing the risk of development of Type 2 diabetes and metabolic disease, particularly in minority populations.

Colleen McLean Eddy, Ed.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Teacher Education and Administration for mathematics education and curriculum & instruction. Her degrees include Ed.D. from Baylor University, M.Ed. from Tarleton State University and B.S. from University of Texas at Austin. Her scholarship focuses on herself as a mathematics teacher educator, mathematics teacher educators, preservice teachers, and practicing teachers that incorporates the rehumanizing of mathematics (Gutiérrez, 2013,2018) and equitable pathways in STEM education. Lesson study is one of the professional development tools that has transcended her research and grants. Her research has been supported by grants totaling over $5 million, including the NSF Robert Noyce Scholarship Grant for which she was the Principal Investigator.

Alex Fernandez MS, MPH, CSCS, CPH joined the University of North Texas as a lecturer in the fall of 2022. He earned his BS and MS in Kinesiology from the University of North Texas and his MPH from the University of North Texas Health Science Center. He is board-certified in Public Health through the National Board of Public Health Examiners and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Alex has work experience in clinical exercise physiology and research, public health programming, personal training, and fitness center management. He strives to bridge the gap between the classroom and practical application to best prepare students for their next steps professionally and academically. He has a passion for health and an innate drive to serve others in any way he can. He hopes to add value and serve as a resource to students and the UNT community. His interests are health and fitness, lifting weights, and learning new things.

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.

Donna Hickman is thrilled to be joining the UNT faculty as a Clinical Assistant Professor this fall. She was previously an Assistant Professor and coordinator of the school counseling program at Texas A&M University-Commerce. Donna is a Licensed Professional Counselor and certified school counselor in the state of Texas. She has 22 years of experience in Texas public schools as an elementary school teacher and counselor. She has also worked with children, adolescents, and adults in private practice. Donna is an active member of several professional counseling associations with presentations on topics such as research mentorship, sandtray therapy, and school counselor supervision. Her research interest areas include professional school counselor advocacy, graduate student mental health, and counselor self-care and wellness.

Jaret Hodges earned a master's degree at the University of Houston, doctorate at Purdue University, and was a postdoctoral researcher at Duke University. His research interests include underrepresented populations in gifted education, rural gifted education, and gifted education policy. He also has an interest in promoting open science practices and the use of computer programming in education research. 

Johnetta Hudson, Ph.D., is a visiting professor of education administration within the Department of Teacher Education and Administration at the University of North Texas. Her scholarship focuses on race, class, and gender issues in education. Within this broad area Hudson has published on women's leadership in a male-dominated culture and leadership for educating a diverse student population. A secondary area of interest is leadership development utilizing technology. Her degrees are from Kentucky State University (BA), University of Nebraska (MA) and Indiana State University (EdS and PhD).

As Vice Provost for Faculty Success, Holly M. Hutchins is responsible for providing strategic leadership to ensure transparent and equitable faulty-related academic policies, effective communication processes, diverse and inclusive learning opportunities, and prestigious faculty awards and recognition processes and events. Vice Provost Hutchins supports UNT’s diverse faculty resource groups, oversees faculty mentoring and developmental grants and initiatives, and leadership fellow programs within academic affairs. She coordinates with other academic affairs units to address faculty human resource issues and provides counsel on developing healthy, just, and sustainable workplace climates. Vice Provost Hutchins’ academic background is in human resource development where her focus has been on training transfer and faculty talent development. She is a proud UNT alumna and completed her Ph.D. in 2004.

Before returning to UNT as Vice Provost, she was professor and department chair at the University of Houston. Spanning her 17 years at UH, Vice Provost Hutchins garnered $4M in funded grants, published over 40 peer-reviewed articles in national and international journals, and has been featured in global media outlets such as NPR, the BBC, Psychology Today, and The Guardian for her work on imposter phenomenon among higher education faculty. Vice Provost Hutchins supports UNT’s HSI and MSI mission by leading and supporting efforts to attract, retain, and advance a thriving and diverse faculty community.

