College of Education

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.

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.

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.

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.

As administrative specialist, Marilyn works with faculty and students in the graduate programs for the Educational Leadership Master's degree and Principal as Instructional Leader Certificate.

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.

Natalee Foster joined the KFAC team in January 2020. She has had over 3 years of experience working with children in educational and clinical settings. Natalee received her bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of North Texas in August 2021 and will begin her Master’s in Behavior Analysis in the fall of 2022.

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.

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

Lindsey joined the KFAC team in June 2015 as a Behavior Technician and has served in many clinical roles through the years. She received her Bachelor's degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences from the University of North Texas (2015), her Master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis with an emphasis in Autism Spectrum Disorders from Ball State University (2019), and earned her Board Certified Behavior Analyst credential in 2020. She specializes in the implementation of behavior analytic programming for children and adolescents in the clinic and the community in training families to implement programming in the home. 

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.

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.

Jihyun Lee is an assistant professor in the Research, Measurement and Statistics program in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of North Texas. She earned her Ph.D. in 2022 in the Quantitative Methods program in the Educational Psychology department at the University of Texas at Austin.

Her research has been anchored in the overarching question, "How can we conduct valid quantitative research to investigate psychological and behavioral phenomena?" To address this question, she studies quantitative methods and statistical modeling used for research within the behavioral and social sciences, including education and psychology. Her specialized work in quantitative methods includes meta-analysis, missing data analysis, and latent variable modeling. 

In addition, she has actively collaborated with applied researchers in various research fields. Her work is intended to further enhance the quantitative research that investigates educational, psychological, clinical, and social issues.
 

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.

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.

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.

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.

Jo Monahan supports the information needs of the faculty and students of the College of Education, provides individual or group training on information resources, and supports grant writing efforts within the college.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

Karen Toussaint is an Assistant Professor of Behavior Analysis at the University of North Texas. Toussaint received her Ph.D. in School Psychology from Louisiana State University and completed a postdoctoral research appointment at the University of Nebraska Medical Center's Munroe-Meyer Institute. She provides behavioral intervention services for children with autism at the Kristin Farmer Autism Center and specializes in the treatment of severe behavior disorders and early language acquisition.

While at the Kristin Farmer Autism Center, she also conducts research evaluations related to improving clinical outcomes. Her research can be found in journals such as the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and Behavior Analysis in Practice. 

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.

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

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

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.