Faculty and Staff

Dr. Amanda Bozack (University of Arizona)
Professor
Office: Peters Hall A015
Phone: 540-831-5736
Email: abozack@radford.edu

Dr. Bozack obtained her Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Arizona in 2008. At Radford University, Dr. Bozack Directs the School of Teacher Education and Leadership, housed in the College of Education and Human Development. She has been awarded $15M in federal grants focused on competency-based professional development and education for teachers. She is interested in beginning teacher support and induction and has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals, including Journal of Teacher Education, Teachers College Record, and The High School Journal.

In addition to her administrative duties, Dr. Bozack engages with students by serving on dissertation committees and supervising honors capstone projects. She also enjoys presenting and publishing with undergraduate and graduate students. Each fall, she co-teaches a section of a first-year seminar with an undergraduate student. 

Dr. Brenda-Jean Tyler (University of Texas at Austin)
Associate Professor
Special Education
Office: Peters Hall C158
Phone: 540-831-5868
Email: bjtyler@radford.edu

Dr. Brenda-Jean Tyler teaches introductory special education courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Her students come from a variety of programs. Dr. Tyler has gone through several levels of Quality Matters training for online instruction, and she teaches her master-level courses in an asynchronous online format. She has been a co-director and director of personnel preparation grants, as well as a grant focused on the comprehensive examination process in special education.

Her interests center on the unique challenges that students with disabilities who are non-native speakers of English confront in school, including challenges arising from differences in cultural norms and expectations and how these differences intersect with reading disabilities as well as other learning differences. Dr. Tyler’s teaching experience is primarily in culturally and linguistically diverse middle-school classrooms.

Lin Martin (New River Community College)
Administrative Assistant
Office: Peters Hall C147
Phone: 540-831-5058
Email: lmartin103@radford.edu

Lin Martin is an administrative assistant to the Master’s and Certificate in Math Education Program. She has been with Radford University since January 2018.

Kara Pfaff (Radford University)
Administrative Assistant
Office: Peters Hall A004
Phone: 540-831-7153
Email: khall62@radford.edu

Kara Pfaff has been an administrative assistant for the School of Teacher Education and Leadership since 2008. She is the retired Staff Senate President for Radford University (2013-2015); member of various university committees; the Public Relations Officer for Phi Kappa Phi; and a member of the Virginia Governmental Employees Association (VGEA), serving as Radford University’s VGEA Connect representative.

Gwen Sowers (New River Community College)
Administrative Assistant
Office: Peters Hall C171
Phone: 540-831-5331
Email: gsowers@radford.edu

Gwen Sowers is an administrative assistant to the School of Teacher Education and Leadership. She has been with Radford University since March 2015, and previously worked in Student Support Services. She has a 15-year background in customer service purchasing.

Dr. Elizabeth Altieri (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)
Professor
Special Education – Visual Impairment and Adapted Curriculum
Office: Peters Hall C156
Phone: 540-831-5590
Email: ealtieri@radford.edu


Dr. Altieri co-supervises the special education/elementary education collaborative co-placement cohort in Montgomery County, VA, and her emphasis is on preparing teachers with the inclusive skills to skillfully manage today’s complex classrooms. She teaches courses in special education at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Dr. Altieri works hand-in-hand with other universities and school divisions in Virginia to provide coursework in special education, adapted curriculum and blindness and visual impairment to already licensed and provisionally licensed teachers.

Inclusive education has been her life-long passion. She co-directs the Virginia Inclusive Practices Center at Radford University, and works with school divisions, teachers, students, and family members to improve their inclusive practice and become strong advocates for Inclusion.

Dr. Altieri has published on co-teaching, views on disability, reforms in special education, and portfolio assessment. She has been a participant and recipient of numerous personnel preparation grants in special education and special education/general education collaboration dating back to 1999. She has authored or co-authored, and received funding for numerous state and federal grants, and has significant not-for-profit and higher education administrative experience with grants management and program supervision.

Dr. Carol Bland (University of North Carolina at Greensboro)
Associate Professor
Elementary Education
Office: Peters Hall C161
Phone: 540-831-5782
Email: cbland@radford.edu

Dr. Bland’s interests include inclusive practices in the primary grades, collaboration among school professionals, and diversity in children’s literature. She has presented her work on the representation of disability in picture books at local, regional, and national conferences. Dr. Bland teaches courses in instructional methodology in mathematics, language arts, science, and social studies. She also supervises and mentors pre-service elementary teachers during their field experiences in area elementary schools.

