Christa Boske, Ed.D.

Area: FLA

vita [pdf]

As an Assistant Professor of PreK-12 Educational Administration, Christa works to encourage school leaders to promote humanity in schools, especially for historically disenfranchised children and families within America's educational system. Christa's line of inquiry is focused on the intersections of the cognitive and affective domains of school leadership with a particular focus on how school leaders transform their sense of self to lead for social justice. This line of inquiry is organized into three specific areas of interest: A) The influence of beliefs and attitudes on school practices, B) Pedagogical practices and programmatic structures within preparation programs, and C) The study and support of school leaders as they address social justice issues within their school communities. Christa's research has been published in journals including the International Journal of Educational Management, Academic Exchange Quarterly, Journal of Educational Considerations, National Council of Professors in Education Administration Yearbook, and Connexions. Christa is currently co-editing a book with Dr. Autumn Tooms entitled, "Educational Leadership as International Social Justice Discourse: Navigating Collaborations, Careers, and Challenges in a Global Context." Christa is serving as the Kent State University Plenum Representative for The University Council of Educational Administration.

Ning-Kuang Chuang, Ph.D

Area: FLA

vita [pdf]

I have a Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management from Purdue University, a Master's degree in Foodservice and Food Studies from New York University, and a Doctoral degree in Hospitality Administration from Texas Tech University. Prior to beginning my doctoral study, I was employed at the Southern Taiwan University of Technology and Chung-Hwa University as an instructor and program coordinator in the Hospitality and Tourism Management Department. After completing my master's degree, I was employed at the Windows on the World at the World Trade Center in New York City where I handled cost control, purchasing, and inventory control of food and beverage items. When I returned to Taiwan, I was employed as an opening team member and executive assistant by the Hotel Royal Hsinchu, a five star international hotel. My general area of research inquiry is organizational behavior in the hospitality industry and hospitality education. Specifically, I am studying career and professional development for both hospitality students and professionals. I also had been involved in research projects focused on website evaluation, service marketing, and distance learning.

Dr. Debra Clark, Ph.D

Area: FLA

vita [pdf]

I received a B.A. from Mount Union College in 1984 and my M.A. in 1986 from Bowling Green State University. I worked for seven years in student affairs. My last position in this field was Director of Residence Life at Cleveland State University, where I also began my doctoral studies in Urban Education. After leaving Cleveland State University as an administrator I decided to transfer to Kent State University to pursue a degree in Cultural Foundations of Education. I received my PhD from Kent in May, 2003. My current research interests are the intersection of moral education, multicultural education, history of moral education.

Dale Cook, Ed.D.

Area: FLA - LDES

vita [pdf]

I joined the Kent State University faculty in 1978 after the completion of my Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Western Michigan University as a Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Fellow. Over the past 27 years with the College, I have served as the Director of the Center for Community Education, faculty member in Education Administration, and Associate Dean for Research, Outreach and Technology. Currently, I am the Summit Professor for Learning Technology, Associate Professor of Educational Administration, and Director of the Research Center for Educational Technology in the College and Graduate School of Education, Health, and Human Services. My efforts involve implementing technology initiatives that impact teaching and learning at the university and preK-12 level. The Ameritech Electronic University School Classroom, which began under my direction in 1998, continues today as a technology-rich classroom environment for preK-12 students, and a research laboratory for college faculty and graduate students. In 1999, The Research Center for Educational Technology (RCET) was founded under my leadership. RCET is a multi-faceted center that was established to provide support for researchers committed to studying the impact of technology on teaching and learning. Additional research interests include interagency collaboratives, political aspects of educational leadership, community engagement, and digital game based learning.

David Dees

Area: FLA

vita [pdf]

My path to the study of education has been an interesting expedition. Having earned a B.S. in Communications and an M.A. in Theatre from the University of Kentucky, I began a journey of "self-discovery" which included coaching college football, working as a rock-n-roll disc jockey, and teaching theatre. I came to Kent State to earn a Ph.D. in Theatre History. It was during this experience I realized the focus of my journey had always centered on the question "What is quality teaching?" As a way to answer this question, I found a home in educational foundations. My Ph.D. is in Cultural Foundations from Kent State University. My research and publications have centered on the aesthetic dimensions of teaching and the development of quality teaching through transactional/aesthetic awareness. Recently, I have been exploring rural/Appalachian issues in higher education as a way to study both my students' experience at the Salem Campus and my own voyage through higher education as a "country" person from Kentucky. I have been recognized for my own teaching through two student-nominated teaching awards (Outstanding Teaching Award, Kent State University and Teacher of the Year, Gannon University), but have yet to answer my life's question.

