Education

Ph.D. University of Virginia, Curriculum and Instruction: Special Education

• Focus Areas: Literacy Instruction for the Struggling Learners, Using Active Learning Strategies to Enhance Student Engagement and Motivation & Behavior Management
• Doctoral Dissertation: Teaching Vocabulary to First Grade Students at Risk of Reading Difficulties through Repeated Shared Storybook Reading: A Comparison of Rich and Basic Instruction to Incidental Exposure

M.T. University of Virginia, Special Education

• Master’s Thesis: Teacher’s Attitudes Towards Mainstreaming/Inclusion

B.A. University of Virginia, Psychology

Professional Experience and Interests

• Professional Licensure (Virginia): K-12 Special Education (ID, LD, ED), Pk-4 Elementary Education & Administration and Supervision
• Taught students with high incidence disabilities in special education and inclusive classrooms in a rural setting with high percentage of diversity (SES, ELL & Special Education).
• Taught students in second and third grade in general education in a rural setting with high percentage of diversity (SES, ELL & Special Education).
• Served at the university level across a wide variety of contexts as Professor of Education, Coordinator of the Elementary Teacher Preparation Program, Coordinator of Middle School Teacher Preparation Program, Coordinator of Professional Studies Licensure Programs for the College of Graduate and Professional Studies, Chair of the College of Education and Human Services (CEHS) Curriculum Committee, Accreditation/Assessment Coordinator (CAEP), Member of College Graduate Curriculum Committee, Member of the Promotion & Tenure Committee, Member of the Professional Education Council (PEC), Member of the Liberal Studies Committee, and Member of Department Leadership Team
• Interests include the professional development of teachers/faculty, diverse learners, literacy instruction for struggling learners, active learning strategies and teacher education programs using practicum-embedded coursework, a coaching model and reflective practice theory

 Research

• Co-Investigator-Teacher Leadership Program, Grant through the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE)
• Re-imagining Teacher Education using Practicum-embedded Coursework, a Coaching Model and Reflective Practice Theory
• Use of a Literacy self-efficacy tool to be used within a Teacher Preparation Program

Program Involvement

• General Curriculum (K-12) and other EXED programs
• Professional & Continuing Education