College of Education

Dr. Stephanie Aguilar-Smith is an Assistant Professor of Counseling and Higher Education at the University of North Texas. She earned her Ph.D. in Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Administration and certificate in Chicano and Latino Studies from Michigan State University. She holds a Master’s in Public Administration, a B.A. in Journalism (Public Relations), and a B.A. in International Affairs from the University of Georgia.

Across her research, she broadly pursues the question: How might educational policies and practices be more equitable across the stratified and hierarchical system of U.S. higher education? A few of her specific research interests include Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Latinxs in higher education, and grant seeking and implementation in the collegiate context.

Before joining UNT, she worked at several research universities in a variety of areas including enrollment management, academic counseling, program development and evaluation, and writing center administration.

Cornelius Q. Anderson is an Assistant Professor of Practice in the Department of Teacher Education & Administration and the Director of Pathways for Future Teachers in the Educator Preparation Office at the University of North Texas (UNT).

Anderson has more than two decades of educational experience and has served in many roles—campus administrator, classroom teacher, district & campus support, and college instructor. His passion for teaching, leading, and learning has earned him recognition as “Principal of the Year” in 2015, “Turnaround Principal” in 2018, and “Educator of the Year” in 2021—in several school districts.

Anderson earned his bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies [Teacher Education] from Texas Woman’s University, a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from American College of Education, a post-graduate certificate in advanced educational leadership from Sam Houston State University, and currently completing his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership at UNT. In addition, he also holds Texas certifications in the areas of superintendent, principal, classroom teacher, and paraprofessional.

Chris Bailey PhD, CSCS*D, RSCC came to UNT in 2018 after spending 4 years at LaGrange College in GA where he served as an Assistant Professor, Strength and Conditioning Graduate Program Coordinator, and Sport Performance Lab Coordinator. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and a Registered Strength and Conditioning Coach through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

He completed his PhD in Sport Physiology and Performance at East Tennessee State University in 2014, where he served as the baseball strength and conditioning coach and sport scientist. Prior to his time at ETSU he worked as a minor league strength and conditioning coach in the San Diego Padres baseball organization for two years. He has also worked in private sports performance training with clients ranging from college prep athletes to professional football players.

He is an active member in the NSCA, currently serving as the NSCA Texas State Director and is also on the NSCA Membership Committee. He previously served as State Director for Georgia and Tennessee when living in those states.

His research focuses on athlete monitoring, quantitative analysis in sports, applied strength and conditioning, and bilateral strength asymmetry. He has published and has presented on the previously mentioned topics at the national and international level. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Athlete Monitoring, Biomechanics, Quantitative Analysis, Quantitative Procedures in Exercise and Sport Sciences, and Strength and Conditioning.

Elba Barahona, Ph.D., is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Teacher Education and Administration. She joined the faculty at the University of North Texas in the Fall of 2016. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in bilingual and English as a second language. 

Barahona earned her B.A. in Economics from the Central University of Ecuador, an M.A. in Teaching and an M.B.A. from Louisiana Tech University. Her prior experience includes work as a bilingual teacher at the Dallas Independent School District.

Barahona’s research interest includes bilingual education, curriculum and assessment for English learners, and instructional strategies in classrooms and schools that serve culturally linguistically diverse students. She earned her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, with specialization in Bilingual/ESL Education, from Texas A&M University at College Station.

Payton Birlew received her Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology with a concentration in Family Science from the University of North Texas in 2017. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Development and Family Studies with a concentration in Family and Community from the University of North Texas in 2015. Birlew is a Certified Family Life Educator and a certified facilitator of the Prepare/Enrich curriculum.

Birlew is the co-founder of Have & Hold Family Life Education where she provides secular, research-based premarital and relationship education to couples across the state of Texas. She is dedicated to modernizing relationship education by making it accessible and inclusive.

Her research interests include the experiences of nonreligious families (especially related to marriage and parenting), fostering inclusivity and accessibility in Family Life Education, and marriage and relationship education. Birlew has never met a HDFS course she didn’t love to teach and loves working with students as they discover all that HDFS has to offer.

Katherine Bomer is Professor of Practice in the Department of Teacher Education and Administration. Honored as the National Council of Teachers of English “Outstanding Elementary Educator” in 2017, she is the author of multiple books and articles about the teaching of writing and literacy for social justice. Her book, Hidden Gems: Naming and Teaching from the Brilliance in Every Student's Writing and accompanying DVD, “Starting with what Students Do Best” offer a transformative new approach to assessing and responding to student writing, even the most spare or difficult to understand. For a Better World: Reading and Writing for Social Action, co-authored with Randy Bomer, was built on research in her classrooms in New York City and Indiana of how young people take on projects to question equity in texts and use writing to advocate for fairness in their world.

