UNF - Florida Institute of Education

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PROFESSIONAL STAFF

Dr. Cheryl Fountain, Executive Director, Professor of Education

Fountain, is a professor of education at the University of North Florida where she also directs the Florida Institute of Education, a statewide research center charged with strengthening the quality of education in Florida through research and collaborative partnerships. A researcher focused on education reform initiatives designed to improve learning outcomes for at-risk children and students, she has been the principal investigator of over 30 major research grants funded by federal, state, and local agencies, and private foundations. She was selected to participate in the Spencer Foundation-funded
Workshop on Quasi-Experimental Design and Analysis in Education hosted at Northwestern University.

Fountain is an active member in the community and works collaboratively with local agencies, state agencies, and community-based efforts to improve educational outcomes for children. She was instrumental in bringing together a citywide collaborative effort to improve school readiness outcomes in Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Early Literacy Partnership. She serves on several state-level work teams and advisory committees focused on improving the quality of school readiness in Florida. She was selected as a Florida Times-Union EVE Award for Education recipient for her outstanding contributions in education. She holds a doctorate from the University of Florida.
Artie V. Brown, Associate Director for Program Development and Administration

Brown, a former middle school teacher and assistant principal, brings sixteen years of public school experience to FIE. He has expertise in educational leadership, school improvement, and curriculum and instruction. Before coming to FIE, he worked extensively with at-risk students, helping to change their mind set and direction. He’s implemented programs designed to engage students and parents in the educational process to promote academic achievement. He works collaboratively with FIE researchers and staff to ensure effective and timely implementation and monitoring of grants, contracts, and other programs locally and statewide for the purpose of improving education from PreK to the postsecondary levels. He is a member of the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA). Brown holds a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University.
Dr. Madelaine Cosgrove, Associate Director for School Readiness

Cosgrove brings a unique blend of public school experience, leadership, professional learning, establishing and nurturing university/school readiness collaborations, and applied research to FIE. As a former elementary school teacher and assistant principal, Cosgrove is particularly interested in the relationship of teacher knowledge and skill to improved outcomes for children at-risk and how best teacher knowledge and skill is developed and sustained. With more than 10 years overseeing the professional learning of coaches and facilitating the learning of preschool teachers working with children living in low-income neighborhoods, she is responsible for the development and implementation of the FIE Strategic Coaching Model. She contributes to the design and content of the FIE ELLM/Plus published curriculum. She works with a variety of FIE research-related projects designed to improve the teaching-learning process. Cosgrove is a PreK and K-3 Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) Provisional Trainer and an Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation Tool Master Trainer. Other FIE responsibilities include serving as FIE’s primary liaison with Florida’s school readiness community both at the local and state level and serving as FIE’s liaison to the university Internal Review Board. She holds a doctorate from the University of North Florida. Cosgrove is currently a board member of the Early Learning Coalition of Duval.
Norman Dickerson Jr, Director, UNF/FIE Pre-Collegiate Connections College Reach-Out Program

Dickerson brings to FIE over ten years of experience in youth development from the nonprofit sector using a human development model as an organizing framework. Throughout his career he has participated in various trainings that focus on career exploration assessments, youth asset development, effective communication skills for families, and has been certified as a trainer in the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. By working with school-based community organizations he continually works from a collaborative model through his daily interactions with school administration, families, and students. His overall vision and goal of working as the director of the UNF/FIE Pre Collegiate: College Reach-Out Program (CROP) is to empower youth and families through exposure and education. Dickerson holds a master’s degree in Guidance & Family Counseling from Brooklyn College-CUNY.
Dr. Rebecca England, Family Involvement Specialist

England spent seven years teaching in a first grade classroom before coming to FIE. Her first three years at FIE were spent working as a Literacy Coach for the Early Literacy and Learning Model (ELLM) as well as a visiting instructor for the College of Education at the University of North Florida. She taught courses on family involvement, early literacy, and music and movement. In 2005, England completed her dissertation, “Learning the ABC’s: Family Involvement in Kindergarten Literacy” which looked at the effect of family involvement on early literacy skill acquisition. England is currently serving as Family Involvement Specialist that allows her to put her dissertation study to work as she engages in literacy programs with families of 3-, 4-, and 5-year old children. England is a certified CLASS PreK and K-3 Observer. She holds a doctorate from the University of North Florida.
Carole M. Giannone, Associate Director for Business and Program Manager

Giannone comes to FIE with over 20 years of business management, accounting, and budgeting experience serving as a controller, director of financial planning, and budget manager. Other areas of expertise include decision support systems, service line development, and benchmarking. Her primary responsibilities include managing FIE’s portfolio of multi-sourced projects, grants, contracts, and initiatives, and serving as the budget liaison with FIE grant staff based in Tallahassee. Giannone holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and a master’s degree in Business from the University of North Florida.
Dr. Janice Hunter, Research Fellow for Early Learning and Literacy