Mary Ann Devine

Area: FLA , RPTM

vita [pdf]

Mary Ann is an Associate Professor in Leisure Studies. She received her doctoral degree from the University of Georgia in Recreation and Leisure Studies. Her research interests are in the area of inclusion of individuals with disabilities in recreation, sport, and leisure services. Dr. Devine has conducted numerous studies examining aspects of the inclusion process such as social acceptance, social construction of disability, best practices, stigma, attitudinal barriers, and the application of the ADA in leisure settings. Most recently, Dr. Devine has begun examining the role of Therapeutic Recreation in promoting healthy active living with individuals with disabilities. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in therapeutic recreation and inclusion of people with disabilities in leisure services. Pedagogically, Dr. Devine is interested in exploring multi-dimensional barriers to inclusion from the student perspective. Dr. Devine facilitates the Teaching Scholars Learning Community for Early Career Faculty for the Faculty Professional Development Center and currently sits on the SELS FAC and EHHS CAC.

Dr. Shawn Fitzgerald

Area: FLA

vita [pdf]

Gloria Gonzalez

Area: FLA

vita [pdf]

After completing my B.S. in Physical Education from Texas A&M, College Station, I taught H.S. Physical Education for five years and was the varsity girl's coach. I received a M. Ed. from Tarleton State University, while I was the assistant women's basketball coach. I earned my MBA and a Ph.D. in Administration of Athletics and Physical Education from the University of Iowa. Prior to joining the Kent State Faculty I taught for six years at Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State); pedagogy at the undergraduate level and sport management at the graduate level. I came to KSU in 1998; my teaching area is in the Sport Management concentration. My area of interest in research stems from a graduate class at the University of Iowa, Minorities in Sport. The stacking of players topic led to my dissertation the stacking of Latinos in Major League Baseball and my research has centered around this theme ever since. I have related publications in the Journal of Sport and Social Issues, the Journal of Hispanics in Higher Education, Research Quarterly Supplemental and various conference proceedings. I am actively involved in our state organization, Ohio Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Sport as Parliamentarian, RA member and program chair for the annual state convention.

Awilda Hamilton, Ed.D.

Area: FLA , EDAD

vita [pdf]

After receiving a bachelor's degree in microbiology from Howard University, I quickly decided that a change in career choice was in order. That decided, I enrolled at Ohio University and graduated in 1972 with a master's degree in education. I began my career in education as an elementary teacher and soon determined that an administrative path was what I wanted to pursue. My doctorate in educational administration from the University of Akron in 1980 has provided opportunities to serve as an elementary principal and several central office administrative posts for some fifteen years. In 1990, however, it was a call to direct a diversifying the teaching force project at Kent State University and Cuyahoga Community College, that introduced me to higher education . Fifteen years later, I have enjoyed a career at Kent State University as a faculty member, program coordinator, and special assistant to the dean, associate dean, and currently interim department chair. I was an American Council on Education Fellow in 2004-05. This experience provided the opportunity to study the systemic elements of organizations that impact communication and collaboration. In addition, I studied the change process and how it affects an institution. These are areas I will continue to investigate as I continue in other leadership roles. I am active in the American Council on Education, AERA, and AAC+U.

John Harris

Area: FLA

vita [pdf]

John Harris came to Kent State University from the UK where he worked as a Senior Lecturer. He has taught courses in the sociology and administration of sport for more than a decade and also served as research coordinator and both undergraduate and graduate course director. John graduated in Sport and Human Movement before undertaking a PhD in the Sociology of Sport. He also holds a Post Graduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching (Higher Education) and has worked as a consultant for a number of sport and leisure providers. Harris has published numerous articles and book chapters on the sociology and administration of sport and recently co-edited a text on Sport and Social Identities (Palgrave Macmillan). Ongoing research includes work on the globalization of rugby union, the 2010 Ryder Cup, and sport and national identity. John also serves on the Editorial Advisory Boards of the Journal of Sport & Tourism and the Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education.