Katherine taught graduate courses at Teachers College, Columbia University and at the University of Texas at Austin. Katherine began her career at Teachers College Reading and Writing Project with Lucy Calkins. For 10 years, she taught primary and intermediate grades, and her classrooms were featured in Annenberg video productions, and as demonstrations sites for many university programs. She consults nationally and internationally, presenting workshops in school districts as well as demonstrating and coaching inside K-12 classrooms about approaches to teaching reading and writing. As a frequent and popular keynote speaker, she combines a teacher's practical advice, a writer's love of language, and a powerful plea for social justice.

Lydia Caldwell is an Assistant Professor in Kinesiology and Health Promotion. She joined the faculty at the University of North Texas in the Fall of 2020. She earned her B.S. in Biology and M.S.E in Exercise Science from the University of Dayton prior to completing her Ph.D. in Kinesiology at The Ohio State University. During her doctorate studies, Caldwell was funded by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, where she supported research with the 711^th Human Performance Wing (AFRL) at Wright Patterson Air Force Base.

Dr. Caldwell’s primary research interests are centered around the physiology of exercise performance and recovery optimization. Her most current work has focused on the use of a novel recovery modality, flotation-restricted environmental stimulation therapy, to reduce biomarkers of stress and improve resiliency in military and athletic populations.

Dr. Mila Rosa Librea-Carden is originally from the Philippines and first came to the U.S. in 2013 as a fellow of Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching for International Teachers. She earned her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, with an emphasis in Science Education, from Kent State University. She also holds a master’s degree in biology from Ateneo De Manila University, Philippines. She taught high school biology at the Ateneo de Manila High School and served as director of graduate studies at the Far Eastern University in the Philippines. Before coming to UNT, she was a faculty associate and a science academic professional at Arizona State University. Her teaching and research agendas are interconnected, being grounded in strength-based teaching and focused on the learning and teaching of the nature of science. She is committed to pursuing scholarship that supports accessible and equitable science learning for diverse populations including students with special educational needs. 

Angie Cartwright earned a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice, Master of Arts in counseling, and a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision, all from Sam Houston State University. Upon graduation, she joined the counseling program faculty at Texas A&M University — Commerce as a tenure-track assistant professor, where she taught master’s and doctoral courses for three years. Dr. Cartwright’s research agenda addresses the success of children from absent-father homes, offender and addictions counseling issues, and mentorship in counselor education. She has published numerous peer-reviewed publications, international presentations/webinars, and a book chapter. Dr. Cartwright also brings several years of clinical experience as a Licensed Professional Counselor — Supervisor and a Licensed Sex Offender Treatment Provider in Texas. Dr. Cartwright’s clinical background includes work with incarcerated adults, civilly committed sexual offenders, and youth. She currently is the committee chair of the sex offender treatment and rehabilitation committee of the International Association of Addiction and Offender Counseling. In her free time, Dr. Cartwright enjoys reading and spending time with family and friends.

Cynthia K. Chandler, EdD, is a licensed professional counselor and a licensed marriage and family therapist in Texas and has been a professor in the counseling program, of the College of Education, at the University of North Texas since 1989. She has an international reputation for her work in animal-assisted interventions, which she began in 1999. For her work in the field of animal assisted therapy, Dr. Chandler received the 2016 Professional Development Award from the American Counseling Association, and received the 2009 Thelma Duffey Vision and Innovation Award from the Association for Creativity in Counseling. She is author of the award-winning book Animal-Assisted Therapy in Counseling, the 3^rd edition was published in 2017. She is also editor of the book published in 2018, Animal-Assisted Interventions for Emotional and Mental Health: Conversations with Pioneers of the Field. Dr. Chandler founded the ground-breaking model, human-animal relational theory, which serves as a guide for the practice of animal-assisted counseling. 

Andrew Colombo-Dougovito is an Associate Professor of Sport Pedagogy and Motor Behavior in the Department of Kinesiology, Health Promotion, and Recreation at University of North Texas. He serves as the Director of the UNT Physical Activity and Motor Skill program and Faculty Liaison to the Kristin Farmer Autism Center at UNT. Colombo-Dougovito's research focuses on understanding the motor abilities and development characteristics of individuals on the autism spectrum and how the development motor skills impact social and adaptive skill development, as well as physical activity participation across the lifespan. Through this research, he strives to develop intervention, assessment and teaching strategies to better improve the quality of physical activity participation of autistic individuals.

Eric Dafoe, Ph.D., Certified School Counselor, NCC, is a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of North Texas. His counseling experience includes serving as a family therapist at a Medicaid-funded community counseling clinic and as a school counselor at a K-8  school. His publications, presentations, and research agenda focus on expressive arts, school counseling, school-based mental health services, play therapy, and counselor supervision.

