See what our Ph.D. Students Say
Selçuk Doğan
Ph.D. Student
I am currently a second-year Ph.D. student in Teachers, Schools, and Society, with a minor in Research, Evaluation, and Measurement. Through my program I have acquired various research skills, knowledge, and different perspectives that are essential to have in today’s reform-oriented school systems. I believe that by the end of my program, I will have the ability to present myself as a scientist, researcher, and trained professional. I’ve had the chance to meet other graduate students as well as other young professionals who live around Florida to collaborate and discuss potential research. We also have the opportunity to attend professional development from the Lastinger Center for Learning to improve our skills in implementing professional development throughout Florida. Our graduate student alliance provides informative seminars around teaching, research, and service and other essential skills for future professors in order to broaden our horizons. The Ph.D. program offered at the College of Education has given me the opportunity to reach my significant goals; a quality and diverse education, a wonderful learning community, and also to develop as a researcher and scholar.
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.
- Spring 2023, University of Florida Graduate Student Teaching Award
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.
Alumni Testimonials
Elyse Hambacher, Ph.D.
Clinical Associate Professor
Choosing a Ph.D. program is no easy decision. As an undergrad at the University of Florida, I represented the College of Education as a University Scholar, which is what first led me to become curious about educational research. In this role, I worked closely with professors in the School of Teaching and Learning who mentored me throughout the research process. My longstanding relationship with these professors made me confident that I would be in good hands as a doctoral student in the Teachers, Schools, and Society Program in Curriculum and Instruction at UF. The TSS program prepared me to become a well-rounded scholar through rigorous coursework and a path of scholarly pursuits that helped to define my research interests. Specifically, the program provided me with opportunities to coach preservice teachers and develop partnerships with local elementary schools. I was also able to work collaboratively with colleagues in developing and teaching online and face-to face courses. I helped to design, implement, write about, and report on research. I believe this program has prepared me for life in academia, pushed me to think in ways I had never considered, and furthered my commitment to social justice in education.
Amy Murphy, Ph.D.
Ph.D. Graduate
After ten years of teaching at the middle school level, I entered the TSS program at UF to become a teacher educator and scholar. My program of study started with courses such as Teacher Learning and Teacher Socialization in High Poverty Schools, Critical Pedagogy, and Professional Development and Teacher Learning, which provided a solid foundation for my work as a teacher educator working for social justice. Eager to put ideas from coursework to practice, I am fortunate to have spent the last two years of my doctoral studies in a university-school partnership initiated by my advisor, Dr. Kennedy-Lewis. Working with educators at a local middle school provided an authentic opportunity to remain engaged with the complex realities of today’s schools. This invaluable experience also positioned me very well for my upcoming position as a clinical assistant professor in the University of Georgia’s Middle Grades program where I will partner with a professional development school. When I started the program I was a bit nervous because I had little research experience. Through the mentorship of TSS faculty, however, I participated in a variety of research experiences, from assisting with data collection and analysis to eventually designing and coauthoring papers with faculty. I am graduating from the program confident that I am well prepared for research, teaching, and service as a faculty member.
Rachel Wolkenhauer, Ph.D.
Ph.D. Graduate
When making the decision to pursue a Ph.D. I chose to study at the University of Florida in the Teachers, Schools, and Society program because of the expertise of the professors I would have the opportunity to work with. TSS professors are experts in their fields of study, but also take pride in excelling in the mentorship and teaching of future teacher educators. As a Ph.D. student in TSS, I worked elbow to elbow with my professors, other doctoral students, and local K-12 educators to engage in rigorous academic study that was always purposeful and relevant, as we worked to make a positive and immediate impact on the field of education at local, state, national, and international levels. My Ph.D. program prepared me to begin an academic career with a well-rounded vitae and a deep sense of purpose for working with and for teachers. I had robust experiences researching, publishing, presenting, and teaching university students, as well as in partnering with school districts, developing online and face-to-face coursework and professional development, and in supervising preservice teachers. It is because of this program that I believe I can make a contribution to the field of education. It is because of TSS that I love what I do.
Curriculum, Teaching, and Teacher Education Program Student Comments
Philip Poekert
2nd year doctoral student
From the moment I started my PhD program here at UF, I began working closely with my academic advisor on the Bright Futures Mentoring Program, an early field experience that pairs undergraduate teacher education students with a child from a local public housing neighborhood. The experience has given me an in-depth look at how to forge and sustain the relationships necessary to continue the important work of university-community partnerships and moreover, how to put theory into practice. It’s the essence of the engaged scholarship focus promoted by the College of Education. I’ve been able to center all my coursework and research here at UF around preparing teachers to handle the challenges they will face in schools working with high poverty, culturally diverse students, and I plan to continue it as my life’s work.
Angela Gregory,
3rd year doctoral student
My engagement in school-university partnership work has proven to be a true learning experience. I have had the opportunity to be deeply involved from the ground level in the development, coordination, teaching, and sustained work in a local elementary school partnership initiative. I have presented several papers at national conferences as a result, and I am excited that my own dissertation research will be conducted within the school site that I have come to know so well. With all of the struggles and celebrations that have occurred over the years through our partnership work, each learning opportunity has presented a new venue for improvement. I can’t think of any other way that would have better prepared me for a future career that allows me to engage as an active participant (and researcher) in school based teacher education that emphasizes learning for both pre-service and practicing teachers.
Vicki Vescio
3rd year doctoral student
Being a doctoral student in the Curriculum, Teaching, and Teacher Education Program has afforded me the valuable opportunity of simultaneously being a learner and a teacher. Engaging in taking courses along with working in local schools has given me a unique perspective on the significance of balancing theory with practice and the importance of continually pushing both to work toward improving education. As important as this experience has been though, it would not have been possible without the mentoring I have received from dedicated professors who are committed to both the work they are doing and the experiences we are getting as doctoral students. There is an inherent understanding that we are working together for a purpose that is greater than any one of us might be able to achieve alone. Having both the theoretical and practical experience has been tremendously important to my own development but the value of the mentoring relationships with my professors is what I will remember as I take this experience into my own work as a teacher educator.
Dr. Diane Marks
Dec. 2005 graduate, Assistant Professor, Appalachian State University
It has been almost a year since I graduated from the PhD. Program in Curriculum and Instruction and Teacher Education at UF. I am now an assistant professor at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. The rigorous and dynamic course work I had at UF prepared me well. The theories I learned laid a wonderful foundation for the research and school partnership work that became the heart of my doctoral program. Faculty members invited me to collaborate on a variety of professionally enriching projects over the four years I was in the program. For example, working with the faculty in the Lastinger fellows program increased my ability to support teachers in poverty schools serving diverse student populations. It also provided me with a place to combine research with pedagogy. I was so enthralled with this school partnership project that I selected my dissertation topic from the experience.