Profile

I joined the faculty at the University of Central Florida in 2012, serving as an Associate Professor of Secondary English Language Arts within the School of Teacher Education and Director of the Morgridge International Reading Center. In these roles, I lead research initiatives and advanced teacher preparation models designed to optimize literacy instruction. Within our graduate programs, I chair doctoral dissertations and Master theses, mentoring candidates as they investigate complex instructional systems, educational policy variables, and digital frameworks across K-12 classrooms.

My research examines transdisciplinary literacies across the intersections of education, literature, language, and writing. Specifically, I investigate how individual identity, creative storytelling, and generative AI tools intersect to shape critical, human-centered practices in classrooms and modern professional environments. A primary focus of my current work evaluates how secondary educators can strategically implement artificial intelligence to scaffold critical thinking without compromising academic rigor. Ultimately, my objective is to equip pre-service and in-service teachers with the practical pedagogical frameworks and AI literacy models necessary to establish highly organized, rigorous, and instructionally effective learning environments.

• Secondary English Language Arts & Transdisciplinary Literacies
• Secondary Teacher Education & Pedagogical Design
• Generative AI Integration

Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction
Area of specialization: Language and Literacy
The Pennsylvania State University

My research explores transdisciplinary literacies across education, literature, language, and writing. I investigate how identity, storytelling, and generative AI intersect to shape critical, human-centered practices in classrooms, professional contexts, and real-world applications.

• English Language Arts Instruction (Secondary ELA)
• Secondary Teacher Education & Pedagogical Design
• Transdisciplinary Literacies, Language, and Literature
• Artificial Intelligence & Digital Literacy Integration

Director of the Morgridge International Reading Center

Co-Principal with Little, M., Knox, D., & McIntyre, N. (2023-2026). Project SPEECH 2.0: Interdisciplinary Preparation in Special Education. USDOE: Office of Special Education Programs. Co-PI. Total Amount Funded: $1,250,000

Co-Principal with Park, S.,Knox, D., Shores, T. (10/01/2027 - 09/30/2028).Project SPEECH 2.0: Speech-Language Pathologists and Exceptional Educators Collaboration for Children with High Intensity Needs (Continuation).USDOE:Office of Special Education Programs. Co-PI. Total Amount Funded: $250,000

My service philosophy is grounded in advancing the teaching profession, strengthening institutional research infrastructure, and cultivating academic excellence across international and local networks. At the core of my institutional service, I actively mentor junior faculty through peer evaluations and research collaborations, while prioritizing the development of future scholars by chairing ten doctoral dissertations and master's theses within our graduate programs. These mentorship efforts ensure the continuous refinement of advanced instructional systems, digital literacy frameworks, and curriculum policy analysis across secondary education settings.

Beyond the university, I contribute extensively to the broader academic community through influential editorial leadership. I serve as an Associate Editor for Frontiers in Education (Teacher Education Section) and Action in Teacher Education (ATE), leveraging my expertise to maintain rigorous standards for peer-reviewed research. Additionally, I hold key regional and global roles as the Co-Editor of the Florida Literacy Journal, an article reviewer for Teacher Education Quarterly, and an external examiner for higher-degree candidates at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.

Locally, I actively enrich campus scholastic discourse by facilitating community presentations and panel discussions on cutting-edge innovations, such as transdisciplinary AI integration in teacher education. Through this multi-tiered commitment to leadership, peer review, and strategic mentorship, I strive to elevate the research profile of the School of Teacher Education and foster sustainable, rigorous professional growth across the educational landscape.

University Level

• Graduate Council Curriculum Committee (2015-2018 /Chair-2018-2021/ 2023-2027/Co-Chair)
• School of Teaching, Learning and Leadership (STLL) Faculty Senate Representative (2015-2018/ 2018-2021/2021-2024/2024-2027)
• Graduate Dissertation Chair Faculty (2015- Present)

College Level

• Graduate Council Curriculum Committee (GCCC) Member (2025-2027)
• Graduate Curriculum and Standards Committee (GCSC) Vice-Chair (2023-2025) Chair(2014-2016)
• Annual Evaluation Standards and Procedures (AESP) Committee Member (2013-2016/2024-25)

School or Department Level

• Co-construction/Revision of Annual Evaluation Standards and Procedures (AESP)-2024
• Chair Search Committee - Secondary English Language Arts Education Tenure-Earning Line, Position #10756 Sept-Dec.24.

Professional Service

• Co-chair of the Commission for Writing Teacher Education
• English Language Arts Teacher Educators-Teachers (ELATE) (2023-Present)

• 2026 Gloria Anzaldúa Research Excellence Award. Women’s and Gender Studies
• College of Arts and Humanities, University of Central Florida. April 9, 2026
• 2026 AIM HIGH-UCF Commitment to Affordable Instructional Materials-AIM Initiative Certificate-February 3, 2026
• 2024-2025 STE – Award for Addressing Social Challenges Through Research
• 2021 Women’s History Month Honorees

• LAE 4360: English Instructional Analysis for Secondary Education
  Course objectives for a school curriculum and methods and materials which have special application for teaching English at the middle grades and high school.
• LAE 5295: Writing Workshop I
  Provides an overview of writing strategies utilizing multimodalities in cross-disciplinary contexts.
• LAE 5338: Teaching Writing in Middle and High School
  Provides an overview of techniques and methods in teaching dialects, semantics, and the various grammar within the context of writing.
• LAE 5346: Methods of Teaching English Language Arts for secondary education
  Explores the strands, methods and materials related to school curriculum in teaching English.
• LAE 5495: Assessing Writing - Spring
  Reviews a variety of strategies for assessing students’ writing and examines instruments used nationally assess student writing.
• LAE 5496: Disciplinary Literacy in the Content Areas
  Designed to assist in understanding the adolescent reader and writer, this course will examine theory, strategies, resources, and implementation options of disciplinary literacy specifically in the content areas (Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and other content areas).
• LAE 6296: Advanced Writing Workshop
  Provides an overview of history, theory, research, and strategies for teaching writing in cross-disciplinary contexts.
• LAE 6616: Trends in Language Arts Education
  Explores the historical development and trends; English usage systems; materials; instructional strategies in English language arts education.
• LAE 6637: Research in Teaching English
  Graduate course focused on the examination and interpretation of major research in English education and the design of models for research in language instruction in secondary schools.
• LAE 6366: Advanced Studies in Adolescent Literature
  Provides an analysis of major works in genre, examination of criticism, instructional strategies, and research in teaching adolescent literature.
• EDG 7987: Dissertation in Practice
  Supports students in completing a dissertation that addresses a complex problem in educational practice through a comprehensive written research report, evaluated for rigor, relevance, and applicability to the field