Dr. Jerraco Leontae Johnson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology, Health Promotion, and Recreation. An overarching theme of his research is health disparities among young, underserved children. Johnson's primary research aims are to develop and improve childhood health behaviors (i.e., fundamental motor skill competence, physical activity promotion) in young children from under-represented backgrounds. These children are highly at-risk for poor health trajectories (e.g., obesity, cardiovascular disease) and motor developmental delays. He specializes in implementing mastery motivational climate movement and health interventions in Preschool and Head Start settings, primarily for low-income children of color. A major emphasis of his research is on addressing and combating ethnic/racial, gender, and socioeconomic related disparities for this population. Justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) is an integral component of his research.During his graduate studies he was the recipient of several awards from the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA) including the Graduate Student Dissertation Research Grant, Outstanding Student Paper Award, and Graduate Student Award for International Conference Travel.

 Teo (Danielle) Keifert (she/they) is a learning scientist, researcher, educator, and assistant professor in the College of Education at the University of North Texas. Teo studies how young children orient to inquiry, and the sensemaking resources they draw upon during inquiry. These include resources like engaging in imaginative embodiment by acting like a creature with feet on the back of your head to explore anatomy, engaging in thought experiments like imagining standing in boiling water or becoming a water particle to explore states of matter, and even drawing to make sense of engineering challenges. They also examine the sensemaking practices of young children's families and explore how children may be constrained/supported to engage in those practices across home and school. Teo broadens forms of supported sensemaking through design-based research and professional learning partnerships; Teo has studied how mixed-reality technologies support young children’s sensemaking in science through play and embodiment (Science through Technology Enhanced Play, National Science Foundation grant, PIs Enyedy, Danish), how to support elementary teachers to design for transformational learning for all learners, including multilingual learners (Representations for Teachers as Learners project, McDonnell Foundation grant), and studies how to design for pre-service teachers to make sense of their past learning through the lenses of expansive socio-cultural theories to (re)envision new possibilities for their future students. Through this work they seek to broaden participation in science practices not just by including more individuals from marginalized communities in science, but also by expanding what counts as science. Teo earned her PhD from the Learning Sciences program at Northwestern University after five years as a middle math and science teacher and is the proud human of a rescue pup named Gracie. 

Lauren Kelly received her doctorate in HDFS/Forensic Science from Texas Tech University. She also completed training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center where she developed skills related to crime scene investigation, trauma-informed counseling, lie detection, victim advocacy and profiling. She also worked for a non-profit in New Mexico as a clinician assisting children who experienced the most severe forms of physical abuse, sexual abuse, and/or neglect. Dr. Kelly teaches family law and public policy, courtship and marriage, families in crisis and families, communities, schools. Dr. Kelly's research focuses on child abuse and outcomes, romantic relationships, sexism, forensic interviewing, and breastfeeding awareness.

Kyoung Jin Kim, Ph. D., is a clinical associate professor in the Department of Teacher Education and Administration. She received a Ph. D. in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Prior to joining UNT, she was an assistant professor at Arkansas State University, Ball State University, and Wheelock College. In addition, she was a Clinical Assistant Professor at Boston University. Her teaching in higher education has a wide range of both undergraduate and graduate courses including child development, principles of early childhood education, foundations in communication and collaboration with families, professionals, and communities, teaching, and curriculum in diverse early childhood settings, practicum courses, action research, nurturing children’s social competence, environmental processes, and assessment, learning with/from children, advanced studies in early childhood education, and documenting young children’s learning and development.  

All of her teaching experiences inspired her research. Providing a high-quality program for young children is her central interest. She researched program quality in education, teacher evaluation, teacher efficacy in working with diverse families, and professional development to assess teacher quality. Curriculum-wise, she examined many effective programs on different instructional approaches on diverse subject matters such as math, science, art, and critical literacy. Lastly, as diversity is another streamline of her research, she examined racial diversity through role-playing as well as reflected on her own experience as an immigrant mother and teacher educator focusing on diversity and working with immigrant children and families. Her scholarly works have been published in journals such as the International Journal of Early Childhood, Journal of Research in Early Childhood, Journal of Research in Early Childhood, Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, Early Childhood Development and Care, and Early Childhood Education.

Dr. Kimberly King is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Counseling and Higher Education Department. She is the clinic director over the Counseling and Human Development Center. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Supervisor in the state of Texas and a Registered Play Therapist. She is the president elect of Texas Association for Play Therapy. She has 20 years of experience as a counselor in the field, both in private practice and as a clinic director over 5 agency clinics before coming to UNT. She has presented nationally and internationally. Kimberly teaches the doctoral practicum, masters practicum, play therapy courses, group counseling, and counseling adolescents.

