Dr. Byron Barton graduated from Butler University in Indianapolis in with a bachelor's in biology and later received his doctorate from the University of Vermont, where he studied insect flight muscle using a classical and molecular genetics approach. 

Since then, Dr. Barton has focused on helping students achieve their academic and career goals through higher education.

Dr. Debbie Beck is an accomplished educator, consultant, and administrator with over 36 years of experience in the nursing and healthcare field. She has been recognized by the International Nurses Association for outstanding leadership and for contributions to healthcare worldwide. Past roles include: associate professor, consultant, university chair, head nurse, nursing supervisor, and faculty mentor.

In the academic environment, Dr. Beck has worked in traditional classroom settings, in blended modalities, and online, where she has taught in BSN, RN-BSN, MSN, and DNP programs. She has mentored both students and faculty to achieve superior performance outcomes. She is a Certified Nurse Educator and Subject Matter Expert and an active member of curriculum development and design, assessment and policy committees, as well as advisory boards for a university based nursing program. 

As Chair, Dr. Beck supervised, coordinated, and evaluated educational programs and operational activities for undergraduate and graduate nursing and health care offerings at seven university campuses. She has also planned and participated in the development of several community service and CEU educational seminars and conferences. 

Dr. Beck has an extensive list of scholarly activities including publishing manuscripts in peer reviewed journals and presenting research in professional venues. She continues to engage in research, is a member of multiple social service and professional nursing and organizations, and serves on editorial and professional boards.

Dr. Tiffany Hamlett has worked in higher education for eight years in various educational fields. Her background includes early childhood education, curriculum development, and research methods. In addition, she serves as a reviewer for Social Development and the Southern Early Childhood Association. She is particularly interested in studying developmentally appropriate practice, lifespan development, and constructivist teaching practices.

Dr. Cathy McKay spent most of her professional career in the K-12 context. As she taught in both public and private schools, she worked with many educators on a variety of projects including process improvement, standard test readiness, and alternative educational opportunities. She helped develop two district-wide curricula in science and math for grades K-12. Additionally, she participated in programs to improve student achievement through data analysis.

Throughout her K-12 teaching assignments, Dr. McKay served as a teacher leader. For four years, she and her classes hosted a commemoration of the Tutsi genocide in Rwanda. This international project was showcased as an exemplar through Expeditionary Learning, a network of high-performing public schools.  

While continuing her work in K-12 education, Dr. McKay transitioned to higher education through teaching at a local community college where she developed and implemented programs focusing on student success, primarily in mathematics. She presented her strategies for success for the faculty and staff at the college for their semester in-service events. Additionally, she has helped an online high school dramatically change middle school and high school instructional methods by implementing gaming into the curriculum. As the educational expert, she oversees the content and curriculum.

Dr. McKay resides in Indianapolis, Indiana, with her husband of 25 years. They have a 22-year-old son who is finishing a physics and computer science degree.

Dr. Crystal Neumann previously worked in marketing and market research before she transitioned to higher education to work with and motivate adult learners. She has taught marketing and public relations in Germany and has worked as an administrator and instructor within higher education. Her work has been published in several journals, and she has presented at several national and international conferences.

Dr. Neumann continues to study leadership, marketing, and higher education. She enjoys being a part of every learner’s journey and seeing their growth throughout the program.

Dr. Katrina Landa has taught at the elementary and high school levels, and she also supervised adult education programs in her former school district. Presently, she is an adjunct instructor for her local community college and is a director of their dual enrollment program.

Dr. Landa enjoys teaching courses on early childhood education and English for speakers of other languages (ESOL). Additionally, she loves to read, travel, and spend time with her husband and their daughters.

Dr. Marsha Moore has worked in the field of education for 20 years and is passionate about working with teachers.

Dr. Moore has four children, and they are a source of insight and enjoyment for both her and her husband. She has grown so much as a teacher and as a human thanks to them. She also enjoys running and Mental Floss magazine.

Dr. Imani Akin enjoys teaching and supporting doctoral students in the Ed.D. and Ed.S programs at ACE and has taught in higher education for over five years. She supports educators and schools districts nationwide by developing and facilitating professional development workshops as a faculty member for ASCD. She has served in elementary and high schools of charter, parochial, and public schools within urban and suburban school districts, supporting exceptional learners as a case manager and department head of special education.

Dr. Akin values collaboration and currently chairs the High Quality Online Teaching and Learning Committee of AACTE. Additionally, she presents her research at national and international conferences and publishes in academic journals.

Dr. Tracey Soper is a Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) and Registered Nurse (RN) with 30 years of nursing experience. She is a true lifelong learner with two earned doctorates, and she is now enrolled in a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program. As an RN, Dr. Soper served in critical care, open-heart, and emergency care departments, which lead to roles including director of education, director of neurology, clinical nurse specialist, and computer consultant.

In higher education, both in America and internationally, Dr. Soper has developed student-centered nursing curricula. She has received the DAISY faculty award twice in honor of her outstanding work in curriculum development, teaching, and administration. As a former chairperson for Sigma Theta Tau International, Dr. Soper values the role veteran nurses play in shaping the younger generation of student nurses, especially on a global scale. Eager to learn and collaborate with others, Dr. Soper has traveled to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to assist in developing nursing curricula. Through the World Health Organization, she has focused on mentoring a nursing college in Africa to improve their program.

Dr. Soper has helped pioneer learning enhancements including audio supplementation into nursing courses. Her published works focus on topics including cultural competence in the online learning environment, effectiveness of instructional methodologies with nurses, and mentoring nurses when English is not their native language.

In her free time, Dr. Soper is an animal activist. She also enjoys walking, running, and playing ball with her dogs.

Dr. Rebecca Wiehe lives in Cleveland, Ohio, with her husband and three children. She has been a Spanish teacher for 22 years and has taught every level from preschool through university students.

In 2012, Dr. Wiehe was named Ohio's World Language Teacher of the Year. She has worked extensively with both student teachers and veteran teachers as they continue their professional development.

From the beginning of her career, Dr. Sunddip Aguilar has been interested in changing education. She has taught over 10 years in the K-12 setting and currently serves as an online adjunct instructor. Additionally, she is a master reviewer leading a team through course review design for both K-12 and higher education courses.

Dr. Aguilar’s current passion is assisting institutions in successfully achieving their goals. She has provided several schools across the globe with workshops in classroom management, assessment, and evaluation methods, 21st century learning, diversity in the classroom, and teaching to the secondary learner.

Dr. Gordon Vessels joined ACE in 2010 and has taught graduate courses since 2005. He has worked for more than 20 years as a school psychologist in mostly urban schools. Additionally, he has public K-12 school teaching experience and was a teaching and research assistant at UGA and ISU. He has completed degree programs in education, sociology, school psychology, and leadership where he studied non-biased assessment and creativity. 

Dr. Vessels has authored and directed multi-school U.S. DOE grant projects and has created data collection instruments. Additionally, he published Character and Community Development in 1998. He has significant real-world experience in fostering students’ social and moral development, as well as building character and community.

Dr. Don Demoulin served in K-12 education from 1975 to 1986 as an elementary school teacher, elementary school principal, and district superintendent. Since 1987, he has been a professor in higher education, currently serving ACE as core faculty, as well as an education and business consultant.

During his higher education tenure, Dr. Demoulin has published more than 150 articles, books, and technical manuscripts, and has made over 250 research presentations across the United States and in 11 countries. He has received numerous honors and recognition for his research involving early childhood self-concept development and the use of personalization to enhance reading skills. Additionally, he has achieved distinction for his distance-learning/technology training, online curriculum development, leadership development training, and national seminars on violence prevention strategies for schools.

Dr. Chih-Hsin Hsu has 12 years of diverse teaching experience in high school and university settings and has continued her education with certifications of technology-embedded instruction and teaching effectiveness. She is committed to ESL/bilingual education and teacher preparation, teaching related courses in both face-to-face and online formats. 

Dr. Hsu has published peer-reviewed articles and has presented at national conferences. She serves on doctoral dissertation committees as well as curriculum and assessment committee to contribute to curriculum and assessment development. In her leisure time, she plays tennis and enjoys outdoor activities.

Dr. Elizabeth A. Johnson is an experienced educational leader with over a decade of experience in a K-12 setting. She has worked previously with the Ohio Department of Education Network of Regional Leaders, the District Leadership Team, Building Leadership Team, and Teacher Based Teams. She is currently working on education articles and has presented her work in both Ohio and Kentucky. She also has extensive experience with curriculum development and data analysis.

In her free time, Dr. Johnson enjoys time with family, Zumba three times a week, and walking her dogs.

Dr. Jacqueline O'Mara is an accomplished educator with more than 23 years in education. She began her career as a high school teacher and spent eight years in the classroom before moving into administration. She then worked as a high school associate principal, an intermediate associate principal, and is currently an elementary principal. Because she enjoys shaping future educational leaders, she has also spent several years as a principal mentor and continues to work directly with prospective teacher and principal candidates in their field experiences.

Al Richard brings 39 years of experience in education to the ACE faculty. He has an extensive knowledge of both public and private education systems as he has served as a district-level director of student services, district-level director of athletics, high school principal, junior high principal, high school assistant principal, elementary assistant principal, private school headmaster, and classroom teacher.

Because he has always enjoyed shaping future educational leaders, Mr. Richard has served as a mentor administrator for Master of Education candidates throughout his career in education.

Dr. Jason Caudill has been teaching at ACE since 2011, initially in the master's program for Educational Technology and then joining the Doctor of Education program shortly after its launch where he currently teaches and serves on dissertation committees. Outside of ACE, Dr. Caudill has an extensive history teaching business and currently serves as an Associate Professor of Business teaching Management and Information Systems at both the undergraduate and master's levels in face-to-face and online formats. He has been teaching online since 2004 in programs ranging from undergraduate to doctoral and has also been a fully online graduate student.

Dr. Caudill has published on topics of technology management and general management in business sources, along with an extensive record of presentations ranging from regional to international conferences. This work has earned him significant professional recognition, including the Pearson Learning Wagner Award for Outstanding Instructional Support in Distance Learning from the Distance Learning Administration Conference, the Managerial Excellence Award from the Institute of Certified Professional Managers, promotion to Laureate Member of Epsilon Pi Tau, and a Best Paper Award from the International Conference on Learning and Administration in Higher Education.