With more than 35 years experience in K-12 public education, Hunter has a strong background in educational leadership, school improvement, curriculum and instruction, and early literacy. She has taught graduate courses in educational leadership and curriculum and has designed and implemented training programs for teachers and administrators. Recently, she collaborated with a consultant from the Consortium for Policy Research in Education to design and develop a district snapshot system for assessment of program implementation at the school level in a large urban district. She is currently collaborating with other researchers and practitioners to identify and implement research-based, best practices for instructing young children who live in high-needs neighborhoods. Additionally, through a public school system/FIE partnership, she is assisting in development of a framework for PreK, K and 1st grade transitions and PreK – Grade 3 curriculum alignment. She is a a certified CLASS PreK and K-3 Observer. Hunter holds a master’s degree in administration and supervision and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of Florida.
Kelly Maki, Coordinator, Education Training Programs

Maki, a former Special Education teacher and Instructional Coach has eleven years of experience working in urban schools with students who have been identified with high-needs in academic performance and social skills acquisition. As a Special Education teacher, Maki has collaborated with teachers in developing specific learning strategies to increase literacy skills of students and established school-wide Response to Intervention procedures to meet individual learning needs. As an Instructional Coach, Maki has written curriculum for school-based implementation of the Florida Continuous Improvement Model, collaborated with classroom teachers to develop data-driven instruction, and led Professional Development based on educational theory of best practices in the classroom. Maki holds a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the American College of Education.
Dr. Bronwyn McLemore, Curriculum Specialist

McLemore has a varied history of experiences working with young children and their teachers. She taught for eleven years in kindergarten and first grade, and has been a literacy coach for 14 years in a variety of settings: Coaching in preschool through first grade classrooms, working as a school-based instructional coach in anurban elementary school, and acting as the Senior Coach for the Early Literacy and Learning Model (ELLM). She is a co-developer of the instructional materials used in ELLM and ELLM/Plus. She works collaboratively with FIE partners to improve early education. McLemore has extensive experiences implementing intensive and sustained professional development to literacy coaches and teachers working with children from low-income families. She is a a certified CLASS PreK and K-3 Observer McLemore holds a doctorate from the University of North Florida.
Dr. Tiffany Ohlson, Director, Research Program Services

Ohlson brings a special combination of experience in K-12 public education, professional learning, school improvement, and curriculum and instruction to FIE. She has served as a literacy specialist, interventionist, and coach at the school and state levels. She has provided support to schools and districts with the implementation of RTI and using data to differentiate instruction for all learners. Ohlson is currently collaborating with researchers and practitioners to implement research-based literacy practices for at-risk children, with an emphasis on increasing exposure and instruction using nonfiction texts. She holds Florida Professional Educator Certificates in Elementary Education and K-12 Reading. Ohlson holds a doctorate in curriculum and instruction with a reading specialization from the University of Florida.
Heather Monroe-Ossi, Curriculum Research Associate

Monroe-Ossi brings a combination of urban classroom experience, applied research skills, and program planning for adult learners. Current projects include collaborating with Duval County Public Schools and community partnerships focused on improving academic and social outcomes for at-risk students and their families. She pursues opportunities to develop and implement innovative instructional technology strategies for use in both classroom and professional learning environments. Monroe-Ossi has co-authored papers and presented internationally on the use of concept mapping as a planning, instructional, and assessment tool. She strongly supports educational reform efforts to close the achievement gap. As a Duval County Public School elementary teacher and instructional coach, she provided training, coaching, and mentoring to teachers throughout the district. Monroe-Ossi has broad experience with early childhood assessments, holds a train-the-trainer status for the PPVT-III, ECHOS, and is a state-certified DIBELS master trainer. She holds Florida Professional Educator Certificates in PreKindergarten Primary Education and K12 Educational Leadership. Monroe-Ossi is a doctoral student at the University of North Florida.
Dr. Stephanie Wehry, Assistant Director for Research and Evaluation

Wehry adds a valuable combination of research methodology, psychometrics, and teaching experience in the K-16 public school system to the FIE team. In designing projects and conducting analyses, she draws upon traditional research methods such as regression, multivariate, and analysis of variance; quasi-experimental methods such as propensity score matching, time series, and regression discontinuity; and more contemporary methods such as hierarchical linear modeling, structural equation modeling, and data mining. She was selected by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) for training on National Household Education Survey (NHES) data; by NCES and the American Education Research Association for training using propensity score matching and structural equation model in conjunction with Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), by the Spencer Foundation-funded Workshop on Quasi-Experimental Design and Analysis in Education hosted at Northwestern University and conducted by Drs. Tom Cook and Will Shadish; and by the SAS Institute to participate in workshops over two consecutive summers on the use of SAS Enterprise Miner to conduct predictive modeling. Wehry holds a Master of Science degree in Mathematical Sciences, a Master of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction, and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Florida.

