Two College of Education students were among those honored for efforts to cross cultural divides when the University of Florida gave out its Multicultural Awards in March.
Katonya Bentley-Anderson, a doctoral candidate in Counselor Education, is the first of her family to attend college. Her hard work and excellent scholarship earned her a University of Florida Fellowship. Her experiences as an African-American growing up in the rural South have guided her to a number of areas socially-engaged research. Her research topics include counseling for veterans with poly-trauma injuries, treatment approaches for incarcerated people mental health issues, and the interplay between mental health and the pressures of being part of a marginalized group within American society.
Doctoral candidate Philip Poekert says helping teachers work effectively in high-poverty, culturally-diverse schools is the focus of his research – and his life’s work. Poekert is now working with under-served and under-resourced schools in east Gainesville, and has played a significant role in the Bright Futures project organized by Professor Buffy Bondy to provide educational opportunities in local public housing projects. He has presented research at a number of conferences including the AERA annual meeting in April.