Dr. Bridgette Davis is a native of southern Mississippi and an experienced world traveler. As a former 7th and 8th grade science teacher, Dr. Davis enjoys preparing teachers to reach middle and high school students.

Dr. Davis's passion for helping all students achieve their potential is demonstrated by her commitment to high expectations with purposeful literacy integration to meet the needs of culturally diverse students, while concurrently making meaningful instructional connections to real-life applications. She is particularly interested in adolescent literacy and STEM integration into content areas across the secondary school curriculum, developing low-cost tools to teach science, e-learning, authentic assessments, and classroom climate.

Dr. Audrey Donaldson has served for 35 years in public education, and she is currently working as an educational consultant and a senior core faculty member. As the former chief officer for Chicago Public School’s Office of Teacher Recertification and Professional Standards, she was responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Illinois state teacher recertification guidelines for Chicago’s 28,000 teachers. Prior to this position, she served as an assistant superintendent for elementary education, a teacher, assistant principal, elementary school principal, and a high school principal. 

As a consultant, Dr. Donaldson has conducted an independent evaluation of the tutorial programs offered in the U.S. Virgin Islands and continues to work in school districts across the country.

Dr. Donaldson is married and is the mother of two sons. She is actively involved in her church and is a member of several professional organizations. In her spare time, she enjoys reality television, movies, and the theater. Her ideal weekend includes a trip to New York to catch the most recent Broadway shows. 

Dr. Deb Gilbert hails from upstate New York and has taught in New York, Indiana, and South Carolina. In addition to classroom experience, she has worked with low-performing schools as a state curriculum specialist. She holds many awards in teaching, and is a National Board Certified Teacher.

Dr. Gilbert’s passion is helping teachers to use engaging, creative strategies that promote student learning and literacy. Her published articles include: Professional Development is Not a Bitter Pill and Technology in the Classroom: A Novel Approach. 

When not involved in education activities, Dr. Gilbert likes to travel, write, and work with glass. She has lived in Spain and traveled throughout Europe.

Dr. Lesha Dawn Hickman immediately began teaching after earning her bachelor's degree and has continued her education while working in the classroom.

Throughout her career, Dr. Hickman has spent her summers at Camp Discovery in Gainesboro, Tennessee. She has been the director of this camp for special needs adults and children for over seven years. Camp Discovery provides recreational activities and joy to people of all ages and all disability types.

Dr. Hickman currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her beloved dachshund. In her spare time she enjoys reading, sports, cooking, and home improvement. The time she most cherishes is spent in her RV on the beach watching the sun set.

Dr. Therese Kanai has been involved in the field of education for over twenty years. Upon graduation from the University of Hawaii in Manoa, she moved to Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, and worked as a substitute teacher where she discovered that working with children was her passion.

Today, teaching online is Dr. Kanai’s passion. She presents at a number of conferences each year focusing on strategies that ensure success in online teaching. She is dedicated to providing her students with quality instruction that maintains the highest academic and programmatic standards.

Dr. Kanai’s philosophy regarding education is simple: make the learning process enjoyable. This works for all learners regardless of their age or the content area. In order to ensure that learning is enjoyable, she strives to eliminate any frustration or confusion that can arise in an online format and seeks to make herself available to students so they get the most from their experience. She believes collaboration, communication, and cooperation are the keys for success.

Dr. Kanai resides in Hawaii.

Dr. Deborah Lee has served in education for almost 30 years. She was a high school teacher for 13 years and a high school administrator for nine years. Additionally, she has been a director of the Upward Bound Program for seven years. She has a passion for helping students, and she loves working at ACE.

Dr. David Mapp, Jr. has been a social studies instructor in Pinellas County, Florida, for nearly 15 years. Along with K-12 social science certification, Dr. Mapp, colloquially called "Dr. M," holds a doctorate in instructional leadership and is certified in educational leadership.

As a 2008 Teacher of the Year Award recipient in the category of Creativity and Innovation, he presents at conferences on technology and PowerPoint use in the classroom. Though Dr. Mapp was born in the U.S., his parents have roots in the Caribbean island of St. Croix. Thus, he is also an advocate for ESOL students.

Dr. Sean Nank is an internationally recognized mathematics educator and has received the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). In addition to classroom teaching, he has worked with the United States Department of Education, National Science Foundation, California Department of Education, and California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. He has published two books titled Testing over Teaching: Mathematics Education in the 21st Century and The Making of a Presidential Mathematics and Science Educator. He also was appointed to represent the USA at ICME-12 in Korea as the mathematics assessment expert.

Dr. Marsha Phelps has extensive experience in urban education, as well as industry experience in marketing and finance. Blending her industry and educational experiences, Dr. Phelps served as Vice President of Academic Affairs for a city college of Chicago and as full-time consultant and coordinator for the Illinois State Board of Education where she has trained teachers to prepare curriculum for 21st century secondary career programs.

Dr. Phelps is a certified, experienced teacher and has taught students of all ages. She possesses endorsements in secondary English, cooperative education, business, marketing, and entrepreneurship. In spite of her various experiences teaching adults, she has learned more from her fifth-graders than from all of her other institutions combined!

Dr. Erick Aguilar has significant experience in banking and government, including more than 20 years in administrative and leadership roles. He has 11 years of experience in teaching leadership, management, operations, history, philosophy, and computer information systems at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Additionally, he has served as a dissertation chair and committee member.

As a faculty member and lifelong learner, Dr. Aguilar is interested in topics spanning from history, education, and philosophy to business management. He resides in MN.

Dr. Francoise Bachelder is originally from Montpellier, France, where she received a Master's degree in Cultural Anthropology. She has taught in California, Indiana, and Ohio.

Dr. Bachelder loves reading in French and English. Additionally, she writes novels and poetry.

Dr. Tiffani Bateman began her education career teaching alternative education in 1999 and has more than a decade of experience teaching special education and serving as a special education coordinator for grades K-12.

Dr. Bateman currently serves as the curriculum specialist for the psychology department at Kaplan University. Throughout her career, she has assisted online education programs in transferring technologies to 2.0 platforms, piloting innovative self-contained coursework like MOOCs and competency-based curriculum, and evaluating program requirements for accreditation. She also has enjoyed managing and developing numerous curriculum projects. She is especially interested in studying how technology intersects with human behavior and relationships.

Stephanie Begley is an experienced educator who has devoted her work-life to improving learning outcomes. A former special education teacher and a public school principal with 15 years of experience, she is well-versed with the academic demands of different learners. She has a comprehensive knowledge of variations in emotional behavior, having taught this course as a special educator. For the past seven years, she worked as a supervisor for a teacher certification program in a brick and mortar course, in addition to being an online instructor.

Ms. Begley has worked diligently in the higher education sector, specializing in curriculum development, educational technology, and state teacher assessment initiatives. Through her educational career, Ms. Begley has continued to mentor both private and public sector students and adults. She is excited to be part of the American College of Education faculty and is optimistic about the education sector. She believes that education should be structured to address current and future needs to impact the student, leading to positive growth. Through completing her doctoral program and beyond, she hopes to advocate for policy decisions that are student-centered and designed to improve education.

Jodi Boling is a registered nurse with 23 years of experience in neuro/trauma critical care. She has worked as a clinical nurse specialist in adult health, working with neurosurgery and neuroscience patients for a local hospital doing program development for the hospital and community outreach programs. Her experience led her to work for a medical device company as a national educator for non-invasive hypothermia for post-cardiac arrest. For the past 11 years she has been a full time nursing professor with experience in medical surgical nursing; assessment; and multicultural death and dying. She has also served as a course coordinator for a variety of courses.

Ms. Boling loves the outdoors and spending quality time with her husband and two young sons.

Dr. Joyce Cooper is an educator. She currently facilitates graduate level courses for the American College of Education and is a former high school principal and middle school teacher.  She is a recipient of the Principal of the Year award from The Council for Exceptional Children in 2010 and 2012. She enjoys international travel and has visited Brazil as well as Tokyo, Japan, sponsored by the Fulbright Teacher Program.

Dr. Michael Coopersmith has more than 20 years of experience teaching mathematics and serving in leadership roles in K-12 public education. His leadership roles have included principal and assistant principal at both the high school and junior high levels. He previously taught and coached at the high school level for ten years in the Houston, Texas, area. 

Through earning his doctorate, Dr. Coopersmith completed a quantitative analysis of effects of year-round education on student standardized test scores in Texas middle schools. He currently resides in central Texas with his family.

Dr. Rebecca Curtis has worked in higher education for more than 23 years, holding administration and faculty positions. She was a trainer and an administrator of a program that created nationally and internationally known curricula that taught administrators how to coach their teachers. Her background includes early childhood and youth development, online learning, and coaching and supervising teachers in education.

Dr. Curtis also serves on several local committees on behalf of children and families, including fighting child abuse and neglect on a bi-state committee. Her research includes clinical supervision and coaching teachers. She enjoys her family, her three cats, and playing the piano.

Dr. Felicia Durden is an accomplished educator with over 12 years of experience. She has taught grades K-12 and currently serves as Assistant Director of Reading and Writing in a large urban school district in Arizona. Additionally, she has taught English composition at the college level for over five years.

Dr. Durden has a passion for inspiring student growth in reading and writing.

Dr. Sarah (Sally) Everts has a Certificate of Advanced Studies in School District Administration and Building Administrator and is a certified coordinator of Work Study Programs. She has previously worked as an elementary teacher, school-to-work coordinator, and elementary principal. Now that she is retired, she stays active with education by substituting at her former district.

Dr. Everts has been an online instructor since 2008 and is thrilled to be full-time, Core faculty for ACE! She and her husband live in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of New York. Spending time with her three grown children and six grandchildren is her favorite pasttime. She also enjoys golfing, boating, camping, and traveling.

Gretchen Hutchinson has been working in nursing and health care educational programs since 2010. She has a great love for both education and nursing and has been a registered nurse for the past 23 years with experience in nursing administration, hospice, home health care, and emergency room and quality assurance. She is currently the director of nursing at a local hospital. 