Dr. Bland is a founding member of the faculty leadership team for the Schoolhouse Learning Community, where students pursuing teacher licensure share the same residence hall and take part in social activities, service projects, and professional learning together. Dr. Bland works closely with students in the Schoolhouse to prepare them for careers in public education.

Dr. Bland has been published in Early Childhood Research & Practice and Childhood Education. She contributed to a chapter in A Survival Guide for New Special Educators.. She holds a Postgraduate Professional License to teach in Virginia with endorsements in Early Childhood Special Education and Early/Primary Education, PreK – Grade 3. Over the course of her teaching career in public schools, she has worked in literacy labs, school libraries, special education, a Virginia Preschool Initiative classroom, and first grade.

Dr. Darryl L. Corey (Florida State University)
Professor
Math Education
Contact for the Online Masters in Mathematics Education
Office: Peters Hall C147A
Phone: 540-831-7322
Email: dcorey3@radford.edu

Dr. Darryl Corey is Professor and Program Coordinator of the Online Master’s and Certificate Program in Mathematics Education at Radford University. He has more than 25 years of experience leading distance-delivered graduate programs and virtual professional development opportunities for practicing mathematics teachers. These experiences include converting face-to-face programs into distance-delivered programs while creating and supervising the development of more than 25 new online or hybrid courses. He has also taught more than 100 sections of online or hybrid mathematics content and pedagogy courses designed for mathematics teachers.

Dr. Corey’s research interests include using culture in the teaching and learning of mathematics, mathematics problem solving, and virtual mathematics teacher professional development. He has published and presented regionally, nationally, and internationally on ethnomathematics, culturally responsive mathematics, online/distance education, mathematics problem solving, and African American students’ learning of mathematics. He has supervised or collaborated on over 60 action research projects with Virginia mathematics teachers. Dr. Corey is committed to providing high quality teacher professional development and has been awarded over $1,000,000 in external funding, including state, national, and international grants and contracts. Most of this funding provided tuition support to offset the cost of a graduate education for over 100 Virginia mathematics teachers. A native of Newport News, VA he received his B.A. and M.S. in Applied Mathematics from Hampton University, and his Ph.D. in Mathematics Education from Florida State University.

Dr. Gaston Dembele (Michigan State University)
Associate Professor
Elementary Education and Literacy
Office: Peters Hall A038
Phone: 540-831-7152
Email: gdembele@radford.edu

Dr. Dembele teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in literacy and multicultural education. He also leads and supervises a cohort of elementary preservice teachers in Pulaski County. Dr. Dembele has served as President of the Virginia Chapter of the National Association for Multicultural Education (VA-NAME) and currently serves as Co-Editor of the chapter’s newsletter, Educating for Equity: A Forum of VA-NAME. He also serves as a reviewer for Understanding and Dismantling Privilege, The White Privilege Conference Journal.

He was a Voluntary Worker/Teacher at the Sheiling Community in Ringwood, Southern England (16-25 year-old youth with severe learning disabilities) and a French Language Assistant at St. Bartholomew's Comprehensive School in Newbury, Southern England (Grades 6-12).

Dr. Karen Douglas (University of Georgia)
Professor
Contact for Graduate Program for Special Education
Office: Peters Hall C162
Phone: 831-5313
Email: kdouglas13@radford.edu

Dr. Douglas teaches special education courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels and supervises student teachers in placements in elementary and secondary schools. Prior to teaching in higher education, she taught high school students with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorder for four years in Georgia. She promoted inclusion, community-based instruction, and vocational-based instruction as a special educator.

Dr. Douglas’s research interests include enhancing inclusive practices in schools to support the academic and social/emotional skills of all students but especially students with disabilities. She conducts intervention studies using single-case research methodologies in school, university, and community settings. She enjoys collaborating with undergraduate and graduate students on research projects. She has written articles published in professional journals such as The Journal of Special Education, TEACHING Exceptional Children, The Journal of Special Education Technology, and Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities. She also writes book chapters and presents at state, national, and international conferences.

Dr. Douglas received her Bachelor of Science degree from James Madison University and her master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Georgia.

Dr. Tricia Easterling (University of Memphis)
Professor
Elementary Science Education
Office: Peters Hall A030
Phone: 540-831- 5468
Email: easterling@radford.edu

Dr. Tricia Easterling currently teaches the introductory methods course for students in five different programs. A high priority for Dr. Easterling is to have students design instruction that is easy to follow and helps students make connections on their own. It is her belief that if students can figure information out on their own, they will feel successful and will likely want to continue learning. She strives to provide students with authentic experiences that mirror what occurs in successful area classrooms. Dr. Easterling has published on various topics including critical thinking, classroom management, and contemplative practices in academic settings. Her current research efforts include working collaboratively with undergraduate students on anxiety, depression and perfectionism on the college campus. 