Rob Heiman

Area: FLA

vita [pdf]

I received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Hotel and Restaurant management, with a minor in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Stout in 1972. Continuing my education was a high priority, while retaining industry positions in the management of food and beverage operations, as well as food sales and distribution, and hotel sales operations. I completed my business education state certification at Cleveland State University. While teaching classes at Cuyahoga Community College, I commenced pursuit of my Master Degree at the University of Akron. I also held the position of instructor in the Hospitality Management program at the University of Akron where I completed my Master of Business Administration-Marketing. In 1983, I began my tenure-track position at Kent State in the Hospitality Management academic program. My research interests and teaching focuses have been in the area of industry/academic relationships, and the integration of theoretical applications they relate to operations in the Hospitality industry.

Laurie Hines

Area: FLA

vita [pdf]

Mr. Edward Hoegler

Area: FLA

Ed was born in Northeast Ohio where he went to high school and worked as a banquet chef for a very successful local catering company. Upon graduation he moved to Rhode Island to attend Johnson & Wales University. While attending Johnson and Wales University he received degrees in Culinary Arts, Food Service Education and a master’s degree (MS) in Computer Education. All while working in the Teaching Assistant, Fellowship and Management Development scholarship programs. Since graduation Ed has worked in the Hospitality Industry as a General Manager in the Healthcare, Hotel, Restaurant and Country Clubs operations. Ed joined Kent State University in January 2008 and lives in Medina with his wife Tammy and two children, Ashley and Eddie, Jr.

Susan Iverson

Area: FLA

vita [pdf]

Susan Iverson is Assistant Professor of Higher Education Administration and Student Personnel, and holds affiliate faculty status with women's studies. Prior to joining the faculty in 2006, Iverson served as adjunct faculty in both Higher Educational Leadership and Women's Studies at the University of Maine, where she also worked as Associate Director of Safe Campus Project, a federally grant-funded initiative to address interpersonal violence on campus. Prior to UMaine, Iverson worked as a student affairs administrator at colleges in Massachusetts and Virginia. Iverson's scholarship includes: equity issues, women and advancement, service-learning, and feminist and post-structuralist approaches to inquiry. One line of her inquiry focuses on educational strategies to cultivate changes in students' thinking. For example, Iverson has investigated the use of theatre to address social justice issues. Iverson also has examined the ways in which students' participation in change-oriented service or activism contributes to the development of critical consciousness.

Dr. Rafa Kasim

Area: FLA

I received my doctoral degree in statistics and research design and a master degree in evaluation, measurements and quantitative methods from the college of Education at Michigan State University. My bachelor degree was in educational statistics. I started my professional career as co-researcher and supervisor for the National and International Adult Literacy Survey Project in the center for Longitudinal and Multilevel Methods Projects at Michigan State University. Then I worked in the private sector for three years as a senior statistician for a research firm in St. Louis Missouri. I supervised several research projects involved multi-sites evaluations. Because of my passion for teaching I made a career change in 2003 and joined the faculty at KSU. My research interest is in the methodology development and the applications of multi-level analysis to hierarchically structured data often found in educational settings. Some of my work published in journals such as Harvard Educational Review, Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, and The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. I am currently working on research exploring efficient ways of estimating effect sizes for single subject design studies through multilevel methods.

Mark Kretovics, Ph.D

Area: FLA , EDAD

vita [pdf]

Mark Kretovics is an Associate Professor of Higher Education Administration and Student Personnel at Kent State University. He received his Ph. D. from Colorado State University and his research interests include the assessment of student learning, business practices in higher education, distance education, and pedagogical issues in compressed courses. Mark had over 20 years of administrative experience within higher education before transitioning into his current faculty role.

Tracy Lara, Ph.D

Area: FLA

Tracy Lara is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education and Student Personnel at Kent State University. She earned her Ph.D. at Idaho State University. Her research interests relate to career development, student development, community colleges, and international student services. Tracy is also a licensed professional counselor and a trained distance career counselor. Previously she coordinated the Student Affairs program as well as the International Student Services Certificate program at Western Kentucky University.