Ms. Hutchinson is a member of Sigma Theta Tau / Omicron Delta Chapter, American Nurses Association, and NADONNA. Additionally, she completed her education through online education programs. She is married with five sons, two daughters-in-law, and one precious granddaughter. She enjoys gardening, fishing, boating, reading, and spending time with her family.

Dr. Michael Jazzar holds a doctorate with high honors in educational leadership from Michigan State University, where he was awarded the distinction of the Don O. Tatroe Memorial Scholarship.He has held both faculty and administrative posts in higher education, and his experience spans multiple roles as university professor and college administrator and, at the secondary level, as board member, superintendent, principal, and coordinator overseeing complex alliances between major universities and 22 school districts. He has also served as a director of curriculum and grants.

As an administrator, Dr. Jazzar has developed programs and institutions in both rural and urban settings, as well as in traditional and online environments, both nationally and internationally. From 1980 to 1984, he served in the Gulf region as superintendent of a school district. More recently, he assisted in establishing the Western Michigan University Leadership Academy, a nationally-acclaimed institute noted for its success rate among graduates who progress directly into administrative roles.

In his academic career, Dr. Jazzar has authored three recognized books and published multiple book chapters and numerous articles in top-tier journals. He has served on the editorial boards of scholarly periodicals and on the advisory councils of both professional networks and educational organizations. 

Dr. Jazzar is trilingual and manifests a career-long commitment to multicultural learning and teaching.

Dr. Sandra R. Johnson currently works for New Mexico State University where she is an instructional consultant assisting faculty in moving their face-to-face content to an online format following best practices and universal design principles. She also teaches for the College of Education for the Online Teacing and Learning graduate certificate program.

With 25+ years as a professional educator, Dr. Johnson's background spans the K-20+ spectrum with 18 years in the classroom (preschool, high school, and higher education) and 10 years in providing professional development focused on quality in online education.

Dr. Johnson holds an Online Teaching and Learning Certificate as well as certifications in using the management systems of Blackboard, Moodle, Canvas and for blended learning.  She has won the Online Teacher of the Year Award from Innovative Digital Education and Learning located at the State of New Mexico public education department as well as the Online Teacher of the Year Award from her local school district.  Dr. Johnson is a Crimson Scholar at New Mexico State University where she continues her educational endeavors.

Dr. Jason Johnston has served as an adjunct professor and internship supervisor for American College of Education since 2010. In addition to his role with ACE, he currently serves as the principal of a large high school in north Texas. During his 18-year career in education, he served as an administrator, teacher, and coach at both the high school and middle school levels. While serving as a middle school principal, he was awarded the H-E-B Excellence in Education Texas Secondary School Principal of the year. 

Dr. Johnston believes the key to any successful organization, whether it is a school or a family, lies in the ability of the leader to equip, empower, and encourage the individuals he or she serves.

Dr. Dana Kaminski currently serves as principal of Brooks School Elementary in Fishers, Indiana. He has served for 16 years as a school administrator and 21 years in elementary education. He has experience working with diverse populations, building community connections, and successfully integrating technology to support learning.

Dr. Kaminski’s school, Brooks School Elementary, has pioneered several advancements including a 1:1 tech environment and application-driven classrooms. From kindergarten onward, students are expected to collaborate and design solutions to real-world problems. The school has been recognized as a high-performing four-star school by the state of Indiana eight times since it opened in 2003.

Dr. Macon has been teaching online since 2005, and he teaches occasionally in face-to-face formats on military installations. He loves interacting with students, both graduate and undergraduate. He loves the dynamics of enriching and enhancing the discussions of professionals, and he believes ACE provides a unique purpose of educating educators.

Dr. Macon holds teacher credentials for New Mexico and Texas in a variety of different fields, from superintendent to principal to librarian to classroom teacher. He has taught in K-12 settings as well as in higher education environments. He has earned nine degrees, including an Ed.D. and a Ph.D.

Dr. Jennifer Mathes has worked in higher education for more than 20 years teaching courses on educational technology and digital learning. She currently teaches master's and doctoral level courses in education and also supports students in the dissertation process.

Dr. Maria Orlando has been involved in the field of education for more than 35 years as a K-12 classroom teacher, administrator, and an instructor and mentor in higher education. She currently teaches at both the graduate and doctoral levels, with a focus on action research and leadership and management. Dr. Orlando maintains an affiliation with several professional organizations, including the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the United States Distance Learning Association, and has worked in an advisory capacity with the Information Technology Advisory Board in the St. Louis Archdiocese and Education Advisory Committee at St. Charles Community College.

Dr. Orlando received a Missouri Mayoral Proclamation for Educational Excellence, and was awarded the National Association of Secondary School Principals/National Middle School Association/National Association of Elementary School Principals Salute to Leadership Award. Under her leadership, her school was twice recognized as a Blue Ribbon School, and received the National Catholic Educational Association Blue Ribbon School of Distinction Award.

A native of St. Louis, she earned her bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in educational administration from Lindenwood University. Dr. Orlando earned her doctorate in educational leadership from Maryville University. Dr. Orlando devotes some of her time to philanthropic organizations that serve the needs of students in the St. Louis area. She also enjoys travel, photography, gardening, and spending time with her family.

Dr. Angie Parker is inspired by the possibilities of online learning. She is particularly interested in online retention strategies for students and methodologies to inspire and motivate faculty. She has served as a Dean of Academic Affairs, and also Dean of Education.

In 2009, Dr. Parker was awarded the Fulbright Senior Scholar Award to research distance education in the five major universities on the Eastern Cape of South Africa. The final paper was presented to the South African Department of Education in Cape Town and also at several conferences in the United States. Continued research on those very important topics will always be a part of her interests in education.

Dr. Parker believes every student has the potential to learn and to excel. She believe it is her job to know the needs of all of her individual students and to challenge them at their level. She aims to bring the latest trends to her classes and challenge her students to utilize these trends as they integrate technology.

Dr. Lisa Marie Portugal is a personal and professional life coach, a peer-reviewed author, an online university professor, a Ph.D. dissertation chair, and a faculty supervisor to teacher candidates.

Dr. Portugal has published in academic journals including Academic Leadership the Online Journal, Advancing Women in Leadership Online Journal, Distance Learning Administration (OJDLA), and Higher Education Perspectives. She is a Peer Reviewer for the Journal of Instructional Research (JIR). Her expertise includes student engagement and success; adult learning theory; nontraditional and at-risk learners; faculty retention and hiring practices; best practices in online learning; and emerging technology in course design and instruction.

Dr. Heidi Schmidt’s PK-12 educational career of 36 years includes 16 years as a District Administrator for two school districts in Wisconsin. In addition, she was a Middle School Principal for 11 years and Associate Middle School Principal for two years. She also taught junior high English and Social Studies. For the past nine years, she has facilitated doctoral courses, chaired dissertation teams, and served as a committee member for several students.

Dr. Schmidt has focused primarily on curriculum, instruction, assessment, and leadership. Her leadership has focused on the tenets of a professional learning community for the last six years. The last school district that she led was the first school district in the state of Wisconsin to be recognized as a professional learning community. She is proudest of her work for the past four years relative to planning and implementing a K-12 school-based mental health program. Her work has been recognized at the state level by Wisconsin State Superintendent Dr. Tony Evers. Additionally, she has presented at several state conventions and will be presenting at learning forum in Tennessee in September. Dr. Schmidt recently published an article in Wisconsin School News, which is the Wisconsin School Board Association magazine, highlighting the Hortonville Area School District’s program in the May, 2017 edition.

Dr. Schmidt continues to learn with each class she teaches. As she facilitates courses, she brings her life experiences to the discussions and aims to help each student become a better writer. 

Dr. Denita B. Scott has served as an educator for many years. She is currently an assistant superintendent of student learning and programs. Previously, she was an NCLB coordinator, assistant principal for an elementary and middle school, a reading coach, a Title I / reading recovery teacher, and a classroom teacher. She has also served as an adjunct professor at Chicago State University in Chicago and was a presenter for the Illinois Principals Association and the Superintendents’ Commission for the Study of Demographics and Diversity Conference. In addition, she is a member of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), The Thornton Township Teaching and Learning Program (TTTLP), the Illinois Principals Association (IPA), International Literacy Association (ILA), Illinois Reading Council (IRC), South Suburban Reading Council (SSRC), and the Data for School Innovation Advisory Board (DSI).

Dr. Scott has a strong passion for improvement of student achievement and is a catalyst for change. Specifically, she created the Curriculum Planning Council, which brings all stakeholders together to make decisions about curriculum, instruction, and assessment. In addition, she has been instrumental in developing a new middle school social studies textbook with online access.

Dr. Kim Sethna has held several educational leadership positions throughout her career, including classroom teacher, principal, curriculum director, interim superintendent, school board member, and court-appointed special advocate (CASA) for abused and neglected children.

Currently, Dr. Sethna is an adjunct professor for graduate education courses at Ursuline College in Cleveland, Ohio, and an educational supervisor for student teachers from Kent State University.

Dr. Sethna lives in Macedonia, Ohio, with her husband, Farhad, and four children.

Dr. Brian Sloan has focused his research on Indiana school construction, remonstrance law, and the various impacts school construction can have on the community. Additionally, he has served in elementary education for the past 27 years, including teaching at the elementary level for nine years. He has been an elementary principal since 2001.

Dr. Sloan has been blessed with a loving wife, Kristi, and two wonderful daughters, Kourtney and Katie Grace. He enjoys spending any free time he has with his immediate family and extended family and friends. His hobbies include muscle cars, one of which he owns, maintains, and drives, as well as construction, building and remodeling projects. He also enjoys music and attending concerts with his wife and traveling with all of his girls.

Dr. Mary Smith has been a registered nurse for 24 years with nearly two decades of experience as a board certified nurse practitioner. She has more than seven years of experience teaching online graduate nursing courses, and was at one point an online student herself. In addition to clinical practice and educational experience, Dr. Smith also collaborates with various government departments to develop healthcare policy that promotes quality, equity, and equality in health on state and national levels.

In addition to her degrees, Dr. Smith holds certifications as an orthopedic nurse practitioner and a peri-operative registered nurse. She has been published in various peer reviewed nursing journals, and has written continuing education courses for registered nurses and advanced practice nurses. Dr. Smith enjoys writing and mentoring new nurses in their new-found leadership roles.