Dr. Duncan earned an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in the Urban Superintendency from the University of Southern California. He earned a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Bilingual Education (Spanish/English) from the University of Texas at Austin. He earned a B.A. in Liberal Studies from California State University, Long Beach. Before joining the faculty at UNT, Dr. Duncan served as Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership at Texas A&M University, Central Texas where he taught many of the courses in the Educational Leadership program. He was the primary professor for the principal practicum/internship for the Master’s degree in Educational Leadership with principal certification and also served a term as program coordinator. Prior to his work at A&M Central Texas, he taught as an adjunct professor for Wayland Baptist University and Concordia University teaching in their educational administration programs and the curriculum and instruction programs when needed. Dr. Duncan served as a mentor for teachers in early childhood programs through a state funded grant entitled Texas School Ready Resource Grant through the University of Texas Health Sciences Center. Prior to his work in higher education, Dr. Duncan served in K-12 administration as a middle school principal, elementary school principal and in central office administration as administrator of assessment and accountability and Coordinator of Curriculum Based Assessments. Prior to his work in administration Dr. Duncan served as a bilingual education teacher in grades 1-5.

Dr. Duncan is married to his wife of 39 years and has 2 sons and a daughter. He and his wife currently have their hands full keeping up with their young grandson. Hobbies include bowling and making music whenever the opportunity affords. We also enjoy going to movies as a family and grilling on holidays or other warm summer evenings.

Wesley Edwards is an assistant professor of Educational Leadership in the Department of Teacher Education and Administration at the University of North Texas. His research interests include teacher and school leader career trajectories, school organizational work environments, and the politics and policy of educational leadership. Dr. Edwards has published in journals such as Educational Policy, Teachers College Record, and Education Economics.

Edwards received a Bachelor’s degree in Education from the University of Texas at Austin, an M.A. in the Sociology of Education from New York University, and a Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Planning from the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to pursuing his Ph.D., he was a middle school math and science teacher and teacher leader in New York and Texas. 

Brittany Frieson, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Teacher Education and Administration at the University of North Texas, where she will begin in the fall of 2019. She earned her doctorate degree in 2019 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in Language & Literacy. Her research focuses on African American Language speakers in dual-language Spanish/english bilingual programs and how multilingual students utilize minoritized languages as a form of resistance towards dichotomous languaging rules in the classroom. As an educator, her mission is to cultivate critically conscious educators who rewrite the narrative on how minoritized languages can be a language of power in the language arts classroom, as well as unveil how institutions of schooling often operate to reinforce historical linguistic oppression among Students of Color. At UNT, she teaches literacy and elementary education courses in the undergraduate program. Prior to her arrival at UNT, she was a teacher in North Carolina at both the elementary and middle school levels. 

Ricardo González-Carriedo’s research interests include bilingual teacher preparation, the internationalization of teacher education programs, literacy development among second language learners, and the representation of Latino students in the media. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of León in Spain and a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from Arizona State University. Prior to his service at UNT, he worked at the University of Paris, France, for two years and was a secondary teacher in North Carolina and Arizona for 11 years.

Robin’s background is a bit of winding road, but one he considers divinely guided by God. His early background was in youth ministry with undergraduate majors in Biblical studies and psychology from Evangel University (Springfield, MO). This evolved into a focus on counseling and masters degrees in general and clinical psychology, and eventually LPC licensure. Robin then earned a PhD in educational psychology at Texas A&M University, and this led to his current research and teaching focus on statistics, measurement, and research methodology. The LPC licensure was latter allowed to lapse due to a focus on methodology, but Robin still periodically works with counseling applications. More recently, Robin has completed a doctor of ministry (DMin) degree from Liberty University with a cognate in expository preaching and teaching. Robin is married to an incredible woman and has two awesome, young adult kids. In his spare time, Robin enjoys outdoor activities and being involved at Midway Church.

David W. Hill is Regents Professor in the Department of Kinesiology, Health Promotion, and Recreation at the University of North Texas.  Dr. Hill earned his BA and BS at Southern Illinois University, MAPE at The University of Florida, and PhD at The University of Georgia.  He has served as a faculty member at UNT since 1988.

Catherine S. Howerter is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Educational Psychology. She earned her PhD in Special Education from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, her master’s in Educational Psychology from New York University, and my B.A. from Carlow University (Pittsburgh, PA) as a double major in Elementary and Special Education. She was an Associate Professor of Elementary and Special Education at Georgia Southern University. She taught in a K-5 resource room in Washington, D.C., and co-taught at the middle school level (6-8) in Brooklyn, NY. She was an Intervention Specialist at a middle/high school in Las Vegas. She has taught a variety of graduate and undergraduate courses and supervised teacher candidates at different levels. 

