Bruna Canellas

Ph.D. Student

Bruna Canellas is from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She earned her B.Sc. in Marine Biology from Federal Fluminense University, but she fell in love with education since her first time entering a classroom. She earned her B.Ed. in Science Education and her Master's degree in Education from the same university. She has experience teaching in public and private schools in Brazil. Her academic interests are teachers' experiences of leadership, science education, and curriculum development.

Amy Christensen

Ph.D. Student

From Ashburn, Virginia, Amy earned a B.S in Elementary Education and M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Connecticut, where she also played Division I volleyball. She taught elementary school for six years in Alexandria and got a second Master's focusing on Literacy Leadership in Diverse Schools. Her research interests include how White teachers teach about race and racism, and how preservice teachers are prepared to teach about justice and equity.

Kenesma John

Ph.D. Student

Kenesma earned an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of St. Thomas, and is an experienced teacher with a demonstrated history of working in the primary education industry. Her research agenda is centered on Black Immigrants, Black Feminist Thought/Black Girlhood Studies, and Culturally Responsive Teaching/Learning. She ultimately hopes to become a university professor.

Melanie M. Acosta, Ph.D.

Doctoral Candidate

As a former classroom teacher I was seeking a Ph.D program that could offer me the opportunity to examine critical instructional issues within the context of a dynamic sociocultural context for the purpose of improving the social and material conditions of local communities. The Ph.D program in Teachers, Schools, and Society at the University of Florida enabled me to elevate my commitment and activism to the cause of equity and excellence in education by providing the supportive independence I needed to emerge as an engaged scholar.

Leah Powers

Doctoral Candidate

Born and raised in Kentucky, Leah's academic interests include comparative and international education, sociology of education, history, and gender studies. After serving as an English teacher in Madrid, Spain, she completed her master's at NYU. Her dissertation focuses on the women of the Armenian Genocide of 1915, examining the relationship between female representation, cultural collective memory, and non-formal education.

Will Atkins

Ph.D. Graduate

Graduated Spring 2022

From Tampa, Florida, Will earned a B.S. in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism from UF, and an M.A. in Higher Education Administration from University of Michigan. His research centered on the experiences and histories of Black students in higher education, collecting oral histories of Black women across the civil rights and Black power movements.

Erika Davis

Ph.D. Graduate

Graduated Spring 2023

Originally from Allentown, Pennsylvania, Erika earned a B.A. in Mathematics and M.Ed. in Secondary Mathematics Education from Lehigh University. Her interdisciplinary research includes content analyses rooted in Critical Race Theory and ethnographic studies of Latinx student experiences. Her dissertation examined how Latinx communities in small towns navigate racialized politics to advocate for educational resources.

Hank Samuels

Ph.D. Graduate

Graduated Spring 2024

From St. Augustine, FL, Hank received his B.A. in Elementary Education with a minor in African American Studies from UNC Chapel Hill and master's in Educational Leadership from Florida State University. As a former elementary school teacher, he's interested in the intersections of teacher education, creativity, and arts integration, specifically examining how educators can support the imagination-intellectual development of students.

Lauren Weisberg

Ph.D. Graduate

Graduated Spring 2024

Lauren earned her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, specializing in Teachers, Schools, and Society and Educational Technology. With a BFA from Syracuse University and teaching experience in visual arts and technology education, she conducted interdisciplinary research at the intersections of teacher education, educational technology, and equity/social justice pedagogy.

Bruna Canellas

Ph.D. Student

Bruna Canellas is from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She earned her B.Sc. in Marine Biology from Federal Fluminense University, but she fell in love with education since her first time entering a classroom. She earned her B.Ed. in Science Education and her Master's degree in Education from the same university. She has experience teaching in public and private schools in Brazil. Her academic interests are teachers' experiences of leadership, science education, and curriculum development.