She resides with her family in a rural area where they own a rescue farm that includes dogs, horses, and donkeys.

A native of France, Dr. Ludovic A. Sourdot has taught in classrooms from elementary through college-level and in various settings (urban, suburban and distance education) prior to his experience in academia. Dr. Sourdot’s research focuses on the pedagogical possibilities popular culture offers for education and leadership in educational settings.

Dr. Martha Sturgeon currently works as a nurse practitioner for a hospice organization in addition to teaching online courses. She is a lifelong learner and has earned several degrees culminating in a Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP). As a registered nurse for 40 years and a nurse practitioner for 17 years, her career has focused on medical surgical nursing and adult health. Her professional experience includes oncology, pain management, cardiology, case management, program development, quality improvement, and nursing education. She holds national certification as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Adult Health from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).


For Dr. Sturgeon, nursing has been an outstanding career choice. Her goals continue to include professional development and assisting patients and families to achieve their health goals. The nursing theorist Imogene King and her Theory of Goal Attainment (1981) have been her blueprint for patient care and nursing practice.

Dr. Sturgeon has had the privilege of observing and participating in the development of the nursing profession as the Nurse Practitioner role has emerged during the last 30 years. She recognizes that the Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) is in a position to assume the general and specialized healthcare needs of the American public, with the goal of providing low cost, high quality care.

Dr. Pamela A. Woods has been an educator for over fifteen years. She currently teaches college education courses and has taught traditional K-12, adult education, and online 6-12 courses on fine and commercial arts, photography, marketing, and business.

Previously, Dr. Woods worked in the newspaper, marketing, and design industry as an artist and creative / marketing director in Detroit. Dr. Woods also writes on educational topics and enjoys oil painting.

Dr. Wynn has experience serving as an educator for 27 years in Pinellas County Schools in Florida, most recently as a middle school assistant principal. He has also worked for several colleges and universities and serves as a Quality Matters trainer.

Dr. Wynn’s teaching philosophy is to help students develop their skills in an environment that allows for individual and group work. He believes in getting students involved and having fun as they learn.

Dr. Wynn’s interests include spending time with family, pastoring Highland Missionary Baptist Church in Tampa, Florida, and golfing as much as he can with friends. He has been married for more than 26 years to his wife, Tonya, and they have a son and two daughters.

Dr. Barbara Yalof has taught and co-led several courses and workshops involving the use of technology for teachers and is interested in how to harness technology and Web tools for active learning. In addition to her role at ACE, she is Academic Administrative and Technology Support Specialist at Harcum College near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Dr. Yalof has many years of experience as an art teacher and as a commissioned and exhibiting artist. Specifically, she has focused on producing digital graphics and illustrations.

Dr. Sarah Becerra is an educator as well as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). She has taught college-level courses since 2004, primarily online. She has taught a diverse range of courses including research methods, theory, multiculturalism, engagement, assessment, counseling, and human development. In addition to teaching online, she works in the clinical mental health field providing consults, assessments, and referrals for clients.

Dr. Ellen Brewer has taught English at many levels, including grades 5-12, college composition and literature courses, and secondary education courses in ELA teaching methodologies. Additionally, she has specialized training in educational leadership and library information services.

Dr. Brewer has served at numerous schools, including the Dekalb County school system in northeast Alabama, Gadsden State Community College, Snead State Community College, Georgia Highlands College, and Shorter University. She also taught high school English for 8 years in Rome, Georgia and currently works as the literacy coach in grades 9-12. After completing 60 hours of reading training as part of the Alabama Reading Initiative, she was selected in 1992 and 1995 as a teacher-fellow with the National Writing Project. She now serves on the JSU Writing Project Advisory Board. In 2012, Dr. Brewer was awarded a $1.2 million grant to help Striving Readers for Rome City Schools.

Dr. Brewer currently lives in Fort Payne, Alabama with her husband Jamie, and her chow/husky mix Stella. Her hobbies include cooking, singing soprano, and spending time with her family.

Dr. Angela Dallas enjoys being a lifelong learner, and her academic record includes post-graduate studies in ESOL and Educational Leadership.

Dr. Dallas has 14 years of professional leadership experience including experience as a school administrator. Additionally, she has developed, implemented, and maintained professional learning communities. She has nine years of college teaching experience including bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral level courses. She has also developed both undergraduate and graduate level courses.

Dr. Dallas is co-author of Parent Handbook on Getting Children Ready for Learning and Parental Involvement Handbook: Schools and Parents Working Together to Improve Learning. She is also editor of a drama novel and has presented her work at both national and international conferences. She is also the co-author of three articles published in December 2009, January 2010, and March 2010 through the Journal of Teaching and Learning and the Journal of Critical Issues in Education.

Dr. Rita Deyoe-Chiullán is an international educator and taught at universities and a private bilingual school in Colombia, South America. In the U.S., she taught graduate education courses for teachers and administrators for sixteen years. More recently, she taught bilingual/regular elementary/ middle school, followed by a few years as a bilingual specialist in an alternative teacher certification program. 

Since retiring from Texas public schools, Dr. Deyoe-Chiullán now teaches part-time at universities. Her scholarly efforts focus on bilingual/ESL teacher preparation, primarily as chapters in monographs for educators. Recently, she has edited a peer-reviewed online journal, Texas English Language Teaching (TexELT) for the TexTESOL V Executive Board where she serves as Publications Coordinator.

Dr. Jo Anne Hughes currently serves as principal of Cabell Elementary School in Dallas ISD, located in Dallas, Texas. Under her leadership, the school has developed an innovative model of personalized learning including competency-based education and individualized learning pathways. With increased emphasis on technology support, social emotional learning and project-based learning, the school is aiming to improve educational outcomes with a focus that is learner-centered and learner-directed. 

Through her extensive career in education and work at a campus with 95% of students receiving free and reduced lunch, Dr. Hughes provides important insights about what is working in real-world classrooms.

Dr. Patricia Krumnow earned her bachelor's degree in secondary science and began teaching middle school in 1999. Since then, she has earned three more degrees, all in education, culminating with her doctorate in educational leadership. She is married and has two daughters.

From an early public relations career in car rental to executive management positions in power transmission, telecommunications, printing, advertising specialties, and education, Dr. Maryann Lamer has been at the forefront of leading marketing strategies for organizations around the world. She has been teaching marketing, public relations and global business for more than 14 years.

Additionally, Dr. Lamer has extensive experience in working with nonprofit organizations to meet their public relations and fundraising objectives. She enjoys sharing her expertise serving both private for-profit and not-for-profit organizations.

Dr. Rebekah McPherson is a state of Texas certified Master Technology Teacher. She has six years of teaching experience at the middle school and high school levels, as well as two years of university experience.

Dr. Ann Mowery has taught for seven years in private and public elementary and middle schools in Arizona and Oklahoma. She spent two years as an elementary principal in Oklahoma; eight years as an elementary principal in Texas Interim Middle School Principal, Delaware; eight years as curriculum supervisor and director of curriculum and staff development in Oklahoma, and 11 years as a curriculum supervisor and director of instruction in Delaware.

Dr. Joyce Myers currently teaches university courses in early childhood and elementary education at several schools. During her career, she has served as an elementary school principal as well as a classroom teacher and children's minister. She is also the author of an instructor's manual for a textbook in early childhood education.

Dr. Myers and her family have lived in countries outside the U.S. for more than 10 years.

Dr. Camilla Quarterman has served as an educator for 21 years. As a teacher, graduation coach, and administrator of Saturday Academy, she believes effective teaching can be identified in many ways. However, building relationships with students has been researched and proven to have a positive effect on student learning. As a result, she wants to be known by her students as a teacher who cares.

Since President Clinton declared an end to social promotion and the Bush administration initiated the No Child Left Behind Act, grade retention has become a highly discussed topic among educational leaders. As a response to this debate, schools nationwide have had to examine and implement retention policies. Dr. Quarterman has done extensive research on the effects of grade retention and the importance of teachers in student achievement.

Dr. Quarterman is honored to be called “Mom” to five adult children and three school-aged children. Mothers play a vital role in the role of a child’s education, so she is joining currently with practitioners exploring how to involve socially disadvantaged parents in their children’s education.

Dr. Karen Ratliff is an online and traditional higher education facilitator, education administrator, online learning specialist, and senior executive with a broad range of experiences. She has extensive experience as a curriculum developer and administrator with Chicago Public Schools. In 2016, she founded The College Bootcamp, an online service designed to assist high school and college students through college.

Dr. Ratliff resides in Chicago, Illinois.

Dr. William Smith has enjoyed serving students of all ages throughout his varied career. He has been a classroom teacher at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels and also has numerous experiences in serving the needs of adult learners. Additionally, he has been a leader in building-level, district-level, and state and national-level school reform.

More recently, Dr. Smith has served a building principal of a large comprehensive high school; a district-level superintendent of a K-12 school district; and ultimately a theorist as the leader of an intermediate school district’s efforts to reform secondary education in one of the highest achieving counties in Michigan. His experiences include successful federal grant writing, leadership in professional education organizations, and professional development for all levels of educators. His passion for the learning process continues to fuel his drive to support others on their quest to be more impactful educators.

Dr. Jennifer Summerville currently serves as the Associate Dean, Distance Learning for a large community college in the Dallas area. She is the primary learning officer over the areas of online learning and technology-centered learning. Her team provides learning technology support for faculty, staff, and students with enrollment approaching 26,000 students.

Dr. Summerville's career spans corporate and higher education contexts. Previously, she was the Manager of Learning Technologies for a multi-billion dollar, multi-national company specializing in call center and customer service support. She has also served an associate professor of instructional design at University of North Carolina at Wilmington, teaching graduate-level courses in the Master of Instructional Technology program. From 1997 to 2003, Dr. Summerville taught undergraduate and graduate-level courses for the Department of Instructional Design and Technology at Emporia State University in Emporia, KS. 

Dr. Summerville is an award-winning instructor, has published three textbooks as well as numerous journal articles, and has presented at local, national and international conferences. Her articles and presentations focus on instructional design, instructional media design, and web-based distance learning design and development.

Dr. Justin Weindorf has served in the education field since 2003. He has served in various locations and seeks to understand the people he teaches. As a believer in servant leadership, he likes to empower others with what he has learned so they can develop stronger relationships with their students. He has learned from many great leaders in his life and seeks to help teachers find drive and passion through their work in the classroom.