Darrell Hull received his PhD in Educational Psychology from Baylor University. He has been involved in STEM and STEM education for more than 20 years, as principal investigator for several NSF and U.S. Department of Education programs. During the last 10 years he has conducted research on positive youth development in the Caribbean, working in the Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and Belize were he has directed randomized trial studies and quasi-experimental trials focused on adolescents. Based on his work with Item Response Theory and Generalizability Theory, Dr. Hull teaches measurement in the Educational Research PhD program and is a frequent psychometric consultant to assessment organizations in the DFW area.

Tamara Iliff is a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of North Texas. Tamara earned a Ph.D. in Counseling from the University of North Texas, with a specialty in play therapy and psychoeducational assessment. Tamara is a Licensed Professional Counselor, National Certified Counselor and Registered Play Therapist.  Tamara’s clinical experience includes serving children and families in community mental health settings, university clinics, and school settings.  
 

Leslie Jones is a Clinical Professor and Co-Director of the Center for Play Therapy at the University of North Texas. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor and a Registered Play Therapist. Leslie teaches courses in play therapy, child appraisal, and clinical courses. Leslie has over 25 years of play therapy experience including teaching masters level courses, supervising counselors in training, and working with families and children in both community agency and school settings.

Dr. M. Jean Keller is a professor in the University of North Texas Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion and chair of the North Texas Regional P-16 Council. She recently served as the UNT interim vice president for community engagement and equity and diversity. She supported UNT Dallas as provost and vice chancellor as the institution transitioned to an independently accredited university in the UNT System. She served as dean of the College of Education at UNT for 15 years. Prior to her career at UNT, she was a department chair at the University of Georgia and a member of the faculty at Indiana University.

She has written or edited 11 books and 18 refereed chapters, and authored more than 100 articles. Dr. Keller has given more than 300 presentations in the United States and several countries. She was awarded more than $6 million of funding by external agencies for research and innovative projects. Dr. Keller is a fellow in the Academy of Leisure Sciences and the Academy of Park and Recreation Administration. She has received recognition for extensive work related to health disparities, persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and the North Texas Region P-16 Council, a regional, data-driven collaborative focused on education access and success for all students leading to meaningful employment and quality of life.

Nazia Khan is a senior lecturer in the department of Teacher Education and Administration. She earned her doctorate in science education and concentration in multicultural education from Hofstra University in New York in 2018. Her teaching experience includes Science education, STEM education, and best practices for underrepresented communities. She serves to coordinate optimal student experiences embedded in transformative education in social actions related to science and partnerships with community leaders. 

Khan's research focus is on understanding how to engage and support students and teachers of all communities in science and STEM education with an emphasis on growth mindset. Much of her interests in education are rooted in her experience teaching in New York City for 10 years in a NYC public schools and the City University of New York. Having taught students of all ages in ESL, Black and Latinx communities, Khan promotes and understands the importance of representation in STEM fields, which is a motivating factor of her teaching, research and scholarship.

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.

Daniel G. Krutka, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Social Studies Education in the Department of Teacher Education and Administration. A former high school social studies teacher in Oklahoma City, his research interests concerns intersections of technology, education, and democracy. Dr. Krutka has authored over 50 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. He was awarded the 2016 Early Career Award by the Technology as an Agent of Change in Teaching and Learning special interest group (SIG) of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and the 2017 Outstanding Research Paper Award from the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). He is past chair of the Social Studies Research SIG of AERA and a past board member for the College and University Faculty Assembly (CUFA) of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS). He also hosts the Visions of Education podcast (VisionsOfEd.com) and founded the Civics of Technology project (CivicsOfTechnology.org). He earned his doctorate from the University of Oklahoma.

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. 

Matthew Lemberger-Truelove is a Professor of Counseling and Higher Education at the University of North Texas. Dr. Lemberger-Truelove is the Editor of the Journal of Counseling and Development and the past Editor of the Journal of Humanistic Counseling. Also, he served as President of the Association for Humanistic Counseling and as the Senior Associate Editor for the Journal of Child and Adolescent Counseling. Dr. Lemberger-Truelove’s scholarship includes empirical and theoretical writing. His empirical work pertains to counseling practice with children and adolescents, especially in economically challenged K12 schools. His theoretical writings cover a number of areas such as the development of a unique school counseling theory, social justice philosophy, research design, and humanistic counseling. His empirical and theoretical work adhere to the basic supposition that counseling is optimal when counselors help cultivate various internal capacities of clients while simultaneously improving the social opportunities that affect their lives. 

