This information was featured in our September 2019 EduGator Insider Newsletter.
Every fall a new chapter in the University of Florida’s story begins. At the College of Education, along with returning to our historic Norman Hall, we warmly welcomed 15 new faculty our EduGator community. Each brings with them a wealth of knowledge and new perspectives, adding expertise in the areas including: advanced learning technologies, counselor education, early childhood, educational leadership, educational psychology, higher education administration, math education, school psychology, special education, teacher education, and research evaluation and methodology. Brief bios of each are below.
Along with faculty who joined us last fall, this group represents the our ambition to attract top talent and to continuously improve the faculty to student ratio. We welcome these new faculty and look forward to filling additional open positions, as we continue working toward Building A Brighter Future.
Latoya Haynes-Thoby, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Degrees:
Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision – Pennsylvania State University
M.Ed. in Counselor Education – Pennsylvania State University
B.A. in English – Pennsylvania State University
Comes to UF from:
Pennsylvania State University Graduate Research Assistant
Research interests:
Trauma and resilience in diverse populations across the developmental lifespan
Paul Maxfield, Ph.D.
Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor
Degrees:
Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision – Kansas State University
M.S. in Counseling – Texas A & M University
B.A. in English Language and Literature – University of Windsor
Comes to UF from:
Counselor, Pawnee Mental Health Services in Kansas
Research interests:
Narrative therapy, creative approaches to therapy and counselor development
Elliott Woehler, Ph.D.
Clinical Assistant Professor
Degrees:
Ph.D. in Counseling – University of North Texas
M.A. in Counselor Education – University of Central Florida
B.A. in Psychology – Emory University
Comes to UF from:
University of North Texas Graduate Assistant
Research interests:
Relational depth in counseling
F. Chris Curran, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Degrees:
Ph.D. in Leadership and Policy Studies – Vanderbilt University
M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction – University of Mississippi
B.A. in Philosophy – University of Florida
B.S. in Biochemistry – University of Florida
Comes to UF from:
Assistant professor, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Research interests:
Educational policies and their implications for enhancing equity in education, particularly in school discipline/safety and early childhood education
Benjamin Skinner, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Degrees:
Ph.D. in Leadership and Policy Studies – Vanderbilt University
M.A. in Humanities – University of Chicago
B.Mus. in Music and English – Vanderbilt University
Comes to UF from:
Research Assistant Professor at the University of Virginia
Research interests:
Higher education policy; students who attend broad access colleges and universities; online learning
Wanli Xing, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Degrees:
Ph.D. in Information Science and Learning Technologies – University of Missouri, Columbia
B.Ed. in Educational Technology – Jilin Normal University
Comes to UF from:
Assistant professor, Texas Tech University
Research interests:
Use of artificial intelligence and learning analytics to transform online and STEM learning; design and research of cutting-edge learning environments
Matthew Schmidt, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Degrees:
Ph.D. in Information Science and Learning Technologies – University of Missouri, Columbia
M.A. in German Language and Literature with a concentration in Computer-Assisted Language Learning – University of Missouri, Columbia
B.A. in German Language and Literature – Truman State University
Comes to UF from:
Associate professor of instructional design and technology, and Director for the Studio for Advanced Learning Technologies, University of Cincinnati.
Research interests:
Research and development of innovative educational courseware and computer software using design-based research approaches with a specific focus on individuals with disabilities and their caregivers
Catherine Paolucci, Ed.D.
Assistant Professor
Degrees:
Ed.D. in Mathematics Education – Teachers College, Columbia University
M.A. in Mathematics Education – Teachers College, Columbia University
B.A. in Mathematics – Hartwick College
Comes to UF from:
AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow with NSF, and Affiliate Research Scientist with Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Research interests:
Program and policy development for mathematics teacher education
Pengfei Zhao, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Degrees:
Ph.D. in Inquiry Methodology – Indiana University Bloomington
M.A. in Literary Theory – Beijing Normal University
B.A. in Chinese Language and Literature – Beijing Normal University
Comes to UF from:
Instructor and doctoral research consultant at Indiana University
Research interests:
Critical philosophic, social and methodological theories
Kakali Bhattacharya, Ph.D.
Professor
Degrees:
Ph.D. in Qualitative Inquiry Program, Research, Evaluation, Measurement, & Statistics (Educational Psychology) – University of Georgia
M.S. in Instructional Development – Southern Illinois University of Carbondale
B.S. in Psychology – McMaster University
Comes to UF from:
Associate Professor in Educational Leadership, Kansas State University
Research interests:
De/colonizing onto-epistemologies; transnational issues of demographics and socioeconomics in higher education; sociocultural approaches to qualitative inquiry and educational research
Kathrin (Katie) E. Maki, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Degrees:
Ph.D. in Educational (School) Psychology – University of Minnesota
M.Ed. in Special Education – Vanderbilt University
B.A. in Psychology and History – University of Michigan
Comes to UF from:
Assistant Professor, Ball State University
Research interests:
Academic interventions and data-based decision making within multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), and the identification of learning disabilities
Lori Dassa, Ed.D.
Director of Clinical Experiences and Partnerships
Degrees:
Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction – Nova Southeastern University
M.S. in Early Childhood Education – Nova Southeastern University
B.S. in Elementary Education – York College of Pennsylvania
Comes to UF from:
Practicum Coordinator/Assistant Professor at FAU
Research interests:
The pipeline from teacher preparation to teacher retention
Carla Schmidt, Ph.D.
Clinical Assistant Professor
Degrees:
Ph.D. in Behavior Disorders/Special Education – University of Missouri, Columbia
Master’s of Special Education in Autism Spectrum Disorders – University of Missouri, Columbia
Masters of Public Administration – University of Missouri, Columbia
Comes to UF from:
Assistant professor and director of research and impact innovation at the University of Cincinnati
Research interests:
Behavioral interventions based on applied behavior analysis for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Chonika Coleman-King, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Degrees:
Ph.D. in Teaching, Learning and Curriculum – University of Pennsylvania
M.Ed. in Education Policy and Leadership Studies – University of Maryland
B.S. in Elementary Education – Pennsylvania State University
Comes to UF from:
Assistant professor, University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Research interests:
The development of culturally responsive teachers; urban education; black immigrant identity, racialization, and socialization
Taryrn Brown, Ph.D.
Clinical Assistant Professor
Degrees:
Ph.D. in Educational Theory and Practice with an emphasis in Critical Studies – University of Georgia
M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration – University of North Carolina at Greensboro
B.A. in Media Studies and African American Studies – University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Comes to UF from:
Graduate Student Instructor, University of Georgia
Research interests:
Interpretive, normative, and critical perspectives of education in and outside of schools; emancipatory methodological approaches; issues of race, class, and gender