Meet the board AY 2021-2022
Updated September 2021
This is a forum of the American Journal of Education. It is a space for readers of the journal—researchers, students, and policy makers—to engage in dialogue on both of-the-moment issues enduring themes in education from pre-K through university. The forum is led by a Student Board and is mentored by the Journal’s senior editorial staff.
The members of the Student Board are:
Tori Amason is a PhD student in the Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies Program at the University of Houston. Her research interests are centered around equity and justice in higher education as it relates to access, success, and completion. Currently, Amason is working on projects studying public-private partnerships in higher education housing, as well as whiteness and white student development. Prior to beginning her doctoral work, she spent time on various college campuses and at a nonprofit scholarship program as a leadership educator, helping students to recognize and utilize their potential as change agents.
Joshua S. Almes is a Ph.D. student in the Educational Leadership program at Penn State University. He holds a M.Ed. from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. in Secondary Education – Social Studies from Clarion University of Pennsylvania. Having served as a social studies teacher for ten years in rural Pennsylvania, his primary research interests focus around systems that create and reinforce poverty in rural areas, encouraging democratic classrooms, school funding, and teacher education. Josh is currently involved in a research project studying school district responses to COVID-19 across the Commonwealth.
Tanjin Ashraf is a Ph.D. student in Teacher Accountability Policy at Deakin University, Australia. In 2019, she completed her Master of Education degree at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, Canada. She was a classroom teacher for three years in South Korea, England and Canada, and was a policy analyst at the Ontario Ministry of Education for a year. She has also taught English as a Second Language in China and Taiwan. Her research interests include system change, teacher accountability policy, the nexus between teachers’ work and education reform, math reform, comparative education, alternative forms of schooling, and the impact of policy actors on education systems.
Angel Xiao Bohannon is a Ph.D. student in the Human Development and Social Policy program at Northwestern University. Her research interests include the role of partnerships and educational leadership in supporting K-12 policy implementation. She previously worked at the Carnegie Foundation to support the work of the Carnegie Math Pathways research-practice partnership. She previously earned a B.A. from University of Chicago.
James Bridgeforth is a PhD student in the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California. He is also a research associate at the USC Race and Equity Center. Prior to joining Rossier, he earned a masters degree in educational administration and policy from the University of Georgia and bachelors degrees in political science and sociology from Georgia College & State University. James began his professional experience in education as a college admissions officer, later transitioning to a career in K-12 education as an elementary school teacher. His current research interests focus on institutional and organizational change through the study of educational leadership, racial violence in schools, and school choice policies.
Alexis Cherewka is a PhD student in lifelong learning and adult education and comparative and international education at Penn State University. Prior to starting at Penn State, she completed her M.A. in applied linguistics at the University of Pittsburgh and taught English to speakers of other languages in a variety of settings, both in the U.S. and abroad. Her current research interests include adult education policy in nonformal education, sociocultural theories of literacy, and teacher-researcher collaboration efforts.
Nikki Cohron is a Ph.D. student in the Educational Theory and Policy Program at Penn State. She holds master’s degree in Educational Leadership, Organizations, and Policy from Samford University and a bachelor’s degree in Collaborative Education from Birmingham-Southern College. Her background includes teaching at the elementary and undergraduate levels, as well as promoting college faculty development as an instructional technologist. Nikki’s current research interests include the intersections between research, policy, and the K-12 classroom. Specifically, she’s interested in understanding how teachers perceive their role in educational change and the impact of teacher voice/engagement in policy.
Christina Davis is an Ed.D. candidate in Education Policy and Administration at George Washington University, where her research focuses on elementary literacy education and policies of racial and socioeconomic equity. She holds an M.A. in Education Policy Studies from George Washington University and a B.S. in Elementary Education from West Chester University of Pennsylvania. Christina is a Researcher at the American Institutes for Research, where she works as a contractor for the U.S. Department of Education on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and other federal education projects.
Teranda Donatto is a PhD student in the Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies Program at the University of Houston. Her research interests center on education for African Americans, specifically college access, community education, and HBCUs. Before starting her PhD, Teranda taught adults and teens in the U.S., South Korea, and France. She also worked as the program director for an educational nonprofit. She earned two master’s degrees, one in Africology and African American Studies from Temple University and one in English from the University of Alabama.
Wyatt Driskell is a Ph.D student in Education Sciences at the University of Kentucky. Before joining the Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation department at the College of Education, he earned a M.A. in Higher Education from the University of Louisville and a B.A. in Political Science and Psychology from the University of Kentucky. His research interests seek to advance democratic education and social justice by exploring the politicization of curricular conflicts, critical curricula in social studies, and local educational histories.