Natalya A. Lindo, PhD, LPC is a Professor and Department Chair at the University of North Texas with 15 years of experience as a researcher and clinician with specialized training in working with children and families, diverse and at-risk populations. Dr. Lindo’s primary research areas are School-based Play Therapy, Child Parent Relationship Therapy, Teacher Child Relationship Building and Career Development across the lifespan. Consistent with this research agenda, Dr. Lindo regularly conducts action-research projects in the public schools related to Child Parent Relationship Therapy and Teacher Child Relationship Building. Most recently Dr. Lindo developed the Child and Adolescent Career Construction Interview aimed at improving self-concept, occupational identity and career adaptability. With a focus on capacity building, Dr. Lindo collaborates with administrators and school counselors to develop school-wide mental health initiatives targeting children who are at risk for school failure.

Christopher Long is an Assistant Professor of K-12 Science Education at the University of North Texas. 

Dr. Long earned his Bachelor of Science from Texas A&M - Commerce, a Master of Arts in Teaching in Science Education from the University of Texas – Dallas, and a Ph.D. in Science Education from Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia.

Dr. Long’s teaching experience includes 15 years of teaching middle-school science in the public schools and six years of teacher preparation at the collegiate level. Most of his teaching experience has been in diverse, Title I schools.

Dr. Long’s research is focused on studying learning environments and attitudes associated with learning and teaching of science, pre-service teachers’ conceptual understanding of science, and science teacher preparation. Dr. Long serves as an associate editor for the Electronic Journal of Research in Mathematics and Science Education as well as a reviewer for several other science education journals.

In his spare time, Dr. Long is an avid sports fan who can often be found cheering on the A&M-Commerce Lions and UNT Mean Green athletics. He also volunteers with a local non-profit that provides social learning opportunities for young adults with autism.

Professor Mansfield, an award-winning teacher and researcher, currently serves as The Mike Moses Endowed Chair in Educational Leadership. A first-generation college graduate, Mansfield has over 30 years’ experience as a teacher and administrator across the preschool to post-secondary pipeline. Mansfield completed her Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Planning at The University of Texas at Austin where she also earned additional graduate credentials in Women’s and Gender Studies. Mansfield’s research spans across primary, secondary, and tertiary education sectors (P-16) and centers on the intersection of social identities, politics, policy, and practice. For example, she has studied the disproportionality in school discipline, gifted education, and STEM as it relates to gender, race/ethnicity, class, and other identity complexities in schools. Mansfield has also studied the importance of mentoring women graduate students, especially those studying in historically male-dominated fields such as educational leadership and STEM. Mansfield is passionate about student voice and the importance of including students as educational leaders and policy actors in local, state, national, and global arenas. This work has been featured on National Public Radio and has taken her to 10 countries across 6 continents.

Brian McFarlin earned his BS and MS degrees at Texas Christian University and his PhD at Purdue University. After graduation, he completed a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Nutrition at Purdue University before becoming an Assistant Professor at The University of Houston. Dr. McFarlin joined the UNT faculty in the Fall of 2012. He is a Professor with tenure at the University of North Texas.

Dr. McFarlin’s research focuses on the use of natural products and exercise to reduce disease risk and improve muscle recovery following injury and strenuous training sessions. Since 2004, he has published more than 115 peer-reviewed articles and obtained more than $3.5 million in externally funded research grants. His research methodology expertise includes flow cytometry and multiplex analysis among other common biological techniques.

Dr. McFarlin is co-director of the University of North Texas’s Applied Physiology Laboratory. He is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and an editor for the journal METHODS. Dr. McFarlin was recognized as the 2019 UNT Teacher-Scholar and regularly teaches courses in Healthy Lifestyles, Sport Nutrition, and Exercise Physiology. He is considered an expert in the design and implementation of high-quality online and blended courses.

Dr. Wendy Middlemiss is a Professor in Educational Psychology at the University of North Texas. She earned her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology at Syracuse University in 1992. In her role at the University of North Texas, Dr. Middlemiss is principal investigator for the Home Instruction of Parents of Preschool Youngsters (Texas HIPPY), editor of Family Relations and graduate faculty with a concentration in Human Development and Family Sciences.

Dr. Karisma Morton is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education. Her research explores racial inequity in STEM education with a focus on mathematics education and has two strands of inquiry. In the first, she explores factors influencing racially minoritized students’ opportunities to learn rigorous mathematics through quantitative analyses of large-scale district and national datasets. In the second, she explores elementary preservice teachers’ ability to teach mathematics in equitable ways, particularly through the development of their critical racial consciousness. Findings from her research have been published in the Journal for Research in Mathematics Education and Educational Researcher.