Sangkwon Lee, Ph.D

Area: FLA , RPTM

vita [pdf]

Andrew Lepp, Ph.D

Area: FLA

vita [pdf]

I earned my Ph.D. in 2004 from the University of Florida's Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism. Before pursuing a Ph.D., I worked for seven years in the field of natural resource management and conservation. During this time, I worked for the United States Park Service, the United States Forest Service and was a United States Peace Corps Volunteer in Uganda, East Africa. As a Peace Corps Volunteer, I served for two years as a Warden of Tourism in Uganda's national park system. In preparation for these jobs, I earned a Master of Science degree from Oregon State University in natural resource management, and a Bachelor of Science degree from Wake Forest University in mathematical-economics. This diversity of experience has been influential in determining my current interests in ecotourism, outdoor recreation, natural resource conservation and international development.

Dr. Natasha Levinson, Ph.D.

Area: FLA

I have been at Kent State since 1997. I teach graduate courses in philosophy of education, with an emphasis on the kinds of normative political theories that help culturally and religiously diverse societies learn to live amidst differences. Democratic theory, civic liberalism and civic republicanism are three approaches I've been exploring of late in my scholarship and in my graduate courses. I am interested in the different demands each of these approaches to political and social life place on educational institutions and practitioners, as well as on ordinary citizens. I also teach a master's level course in ethics for educators and human service professionals. I teach an undergraduate course in foundations of education that explores the development of public schools, the context of current school reform initiatives, and the challenges of teaching in a time when schools have never been asked to do quite so much in quite so distrustful a climate. My work tends to focus on educational concerns in the U.S., but I was born and raised in South Africa, and I travel to Ireland fairly regularly. I am told that I bring an international perspective to my teaching, which is helped by the occasional opportunity to teach the undergraduate foundations of education course to Kent State students in Ireland during the summer intersession.

Mark Lyberger

Area: FLA

vita [pdf]

As an Ohio native I began my educational pursuits at Ohio University where I earned a B.S. in Health/Long Term Care Administration in 1985 and a M.A. from the University of Akron in 1989. In the course of my early tenure, I was actively involved as a consumer, coach, administrator, and participant in a variety of managerial and sport endeavors. These experiences help to solidify my chosen career pursuit of a Ph.D. in Sport Management/Marketing from the Ohio State University. I completed my degree in the spring of 1996 and in the subsequent fall joined the Kent State community. My recent research interests have focused on consumer consumption behavior, marketing, sponsorship, and leadership. In addition, I have worked collaboratively with a variety of community and business organizations to conduct market and facility usage/impact feasibility studies. Currently, I am working with colleagues to complete texts on event planning and promotion/public relations in sport as well as a variety studies related to consumption behavior and sport.

Daniel Mahony

Area: DEAN - FLA

vita [pdf]

Dan Mahony is the Dean of the College of Education, Health, and Human Services and a professor of sport management. Prior to coming to Kent State University, he spent 13 years as a faculty member and administrator at the University of Louisville. His administrative positions included sport administration program director, department chair, associate dean, assistant provost, and associate provost. Before becoming a faculty member, he worked in both public accounting and intercollegiate athletics. Dan has a B.S. in accounting from Virginia Tech, an M.S. in sport management from West Virginia University, and a Ph.D. in sport management from Ohio State University. He is an active researcher in the areas of sport consumer behavior and intercollegiate athletics and has published over 50 articles in various refereed journals, several book chapters, and one book. Dan is a NASSM Research Fellow and won the 2007 Earle F. Zeigler Award from the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM) for his research contributions to the field. He also served as President of NASSM from 2003-2004.

Dr. Averil McClelland

Area: FLA - TLCS

vita [pdf]

My academic life has been the happy (and more-or-less unplanned) result of walking through a series of doors opened to me by teachers in various places. At Hiram College, where I was a legacy student, I discovered sociology, majoring in it, as well as in social science and history. Marriage, and three children later, I entered a master's program in educational administration (community education) at Kent for the purpose of enhancing a growing career as an educational consultant with school districts, the Greater Cleveland Superintendent's Association, Cuyahoga Community College, and the Cleveland Federation for Community Planning. I discovered cultural foundations at Kent, and earned a Master's degree and a Ph.D. in that field in 1979 and 1986. My interests have similarly evolved, and have included the nature of community, the nature and processes of social change, the role of education in the lives of women (The Education of Women in the United States: A Guide to Theory, Teaching and Research, 1992), the ways in which human beings acquire a cultural identity (Human Diversity in Education: An Integrated Approach with Ken Cushner and Phil Safford, 5th ed., 2005), and the nature and structure of social networks (dissertation, 1986). My most recent interest (and passion!) lies in the area of the impact of public policy on education in a democracy, including, but not limited to education as it occurs in schools.