RESEARCH ASSOCIATES

Dr. Afesa Adams, Senior Research Associate, Professor Emeritus of Psychology

Adams has held faculty and academic leadership positions at the University of Florida, the University of Utah and the University of North Florida. Over the course of her career she taught courses in psychology and ethnic studies, fostered the development of programs to enhance the development and inclusion of women and minority group members in academic and community settings, and worked with families at the local and national levels. Her expertise includes program design, implementation and evaluation, diversity management and minority group families. She has published referred research and book chapters, given numerous presentations at professional meetings and conferences and served on the governing boards of many community organizations and philanthropic organizations. Adams coordinates the work of the FIE Family Engagement Initiatives and is actively involved in literacy-related family programs. Adams holds a doctorate in Psychology from the University of Utah.
Dr. Tracy Alloway, Research Associate, Assistant Professor of Psychology

Alloway, an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of North Florida, is recognized as an expert in the field of working memory and education. She served as the Director for Memory and Learning in the Lifespan in the United Kingdom, developed the internationally recognized Alloway Working Memory Assessment, and has published numerous books and journal articles on working memory. She has spent the last 15 years researching the importance of working memory in education, and has lead several government-funded grants on this topic.

Alloway writes a blog for Psychology Today, and her research has been featured on BBC, ABC News, Huffington Post, Salon, Washington Post, and Newsweek. She has worked with numerous agencies for learning needs, including Children and Adults with ADHD (CHADD) and the National Association of Gifted Children (NAGC).
Dr. William Caldwell, Senior Fellow

Caldwell is a Professor Emeritus in the department of mathematics and statistics at UNF. Caldwell has more than 40 years of experience in education, in addition to serving as chairman of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. He has served as director for the SUS Partners for Excellence in Education AP/Honors Mathematics Pilot, Steering Committee chair for the Sunshine State Scholars Program, and program chair for the Florida Council of Teachers of Mathematics annual convention. He holds a doctorate in Mathematics from Rutgers University.
Dr. Katherine Kasten, Senior Research Associate, Professor of Educational Leadership

 Kasten, Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of North Florida, brings a strong interest in educational policy to her work with the Florida Institute of Education. Employed at UNF since 1988, she served as dean of the College of Education and Human Services at UNF from 1995 to August 2004. She has served as principal investigator or consultant on several urban initiatives, including the college’s urban professional development schools, a multi-year project to support under-prepared beginning teachers in urban schools; and the Jacksonville Urban Systemic Initiative, a six-year project funded through a grant to Duval County Public Schools from the National Science Foundation. She has authored/coauthored several articles and book chapters in the areas of educational leadership and teacher preparation and two books of case studies in educational leadership. She holds a doctorate in educational administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Dr. Karen Patterson, Research Associate, Associate Professor and Chair of the Exceptional, Deaf, and Interpreter Education Department

Patterson is Associate Professor and Chair of the Exceptional, Deaf, and Interpreter Education Department at the University of North Florida. She earned a Ph.D. in Special Education from Kent State University. Her professional experiences have included over 20 years of teaching students with developmental disabilities, emotional and behavior disorders, learning disabilities and autism spectrum disorders. Patterson’s research has a focus on improving K-12 practices for underserved children in special education and investigating the impact of collaborative partnerships and parental involvement for children with emotional and behavioral disabilities. She co-sponsors UNF’s student chapter of Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and is a recipient of an Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award at UNF.
Dr. Janice Seabrooks-Blackmore, Research Associate, Associate Professor and Program Director of Exceptional Student Education in the Department of Exceptional, Deaf, and Interpreter Education

Seabrooks-Blackmore is an Associate Professor and Program Director of Exceptional Student Education in the Department of Exceptional, Deaf, and Interpreter Education at the University of North Florida. She has more than 34 years experience in education, working with children with a variety disabilities and preparing teachers in special education. She has a strong interest in empowering students to become strategic learners through systematic instruction. Her primary area of interest includes transition related issues that address the needs of students with disabilities in secondary school settings. In her additional role as Lead Professor for The Michael and Kim Ward Foundation, she works with students registered with the Disability Resource Center to provide strategic learning sessions in the areas of writing, study, reading, test-taking, and self-advocacy skills.
Dr. Janice Wood, Crawford Early Literacy Faculty Fellow