Dr. Jessica Murdter-Atkinson is an Assistant Professor of Literacy Education at the University of North Texas. Previously, Jessi was an elementary school teacher in central Texas, working with students in grades Pre-K through fifth grade for fifteen years. More recently, she was an elementary instructional coach. Jessi earned her Bachelor, Master's, and Doctoral degrees from the University of Texas at Austin, with a focus on literacy studies. In her time at UT, she worked as a field supervisor, teaching assistant, assistant instructor, and graduate research assistant. Jessi's areas of research interest include early literacy, coaching and mentoring preservice teachers, and culturally sustaining approaches to literacy instruction.

Mayra Olivares-Urueta, Ph.D. works to remove institutional barriers and ensure the success of all students, especially historically marginalized and excluded populations. She comes to UNT after serving as associate professor of professional practice in the graduate Higher Education Leadership Program at Texas Christian University. Prior to that, Mayra worked as vice president for student development services at Tarrant County College-Northeast Campus. Dr. OU’s research and writing focus on removing barriers to executive leadership for Latina mothers in higher education, making college a family affair, and increasing access and success of Latinx students in higher education. In 2018 she was named an American Association of Women in Community Colleges 40 under 40 and in 2020 she became a fellow of the Aspen Institute’s Presidential Fellows program. She is immediate past-president of the Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education, member of the NASPA Latinx Task Force within the Community Colleges Division and a member of the Board of Directors for Camp Fire Texas. Dr. OU enjoys spending time with her family, running, and reading. 

Barbara L. Pazey is an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of North Texas, where she joined the faculty in 2017. She received her Ph.D. in Educational Administration with a specialization in Special Education Administration from The University of Texas at Austin, her Master of Arts in Music and Piano from The Ohio State University, her special education certification through the University of South Carolina and Francis Marion University, and a Bachelor of Music degree with a major in piano from Muskingum University. She has experience as a K-12 music teacher and special education teacher, musician and music director for several professional organizations, high school inclusion coordinator, high school principal, and higher education administrator.  

Pazey’s research centers on student voice as well as facilitating the empowerment of voice among individuals with multiple identities and generations,  inclusive education, equity-oriented leadership, and educational policy and reform. She interrogates the effects of educational policies and laws on the school experiences of marginalized student populations and examines how educational policies and reforms inform and impact the development of equity-oriented leaders and leadership preparation programs.

She actively participates in several professional organizations, serving as the representative for the UNT Teacher Education and Administration Department in the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate, Research Committee member for the Council for Administrators of Special Education, and a member of the Action Committee for the Leadership for Social Justice Special Interest Group (SIG) for the American Educational Research Association (AERA). 

Dr. Michelle Salazar Pérez is the Velma E. Schmidt Endowed Chair for Early Childhood Education & Professor of Early Childhood Studies at the University of North Texas. She uses women of color feminisms to inform her community collaborations, research, and pedagogy. These perspectives not only critically orient her work, but they also foreground the urgency to re-envision the field to support culturally sustaining praxis and programs for minoritized young children.

Dr. Pérez’s past and current scholarship addresses early childhood policy reform, historical and contemporary constructions of childhood/s, teacher education, and critical qualitative methodologies. Her work has been published in Teachers College Record, Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, Equity & Excellence in Education, the Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, Qualitative Inquiry, and Review of Research in Education. She has co-edited several special issues and books, including The SAGE Handbook of Global Childhoods.
 
Dr. Pérez earned her Ph.D. from Arizona State University and her master's and undergraduate degrees from Texas A&M University in College Station. Prior to her appointment at the University of North Texas, she was a tenured Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education at The University of Texas at Austin and New Mexico State University.

Angela M. Randall earned her Ph.D. in Reading Education at Auburn University. Dr. Randall's research interests include teachers' and students' knowledge of current high-quality children's books and the influence of teachers' attitudes toward reading on their students' attitudes. She has a profound love for children's books and is enthusiastic about exposing her students to the wonderful children's books available. Her elementary teaching experience includes teaching in grades 1 through 3 in Virginia, Texas, and Belgium.

Texas is that state I call home. I’ve spent most of my life in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area with brief stints in Nashville, TN & San Diego, CA. I was fortunate to gain my master’s degree in counseling at the very young age of 21 from Vanderbilt University. But it took many more years to actually figure out what counseling is really about. Although I originally specialized in adolescents in the school setting, I was introduced to play therapy as a doctoral student at the University of North Texas. My training and experience in play therapy has been the guiding force for my professional growth and focus. I believe that the Child-Centered approach to working with children is aligned with my humanistic beliefs that all people are working toward self-actualization. My research agenda focuses on the quantitative effectiveness of play therapy, with a specific interest in school settings. I am an active member of the Association for Play Therapy and focus my work on demonstrating efficacy and disseminating information on play therapy. As part of my role in the UNT Counseling Program, I am honored to direct the Center for Play Therapy on campus. On a personal note, I have been married for 18 years to my college sweetheart. We are busy raising two boys, Elijah & Noah, who take up any free time that we might spend developing hobbies. I actively volunteer in both of our elementary and middle schools.