Queshonda Kudaisi joined the University of North Texas in the Fall of 2022 as an assistant professor of mathematics education in the Department of Teacher Education and Administration. Her degrees include a Ph.D. from the University of South Florida, an M.A.T from the University of South Florida and a B.S. from Southeastern University. Her research is composed of two strands of inquiry. The first strand focuses on social justice in mathematics education with particular attention is given to mathematics teacher educators', mathematics teachers', and mathematics teacher candidates’ development of the knowledge needed to teach mathematics for social justice. Her research interest in social justice mathematics stem from her experiences in title one schools as a mathematics teacher and an instructional mathematics coach. Dr. Kudaisi’s second strand of inquiry focuses on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning experiences that take place in informal learning environments such as after school and summer programs. Her research interest in informal STEM learning environments originated from her experience participating in after school STEM programs as a student and as an educational non-profit founder and director. Her research methods include the use of both quantitative and qualitative methods. Dr. Kudaisi’s 8 years’ experience within K-12 contexts include work in both private and public schools, work as a mathematics teacher, work as an instructional mathematics coach, and work as an education consultant. Dr. Kudaisi has presented at both state and national mathematics conferences and has served on the board of directors for several professional mathematics organizations.

Hyanghee Lee is an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of North Texas. She earned her Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Sciences at the University of Connecticut in 2018, following completion of her B.A. and M.A. in Child Development and Family Studies at Seoul National University in Seoul, South Korea. Prior to joining UNT, she completed two postdoctoral trainings, working with Dr. Kimberly Henry at Colorado State University (2018-2021), and then working with Drs. Greg Fosco and Mark Feinberg at the Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center at Pennsylvania State University (2021-2022). Her research program focuses on the impact of family dynamics on individual and family development trajectories. 

Dan Li is an Assistant Professor of Counseling at the University of North Texas. She earned her Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision (with a Minor in Applied Statistics) from the University of Iowa in 2018. She also holds a master’s degree in Professional School Counseling from Appalachian State University, which she obtained in 2014. Li is a National Certified Counselor and holds a license as a Professional School Counselor (NC).

Li’s overarching research agenda focuses on preparing counselors to enhance the total health and well-being of individuals across the lifespan while reducing mental health disparities in marginalized communities. This agenda comprises three main areas of inquiry: (a) relational dynamics of clinical supervision, (b) experiences of minoritized students and faculty in counseling, and (c) online teaching and learning in counseling.

Li is an interdisciplinary scholar who employs a versatile range of research methods, incorporating both innovative and traditional approaches. These methods include quantitative (e.g., Markov chain analysis, sequential analysis, structural equation modeling, meta-analysis, moderation, mediation, moderated mediation, hierarchical regression), qualitative (e.g., phenomenology, a hybrid approach of deductive and inductive thematic analysis), and mixed methods (e.g., case study, content analysis).

These scholarly endeavors have yielded significant outcomes, including over 25 peer-reviewed publications, 1 external grant (as a Co-PI for a $3.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education aimed at training school counselors and school-based mental health counselors to serve culturally and linguistically diverse student communities), 2 professional grants (as the sole PI), 1 internal grant (as the sole PI), the 2022 Publication in Counselor Education and Supervision Award (presented annually at the national level to one awardee), and the 2021 UNT College of Education Junior Faculty Research Award.

Ahou Vaziri Line joined the university as a Research Assistant Professor following completion of her Ph.D. from the University of North Texas. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified School Counselor, and a Registered Play Therapist. Ahou’s career began as a middle school English teacher where she grew passionate about the social and emotional needs of her students and their families, thus, she pivoted toward a career in mental health. Ahou’s clinical experience includes work in private practice, university clinical settings, school counseling, and providing play therapy within the schools. Ahou’s research interests include school-based mental health services, best practices in supporting parents in play therapy, clinical work with Middle Eastern children and families, as well as other multicultural implications of practice. Ahou is committed to research that is clinically focused and developing resources that improve clinical practice. 