As Dr. Weindorf has served ACE since November of 2009, he has had many roles. He has enjoyed working with interns, teaching educational leadership courses, and helping with course development. He has also facilitated a research committee, and now serves as part of a doctoral committee. He has returned to working with interns again and I has enjoyed all of his various experiences with ACE since he has been here.

Dr. Weindorf currently lives in Spanish Fort, Alabama, and has been a resident of the state for the past four years. Previously, he lived and taught in Florida. He has been married for 15 years to his wife Brandy and has one son Brant, 15, and one daughter Braylee, 12. He enjoys exercise, reading, and following Florida Gator sports.

Dr. David Weischadle is a professor of education (emeritus) at Montclair State University in New Jersey. His professional experience and academic preparation have ranged from preschool to graduate education, from schools to community-based groups. His doctoral degree is in curriculum and instruction, which has allowed him the opportunity to teach, research, and consult in schools, colleges, governmental agencies, and other organizations. He has extensive experience in post-secondary education, elementary education, secondary education, special education, at-risk programs, and early childhood education. 

Dr. Weischadle is also experienced in healthcare, social agencies, and community education. He has also served as a faculty fellow at Princeton University and as an adjunct professor at a number of other institutions.

Dr. Elaine Montgomery Wilson believes all children can learn if given the right tools and the dedicated professionals and that teaching children is the purpose and mission of her life. Therefore, she decided to become the vessel of change. She has continued to develop her understanding of educational strategies by continuing her education throughout her career.

In 2005, Dr. Wilson was accepted as a graduate student in the University of Cincinnati Urban Educational Leadership doctoral program. Additionally, she has served in an urban elementary school for 27 years. She was a third grade teacher for 11 years and presently serves as the principal at the Phoenix Community Learning Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

As she reflects on her position as principal for the last 17 years, Dr. Wilson is humbled to serve the children who will guide us into tomorrow. She believes urban educational leaders must possess integrity and a sense of ethics, inspire trust, and be able to build relationships with actions that value those that one leads. In fall 2010, she was honored to present a presentation for Dr. Thomas Sergiovanni entitled “Heart, Head, Hands, and Moral Authority” at the Council of Professors of Instructional Supervision.

Dr. Mamzelle Adolphine is a New York University Honors Scholar and a Returned Peace Corps volunteer who served in Mauritania, West Africa. She has worked both as a teacher and a trainer at the elementary school level. 

Dr. Adolphine joined American College of Education's faculty in 2010 as a professor in the department of Curriculum and Instruction. She has served on her community’s board Education committee and now serves as the facilitator for her community’s block association. Additionally, she facilitates ASTDEdge Restructuring Schools group. She enjoys hiking and cycling.

Dr. Mark Anderson is an experienced adult education practitioner. He began his career in the Air Force where he provided technical instruction for aircrew communications, curriculum-development, assessment, and leadership. He has over 20 years of experience and expertise in design, implementation, and sustainability of system-wide programs, especially in the areas of analytics, regulatory compliance, and organizational effectiveness.

Dr. Anderson’s training includes start up, rapid-change, multi-site operations, Lean, Six Sigma, and other catalyst programs. He has proven successes for initiatives greater than 25% of market cap. Recently, he has held administrative roles in higher education including adjunct graduate and doctoral faculty; DBA chair; dissertation chair; director of institutional effectiveness; AVP for curriculum, assessment & research; IRB chair; and now the Vice President for Lean Higher Education at National American University. He currently serves as a senior university leader responsible for all aspects of Lean.

Dr. Jennifer Ashton is passionate about developing strategies to both improve and enhance the learning experience to make curriculum enjoyable and accessible to all users. In particular, she enjoys serving students with special needs and English Language Learners (ELLs). For the past decade, she has worked in several roles in K-12 and higher education including teacher, school administrator, and Federal programs director. Her goal in each of these roles has been to ensure all classrooms provide student-centered learning experiences. She particularly enjoys including integrating STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) in the classroom. She has also had the opportunity to be a part of school accreditation processes, both as an external reviewer and lead in the school setting.

As an instructional designer, Dr. Ashton has developed hybrid, blended, and fully online courses for K-12 and higher education. All digital designs are grounded in instructional design principles and theories as well as learner-specific pedagogies. Depending on the needs of each project, she has used methods including as ADDIE, SAM, Agile, and Scrum. She enjoys working collaboratively with teams of all sizes and adapting the process to help everyone on the team feel confident. As part of this process, she has developed several training guides and templates to assist subject matter experts (SMEs) in accomplishing their goals. Dr. Ashton has worked both synchronously and asynchronously with SMEs around the globe.

Dr. Ashton’s research involves studying strategies for building a sense of community in the virtual environment, the changing landscape of instructional design, and universal design for learning (UDL). Additionally, she has started a nonprofit organization that will be focusing on educating and advocating for students with disabilities. The nonprofit will include parent training, blogs written by students with disabilities and families willing to tell their stories towards advocacy, and a site that will continue to add resources.

Dr. Karen Austin currently serves as an assistant principal with Chicago Public Schools.

Dr. Austin is proudest of her work focusing on appropriate practices for students with disabilities. In her spare time she enjoys serving her community through her sorority, traveling the world, and spending time with her family.

Dr. John Avella’s career in public education spanned over 30 years in New Jersey public schools. Prior to his retirement in 2010, he served as a teacher, principal, and superintendent of schools. His tenure in higher education began in 2005 and has included teaching at both the master’s level and the doctoral level, as well as serving as a dissertation committee person and a dissertation chair.

Dr. Avella has published his work in both scholarly journals and books with topics including ethical and moral leadership, educational leadership, learning analytics, the flipped classroom, and meditation practices. He is presently co-editor of a symposium publication which addresses ethical leadership.

Dr. Avella’s philosophy of learning is centered on the principles of lifelong learning and achievement. He believes that all may learn successfully and that educators must take an active role in the learning process while serving as teacher, mentor, and coach.

Dr. Sherry Ayala has over 16 years of experience in education serving initially in the classroom as a primary teacher, as well as at the middle school level. She has also worked at the district level on various aspects of curriculum and professional development. Now, she has transitioned to higher education to assist teachers in building their capacity as educational innovators.

Dr. Ayala looks forward to building professional relationships with colleagues and guiding teachers in their educational journeys.

Brian Scott Bailey, Ed.D., has five years of experience in higher education, including teaching educational leadership at the master's level and organizational theory at the doctoral level.

He began his career as a high school science teacher, and he served as both a middle and a high school principal, and a curriculum director prior to moving to higher education. In Texas, where he lives, Scott remains active in the public education sphere, serving as a professional service provider for struggling schools and a state trainer for teacher and principal evaluation systems.

Dr. Catherine Beck is an accomplished education administrator and published author with 23 years of experience as principal in a dual language elementary.

Dr. Beck has led the dual language school to successfully implement professional development in second language acquisition instruction. She has also overseen learning initiatives in high schools to maximize students passing accelerated or advanced level tests to gain admission into various college programs. She taught GED and ESL classes to adult learners at Colorado Mountain College and currently teaches online at Concordia University Online Doctoral Program. 

Throughout her various assignments, Dr. Beck is proud that she has successfully improved student placement and college test scores, as well as leadership and learning skills. She enjoys teaching future educational leaders who want to improve outcomes for their students.

Dr. Devan Bissonette began his teaching career in 2004 and has spent the past decade teaching online, primarily in history, humanities, and film studies. He enjoys exploring the ways media shape public opinion and reshape how the public understands the past as well as the development of virtual communities in the Internet age.

Dr. Peggy Blood has taught since 1968 and has been a faculty member at American College of Education since 2008. Her teaching interests and experience include the areas of program evaluation; multicultural education; research ethics; curriculum and instruction; and organizational leadership and strategy.

Throughout her career in higher education, Dr. Blood has published articles and delivered presentations on at-risk students and e-learning education. Specifically, she has focused on comparative, international, and development education topics with an emphasis in higher education. She has also developed new programs, credentials, and certificates.

Dr. Blood loves to travel and work in her garden.

Dr. Bettyjo Bouchey has enjoyed an extensive history in higher education leadership, serving in roles at smaller institutions including vice president, provost, and dean, to her most cherished role as faculty member. In the years leading to her tenure in higher education, Dr. Bouchey worked for and lead several high-tech start-up firms in upstate New York.

Dr. Bouchey believes that everyone deserves the opportunity to pursue post-secondary education and that ACE is a great place to do this. She is known for combining her deep understanding of pedagogy with caring, hands-on leadership of students, faculty, and staff. She is an avid discussion facilitator and finds ways to connect to online students through the use of video, audio, and other personalized methods in order to build and sustain long-lasting relationships with her students.

Outside of her work in higher education, Dr. Bouchey is a tireless advocate for epilepsy awareness and serves on the Board of Advisors for the Epilepsy Foundation of Indiana. She is also is an Epilepsy Innovation Institute pilot tester for the Epilepsy Foundation of America.

Dr. Sam Braden III is a career educator and has served in many capacities including teacher, instructional leader, principal mentor, supervisor of principals, and director of community relations.

As an educator, Dr. Braden believes his mission is to serve educators and to ensure educators are doing what is best for students in every classroom. He believes in being firm, fair, and consistent. In all areas of education, he uses a model of continuous improvement in order to maximize student success.

Dr. Braden further believes students should be active participants in the learning process. He encourages school leaders to promote diversity, encourage creativity, provide student leadership opportunities, and develop students’ self-confidence.

Dr. Sharon Smith Braden has been an educator in Nashville, Tennessee, for 28 years. During that time, she served as an executive principal for 13 years. As an instructional leader, her responsibilities have included supporting teachers in providing quality instruction by using formative and summative assessments, disaggregating data to develop an instructional calendar, planning and implementing professional development opportunities, as well as developing teacher leaders and supporting novice teachers.

Dr. Braden completed her research on project-based learning primarily focused on the perceptions of students and teachers in both traditional mathematics and project-based learning mathematics classrooms. The theoretical foundation of the research was constructivist learning focused on students’ proficiency in basic and applied skills to prepare for the workforce.