Dr. Hyun Kyoung (Hyunny) Ro is Associate Professor of Counseling and Higher Education at the University of North Texas.  She earned a Ph.D. In Higher Education from The Pennsylvania State University with a minor in Educational Psychology—Applied Measurement.  Prior to that, she earned a master’s and baccalaureate degree at Korea University.  Prior to UNT, Dr. Ro and worked as a faculty member in the Department of Higher Education and Student Affairs at Bowling Green State University and worked as a Research Designer and Analyst in the Office of Institutional Research and Analysis at Carnegie Mellon University.  Her research expertise includes Gender and Racial Equity in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education; Learning Experiences and Outcomes among Marginalized Students; and Critical Quantitative Research and Assessment.  She received multiple external grants with a total amount of $1.1 million from the National Science Foundation (ADVANCE Adaptation Track grant for gender equity on campus) and AccessLex Institute/Association for Institutional Research (law school access and enrollment among women of color).  She has been the leading author on articles that were published peer-reviewed journals, such as Journal of Engineering Education, Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, International Journal of Gender, Science and Technology, Educational Policy, The Review of Higher Education, and Research in Higher Education.

Megan Rojo is an incoming Assistant Professor of Special Education in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of North Texas. Prior to her career in higher education, she taught in Texas public schools for nearly 10 years, as both a bilingual generalist and a mathematics intervention specialist. Rojo received her Ph.D. in Special Education with an emphasis in Learning Disabilities and Behavioral Disorders from the University of Texas at Austin followed by a post-doctoral fellowship at the Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk. Dr. Rojo’s research focuses on early interventions for students with or at risk of being diagnosed with a mathematics disability. Specifically, she is interested in developing and testing early algebra readiness and STEM interventions for elementary and middle school students. Dr. Rojo has expertise in research methodologies including randomized controlled trials, single-case research designs, and meta-analysis.

Dr. Anondah Saide is a developmental psychologist with a mixed-methods research approach. Dr. Saide’s research program spans two distinct but related areas. The first pertains to the complex interplay between culture and cognitive development. For example, Dr. Saide seeks to understand how family background influences children’s reasoning about religious (e.g., God), scientific (e.g., germs), and existential (e.g., death) concepts. By extension, Dr. Saide examines how cognitive biases may enhance or constrain the learning of cultural concepts.

The second area of her research program examines how cultural concepts become components of worldview commitments (e.g., political, religious, moral) in adulthood and the socioemotional correlates (e.g., anxiety) of those commitments. Dr. Saide's scholarship is committed to promoting transparency, diverse perspectives, and public engagement in the scientific process. Dr. Saide’s scholarship can be found in journals such as Cognitive Science, the British Journal of Developmental Psychology, the Journal of Cognition and Culture, and Frontiers in Psychology.

Melissa Savage earned her Ph.D. in Special Education from Purdue University in 2016. Prior to joining the faculty at UNT, Dr. Savage was an IES postdoctoral research associate at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and spent four years as a secondary Special Education teacher in Indiana. She holds degrees in both Special Education and Exercise Science. 

Her research focuses on the use of technology to increase engagement and independence in healthy behaviors and community participation for adults and transition-age youth with developmental disabilities. Along with mentor Kara A. Hume, Dr. Savage received a grant from the Organization from Autism Research for her Step It Up project, focusing on increasing physical activity for adults with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability. She has published in journals such as Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Research in Developmental Disabilities, Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, and TEACHING Exceptional Children. 

Victoria (Tori) Davis Smith is a Lecturer in Social Studies Education at the University of North Texas. She teaches undergraduate courses in elementary social studies methods. She works with preservice teachers to envision how the social studies classroom can exist as a context to empower youth to identify as vital contributors to their communities. She conducts qualitative research on humanizing education and student agency. Specifically, her research explores action civics pedagogy, antiracism, and classroom labor relations. Tori has presented at NCSS/CUFA and AERA, and she is a member of both organizations. She has published in journals such as Theory and Research in Social Education, Educational Studies, The Journal of Social Studies Research, Democracy & Education, and Citizenship Teaching & Learning. She received her M.Ed. + certification at the University of Texas at Austin and her Ph.D. from Baylor University. Before joining the faculty at the University of North Texas, Tori was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Alabama. Tori is from Texas and is passionate about serving teachers and students in her home state. 