Ruth McKoy Lowery, Ph.D., is Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Faculty Affairs in the College of Education. She is also  a professor in the Department of Teacher Education and Administration. Dr. Lowery’s research focuses on children’s literature, immigrant and multicultural literature, and the adaptation of immigrant and minority students at-risk of school failure, West Indian immigrants’ adjustment in American, Canadian, and British schools; and preparing teachers to teach diverse student populations. The definitive outcome of her research is to prepare preservice and in-service teachers to create a culturally responsive learning space for all children they will ultimately teach through diverse literature integration in their curriculum. Children’s literature is an important mode of communication and when utilized, stories have the power to break down walls as readers make cross-cultural connections. Her motto “Just read” encapsulates her love of books and belief in sharing great literature with readers of all ages. Dr. Lowery has more than 100 publications including seven books. She is vice-president of the Children's Literature Assembly of the National Council of Teachers of English. Prior to coming to UNT, Dr. Lowery served as Interim Chair and Associate Chair for the Department of Teaching and Learning in the College of Education and Human Ecology at the Ohio State University.

Scott Martin received his doctorate of philosophy degree in Physical Education with an emphasis in Sport and Exercise Psychology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He is a fellow of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, a member of the United States Olympic Committee's Sport Psychology Registry, and an invited member of the Texas Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke Partnership. His extensive knowledge in sport, physical fitness, and health psychology has provided him opportunities to interact with numerous coaches, athletes, musicians, military personnel, and business leaders about their performance. His research interests include examining attitudes toward and effectiveness of mental skills services, psychosocial factors associated with health-related fitness — cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition — and effective coaching behaviors and leadership styles. He has authored or co-authored more than 80 refereed professional articles, 10 non-refereed articles, five book chapters, and 200 presentations at state, national, and international conferences. Dr. Martin has received more than $2 million in funding from organizations such as the National Institutes of Health (Science Education Partnership Award), Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, National Association for Sport and Physical Education, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, The Cooper Institute, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, and Girls in the Game.

Doricka L. Menefee, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Teacher Education and Administration at the University of North Texas. She earned her doctorate degree from Ohio State University with a concentration in Adolescent and Post-Secondary Community Literacies. Dr. Menefee’s research focuses on Black girls’ Literacies including aspects of Black girls’ development of self through their engagement in literacy practices and events and their representation in young adult literature and media. She believes that literacy is more than reading and writing; it is an act and reflection of self.

Elizabeth Moore is a current literacy lecturer within the Department of Teacher Education and Administration. She received a B.A. in English and Plan II from University of Texas at Austin, a Master’s in Educational Policy from Marquette University, and is currently a UNT doctoral candidate specializing in Language and Literacy. She taught high school English in Milwaukee prior to pursuing her doctorate, and is a proud graduate of Dallas ISD. Moore’s research interests are situated at the intersection of literacy, language, and educational policy. She strives to cultivate justice-oriented pre-service teachers who are prepared to resist limited notions of language and literacy and foster the genius of their students. She lives in East Dallas with her dog, Maeby.

Rachel U. Mun is an Associate Professor at the University of North Texas in Educational Psychology. She received her Ph.D. in Education, Learning Sciences and Human Development from the University of Washington. She was also a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Connecticut with the National Center for Research on Gifted Education conducting research on identifying and serving underrepresented gifted learners. Her research interests are two tiered and best described as an intersection between culture, gifted education, and socioemotional well-being. At the micro-level, she explores socioemotional development and decision-making for high-ability students (emphasis on immigrants) within family, peer and academic contexts with the goal to promote well-being. At the macro-level, she examines ways to improve equitable identification and services for K-12 high-ability learners from diverse populations. She has published in Gifted Child Quarterly, Journal for the Education of the Gifted, Journal of Advanced Academics, Roeper Review and Parenting for High Potential.

Dr. Tiffany Newsome earned her Ed.D in Educational Leadership with a concentration in cultural foundations from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English with double minors in Education and American Ethnic Studies from Wake Forest University. Additionally, she earned her Master's in School Administration from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Before coming to UNT, she was an elementary school principal at Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools in North Carolina. She has also served as an elementary assistant principal, a middle school administrative intern, and a high school English teacher. Her passion is to help educators develop in their leadership capacity and lead as their authentic selves in whatever context they find themselves. She wholeheartedly believes that leadership is about people's lives! At UNT, she serves as a lecturer in the Teacher Education & Administration department in the College of Education. Her research interests include Educational Leadership Preparation, Principal Preparation, Social Justice Education, Faith & Sprituality, Black School Leadership, Career Preparation, and School Administration. When she is not teaching or coaching leaders, Dr. Newsome enjoys watching movies, playing board/card games, traveling internationally, and spending time with her friends and family. 