As an adjunct professor, Dr. Braden's goal is to assist teachers in researching effective instructional strategies to use in the classroom. She firmly believes students should be actively engaged in the learning process and responsible for learning.

Dr. Anthony Bretti retired from the United States Marine Corps in 1992 after 22 years of service and has worked in management, human resources, and education for more than 40 years.

Dr. Bretti enjoys being with his family, playing golf, and relaxing on the weekends whenever he gets the chance.

Dr. David Burrage has dedicated his career to ensuring all students can learn, especially those with learning exceptionalities. He has taught in general, exceptional, and virtual education settings over the past ten years. In honor of his service, he received a district Golden Apple teaching award in 2010 for his work as a public school exceptional education teacher in an emotional and behavioral self-contained setting. His doctoral work focuses on the use of classroom management systems with students diagnosed with emotional and behavioral disabilities.

Dr. Burrage lives in Florida with his wife and four children. His wife teaches first grade at a local elementary school. As a family they enjoy school-related activities, soccer, t-ball, watching movies, and traditional archery.

Dr. Kenneth Capps has taught college-level chemistry for more than 15 years both in the U.S. and abroad. As part of a Fulbright grant, he lectured first and second-year chemistry students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa. Prior to teaching, he was an officer in the U.S. Army stationed at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) in Washington, D.C. At WRAMC, he worked in the Department of Clinical Investigation, which oversees the biomedical research at that facility.

A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Dr. Carver has served as a soldier, a teacher, a data specialist, a school administrator, and a college professor. His industry experience includes transportation, military, law, computers, logistics, education, and foreign language.

As a teacher, data specialist, and school administrator, Dr. Carver has worked in VPK-12 education, created curriculum, and designed several learning systems. As an adjunct professor in a hybrid learning environment, he instructed recent immigrants in life skills, English, reading, listening, and writing. He also instructed K-12 teachers on ESOL strategies to use in their classrooms to meet one of the state ESOL endorsement requirements.

Most recently, Dr. Carver has instructed college students in computer programming and system analysis and design. He is also a state certified driver license examiner who trains new drivers and assesses their driving skills. He enjoys helping others through a process of continuous improvement.

Dr. Cort Casey is originally from Memphis, Tennessee. He has also taught in Mississippi and Georgia, then has returned to Tennessee for the past 10 years. In addition to his work at ACE, he is an associate professor at Christian Brothers University in Memphis. At CBU, he serves as the program director and advisor for its M.Ed. program. 

Dr. Casey is particularly interested in literacy skills and character education and how both of these elements fit into specific disciplines. He has taught at both the middle school and high school levels in Mississippi, Georgia, and Tennessee, with experience in both private and public school settings, and is a former wrestling coach. He also has taught at the undergraduate and graduate level at seven different universities. 

When Dr. Casey is not teaching, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three children, 12, 10, and eight. His wife is a SPED professor at the University of Memphis. He also enjoys reading, writing, cooking, running, hiking, camping, kayaking, and fly fishing.

Dr. Katia Chamberlain has taught health services administration and public health management at the undergraduate and graduate levels for seven years and has worked as a university administrator for four years.

Dr. Barry Chametzky specializes in educational technology, e-learning, and classic grounded theory. He has also studied music, French, and foreign language education. He is an active researcher in the fields of andragogy, e-learning, and classic grounded theory with numerous peer-reviewed publications.

Dr. Chametzky is one of the reviewers and the copyeditor for the Grounded Theory Review, an international peer-reviewed journal dedicated to classic grounded theory research design. In addition, he offers editing and consulting services through EditNow.Org, his editing company. He lives in Pennsylvania and teaches online as a part-time adjunct instructor at various schools.

Dr. Dennis Debay is a former high school mathematics and computer science teacher. He hails from a family of educators, and his core philosophy of research and teaching includes creating rich learning environments to support both teachers and students.

Dr. Debay has worked to integrate technology into classrooms, supported teachers in implementing reform-based teaching practices, and has helped urban and underrepresented students use technology as a tool to help further understanding of social justice and sustainability issues in their neighborhoods. Additionally, he has assisted in redesigning courses in the mathematics department at the University of Massachusetts – Boston, The Lynch School of Education at Boston College, and Manhattanville College.

Dr. Nita Ellis is a seasoned school administrator with extensive, varied experience at the campus and district levels. She is a proven, effective, and creative leader with a record of accomplishments due to a unique ability to build a team dedicated to a common goal, objective, and vision.

Eiman Eltinay was born in Khartoum, Sudan, grew up in Ohio, and now lives in Jacksonville, Florida. 

Ms. Eltinay studies vitamin D deficiency and its effects on the quality of life and nutritional status of older adults. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and practicing pilates.

Dr. Lauri Etheridge has taught courses in lifespan human development, child development, infant and toddler education and intervention, and parenting in diverse families in face-to-face and online environments. She has also provided prospective adoptive parents with educational information regarding the developmental and psychological needs of adopted children.

Dr. Etheridge is especially interested in studying moral development, adoption, identity development, and parent-child communication. In addition to her degrees, she holds the credential of Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) from the National Council on Family Relations.

Dr. Amanda Evans has worked as an educator in Wisconsin and Alabama, as well as a counselor. Her clinical experiences include children with autism, inpatient psychiatry, outpatient community mental health, and residential treatment facilities. She is originally from western Pennsylvania.

Dr. Mel Finkenberg taught in public schools in West Haven, Connecticut, and Clear Creek ISD, Texas, for three years before beginning a career in higher education at California State University, Los Angeles, where he assumed a department chair position after his fourth year. He then served as department chair at Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas, where he was named a Distinguished Professor and recipient of a Regents Professorship, the highest honor given. He served as dean of the College of Education during his time at SFASU as well. Before entering teaching, he served as an exercise physiologist with the NASA Astronaut Program.

Dr. Finkenberg has served numerous professional associations in leadership positions. He has served as president of the National Association of Kinesiology in Higher Education where he was awarded its national leadership award, as well as its service award, and was selected the Dudley Sargent Lecturer. Additionally, he served as vice president at The Southern District Association for Health, Physical Recreation, and Dance where he was awarded its Honor Award and Presidential Citation.As President of the Texas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, he was awarded the David K. Brace Award, The Honor Award, and several other awards. He was the first recipient of the Texas Administrator Award and was also named the association’s Scholar.

With an extensive publication record, Dr. Finkenberg has published approximately 90 journal articles and presented more than 50 papers at professional conferences. However, his greatest joy is teaching, particularly nontraditional learners. He believes that every student can succeed, with proper guidance and support.

Dr. Harold L. Fisher, Jr. has been serving as a full-time professor at the College of Biblical Studies in Houston, Texas, for the last eight years teaching computer applications and leadership courses. 

Prior to becoming a professor, Dr. Fisher taught in K-12 environments for eight years. He has eight years of experience teaching and developing online courses using Blackboard, Canvas, Desire 2 Learn, and Moodle learning management systems in undergraduate and graduate learning environments. Additionally, he is the author of six books and has published peer-reviewed articles focused on the best practices of online course design and online teaching effectiveness.

Dr. Luster Fowler is an experienced and accomplished higher education and healthcare management professional with knowledge of instructional technology, institutional and programmatic accreditation, education research, adult education, and implementation management.

Dr. Fowler is well-versed in fiscal management, including profit and loss as well as grant related funding. He has a demonstrated talent for providing leadership and vision in the planning, direction, and administration of successful courses and programs. Additionally, he is committed to developing strategic processes, implementing resource management, and exercising judgment to meet deadlines designed to achieve overarching organizational goals.

For the past 14 years, Dr. Guykesha Gardner has worked in the areas of clinical assessment, psycho-educational assessment, and psychotherapy. She is currently a psychologist and has dedicated her life to helping others navigate through complex problems in life. Her latest research interest has involved studying the attitudes, relationships, and esteem of low-income adolescent African American males. She is pursuing this direction because she has observed a critical need in her community for these individuals to develop the skills, sensitivities, and understandings that will make life meaningful and rewarding for them.

Dr. Gardner enjoys spending her spare time teaching online and in person, hanging out with family and friends, watching the stock market, and traveling. She resides in Indianapolis, Indiana, with her husband and daughter.

Dr. Brian Grimshaw is an intrinsically motivated, lifelong learner. He has experience teaching all grades K-12 as well as bachelor and master level learners in the subjects of education, information technologies, visual arts, art history, and computer programming. He also serves as an education consultant.

Dr. Caroline Gulbrandsen has been the academic dean for a private college in the Midwest since 2009. She has more than twenty-five years of experience in higher education and professional development. Her roles include teaching as a college professor; Director of the Academy for Teaching and Learning Excellence at Rock Valley College in Rockford, Illinois; and Assistant Director for the Professional Development and Training Office at the University of Miami. Through her various positions, she has created numerous faculty and professional development programs in addition to designing courses for several institutions.

Dr. Gulbrandsen enjoys volunteering in her community, especially in education. She has served on the education committee for her community’s school board and is currently on the board of directors for the Golden Apple Foundation, which recognizes teaching excellence throughout the region’s school districts.

Dr. Terrance Harrington’s career has combined business skills with education. He has piloted courses for students with various learning disabilities and has worked on the development of an interactive math tutorial for the University of Alabama. Throughout his varied career, he has served as an instructor, a Cold Fusion programmer, a course developer, a technical supervisor and as a systems administrator. Additionally, he has published an article on faculty uses of and attitudes toward learning management systems and has studied model faculty engagements with online technology.

Dr. Harrington loves to cook, read, and hike. He is in the process of learning both Japanese and Korean languages.

Dr. Yucel Henderson is currently the personal and professional development advisor for Marine Corps Air Station in South Carolina. She previously worked for U.S. Army Marketing Division, where she served 14 American communities including over 20 military bases across Europe.

Dr. Henderson has studied organization management and global leadership. Her dissertation thesis addresses the effect of initial trust development on strategic networking of culturally diverse and geographically segregated temporary work groups.

Dr. Richard Herring has enjoyed a diverse 36-year career in public K-12 education and served as a classroom teacher, grant writer and manager, administrator, and program director.

Dr. Herring has instructed, mentored, and evaluated students and teachers from ages 12 to 80 in densely urban and rural educational settings. He worked with evolving methods to deliver online learning in the 1990’s. He has served on the Atlantic coast, across teaching positions in southern states, and in Texas through his doctorate experience at Texas A&M University.