Katharine Dulaney is a Ph.D. student in Educational Theory and Policy at Penn State University. She holds a M.A. from Teachers College, Columbia University, a B.A. from UNC-Chapel Hill, and a secondary teaching credential from the American Montessori Society. Prior to beginning her studies at Penn State, she taught middle school English and history for six years in her home state of North Carolina. Katharine is interested in the history of progressive education in America, school boards and district-level policymaking, and research-practice-policy partnerships.
Joseph Elefante is a PhD student in Educational Leadership Policy at Texas Tech University. He holds an M.A. in Educational Leadership from Montclair State University and a B.Mus. in Music Performance from New Jersey City University. His research interests primarily center on arts and whole child education advocacy and holistic methods of measuring student success, teacher evaluations, and school quality. He is also interested in investigating the long-term outcomes of arts and noncognitive skill development and developing methods of measuring quality arts and noncognitive education in school settings. In addition to his doctoral studies, Joe is currently the Supervisor of Fine & Performing Arts, Family & Consumer Science, and Technology Education for a mid-size urban school district in northeastern NJ.
Nick Gardner is an Ed.D candidate in the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies program at the University of Kansas. He holds one undergraduate degree, and two master’s degrees in special education and educational administration, all awarded from Emporia State University. He is currently an Administrative Building Intern in Topeka Public Schools at Eisenhower Middle School located in Topeka, Kansas. His current focus is to obtain a principal position, complete his doctoral work, become an author and work toward providing equitable opportunities for all students. He hopes to be able to bridge the gap between theory and practice to offer opportunities and help students to find their passion through educational experiences. He views himself as an advocate for all students, knowing the significant impact mentorship can have on student success and outcomes.
Kerry Foraker Green is a PhD student in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Texas-Arlington and an Archer Center Graduate Program Fellow. Additionally, she holds a B.S./M.S. in History and a M.S. in Organization Learning and Technology. Her research focuses on how curriculum and policies are leveraged to foster equity and social justice in P-20 education, with close attention to social studies education. Other interests look at teacher and leader development as well as dual credit or other advanced courses. Concurrent with her research, Kerry works as a public educator in Texas both at the secondary and post-secondary level.
Megan Rauch Griffard is a PhD candidate in Policy, Leadership, and School Improvement in the School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has previously worked as a classroom teacher, school administrator, and in state-level education research. Her research focuses on principal leadership during disruptions to schooling, including natural disasters and COVID-19. Megan holds an M.S. from Northwestern University, an M.Ed. from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a B.A. from Boston College.
Andrea (Andii) Layton is an experienced educator with an enduring commitment to equity, access, leadership, and student empowerment. She has worked with early education through college-aged students in both traditional and non-traditional academic settings. She holds a master’s degree in social service administration and community schools from the University of Chicago and is currently a Ph.D. student in Educational Leadership at the Pennsylvania State University. Her professional portfolio includes being a former middle school teacher, Community Schools Director, working with top researchers from the University of Michigan, and creating programming to increase college entry and college graduation for low-income, first-generation students. Andii loves to listen to music, spend time with her loved ones, and watch sports in her spare time.
Jingjing Liu is a Ph.D. student in the Educational Policy, Planning & Leadership Program concentrating in Higher Education Administration at William & Mary. She is a Holmes Scholar and a Social Justice & Diversity Graduate Research Fellow at William & Mary, where she also serves as a member of the International Student Advisory Board. Her research interests include college access and success, college transition, and STEM education.
Edgar Fidel Lopez is a Ph.D. student in the Urban Education Policy program at the University of Southern California (USC). He is also a Research Associate at the Pullias Center for Higher Education and a Strategic Impact and Research Intern at the Lumina Foundation. Previously, he served as the Program Coordinator for the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) at St. Edward’s University and as the Site Coordinator for Project MALES (Mentoring to Achieve Latino Educational Success). He obtained his B.A.s in Political Science and Chicana/o Studies at UCLA and then his M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Texas at Austin. His research interests include (1) faculty-student mentoring relationships, (2) equitable access to college and graduate education, (3) first-generation college/graduate students, and (4) Latina/o/x issues in higher education.
John (Mac) McCandless is a PhD student in Educational Leadership at Auburn University specializing in curriculum development and leadership. He holds an M.S. in Graphic Information Technology from Arizona State University where he specialized in the use of UX/UI in technology, engineering, and digital design as they apply to education. He has lived and taught in China for 4 years and has been a high school teacher of Graphic Design Technology in the USA for 8 years. His research interests are learning science, educational philosophy, design and Design Thinking in education, e-learning, and K-12 elective area education as a Rhizomatic intersection for interdisciplinary learning.