Ryan Olson joined the University of North Texas as an Assistant Professor in fall 2016. He received his B.S. in Kinesiology and Health Promotion from the University of Wyoming prior to completing his Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences at Rutgers University. His research interests center on the fields of Sport and Exercise Psychology, with an emphasis on implementing psychophysiological techniques, including electrocardiography and electroencephalography, to identify neural biomarkers of disease. Specifically, Olson focuses on the effects of acute and chronic exercise for improving neurocognitive function and mental health and examining neurocognitive deficits and autonomic function in at-risk populations, especially in concussed and obese individuals.

Pamela Peak earned her Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of North Texas. Dr. Peak has spent more than 30 years working in various capacities in area school districts, but all with students with special needs. Her research focuses on the development and use of educational assessments to reduce the disproportionality of culturally and linguistically diverse students in special education and pre-/in-service teacher preparation. She has developed widely used assessment instruments including the Test of Early Written Language, Third Edition (TEWL-3) and Young Children’s Achievement Test, Second Edition (YCAT-2).

Kelly Perez earned her M.Ed. from Northern Arizona University and worked as a teacher in a K-12 setting in her early career. Her passion for health and fitness led her to obtain her personal training, health coaching, and group exercise instructor certifications. She has taught various formats of fitness such as Pilates, HIIT, step, and indoor cycling for over two decades and worked with a variety of clients. Kelly earned her Master’s in Public Health (MPH) from the University of Arizona and worked in the Department of Health Sciences at Northern Arizona University for twelve years as a teacher and program coordinator. She developed course such as Healthy Lifestyles and Worksite Wellness and coordinated the FIT program which served over 6000 students annually.

Dr. Rachel Ranschaert centers both her teaching and research around justice-oriented teacher education. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and began her career as a middle school teacher in Arizona and Texas. She then went on to the University of Georgia, where she earned her Ph.D. in Educational Theory and Practice and her certificate in Interdisciplinary Qualitative Research. At the University of Georgia, she worked as a teacher educator in the Middle Grades Program.

Her research focuses on the intersection of justice-oriented teacher education and sociopolitical discourses surrounding schools as they manifest in policy, news media, and curriculum. She has also done work related to both middle grades education, school-university partnerships, and qualitative methodologies. Her work has been presented at numerous national and international conferences and  published in Educational Studies, School-University Partnerships, Middle School Journal, The Middle Grades Review, Journal of Media Literacy Education, and several books, most recently Progressive Neoliberalism in Education. Outside of teaching and research, she enjoys cooking, yoga, and reading fiction and poetry.

Anne N. Rinn, Ph.D. is Chair of the Department of Educational Psychology and Professor of Educational Psychology and Gifted Education. She has an undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Houston and a doctorate in Educational Psychology from Indiana University. Her research is related to the social and emotional experiences of gifted individuals and the psychosocial skills necessary for the development of academic talent. She has published around 100 journal articles and book chapters, as well as two textbooks: Social, Emotional, and Psychosocial Development of Gifted and Talented Individuals (Rinn, 2020) and From Giftedness to Gifted Education: Reflecting Theory in Practice (Plucker et al., 2017). She was co-editor of the Journal of Advanced Academics from 2017-2022.

Dr. Kevin Rogers recently retired as Superintendent of Lewisville ISD where he worked for 36 years – as classroom teacher, campus principal, assistant superintendent, Chief Operations Officer to Superintendent.  His goal was to provide new opportunities for students and teachers. Examples include new Elementary and Middle School STEM academies, PreK Discovery Academies, a Collegiate Academy at The Colony High School, and the creation of new Student Assistance Counselors.

Dr. Rogers believes school districts benefit from utilizing voices across the district, internal and external, to develop the district’s vision. He developed numerous community, staff, and student advisory groups to seek input and feedback. Under his leadership, the district launched its Four Cornerstones - Student Learning, Student Experience, Community Engagement, and Resource Stewardship which underscored his commitment to real innovation and limitless opportunity for students. His passion has always been to serve – especially students. 

He earned his Bachelor’s degree from North Texas State University (UNT), Master’s degree from TWU and doctorate from UNT.  In 2010, UNT named Rogers the Outstanding Doctoral Student in Educational Administration. Additional awards include Texas Computer Education Association’s State Administrator of the Year, as well as National PTA Lifetime Achievement Award (2015), Town of Flower Mound’s Citizen of the Year (2016), and Lewisville Citizen of the Year (2021). 