Martha Merrill, Ph.D

Area: FLA

vita [pdf]

Martha C. Merrill, who worked on higher education reform in the Kyrgyz Republic in Central Asia from 1996 to 2001, has been involved in college-level international education since 1982. Currently Associate Professor of Higher Education at Kent State University and Coordinator of the program's International Education Certificate, Dr. Merrill previously was the Dean of Academic Programs at the International Partnership for Service-Learning and Leadership (www.ipsl.org), on whose Board she had served for seventeen years. From 2002-2006, she taught master's students at the School for International Training (Vermont) in the fields of intercultural communication and international education. In 2001-2002, she was a Visiting Scholar at the Inner Asian and Uralic National Resource Center at Indiana University. Before she went to Kyrgyzstan, she was a founding faculty member of the (planned) New College for Global Studies at Radford University (Virginia) and Director of Programs and Resident Life at International House in New York City, which houses 700 graduate students from 100 different countries. She has published several articles and book chapters and given many conference papers on intercultural issues, international education, and Central Asia. Her degrees are in Russian literature (BA, Michigan), Creative Writing (Master's, Boston University), College and University Administration (Master's and Ph.D., Michigan) and Islamic Studies (Master's, Columbia University). She has been a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of the Alliance of Universities for Democracy (www.audem.org), which links US and Eurasian universities, since 2001. Her current research interests focus on the globalization of quality assessment standards in higher education and, in particular, the effect of such globalization in Central Asia.

Aaron Mulrooney

Area: FLA

vita [pdf]

My educational background is primarily in business and law. I received a B.S.B.A. and M.B.A. in Finance as well as a J.D. all from the University of Akron. My sport background comes primarily from experience as a collegiate and professional tennis player. I also worked for a number of years with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Richfield Coliseum in a variety of capacities while completing my degrees. I am currently a licensed attorney in the state of Ohio where I have a very limited private practice. My primary research has been legal liability and risk management practices of sport, recreation and public assembly facilities and I have written numerous articles, book chapters and a text in this area. I am working on several new research projects with our graduate students, including texts on event planning and legal issues in sport. During my 15 years at Kent I have served as Sport Administration Coordinator, Graduate Coordinator and Assistant to the Director of the School of Exercise, Leisure and Sport.

Tricia Niesz

Area: FLA , CULT

vita [pdf]

I completed my Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania, where I specialized in anthropology and education, ethnography/critical ethnography, and urban schooling. I came to Kent State in 2004 as an assistant professor of qualitative research methodology. My methodological interests are in how contemporary social and cultural theory raise new questions and challenges for qualitative research, and how methodologists and researchers are responding to these challenges. Multisited ethnography, in particular, is one approach that I am exploring in my current work. I am also interested using ethnographic methods to explore the role of schooling in social stratification and social change. More specifically, I am interested in the ways in which equity-oriented educational discourses--and more broadly, social critique--inform the meanings, identities, and cultural practices that youth and educators produce in schools. My current research focuses on teacher professional networks that take up questions of diversity, equity, democracy, and social justice. In this work, I am exploring how the social processes of networks-as-inquiry communities influence educators' identities, agency, and contributions to school change.

Mary Parr

Area: FLA

vita [pdf]

I received my Bachelor's degree in Recreation Education from the University of Iowa in 1984, my M.S. in Recreation and Park Administration from Western Illinois University in 1988, and my Ph.D in Leisure Studies from the University of Illinois in 1992. Prior to returning to graduate school I worked in Employee Services for a manufacturing company in Rockford, IL. I was responsible for coordinating employee sports leagues, company events, physical activity and health and wellness programs, etc. Upon completion of my doctorate, I joined the faculty of Kent State University. I teach courses in the areas of social psychological dimensions of leisure, cultural dimensions of contemporary leisure practices, and our Foundations of Recreation and Leisure course. I also teach a graduate course that examines the philosophical and social bases of leisure and sport. My research interests include understanding the meaning of leisure and it's relation to professional practice and professional preparation of students, and leisure's role in the development of community.

