Welcome New Faculty!
This information was featured in our August 2017 EduGator Insider Newsletter.
The College of Education is delighted to welcome the following new faculty to our EduGator community:
Counselor Education
Chastity Hope Bell, PhD
Clinical Assistant Professor
Degrees:
Ph.D. in Counselor Education, 2013 – University of Central Florida
M.S. in Community Counseling, 2006 – Loyola University
B.S. in Psychology, 2003 – Mississippi State University
Comes to UFCOE from:
Faculty, University of Texas at San Antonio
Research interests:
trauma, counselor education
Shon Smith, EdD
Clinical Assistant Professor
Degrees:
Ed.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision – Duquesne University
M.A. in Rehabilitation Counseling & School Counseling – Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
B.S. in Criminal Justice – Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Comes to UFCOE from:
Faculty, Webster University (Orlando)
Research interests:
multicultural counseling, clinical leadership, working with military families
Anita Zucker Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies
Melissa Bright, PhD
Research Assistant Scientist
Degrees:
Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology – University of Georgia
M.S. in Developmental Psychology – University of Georgia
B.A. in Psychology – University of North Florida
Comes to UFCOE from:
UF Institute for Child Health Policy
Research interests:
health services for children exposed to family adversity
Education Leadership
Chris Redding, PhD
Assistant Professor
Degrees:
Ph.D. in Leadership and Policy Studies – Vanderbilt University
Comes to UFCOE from:
Doctoral fellowship at Peabody
Research interests:
school improvement, teacher race issues, alternative teacher certification
Linda Searby, PhD
Clinical Associate Professor
Degrees:
Ph.D. in Educational Administration – Illinois State University
M.S. in Elementary Education – Eastern Illinois University
B.A. in Christian Education – Lincoln Christian University
Comes to UFCOE from:
Auburn University School of Education faculty
Research interests:
turnaround school leadership, mentoring for teacher and leader development
Special Education
Amber Benedict, PhD
Clinical Assistant Professor
Degrees:
Ph.D. inSpecial Education Learning Disabilities & Literacy and Special Education Teacher Quality – University of Florida
M.A. in Special Education High Incidence Disabilities – University of Northern Iowa
B.A. in Elementary Education – University of Northern Iowa
Comes to UFCOE from:
Post-Doctoral Associate and Research Assistant positions in UF special education and UF CEEDAR Center
Research interests:
teachers’ professional learning opportunities contribution to students’ reading achievement
Special Education/Lastinger Center for Learning
Paige Pullen, PhD
Research Professor
Degrees:
Ph.D. in Special Education – University of Florida
M.A.Ed. in Elementary Education (Specialization in Early Childhood Education) – University of Florida
B.A. in Education – University of Florida
Comes to UFCOE from:
University of Virginia education faculty
Research interests:
early language and literacy of children at risk for school failure
Research and Evaluation Methods
Katerina Marcoulides, PhD
Assistant Professor
Degrees:
Ph.D. in Quantitative Psychology – Arizona State University
M.A. in Quantitative Psychology – University of California, Davis
B.A. in Psychology (Major), Education (Minor) – University of California, Santa Barbara
Comes to UFCOE from:
Arizona State University Ph.D. program
Unified Early Childhood ProTeach
Tara Mathien, EdD
Clinical Assistant Professor
Degrees:
Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction Leadership – Northern Illinois University
M.S. in Child Development and Administration – Erikson Institute
B.A. in Early Childhood Education – Illinois State University
Comes to UFCOE from:
William Rainey Harper College, early childhood education faculty
Research interests:
early childhood education and careers
Curriculum, Teaching and Teacher Education
Christopher Busey, PhD
Assistant Professor
Degrees:
Ph.D. in Social Science Education – University of Central Florida
M.A. in Social Science Education – University of Central Florida
B.A. in Political Science, African – University of Florida
Comes to UFCOE from:
Texas State University, curriculum and instruction faculty