Amy Christensen

Ph.D. Student

From Ashburn, Virginia, Amy earned a B.S in Elementary Education and M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Connecticut, where she also played Division I volleyball. She taught elementary school for six years in Alexandria and got a second Master's focusing on Literacy Leadership in Diverse Schools. Her research interests include how White teachers teach about race and racism, and how preservice teachers are prepared to teach about justice and equity.

Kenesma John

Ph.D. Student

Kenesma earned an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of St. Thomas, and is an experienced teacher with a demonstrated history of working in the primary education industry. Her research agenda is centered on Black Immigrants, Black Feminist Thought/Black Girlhood Studies, and Culturally Responsive Teaching/Learning. She ultimately hopes to become a university professor.

Ebonie Bennett

Doctoral Candidate

Originally from Miami, Florida, Ebonie is a Triple Florida Gator with academic interests including Black Critical Theory, Critical Autoethnography, and Teacher Education. Her five-year tenure as an educator was dedicated to cultivating joyous, intellectually rigorous, and affirming classroom experiences. She's completing her dissertation on critical autoethnographic exploration of anti-blackness within education, aspiring to elevate Black educational prospects through storytelling.

Leah Powers

Doctoral Candidate

Born and raised in Kentucky, Leah's academic interests include comparative and international education, sociology of education, history, and gender studies. After serving as an English teacher in Madrid, Spain, she completed her master's at NYU. Her dissertation focuses on the women of the Armenian Genocide of 1915, examining the relationship between female representation, cultural collective memory, and non-formal education.

Michael Scofield

Ph.D. Student

From Frankfort, Indiana, Michael is a second-generation educator who completed his B.A. in English Education at Purdue University and M.S in Higher Education Administration at Southern New Hampshire University. His 10 years teaching at a Title I high school sparked his interest in the intersection of advanced academic programs and marginalized student access, LGBTQIA+ student experiences, and culturally sustaining practices.

Rachel Silva

Ph.D. Student

From Fall River, Massachusetts, Rachel earned a B.A in Special Education and Creative Writing from Lesley University, and an M.Ed from Boston College. She's a graduate assistant at UF's CEEDAR Center working to reform special teacher preparation programs across the US. She worked as a special education teacher and reading specialist for 6 years, and has developed teacher training programs internationally in Guyana, Bolivia, Greece, and Peru.

Jalea Turner

Ph.D. Student

Born and raised in Florida, Jalea is a two-time Gator who earned her B.A. in Elementary Education and master's in Special Education from UF. Currently a first-grade instructor at PK Yonge Development Research School, she co-leads the school's subcommittee on hiring and retention of teachers of Color and is a founding member of the Racial Equity Council. Her research interests include teacher education centered on justice and supporting teachers of Color.

Will Atkins

Ph.D. Graduate

From Tampa, Florida, Will earned a B.S. in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism from UF, and an M.A. in Higher Education Administration from University of Michigan. His research centered on the experiences and histories of Black students in higher education, collecting oral histories of Black women across the civil rights and Black power movements.

Erika Davis

Ph.D. Graduate

Originally from Allentown, Pennsylvania, Erika earned a B.A. in Mathematics and M.Ed. in Secondary Mathematics Education from Lehigh University. Her interdisciplinary research includes content analyses rooted in Critical Race Theory and ethnographic studies of Latinx student experiences. Her dissertation examined how Latinx communities in small towns navigate racialized politics to advocate for educational resources.

Hank Samuels

Ph.D. Graduate

From St. Augustine, FL, Hank received his B.A. in Elementary Education with a minor in African American Studies from UNC Chapel Hill and master's in Educational Leadership from Florida State University. As a former elementary school teacher, he's interested in the intersections of teacher education, creativity, and arts integration, specifically examining how educators can support the imagination-intellectual development of students.

Lauren Weisberg

Ph.D. Graduate

Lauren earned her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, specializing in Teachers, Schools, and Society and Educational Technology. With a BFA from Syracuse University and teaching experience in visual arts and technology education, she conducted interdisciplinary research at the intersections of teacher education, educational technology, and equity/social justice pedagogy.