Swathi Ravichandran

Area: FLA

vita [pdf] | http://www.ehhs.kent.edu/hm

Swathi Ravichandran received an MBA in Marketing in 2002 and a PhD in Foodservice and Lodging Management in 2005 from Iowa State University. She joined Kent State University in Fall 2005 as an Assistant Professor in Hospitality Management. She teaches a variety of courses at Kent State University (KSU) including Hospitality Meetings Management, Strategic Lodging Management, Human Resources Management and Marketing in the Hospitality Industry, and Legal Issues in the Hospitality Industry. She started the KSU chapter of Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) in the Hospitality Management program and serves as faculty advisor for a group of dedicated, passionate, hard working students interested in pursuing a career in the meeting and event planning industry. Her research has been published in prestigious peer-reviewed journals such as Journal of Foodservice Business Research, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Journal of Travel and Tourism Research, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Education, and Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality and Tourism.

Jason Schenker, Ph.D

Area: FLA , EVAL, EVAL

vita [pdf]

Barbara Scheule

Area: FLA

vita [pdf]

Doctoral and Master of Science degrees were completed at Kansas State University in Hospitality Management & Institutional Food Service Management. A dietetic internship was completed at the University of Oregon Health Sciences Center. The Bachelor of Science degree was completed at the University of Nebraska with dual majors in (1) Human Nutrition and Foodservice Management and (2) Education and Family Resources. Prior to joining the Kent State University faculty, was a manager for 16 years in a University Dining Services known for "from scratch" food preparation and award winning special events and menus. Is the faculty advisor for the Student Chapter of Club Managers Association of America and teach classes on food production and food science, foodservice management, hospitality service quality, and private club management. My research interests include food safety education, management of quality and consumer satisfaction, effectiveness of employee development programs, school foodservice management, and educational issues related to hospitality education.

Kimberly Schimmel, Ph.D

Area: FLA

vita [pdf] | http://www.ehhs.kent.edu/fla/schimmel/

Kim is an Associate Professor of the Sociology of Sport and an Affiliate to KSU's Women's Studies Program. She earned her bachelors degree at Muskingum College in 1983, masters degree at Miami University (Ohio) in 1987, and PhD at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1994. Her classes include "Sport and Society" and "Sport in Global Perspective," which focus on domestic and global diversity issues. Kim's scholarship is framed by political economic theory and addresses problems associated with urban (re)development and large scale sporting events in local-global context. She treats as problematic the assertion that these projects and events, including the construction of stadiums and arenas, are community assets and are beneficial for the city-as-a-whole. Kim serves on the Editorial Board of the International Review for the Sociology of Sport and is a Vice President (2008-2011) of the International Sociology of Sport Association. In 2008, Kim recieved KSU's Distinguished Teaching Award.

Jennifer Schultz

Area: FLA , SPAD, RPTM

Dr. Vilma Seeberg

Area: FLA

I have been a member of the Kent State University community since 1989 as professor for international-multicultural education. I completed my PhD in Comparative International Education at the University Hamburg, Germany, in 1990, which was preceded there by my MA in Education with a minor in Sinology in 1983. Long before that, in 1970, I received my B.S. in Foreign Language Instruction, German and Russian at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Eight years of experience founding and serving as principal and director of a "street academy" (private secondary school) serving middle and high school drop-outs in Madison, WI, had lead me back to academia for advanced studies. This included a year teaching at China University for Science and Technology, and conducting my dissertation research in China. While writing the dissertation, I worked at the World Bank and a think-tank in Washington, D.C., taught in International Studies at the University of South Florida, and foundations of education courses at Cleveland State. I also substitute taught in three districts in the greater Cleveland area. My interests in education have always been in exploring the inequalities in access to knowledge, whether that be in advanced industrial areas with pockets of poverty, or poor regions and nations with pockets of wealth. My primary line of inquiry and publishing has been in education in China using socio-political and anthropological perspectives in order to frame egalitarian and multicultural policy in China and in the U.S. Recently I have been collaborating with a Chinese institution on developing higher education academic degree program. I am active in the Comparative International Education Society, National Association of Multicultural Education, and AERA.

Laura Taylor

Area: FLA

vita [pdf]

Stephen Thomas, Ed.D.

