COE doctoral candidates honored with Multicultural Awards

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.