Kristin Mansell is a Ph.D. student in the Educational Leadership Policy program at Texas Tech University. She holds a BA in Classical Languages with an emphasis in Ancient Latin and Greek from the University of Alabama and a M.Ed. in Secondary Science Education from the University of Alabama in Birmingham as well as National Board Certification in Early Adolescence Science. She is currently a classroom teacher in middle level science. Her research interests include grading policy reform, increasing teacher efficacy through targeted professional learning communities, and the impact of formative assessment on science teacher pedagogical decisions.
Jessica Enderlin Nadzam is a Ph.D. candidate in the Educational Leadership Policy program at Texas Tech University. She is a passionate educational leader and aspiring changemaker located in the heart of the southern delta. She has spent the past six years teaching high school biology and computer science in Title I schools, and her experience in diverse and low-income classrooms informs and inspires her research interests, including teacher workforce policy, virtual education, STEM education, education finance, and social-emotional learning. Previously, Nadzam completed a B.S. in biology, an M.S. in educational studies, and an Ed.S. in educational leadership. She received a Transformational Impact Distinction from Johns Hopkins University and a Talkington graduate fellowship from Texas Tech University. Upon completion of her degree, she plans to enter the education policy arena and bridge gaps between research and policy to enhance educational opportunities for students in her home state of Arkansas.
Trang Pham-Shouse is a PhD Candidate in Educational Leadership at Penn State, USA. Besides being a former English teacher at Foreign Language Specialized School, ULIS-VNU, she’s also the president, a co-founder and guest speaker of some community organizations/ projects for Vietnamese youth such as Water Wise Vietnam, CozyVil and MediaME. She got an MA in English Linguistics from Vietnam National University and M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Penn State. Her research interests are pre-service teachers’ motivations and attrition; teacher education policy and professional development; service-learning and youth empowerment; teacher leadership and principalship in international contexts. Her current projects with colleagues are Vietnamese teachers’ intention to teach, and teacher leadership and well-being.
Veronica Stephenson is a PhD student in the Educational Leadership program at Auburn University. She holds a master’s degree in secondary English education from Harding University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Auburn University. She taught all courses of English from junior high level to freshman composition for fifteen years and has been teaching and directing theatre for the past ten years. Her primary research interest is the role of school leaders during and after a school-related traumatic event while also focusing on trauma-informed care, school safety, and community response to traumatic events.
Jennifer Valdez is a PhD student in Student Affairs at the University of Maryland -College Park. She obtained a Master’s degree in HIgher Education and Student Affairs at Ohio State. Her research interests center the lived experiences of Latinx/o/a students on college campuses with an emphasis on identity development, sense of belonging, and access. Past research includes Latinx/o/a degree attainment in computer science and STEM related fields and she currently serves on a research team focusing on Latinx/o/a mid-level professionals in higher education and student affairs.
Rachel Williams is a PhD candidate in the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research focuses on the expansion of market-based education reforms and the political, economic, spatial, and historical forces shaping their advancements in Southern U.S. contexts. In her work, she explores the linkages between the political economy, residential segregation, education policy, and the lived experiences of Black communities in school choice systems. She holds a BA in Psychology from Dillard University, and an MPP in Education Policy from Vanderbilt University. Prior to graduate studies, Rachel worked in the Public Policy and Advocacy Department at Illinois Action for Children.
Supporting members of the American Journal of Education editorial team:
Bryan Mann, Student Board Advisor
Gerald LeTendre, Editor
Dana Mitra, Editor
David Gamson, Book Review Editor
Alumni of the Student Board are:
Jeremy Anderson
Ruxandra Apostolescu
Shefa AlHashmi
F. Frank Ayata
Nikolaus Barkauskas
Katie Bateman
Elizabeth Bell
Pauli Badenhorst
Leslie Cano
Jana Clinton
Alex Collopy
Katie Crabtree
Susan Crandall Hart
Seyma Dagistan
Samantha Deane
Jason A. Engerman
Scott D. Farver
Kathryn Fishman-Weaver
Sebrina Doyle Fosco
Anne Frank-Webb
Sarah Hairston
Adam HockerEmily Hodge
Barbara Hou
Beth Howd
Jacob Kirksey
Joseph Levitan
Daniel A. Lilly
Jing Liu
Megan E. Lynch
Lorraine A. Jones
Kayla Johnson
Holly Klock
Bryan Mann
Natasha Mansur
Jonathan (JD) McCausland
Eric McGinnis
Kelly McGurgan
Rachel Montgomery
Raquel Muñiz
Arun Muthusamy
Rhoda Nanre Nafziger
Mary Neville
Thomas Norris
Nnenna Ogbu
Abigail Orrick
Andrew Pendola
Logan Rutten
Yahya Shamekhi
Jeremy Singer
Stormy Stark
Aubree Webb
Hansol Woo
Shulong Yan
Diane H. Zack