Dr. Rogers remains a strong voice for public education with local and regional superintendents.  He participated in important networks such as Future Ready Superintendent Learning Network and North Texas Visioning Consortium while also belonging to state-wide organizations like Fast Growth Schools and Texas Association of School Administrators.

Dr. Brenda Rubio’s research and policy agenda focuses on the development of critically conscious educational leadership and community-district-university partnerships. Among her current research, she examines learning spaces that promote the curricular recognition of alternative epistemologies and the development of pedagogies that foster students’ culture, language, and funds of knowledge. Her research explores the impact of community-anchored, ethnic studies curriculum on the educators themselves, their classroom practices, and their leadership development.

Her experience in educational research and program evaluation is primarily focused on K-12 but extends into higher education. She has conducted research with schools and providers that serve diverse student populations, including schools located in rural border towns and Indigenous pueblos as well as urban, Title 1 schools that primarily serve immigrant and refugee student populations. An essential part of her work as a participatory action researcher focuses on establishing collaborative partnerships across institutions and disciplines to leverage the existing knowledge and expertise found within these communities. Dr. Rubio is a first-generation immigrant and college graduate who proudly continues to serve diverse communities.

Nicole Sankofa is an Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of North Texas. She graduated from Spelman College with a double major in Psychology and Women's Studies and earned a PhD in Educational Psychology from The Ohio State University. She uses a transformativist paradigm and qualitative methodologies to examine the role of self-determination on adolescent/adult development, psychological well-being, and academic outcomes across school, work, and juvenile detention settings. Dr. Sankofa is the course steward for the sequence of qualitative doctoral courses in the Department of Educational Psychology.

Michael Siller, PhD, is a developmental psychologist studying how children with autism develop and learn. He is particularly interested in learning that occurs in familiar daily routines and natural environments. His research includes descriptive longitudinal studies to understand developmental mechanisms, intervention trials to determine efficacy, and implementation science to make evidence-based practices accessible to providers in the community. Dr. Siller published the first pair of longitudinal studies to show that responsive parental behaviors reliably predict the long-term (16-year) language gains in autistic children. He also completed two clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of Focused Playtime Intervention, a parent-coaching intervention aligned with the Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention (NDBI) framework. Further, Dr. Siller co-founded an inclusive, university-affiliated laboratory preschool focused on autism and developed professional development programs for community-based preschool teachers. As the Executive Director of the UNT Kristin Farmer Autism Center, Dr. Siller strives to integrate clinical and educational services, and aims to support the implementation of evidence-based practices in community settings. He envisions a world in which children with or at increased likelihood for autism can access interventions promptly and transition seamlessly between intense clinician-delivered interventions, inclusive educational settings, and supportive learning environments at home and in the community. Dr. Siller’s research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and numerous private foundations (e.g., Autism Speaks, The Far Fund, The Marcus Foundation). Dr. Siller co-edited the Springer Handbook of Parent Implemented Interventions for Very Young Children with Autism, and his articles have been published in leading journals.

Mario D. Sobrino, Ph.D., is a first-year assistant professor of counseling at the University of North Texas. As a Latinx clinical mental health counselor, he began his counseling career in 2019 at a community health organization in Orlando, FL, serving a diverse, low-SES chronic illness population of English and Spanish speakers. His dissertation focused on developing and validating a Spanish translation for the Forgiveness Reconciliation Inventory, a clinical tool used to evaluate whether interpersonal or intrapersonal forgiveness would benefit a client experiencing distress from a current or past relationship. Now with a PhD and graduate minor in applied statistics from the University of Mississippi, Mario contributes to the development of multilingual resources, multicultural competencies, and access to mental health services through his research and teaching agendas.

Valerie Stevenson began her education at the University of Memphis, where she started to develop a passion for sports science, Kinesiology and sports medicine. She continued her Master’s education at the University of Arkansas and received a terminal clinical doctorate from the University of Idaho.

As a practicing athletic trainer for more than 10 years, she developed a clinical practice philosophy that involves collecting patient specific outcomes of each patient interaction and basing my clinical decision making on evidence and individual patient needs. As a result of her personal clinical philosophy, she utilized the same approach in teaching both athletic training and pre-occupational therapy students.