Dr. Easterling was an environmental educator for the State of Tennessee for seven years. As an environmental educator, she taught in 32 school districts and enjoyed entertaining and educating students ranging from pre-school through college. Her teaching experiences range from large urban systems like Tampa, FL, which included many diverse cultures, to smaller, rural school systems.

Dr. Wendy Eckenrod-Green (University of North Carolina)
Professor
Educational Research and Foundations
Office: Peters Hall C159
Phone: 540-831-5835
Email: weckenrodgre@radford.edu

Dr. Wendy Eckenrod-Green has taught courses related to research, human development, and school and community relations. She is an active member of several professional associations and serves as a consultant for university, public schools and nonprofit organizations. She has also been the recipient of several awards including the Teacher of the Year for the College of Education and Human Development (2009), Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award from the Radford University chapter of Chi Sigma Iota (2010), and an Emerging Leaders Award for the Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (2010).

She has been published in the Journal of School Counseling and Counseling Today. Dr. Eckenrod-Green’s previous work experience is as a high school counselor, as well as providing individual counseling in areas of substance abuse, family dysfunction, and various mental health issues. 

Dr. Roofia Galeshi (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)
Associate Professor
Mathematics Education
Office: Peters Hall C147B
Phone: 540-831-7661
Email: rgaleshi@radford.edu

Dr. Galeshi’s teaching responsibilities include issues of equity in mathematics education and educational research. Her research interests include issues related to metacognition, teaching, learning, and educational assessment with psychometrics approach; measurement issues in psychological and achievement testing including validity and standard setting; and designing models for science, engineering, and math (STEM) faculty development for training students equipped with 21^st century skills. She has worked on National Science Foundation (NSF) funded research experience for undergraduate to train and prepare STEM students for 21^st century careers.

Dr. Galeshi has been published in multiple journals including International Journal of Quantitative Research and Education, Global Education Journal, and The Journal of Sustainability Education. She has four years of experience teaching in middle school and has co-taught multiple subjects, mainly mathematics and science.

Dr. Sharon L. Gilbert (Auburn University)
Professor
Early Childhood/Early Childhood Special Education
Contact for Master of Science in Special Education, emphasis on Early Childhood Special Education, (Birth-Age 5) and Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Program
Office: Peters Hall C160
Phone: 540-831-7117
Email: sgilbert13@radford.edu

Dr. Gilbert teaches graduate and undergraduate courses such as assessment, program management, language development, teaching preschoolers with disabilities, and introduction to early childhood special education. She supervises interns completing their early intervention placement, working with children under the age of three with disabilities in home, childcare, and school settings. 

She has extensive experience in grant work, having successfully written and received grant funding for over $2,526,305 for personal research, personnel development, and training. Dr. Gilbert has published an Early Start Infant-Toddler Curriculum, an instructor’s manual for Communication Sciences and Disorders: A Clinical Evidence-Based Approach (3rd ed.), and a chapter in Global Competencies for Educational Diplomacy in International Settings.  She has also completed two book reviews and is the APA editor for the International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. Her work experience was as an early interventionist and speech therapist in South Alabama.

Dr. Katie Hilden-Clouse (Michigan State University)
Professor
Literacy Education
Contact for Master of Science in Literacy Education
Office: Peters Hall A017
Email: kclouse@radford.edu

Dr. Katie Hilden-Clouse’s research interests are informational text comprehension and reading assessment. She is active in the Virginia State Reading Association. Dr. Hilden-Clouse enjoys working with elementary teachers in Southwest Virginia through her grant work and the professional development that she provides.

She has been published in Reading in Virginia, Journal of Computing in Higher Education, and Reading and Writing Quarterly. Dr. Hilden-Clouse has also published multiple book chapters.

Dr. Whitney Idol (University of North Carolina - Greensboro)
Assistant Professor
Early Childhood Special Education/Special Education
Office: Peters Hall C170
Phone: 540-831-7650
Email: widol@radford.edu

Dr. Whitney Idol teaches courses at the undergraduate and graduate level in both the special education and early childhood special education programs. Her interests include students with emotional and behavioral disorders, behavioral crisis intervention, policy in special education, and teacher preparation. Dr. Idol’s areas of research include crisis interventions in the instructional setting, behavioral interventions, and teacher preparation practices.

Dr. Idol has worked as a special education teacher, behavioral consultant, and crisis intervention specialist/trainer. Additional experiences include teaching and supervising pre-service teachers. She has presented at national conferences including; Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), CEC-Teacher Education Division (TED), Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP, DOE), and American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE).    