Dr. Keith Higa has worked as a junior high reading teacher and elementary gifted teacher. His education has spanned from elementary education and library media to curriculum and social foundations.

Dr. Higa has enjoyed studying a variety of topics including the oral history of Okinawan women's Post-World War II experiences, the social construction of at-risk students, and teen fathers' educational experiences.

Dr. Janet Hopkins has taught math and computer science courses at the college level for the past 24 years at both the University of Nebraska and the University of Colorado Denver. She also has extensive experience working with adult learners online in the areas of computers, math, and Microsoft Office literacy. 

Dr. Hopkins lives with her family near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains outside of Denver, Colorado.

Dr. Amy Horn is currently the College and Career Readiness Coordinator for Kishwaukee Education Consortium in Malta, Illinois. She works with staff, community partners, and students to ensure that students become responsible citizens and life-long learners upon graduation from high school. 

Prior to her current position, Dr. Horn taught language arts and reading classes in both public middle schools and community colleges for 12 years. Additionally, for the past seven years she has taught a variety of online courses for universities and colleges, including courses in the fields of teacher education, educational leadership, literacy education, and composition.

Students’ success is always a top priority for Dr. Horn. She continues to enjoy growing and learning with her students in this exciting and constantly evolving world of online education.

Dr. Laklieshia Izzard is a licensed professional counselor and approved clinical supervisor. She has a wealth of experience in clinical supervision, mental health counseling, training, and teaching.

Dr. Izzard has taught graduate level courses in the online and hybrid settings. Her areas of teaching interests are online education, adult education, multiculturalism, field placement, and dissertation. She has also studied military trauma effects on online academic education success. In addition to teaching, she has a private practice specializing in military counseling and development of novice counselors. Her dissertation entitled Influence of Narcotics Anonymous on Long Term Recovery, Family Relationships, and Career Development is available via ProQuest.

Dr. Izzard enjoys writing self-help books, spending time with family, and traveling.

Dr. Amy Johnson has studied early childhood development and education extensively at Texas Woman’s University. Her dissertation used grounded theory to explore how adult female survivors of the commercial sex industry speak about factors that led to their victimization. This research was recognized with the Graduate Council Award for Exceptional, Original Scholarship at TWU.

Previously an elementary school teacher, Dr. Johnson now teaches child development and child educator courses at the college level. She enjoys relaxing with her husband and two daughters.

Lori Kaufman is a registered dietitian with a holistic health counseling approach. She has worked as a registered dietitian at the New York Institute of Technology and as a renal dietitian in both a hospital setting and a dialysis center.

Ms. Kaufman moved to south Florida in 2012 and began working in a medical office, providing nutritional counseling to individuals on developing a healthy relationship with themselves and food. She also teaches online and on works at a university in an alternative medicine program. She loves swimming, tennis, and taking her dog to the beach with her friends and family.

Sharron Lawrence has worked with American College of Education since 2011 as a member of the Educational Leadership program.

Ms. Lawrence has been both a teacher and administrator at the elementary and secondary levels, as well as director of education projects at a community college. She had the opportunity to teach in England from 1998-2002 and spent much time traveling in Europe, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, and Turkey.

Dr. Paul Lucas has had a varied career specializing in educational technology. He has taught Research Methods, Reading Education and Learning Theory at the collegiate level and has also taught secondary English and speech. Dr. Lucas has published for Instructor Magazine, Ohio English Journal, Leadership and Organization Development Journal, and Mark Twain Journal. He also has presented his research regarding training mythology at the American Aeronautics and Astronautics Annual Conference, San Diego, California.

Most recently, Dr. Lucas served as the Director of Instructional Technology in the largest district in Ohio. While serving in this position, he was nominated for CIO of the Year by Teaching and Learning magazine.

Dr. Laura Maloney envisions a world with no educational boundaries for students. To this end, she has dedicated her career to breaking down barriers for all students, including underserved populations. She partners with curriculum and literacy teams to analyze data, and leads intervention initiatives and professional learning communities for student success.

Currently, Dr. Maloney is an instructional leader at Florida Virtual School where she manages a blended learning lab schoolhouse of 43 teachers and five lead teachers. Throughout the past decade, she has served in both instructional and administrative roles. As a respected leader among her colleagues and peers, she regularly presents on effective research-based blended learning strategies at the statewide learning conference for Florida Virtual School and its partners.

Dr. Michelle McCraney has worked both as an ESE teacher and a principal at the elementary through high school levels. Previously, she was the executive director of the state of Florida’s first Charter Technical Career Center, and she was the administrator for two campus libraries, six writing centers, and eight academic support centers at a state college.

In 2016, Dr. McCraney joined American College of Education's faculty in the department of Curriculum and Instruction.

Dr. Tetiana McLemore has 20 years of experience in teaching English as a second language. Her students' age groups vary from young children to adults. She began her career teaching specialized ESL courses to future ESL teachers in the Ukraine. Throughout her career in higher education, she has successfully performed different roles, including teaching ESL to students in undergraduate and graduate programs (both online and on-campus) and performing leadership and administrative roles as the department chair and director of admissions.

Dr. McLemore never stops working on her professional and personal growth. For this reason, she earned her CELTA from Cambridge University and numerous additional certificates to advance her teaching and leadership skills. She also holds a master's in industrial-organizational psychology and a doctorate in organizational leadership from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, where she co-taught online courses to doctoral students.

Dr. Deanna Melton-Riddle’s career as a healthcare professional spans over 20 years in both clinical and administrative roles. She has also served as a health educator over the last 14 years, both in person and online. She also has experience in course and curriculum development, teacher training, professional development, and consulting in secondary and higher education.

Dr. Melton-Riddle is married to Elder Phillip Riddle Sr. and has four sons: Phillip Jr., Nick, Ryon, and Ausar.

Dr. Nancy Griffin Mims holds the title of professor emerita from the University of West Georgia. She served as department head in the Educational Leadership department at Western Carolina University, and as an international curriculum consultant to the American Embassy in Moscow. She holds honorary faculty status at Hertzon University, St. Petersburg, Russia and Bombay Teacher’s Training College, Mumbai, India. She was a Fulbright Scholar to Russia, and a Rotary faculty scholar to India. Additionally, she has traveled, lived, and taught in 29 countries.

Dr. Mims is currently a reviewer for two journals and continues her membership in professional and honorary organizations. She received the Georgia Regent’s award for excellence in teaching and a Jack Greer Lifetime Achievement Award from the Southern Regional Council on Educational Administration. Her interests and subjects taught include diversity and international education, educational policies, legal issues, and ethics. She is the author and co-author of six books and more than 75 articles. She also has presented more than 150 papers, nationally and internationally.

Dr. Angila Moffitt is a mother of five children and a professor. Currently she teaches at the university level and loves every minute of it. Her background in teaching includes several years as a high school special education teacher, both online and in a brick-and-mortar school. Her true passion in life has always been teaching.

Dr. Moffitt enjoys soccer, playing at the park, teaching, and researching various topics on the computer. She and her family reside in Fort Dodge, Iowa, where they enjoy spending days on her parents’ farm.

Dr. Suzy Natividad has been teaching for 19 years in public education and 15 years at the university level. She was an advanced certified facilitator with the University of Phoenix for 11 years and is currently an associate professor at Southern New Hampshire University, Grand Canyon University, and Park University. During her tenure with the University of Phoenix, she was named Faculty of the Year in 2008. She taught numerous graduate and undergraduate courses in the Teacher Certification Program for the College of Education and undergraduate courses for the College of Humanities. Additionally, she participated in many focus groups and collaborated with faculty across the country to develop, write, and review curriculum for the University of Phoenix College of Education. In September 2015, she presented at a National ECET2 Conference in El Paso, Texas.

Dr. Natividad describes herself as a devout, zealous educator and lifelong learner.

Dr. Tina Nixon is currently an assistant principal and was formerly a digital learning coach. She has worked in education for more than 11 years in a variety of areas including grant manager, district trainer, and special education and general education teacher.

Dr. Nixon has a desire to serve and help others, and she serves as the chief operations officer of the Jha'Kyric Nixon Scholarship. The scholarship was founded in 2012, and 24 aspiring college students have received the scholarship as of 2015.

Dr. Maria del Carmen Paniagua Quinones has worked as both a professor and researcher focused on system engineering. She specializes in experimental design, productivity, engineering management, and process development. In honor of her work, she was the recipient of the Brumbaugh Award of the American Society for Quality for Best Technical Paper in 2007.

Dr. James Pedersen started his educational career as an assistant teacher working with students with Autism at Regional Day School in Jersey City. He then went on to teach English for the East Orange School District at Clifford J. Scott High School, where he received the Teacher of The Yearaward, and then later became assistant principal at East Orange Campus High School.

In 2010, he became the principal of South Plainfield High School,and was appointed superintendent for the Essex County Schools of Technology in 2015.

Dr. Pedersen has been an adjunct professor at several colleges and universities, including Felician University, Montclair University and New Jersey City University, and is the author of several articles and two books focusing on education: Rise of the Millennial Parents (2013) and Summer versus School: The Possibilities of the Year-Round School (2015).

Pedersen believes anything is possible through education, and that training new educators and educational leaders allows him the opportunity to help bridge the experiences of the past with the possibilities of the future.

Dr. Nathan Penland has focused his career on Christian education. Currently, he is the Director of Student Leadership and Engagement at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri. As part of his work, he trains undergraduate students to become leaders through planning and implementing intentional opportunities to engage students, through both classroom and co-curricular educational experiences. 

Dr. Joshua D. Reichard is the vice president for academic affairs and assistant superintendent at Valley Christian Schools, a large, fast-growing, multicultural, and urban network of PreK-12 schools in northeast Ohio.

Dr. Reichard is also an established scholar and has studied issues including urban school leadership; socioeconomic, racial, and ability-level diversity; and school choice. Additionally, he has an extensive history of online teaching and learning, from developing learning management systems to designing and delivering online courses.

Sara M. Reichard is the founder and director of the Lewis Center for Gifited Learning, a program of Valley Christian Schools (Northeast Ohio) for gifted and talented students. Located in the heart of downtown Youngstown, Ohio, the Lewis Center is the first school of its kind between Cleveland and Pittsburgh.