Scholarly dissemination of her patient care outcomes has been a priority in her career, as her evidenced-based action research peer-reviewed published manuscripts will show. Using that knowledge and proficiency in research and manuscript composition has also allowed for mentorship opportunities with athletic training doctoral candidates as well as serving as an expert committee member for masters level student research. Her experience using several advanced practice manual therapy techniques in her patient care and her strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) certification both contribute to her clinical expertise in therapeutic intervention, rehabilitation and differential diagnosis.

Karthigeyan Subramaniam, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Science Education in the Department of Teacher Education and Administration at the University of North Texas where he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses focused on science teacher education. His scholarship focuses on preparation of elementary and secondary science teachers. Before coming to UNT in 2009, he was on the faculty of Penn State University-Harrisburg, where his position was in Elementary Teacher Education and Teaching and in the Curriculum Master’s Graduate Program. He has also been on the faculty of Adelphi University. His bachelor's degree is from the National University of Singapore, Republic of Singapore, his master's degree is from University of Florida, at Gainesville, and his doctoral degree is from the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.

Dr. Dalena Dillman Taylor is an Associate Professor at the University of North Texas. Her primary research interests include: advancement of Adlerian Play Therapy field towards evidence-based practice; counseling and educational services for high need children and families; and counselor development and supervision. Dr. Dillman Taylor has been active in the areas of research, teaching, and service. Dr. Dillman Taylor has over 40 scholarly works in refereed and/or peer-reviewed dissemination outlets. Dr. Dillman Taylor is the Co-Principal Investigator of Project Harmony (90FM0078-01-00), a five-year federally supported research grant awarded by the Office of Family Assistant. Project Harmony is a randomized control trial investigating the impact of a relationship education intervention on relationship satisfaction, individual distress, parental alliance, emotion regulation, and economic stability for individuals and couples from economically disadvantaged background. She is a certified child-centered play therapist supervisor, a certified child parent relationship therapist supervisor, and a trained Adlerian play therapist.

James Uanhoro is an assistant professor in the Research, Measurement and Statistics program in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of North Texas. He received his Ph.D. in 2021 in the Quantitative, Research, Evaluation and Measurement program in the Department of Educational Studies at Ohio State University.

Uanhoro's work focuses on the similarities between multilevel regression models and commonplace measurement models — structural equation models, classical test theory and item response models. Specifically, he attempts to leverage insights from both groups of models to better understand patterns in complex data analysis contexts. Underlying much of this work is Bayesian data analysis, which he also applies in research collaborations with social scientists. Finally, James has an interest in building easy-to-use statistical tools that allow researchers better understand patterns in their data, and better communicate insights from their studies.

Dr. Jakob Vingren received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Kinesiology from the University of North Texas before pursuing a Ph.D. in Kinesiology at the University of Connecticut (currently ranked the #1 doctoral program in the country). During his undergraduate education he was a walk-on on the UNT football team as a tight end and took part in the Developing Scholars Mentor Program within the College of Education. Dr. Vingren’s research interests include resistance exercise and the effect of alcohol on hormones, muscle and athletic performance. One of the more out of the ordinary research projects he has worked on included resistance training of chronically intoxicated rats.

Dr. Stephen Waddell, a former superintendent at Lewisville ISD, is a visiting professor in the Teacher Education and Administration Department.

Kinesiology Undergraduate Program Coordinator PhD 1986 - Texas Woman's University - Humanistic Foundations of Physical Education Specialization in Elementary Physical Education, Sociology of Sport, and Women in Sport Former Chair of the Sport Sociology Academy Former Southern District Representative to the Council on Physical Education for Children Former Editorial Board of Strategies: A Journal for Physical and Sport Educators Authored or Co-Authored 26 peer-reviewed papers, plus various other publications. Presented more than 50 papers at professional meetings. Research interests: Gender issues in sport across the lifespan, with a focus on media representation women in sport; Youth pedagogy

Dr. Lok-Sze Wong studies system reform policies as attempts to address systemic inequities. Drawing on education, sociocultural, and organization theories and mixed methods, her research unpacks how systems (re)produce inequities and how to humanely reform schools and districts as complex social systems. She focuses on professional learning opportunities that support teachers and administrators as they shift their practices while redesigning the very organizations in which they work. Dr. Wong began her career in education as an elementary school teacher in Los Angeles. Wong has a Ph.D. in Educational Administration and Policy from the University of Michigan.