Dr. Brian Kitts (Radford University)
Assistant Professor
Program Coordinator for Educational Leadership
Educational Leadership
Office: Peters Hall A011
Phone: 540-831-5118
Email: bkitts@RADFORD.EDU

Dr. Brian Kitts joined the Radford University faculty after two decades of K-12 experience within Montgomery County Public Schools, serving as principal at both the elementary and secondary levels. He teaches courses in the Educational Leadership Master’s program and supervises field experiences for aspiring school administrators. In addition, Dr. Kitts coordinates Radford University’s Schoolhouse Living Learning Community and helps plan events and activities to engage first- and second-year Highlanders as they transition to campus. Dr. Kitts teaches a Schoolhouse-specific section of University 100 that is offered each fall.

Dr. Kitts specializes in the improvement science framework which integrates applied and theoretical research knowledge to solve complex problems of practice through collaborative work with diverse stakeholders. His research has focused on the impact of homework and equitable grading practices for students from low-income families. Dr. Kitts engages master’s students in similar work with the tools and processes of improvement science through multiple courses in the program.

Dr. Kitts serves as a consultant for Virginia Virtual, one of Virginia’s largest on-line multi-division online public-school providers. 

Dr. Melissa Lisanti (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)
Associate Professor
Elementary Education
Office: Peters Hall A012
Phone: 540-831-5438
Email: mlisanti2@radford.edu

Dr. Lisanti’s interests include professional learning in education, discourse, inclusive practice, and universally accessible curriculum and instructional design.  She is currently President-Elect for Learning Forward Virginia, a professional association that connects leaders in professional learning for educators around the state. She teaches classes in instructional methods for language arts and social studies and mentors pre-service teachers, allowing her to integrate all of her experiences and the things she loves most. Dr. Lisanti has been published in Social Studies and the Young Learner, Social Studies Research and Practice, Theory & Research in Social Education, and Information Technology in Childhood Education Annual. She also has several chapters in books.

Dr. Lisanti has had the privilege of working in public school and university settings in education for over 15 years.  Prior to joining the faculty at Radford University, she earned a National Board for Professional Teaching certification, served as a project coordinator for various K-12 professional development grants, and mentored pre-service and new teachers in the field.  Most recently, her work as a Project Coordinator for the Virginia Department of Education Training and Technical Assistance Center at Radford University afforded her diverse opportunities to work with school leaders, teachers, and students throughout southwest Virginia to enrich opportunities for students with disabilities.

Dr. Darren Minarik (Virginia Polytecnic Institute and State University)
Associate Professor
Special Education
Office: Peters Hall A007
Phone: 540-831-7660
Email: dminarik@radford.edu

Darren Minarik has spent over three decades advocating for inclusive practices in social studies and special education. He is currently the secondary social studies program area leader and he teaches courses and supervises students in both social studies and special education at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Dr. Minarik’s courses focus on topics such as collaboration for diverse learners, teaching and transitioning exceptional learners in the secondary general education curriculum, and methods for social studies educators in grades 6-12.

Dr. Minarik is also co-director of the Virginia Inclusive Practices Center at Radford University and serves as a national board member for Disability Rights Advocates (DRA), a nonprofit organization that advocates for the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities through litigation, education, and advocacy. He is a frequent presenter or invited speaker at state, national, and international conferences, and many of his presentations involve his undergraduate and graduate students. He has also co-authored multiple publications with his students. Dr. Minarik's current research focuses on the intersection between the social sciences and special education, with a particular emphasis on inclusive educational practices, self-determination, disability history, and civic engagement. His awarded grants address professional development and coursework to support inclusive education for students with disabilities and other high leverage practices involving special education.

Dr. Kristan Morrison (University of North Carolina at Greensboro)
Professor
Educational Research and Foundations
Office: Peters Hall A034
phone: 540-831-7120
Email: kmorrison12@radford.edu

Dr. Kristan Morrison teaches foundations of education courses for undergraduate and graduate students and works with undergraduate Honors students on their capstone research.  Dr. Morrison’s research focus is on self-directed learning (democratic free schools and unschooling) and she has widely published and presented, both on her own and with graduate and undergraduate Radford students.  

Dr. Morrison has published a book (Free School Teaching with the State University of NY Press), book chapters (in Democracy and Decency and Hollywood Goes to College), and in numerous journals including International Journal of Multicultural Education, Journal of Thought, Educational Horizons, Rethinking Schools, and Equity & Excellence in Education.