Ms. Reichard holds an education specialist degree in teaching and learning with specialization in gifted education as well as a master's degree in family life education. In addition to her training in education, she is also a registered nurse.

Dr. Dora Renaud currently serves as an administrator in the Dallas Independent School District in Dallas, Texas. Through her varied career, she has worked as a bilingual teacher, reading specialist, and curriculum coordinator. She has been an adjunct professor with University of Texas, Arlington, providing instruction to teachers of Dallas ISD in all areas of literacy. She has extensive experience in curriculum frameworks such as International Baccalaureate, Personalized Learning, and Dual Language.

Dr. Renaud's philosophy of education is, "Learning is the prize,” which means that motivation should be intrinsic and educators must encourage students to view learning as the main goal. She has a strong passion for learning new languages.

Dr. Fawzia Reza enjoys teaching prospective teachers regarding developmentally appropriate practices in early childhood education (ECE). She enjoys studying ECE-related issues, particularly in the context of multicultural education. She recently authored a book, The Effects of the September 11 Terrorist Attack on Pakistani-American Parental Involvement in U.S., Lexington publishers (2015).

Dr. Reza has studied teacher perspectives regarding assessment strategies in transitional kindergarten under a grant from the Lucile-Packard Foundation and is currently conducting research on Common Core curriculum standards in the state of California.

Dr. Jeff Roach began his career over 30 years ago as an elementary and middle school teacher. As early as the late 1980s, he used current technology to enhance student learning. After five years of classroom teaching, he held various principal and central office positions spanning the next 15 years. In each of these administrative roles, he aimed to use the latest technological advancements in the classroom to improve student learning.

With a change in career focus for the last 12 years, Dr. Roach has used his interest and knowledge in technology to focus on technical training and curriculum development in various industries. He has held several roles as a director of technical training and curriculum development for global companies which has allowed him to travel throughout the world conducting training sessions and learning about global business development.

Dr. Roach’s professional and research interests have always focused on helping learners to become the best they can be and using effective instructional techniques to expand their knowledge. Since shifting his focus to adult learners in both domestic and foreign cultures, he appreciates how different cultural expectations influence education.

Kelly J. Roberts has 30 years of experience in K-12 education, both in the classroom and in administration, as well as 12 years of higher education experience, both in-person and online. Professional writing is in her near future, but nothing makes her happier than teaching students of all ages.

Originally from Libertyville, Illinois, Ms. Roberts moved to Florida in 2003 to complete her doctorate and to escape the Chicago winters. During the day she is a reading specialist in Orlando, Florida, where she says the weather is unbeatable!

Dr. Timothy Rodriguez has worked in higher education for 18 years. He began his career teaching in bilingual education programs in Illinois and Texas as well as ESL programs in Florida. His work has been published in both national and regional publication, and he has presented at the international, national, regional, and state levels.

Dr. Rodriguez received the Outstanding Teaching Award at The Ohio State University at Lima in 2005 and was named a Top Educator by Ohio Magazine the same year. He is on the editorial board for The School Community Journal. He is listed in Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who in America, and Who’s Who in Education.

Dr. Katrina Schultz has more than 20 years of experience in the field of education. In addition to her role at ACE, she works as an educational consultant specializing in remediation of reading difficulty and learning differences. As a consultant, Dr. Schultz has worked with K-12 students and teachers from traditional public, charter, and private schools, and she has experience as a classroom teacher in both public and private school environments.

Dr. Schultz’s research history includes the connection of natural learning processes drawn from neuroscience to instructional practice; literacy; philosophical basis for diverse unity leadership education; evaluation of evolutionary systems theory in relation to human beings as living systems and the educational system; and how bullying affects the social, emotional, and motivational cognitive development of school-aged children.

Dr. Matt Silverman is skilled in a variety of educational processes including curriculum alignment, staff development, and best practices in teaching and learning. Additionally, he enjoys studying how other administrative aspects of the school environment ultimately affect learning outcomes, including from budgeting and staffing to grant writing, strategic planning, and community partnerships.

Dr. Susan Spero has been an educator for 32 years and has taught classes in psychology; curriculum and instruction; sociology; and political science.

Dr. Spero loves to bike, work out, and spend time with her four grandsons. She loves online teaching.  She has been teaching online for 12 years. She has taught many education classes along with classes in psyhology and sociology.

Dr. Tara Stabile has experience working with nonprofit organizations serving youth and families and has been working in the higher education setting as an administrator and faculty member for more than 15 years. She is passionate about creating an exemplary student experience and an engaging classroom.

Dr. Stabile enjoys spending time with her family including her cat and dog as well as golfing, traveling, reading, and visiting the beach.

Dr. Mary W. Strong has served as a classroom teacher, reading specialist, and elementary school principal in public schools. Before joining the faculty at American College of Education, she taught at Iowa State University in the Curriculum and Instruction Department and at Widener University in the Reading Department.

Dr. Strong co-authored a book on the topic of literacy coaching and has published over 20 other articles on literacy instruction and leadership in state, national, and international journals. She is presently a board member of the Language Experience Special Interest Group in the International Reading Association and has served on the editorial review board of the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy.

Dr. Vicki Strunk has over 20 years of experience teaching English, ethics, public speaking, sociology, logic, and critical thinking among other courses. Her leadership roles have included writing assessment coordinator, online liaison, department chair, interim director, and academic dean. 

Dr. Strunk has many interests reflected in her varied research history ranging from literature to educational technology. She has conducted focused research on the critical appraisal of the utility of rubrics in collegiate writing courses. Her academic publications include the state of educational delivery along with the ethical implications involved in teaching traditional, nontraditional, and ultra-nontraditional students; academicians and machine ethics; and Neo-Platonism within Victorian literature. She especially enjoys studying learning analytics, MOOCs, and data mining.

Dr. Susan Sutton is the director of the Center for Teaching Arts and Technology at Roane State Community College (RSCC). She also serves as the director of the Distance Education Program and chair of the Accessibility Committee. Before coming to RSCC, Susan was an assistant professor in the Department of Information Media at St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

While working on her doctorate, Dr. Sutton spent two years as a graduate teaching associate at the University of Tennessee teaching online graduate courses for the new online master’s degree program in instructional technology and three years teaching courses that prepared preservice teachers to integrate technology into the curriculum. 

Dr. Sutton has three years of experience teaching in a K-12 special education setting and has an eLearning certification from The Internet eLearning Institute at the University of Tennessee. She enjoys teaching faculty how to use various technologies and also enjoys working with K-12 teachers currently serving in the field who want to learn more about technology integration.

Before joining American College of Education, Dr. Patricia Tobin taught in the Arizona public school system both in-person and online for over 10 years. She has taught teacher education, sociology, and fine art courses at the post-secondary level for eight years.

Dr. Anna Tsambis specializes in elementary education and early childhood education. She has served as an educator for more than 24 years, beginning with her role as an intermediate reading interventionist in Pinellas County Schools in Florida. She currently serves as a curriculum specialist at an elementary school where she focuses on curriculum needs of teachers, data management, and Title 1 facilitation. Throughout her career in higher education, she has focused on educational leadership, learning, and assessment.

Dr. Tsambis resides in Florida.

Dr. Carl Valdez is trained as an educator and has 17 years of experience as an educational psychologist. He views teaching and learning from a social and cultural perspective. In particular, he studies motivation, learning, and cognition as social and cultural interactions. In his work with educators, he has focused primarily on culturally relevant pedagogy, classroom practices, and bilingual education. He especially enjoys studying how cultural backgrounds impact culturally diverse populations.

Dr. Deborah Van Ourkerk is a veteran educator with more than 30 years of teaching experience. Her work experience as well as her dissertation on literacy acquisition in at-risk students has given her invaluable literacy expertise. She has experience teaching grades K-12 and is the science department chair at her middle school.

As a GATE certified teacher, Dr. Van Ourkerk serves her campus as the district GATE representative. In addition, she is a member of the curriculum advisory committee that analyzes and promotes appropriate K-12 curriculum. She has has also served as summer school principal for six years. 

Dr. Van Ourkerk is married with two grown children. They live in Southern California and enjoy traveling, hiking, biking, and playing tennis year round.

Dr. Verna L. Velez has more than 25 years of experience as a public servant with expertise in public management and leadership. She recently contributed a chapter in How to Use Emotional, Cultural, and Spiritual Intelligence to Mentor Doctoral Learners by Walter R. McCollum (2014). 

Dr. Velez considers herself a lifelong learner and is always eager to share knowledge and information. She enjoys traveling, reading, and really good jokes.

Dr. C. Dedra Williams has been an educator for the past 25 years and specializes in English as a second language, adult English as a foreign language and second language, adult learners, and teacher leadership development.

After earning her G.E.D., Dr. Williams eagerly began advanced studies in teacher education. This led to certificates in English as a second language and foreign language, then to a master’s degree in higher education, and ultimately a doctorate in educational leadership.

Various educational experiences have enabled Dr. Williams to develop a global view of culture and a multi-faceted approach to life. Her educational experience extends from the United States to the Caribbean and Europe. She has been involved in educational programs in several countries including Jamaica, France, Costa Rica, Haiti, Spain, and Cuba.

Developing all students to be lifelong learners is Dr. Williams’s mission in life. Her affinity for sincere people, intriguing places, and transformational progress remains the foundation of her journey as an educator and fellow lifelong learner.

With nearly 20 years of experience in education, Dr. Woodward has taught elementary, middle school, and high school, as well as at the university level. His public school teaching assignments include a broad range of topics including science, social studies, reading, health, physical education, and currently business education. Along with classroom teaching, he has also coached several sports including baseball, basketball, football, and track.

Throughout his career, Dr. Woodward has aimed to value each student regardless of background or current status. He believes all students can realize their potential when they have guidance and when they are both externally and intrinsically motivated. His doctoral research explores the relationship between academic performance and physical fitness.

Outside of teaching, Dr. Woodward is involved with his wife’s home based business and enjoys spending as much time as possible with his family. He and his wife have been married for 19 years and have four children. They also serve as foster parents with Faithbridge Foster Care. As a family, they enjoy hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, enjoying sports activities, and exercise. He also attends church in his community and enjoys serving in various ways.