Wood has more than 35 years of experience preparing students to become pre-kindergarten/primary teachers. She has worked collaboratively in the school system and in child care centers providing in-service to teachers for the past 35 years at the local, regional, and national levels. She has been involved with four major collaborative initiatives: AT&T Alliance of Tomorrow’s Teachers, the ELLM / Preschool Curriculum Evaluation Research, the Jacksonville Urban Educational Partnership, and the Early Literacy and Learning Model. She has designed the ELLM literacy curriculum and training materials for teachers and developed strategies to increase achievement in urban childcare and primary classrooms. In addition to the ELLM/Plus curriculum, she has designed curriculum for registered Family Homes for children ages 2 through ages 4. Wood holds a doctorate in Early Childhood Education from Florida State University.

SUPPORT STAFF

Ernestine Baldwin, Budget Associate

Baldwin brings over 19 years of experience working in the finance and accounting field as a payroll specialist. She assists in maintaining FIE’s fiscal records to ensure proper recordkeeping, reconciles budgets for the department, and assists in the preparation of financial reports.
Justin Bergstrom, Graphic Designer/Communications Coordinator

Bergstrom began working at FIE in August, 2005. He has a strong illustration background lending his artistic talents and creativity to many FIE publications and printed media, including the FIE Annual Report, the Jacksonville Early Literacy Partnership Report (JELP), and the Collier Annual Report. Bergstrom holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, graduating with honors from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan.
Terri Cook, Budget Coordinator

Cook serves as a member of the FIE Business Team. She brings over 17 years of accounting experience to FIE. Cook coordinates the processes required for financial aspects of FIE including review and oversight of the reconciliation of all active FIE accounts and completes accounting duties that are required in the FIE/UNF accounting systems. Cook holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of North Florida.
Alice DeLeon, Graphic Designer/Communications Coordinator

DeLeon began working at FIE in July, 2006. DeLeon creates and designs many publication layouts for FIE including the Head Start Booklet, the Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) Parent Guide Booklet, and the Hubs Report. She is bilingual in English and Spanish, enhancing projects that are conducted in areas of Florida with a high Spanish speaking population, helping to facilitate and translate FIE products into Spanish. DeLeon also maintains the FIE, State Head Start Collaboration Office, and Sunshine State Scholars websites. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a major in Computer Art and Design and a minor in Photography from Jacksonville University.
Sharon Harris, Database Administrator

Harris brings over 17 years of experience working with information technology in higher education. She serves as a member of the Assessment and Evaluation Team. She assists with all of the data collection tasks from preparing the assessments up to the data analysis stage. Her duties also include assisting with the data processing needs of the UNF/FIE PreCollegiate Connections: College Reach-Out Program and various research projects conducted by FIE. Harris holds a bachelor’s of science degree in Computer Information Systems from Saint Leo University.
Catherine Johnson, Administrative Assistant to the Executive Director

Johnson supports FIE activities by facilitating communication among FIE partners and researchers to ensure the smooth implementation of collaborative initiatives and provides technical assistance to staff and others as assigned by Executive Director and Associate Directors. Johnson provides administrative support to the Jacksonville PreCollegiate Connections: College Reach-Out Program Director. This project serves over 130 middle school students living in low-income neighborhoods. She has worked at UNF since 1986.
Ruth (Penny) Mayer, Senior Research Associate

Mayer’s work as a K-5 school psychologist brings to FIE familiarity with assessments, ascertaining parameters for children, and conducting child development research. Her work at FIE includes: reviewing and selecting child assessment tools, assisting with the design and implementation of assessor training, supervising the organization and administration of child assessments, conducting assessments, reviewing educational literature, and assisting with report writing as needed. Mayer has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a M.Ed. in School Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Mamie Morrow, Research Coordinator

Morrow brings 11 years of experience in the field of education. She’s had the unique opportunity of serving as an English teacher for Japanese students in Nara, Japan. Her work at FIE includes assisting with carrying out assessment functions including planning, obtaining informed consents, preparing and delivering assessor training on a wide array of instruments and observation tools, and conducting child assessments and classroom observations. Morrow is a certified education specialist in the state of Florida. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Arts degree in Elementary Education from the University of New Mexico.
Howaida Mousa, Senior Grants Specialist

Mousa serves as the initial contact for the Early Literacy and Learning Model/Plus including sales, inventory, and training coordination. She also assists with Institutional Review Board (IRB) activities maintaining IRB files and ensuring records are kept current and project deadlines are met. She supports FIE staff, coordinating travel and reimbursements, ordering and inventorying books and materials, scheduling meetings and managing logistics, and assisting FIE in the smooth operations of daily activities. Mousa also provides support to FIE project directors assisting with project coordination and implementation.