Dr. Morrison has taught in both public and private middle schools (7^th grade Social Studies and Language Arts, 8^th grade History, 6^th-8^th grade gifted support specialist).  In 2015, Dr. Morrison received the Donald N. Dedmon Distinguished Teaching Professor award and in 2022 she was named a Dalton Eminent Scholar. Watch the video profile of Professor of Education Kristan Morrison as she describes her role as an educator.

Dr. Boyoung Park (University of Georgia)
Professor
Early Childhood
Office: Peters Hall C163
Phone: 540-831-7118
Email: bpark3@radford.edu

Dr. Boyoung Park teaches early childhood education and human development courses and supervises undergraduates in childcare and Head Start settings. Her scholarly and professional endeavors relate to young children’s development and learning, teacher education, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accreditation, and family involvement.

Dr. Park has been published in Upcoming Generation, School Community Journal, Journal of Research in Childhood Education, Focus on Pre-K & K, and Dimensions of Early Childhood. She also has two book chapters. She used to teach children, birth to four years old, in Korea.

Dr. Holly Robbins (University of North Carolina at Greensboro)
Professor
Elementary Education
Contact for Certificate in Gifted Education
Office: Peters Hall A016
Phone: 540-831-6844
Email: hhrobbins@radford.edu

Dr. Robbins’ interests include gifted education, teaching writing, and preservice teacher development. She has 10+ years of experience supervising teacher candidates in inclusive, rural schools.  She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in gifted education, classroom management, and language arts instruction. She has served as a consultant on grants including Leading in Reading and Integration Station: Bridging Best Practices in Literacy and Science.

Dr. Robbins has published articles in Equity & Excellence in Education, Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, The Teacher Educators’ Journal, and Reading in Virginia. She serves as the research section editor of Educational Practice & Reform, the online journal published by the Radford University - College of Education and Human Development. Dr. Robbins’ work experience includes being a first and fourth grade teacher, as well as a gifted education teacher.

Dr. Greg Sherman (Arizona State University)
Professor
Technology Education and Foundations
Office: Peters Hall A042
Phone: 540-831-6859
Email: gsherman2@radford.edu

Dr. Sherman has contributed to the design and development of technology-supported and completely online coursework and programs in teacher education. He regularly conducts research and evaluation projects addressing problems associated with the systematic design and evaluation of effective technology‐supported learning environments. He has also worked as an instructional design and evaluation consultant for such organizations as the National Science Teachers Association, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Health Organization, and Healthcare Education Online.

Dr. Sherman has been published in the Journal of Science Teacher Education, Journal of Science Education and Technology, and Technology and Education’s Edge, as well as other professional publications. He is a professional educator, initially prepared as a secondary science teacher during the 1980's. He taught secondary science for ten years.

Dr. Ryan Smith (North Carolina State University)
Associate Professor
Math Education
Contact for Secondary Math Program
Contact for the Graduate Program for Education
Office: Peters Hall A006
Phone: 540-831-6158
Email: rsmith630@radford.edu

Dr. Ryan C. Smith teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses focused on the teaching and learning of mathematics, and the effective use of technology in the classroom. He also supervises prospective middle school and secondary mathematics teacher candidates in their field experiences. His research interests include the use of technology in the mathematics classroom and the factors that influence teachers’ decisions when planning and implementing mathematics lessons involving the use of technology. He has worked on local and nationally funded projects focused on researching and developing teachers’ knowledge and skills in effectively integrating technology into the mathematics classroom.

Dr. Smith has published articles in Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, Educational Studies in Mathematics, Mathematics Teacher Educator, International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, the Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, and Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School.  The majority of Dr. Smith’s publications and research efforts have been collaborations with students at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.  Dr. Smith supervises honors capstone projects, chairs Master students’ committees for their scholarly paper, and serves on dissertation committees.

Dr. Smith received his Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Mathematics Education from Auburn University, his Master of Science degree in Applied Mathematics from the University of Houston, and his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Mathematics Education from North Carolina State University. His work experience was as a high school mathematics teacher in Houston, TX for five years.

Karen Stinson (M.S. from University of Phoenix)
Instructor
Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Contact for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education Program
Office: Peters Hall C157
Phone: 540-831-5549
Email: kastinson@radford.edu

Ms. Stinson teaches courses in the undergraduate and graduate Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program. The courses focus on American Sign Language (ASL), introduction to asl and deaf culture, audiologic rehabilitation, and introduction to deaf and hard of hearing, as well as supervised students in internship and student teaching. Ms. Stinson has been a teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in public and residential schools, using Total Communication, Cued Speech, and American Sign Language.