Area: FLA , EDAD

vita [pdf]

I received my B.S. degree in 1971 from Oklahoma State University, M.S. also from OSU in 1972, and doctorate in 1974 from the University of Florida. While attending UF, I was a fellow with the National Educational Finance Project, where I had the opportunity to work with many of America's leading scholars in Education Finance and Law. Upon graduation, I served as an assistant professor at Madison College in Virginia for two years, Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas for five (the final three years as an associate professor), and St. Johns University in Queens, N.Y. for four, all at the full professor level. I then came to Kent State University and have been here for 23+ years. I teach many of the law courses in the College of Education, Health, and Human Services, including those in higher education, K-12 administration, special education, and school psychology. Additionally, I teach courses dealing with education finance (both higher education and K-12), higher education disability, and faculty roles and responsibilities. While at Kent, I am most proud of my role (others also have been involved) in acquiring graduate assistantships for students (we currently have 60-70 diverse GA placements at 10-15 institutions) and for receiving the Distinguished Teaching Award in 2007.

Dr. Autumn Tooms, Ed.D.

Area: FLA

vita [pdf]

As an Associate Professor of PreK-12 Educational Administration, Autumn works to maintain a balance of thoughtful and focused work dedicated to bridging the gap between those who lead schools, and those who study and prepare school leaders. Autumn studies the principalship focusing on identity, equity, school reform, and the micro-politics of the position. Her international work began with the creation of the first Masters Degree cohorts in educational administration in partnership with The College of The Bahamas. In addition to her books for principals on leadership, Autumn’s research has been published in journals that include Kappan, Educational Leadership, The Journal of School Leadership, The Journal of Research on Leadership Education, The International Journal of Leadership in Education, and The Journal of Cases for the University Council for Educational Administration. Autumn is currently serving a three year term as member of Executive Council of The University Council of Educational Administration. Also, she is as member of the Research Advisory Board for The College of The Bahamas

Anita Varrati, Ed.D.

Area: FLA

vita [pdf]

I began as a middle school teacher of language arts and social studies on the Navajo Indian Reservation after earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education from the University of Arizona. I immediately enrolled in a master's program in elementary education at Northern Arizona University. After completing that degree, I began working as a district level k-12 language development coordinator and was encouraged to pursue an administrative license. Upon receiving my principal's license, I served as a middle school principal in Colorado. After returning to Pennsylvania, I began working as an administrator at an educational service agency in the areas of curriculum and staff development. Wishing to move up in the organization, I secured my superintendent's license and eventually was appointed Assistant Executive Director of Curriculum and Professional Development. I continued my education at the University of Pittsburgh where I received a doctorate in educational administration. My research interests have focused on the effects of policy on educational practice, characteristics of organizations and leaders that effect change, and characteristics of organizations and leaders that sustain continuous improvement.

Dr. Theresa Walton

Area: FLA

vita [pdf] | http://www.personal.kent.edu/~twalton1/waltonfaculty/index.htm

With a B.A. in Sociology from Southern Oregon University (1993) in hand, I headed for the first time to the Midwest to the University of Iowa, earning a M.A. (2000) and PhD (2002) in Cultural Studies. After working for a year as an academic advisor and adjunct professor at the University of Iowa, I joined the Kent State community in 2003. Drawing on critical cultural studies, my scholarship focuses on investigations of power relationships and the ways those relationships are both resisted and maintained within mediated sport narratives. In particular, I have examined media discourse of Title IX and sport, women's amateur wrestling, and elite distance running. My work has been accepted in the Sociology of Sport Journal, the Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal, and the Journal of Popular Culture.

Philip Wang

Area: FLA , RPTM

vita [pdf]

I completed my PhD in Leisure Studies at Penn State in 1991. My other educational experiences included Recreation and Parks (M.S.-Penn State) and Economics (M.A.-Western Michigan University, B.S.-Chinese Culture University). I joined the Kent State University faculty in 1990. Between 1999 and 2001, I took a leave from Kent State and joined National Dong Hwa University in Taiwan to lead the new Department of Sport and Leisure Studies as its Chair. In teaching, I have focused on management of commercial recreation, tourism development, social and philosophical issues of leisure, and park planning. My research interests include economic planning of tourism, serious leisure behavior, and classical eastern thoughts of leisure. I am currently working on research exploring the redevelopment of tourism from natural disasters and Confucius' notions of happiness and leisure.