Dr. Sprick is an integrative physiologist whose research program is broadly focused on understanding mechanisms of vascular dysfunction with disease and developing therapeutic strategies to improve vascular health. Specific research interests include cerebrovascular regulation in chronic kidney disease and the use of remote ischemic preconditioning to improve vascular health. Outside of work, he enjoys, cooking, being outdoors, and spending time with his family.  

Linda Stromberg, Ph.D., is the Program Chair of the Educational Administration Program, and she serves as Lead Advisor for the Master's In Educational Administration and the Principal Certification Programs. She teaches Introduction to Educational Administration, Instructional Leadership, and Professional Development and Supervision. Her interests include developing and implementing online and hybrid/blended courses. She is a certified trainer for Instructional Leadership Development (ILD) and Professional Development and Appraisal System of Texas (PDAS) appraiser training. She works with area Regional Service Centers and School Districts to coordinate off-campus courses for the doctoral and master's program. She serves on the advisory council for the Region 11 Ne Principals' Academy. Her prior experience includes work as a teacher, reading specialist, and instructional facilitator in the Dallas Independent School District and as a curriculum coordinator, and principal in the Carrollton Farmers Branch Independent School District. Her bachelor's degree is from West Texas State University (now Texas A & M University at Canyon), and her master's and doctoral degrees are from the University of North Texas.

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.

Uyen Tran-Parsons is a Principal Lecturer for the Higher Education Program. She earned a B.S. in Health Studies from Texas Woman's University, M.Ed. in Higher Education from University of North Texas, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education from Texas Tech University. Tran-Parsons teaches a variety of courses for the Higher Education Program including "Student Demographics," "Cultural Pluralism," and "Foundations of Student Development Administration." Her research interests are related to faculty-led study abroad, service learning, and the college experience of minoritized populations. Prior to teaching, she worked as a student affairs professional for 12 years in the functional areas of Academic Advising, Student Activities, Fraternity and Sorority Life, Women Student Services, and Multicultural Affairs at a variety of public Texas institutions. 

Amanda E. Vickery is the Associate Dean for Educator Preparation at the University of North Texas. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in elementary social studies methods. Her research focuses on how Black women teachers utilize experiential and community knowledge to reconceptualize the construct of citizenship. Additionally, she explores Black women as critical citizens within the U.S. civic narrative. Her scholarship has been published in Theory and Research in Social Education, Urban Education, Race, Ethnicity and Education, Curriculum Inquiry, Journal of Social Studies Research, Multicultural Perspectives, Gender and Education, The High School Journal, Social Studies Research and Practice, and The International Journal of Multicultural Education. Dr. Vickery is active in the social studies community serving on the Executive Board of the College and University Faculty Assembly (CUFA) of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) as the Social Justice Chair and board liaison to the Scholars of Color Faculty Forum of CUFA. She is also an Affiliate Faculty Board Member for the K-12 Black History Research Consortium for the Carter Center for K-12 Black History Education. Dr. Vickery is a former middle school social studies teacher.

Dr. Robert H. Voelkel, Jr. is an associate professor in the Department of Teacher Education and Administration. He earned his Ed.D. in Educational Leadership with a focus in social justice from the University of California, San Diego and California State University, San Marcos. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts with an emphasis in Education and a Master of Arts in Education with an emphasis in Curriculum and Instruction from San Diego State University. He is National Board Certified in English Language Arts (6th-10th grades). He is a scholar with over 20 years of experience as a practitioner, serving as an elementary and middle school teacher, middle school assistant principal, and middle school principal. His research interests include school reform, professional learning communities, teacher collective efficacy, school and district level leadership, and social justice. He is also interested in immersive simulations and their role in effective PLC teams and leadership development. Prior to his appointment at UNT, he was an assistant professor in northern Georgia. He also served in the United State Marine Corps for eight years.

Joseph Thomas Walker

Melissa Rojas Williams is an Assistant Professor of Bilingual Education at the University of North Texas. Her research interest focuses on centering and amplifying the knowledge production and experiences of Latina bilingual teachers in bilingual classrooms. Melissa’s research draws from intersectionality research methods. Her most recent research project explores how pre-service bilingual teachers utilize children's literature and critical historical inquiry to help build children's civic identities as they also reflect on their own civic identity, membership, and agency. 

Prior to joining UNT Denton, Melissa graduated with her Ph.D in Curriculum and Instruction from The University of Texas at Austin. While at UT, she had an opportunity to learn from the roles of instructor, researcher, and field supervisor. Having had ten years of teaching experience in a bilingual classroom in a public urban school district, Melissa is personally invested in the long-term mentoring of pre-service teachers in their journey of mental health and sustainability within the teaching profession. She is also committed to providing space for teacher education candidates and teachers to become more reflective and critical in their practice and creating classrooms that ensure safe spaces for all students.