Project SPIDERS

Nikki Callaghan

Nikki Callaghan earned her bachelor’s and master’s degree in Education at the University of South Florida. Nikki worked as a special education teacher and specialist in secondary schools in Florida for the first 10 years of her career in education. Her dedication for innovation and ensuring individualization for students led to her current role at Florida Virtual School (FLVS) as the District Director of Exceptional Student Education. Nikki has played a major role in developing online programs for special education, gifted education, mental health, and student services as she has served in virtual education for the past 11 years at FLVS. Nikki was honored with the Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) Rookie Administrator of the Year Award in 2016. Nikki’s passion for research centers around online learning for students with unique academic, behavior, and medical needs, with a focus on students who reside in small and rural districts. Nikki is honored to be a Project SPIDERS Scholar at the University of North Florida.

Michael D. Green, Jr.

Michael is in his first year pursuing his Ed.D at the University of North Florida. Michael has been Director of Exceptional Student Education and Student Services for the Baker County School District for the past six years. Before that, he served as a school-based administrator, district staffing specialist, and a classroom teacher for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities. With over 20 years of experience in special education and educational leadership, Michael is passionate about leveraging best practices in both areas to promote student achievement and teacher retention in Florida’s small and rural school districts. He is thankful and excited to be a part of the Project SPIDERS program and the opportunity to contribute to growth in this arena.

Cari McGee

Cari has worked in education for over fifteen years with previous experience as a school counselor and currently serves as an elementary school administrator. She received her bachelor’s degree in Sociology with an emphasis in the social psychology of race from Western Michigan University. She earned an M.A. in Counseling from Michigan State University where she received the Excellence in Diversity award, and an M.Ed in Educational Leadership from the American College of Education. Cari’s research interests primarily surround examining social factors impacting learning outcomes for African American students and students with disabilities.

Jodi Arroyo Nagel

Jodi is a doctoral student in the Educational Leadership program at the University of North Florida. She received her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Florida and her master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus in Trauma Informed Education from Concordia University. Jodi has been a teacher for 10 years, working exclusively in Title 1 schools, and has taught special education at every grade level. Her research focuses on effective implementation of multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) at the secondary level and the introduction of innovative MTSS programs. 

Andrea Smith

Andrea Smith is studying Educational Leadership with a specialization in Special Education. Andrea earned her B.A. in Special Education and English and her M.Ed. in Special Education at the University of Florida. She is the instructional coach at Baker County High School where she also leads the Teacher Cadet program for students interested in careers in the field of education. She has taught elementary, middle school, and high school and has served as the principal of a school for students with learning disabilities. Some of her educational interests and passions include MTSS, beginning reading, literacy, teacher preparation, special education, and instructional coaching.

Cara Wilmot

Cara Wilmot is a doctoral student at the University of North Florida (UNF) Educational Leadership program. She has a dual bachelor's degree in Deaf Education and Elementary Education from Flagler College. Her master's degree is in Special Education from UNF. She has taught students from birth to age 22 across the continuum of services, from self-contained classrooms to inclusion support at all levels. Her current position is the STEM Academy II (Florida) Coordinator for the National Technical Institute for the Deaf Regional STEM Center at the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind (NRSC at AIDB). STEM Academy began at AIDB and is expanding to Florida on the UNF campus in the summer of 2024. NTID at AIDB provides transition programming for youth who are deaf and hard of hearing in the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. Her specialty areas are literacy, transition, itinerant services, and Expanded Core Curriculum for Deaf/Hard of Hearing (ECC-DHH). Her research interest are programming to build capacity in rural districts to provide equitable and accessible education and Accessible Educational Materials (AEM) for students who are deaf and hard of hearing. 

Julie Atwood

Julie Atwood is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and a Licensed Behavior Analyst in the state of Oklahoma.  She received her Bachelor’s Degree in History and Secondary Education from the University of North Texas, and her Master’s Degree in Special Education with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of Oklahoma.  She is currently enrolled in the Special Education Doctoral Program with the University of Oklahoma and is a SPIDERS grant Scholar. Julie has worked in the field of education for 14 years in a variety of settings.  She started her career in the general education setting and has moved on to teach English internationally, worked with teenagers in a residential setting, and provided early intervention for young children with disabilities.  She has been a Behavior Specialist for a rural school district in Oklahoma for the last six years.  Her research interests are increasing teacher buy-in of behavior interventions within rural schools and providing effective coaching to school staff.

Amanda Bowers

Amanda Bowers is special educator who is a licensed (LBA) and board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA). She earned her bachelor’s in special education at Southwestern Oklahoma State University and her master’s in special education with an emphasis in applied behavior analysis at the University of Oklahoma. She has a total of 15 years’ experience as a special education teacher, project coordinator, consultant, and trainer for rural public schools in Oklahoma. For the last six years, Amanda has served the role of an Academic Resource Coordinator for Moore Public Schools where she provides educators and students with behavior support strategies, special education curriculum, and training.  Some of her interests include early childhood education, teacher and paraprofessional training, evidenced based practices for students with moderate to severe disabilities, along with trauma informed practices in public education.  She currently is pursuing her doctoral degree in special education as a Project SPIDERS scholar at the University of Oklahoma.

Angela Green

Angela Green has been a classroom teacher, instructional coach, and Special Education administrator for 29 years in Texas and Oklahoma public schools. She also trains principals, teachers, and paraprofessionals on implementation of IEPs and specially designed instruction. Currently, she is pursuing her PhD in special education at the University of Oklahoma.

Jasmine Justus-McDowell

Jasmine Justus-McDowell is a licensed (LBA) and board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA) and a special educator. She earned a bachelor's degree in early childhood education and a master's degree in special education from the University of Oklahoma. For the past five years, she has taught in an elementary setting as a general and special education teacher. For the 22-23 school year, she serves students and educators within Moore Public Schools as a Behavior Support Specialist. She serves as the student representative on the Oklahoma Association for Behavior Analysts (OKABA) executive council, where she advocates for students of behavior analysis within the state. Currently, Mrs. Jasmine Justus is pursuing a doctoral degree in special education at the University of Oklahoma, where she focuses her research on classroom management and IDEA compliance within elementary public education. She is a SPIDERS scholar, which is a group of doctoral students across three states that are funded by the US Department of Education and focus their work on rural special education.

Breanna Martin

Breanna Martin is pursuing a doctoral degree in special education at the University of Oklahoma, where she focuses her research on trauma-informed practices and applied behavior analysis in the school setting. Mrs. Martin is a SPIDERS scholar, which is a group of doctoral students across three states that are funded by the US Department of education and focus their work on rural special education. She is a licensed and board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA) and a special educator with fifteen years of experience serving individuals with disabilities. She earned a bachelor's degree in sociology and a master's degree in special education, both from the University of Oklahoma. For the last six years, she has served students and educators within Moore Public Schools as an Academic Resource Coordinator where she provides behavior support to special education and general education students and teachers.

Kevin Muns

Kevin T. Muns, M.Ed. BCBA, LBA-OK completed his graduate studies at the University of Oklahoma, obtaining a master’s in special education and a graduate certificate in ABA. Kevin has worked with children with developmental disabilities in a professional capacity for the past 13 years. As a BCBA, he has worked in multiple clinical settings in addition to doing remote case conceptualization and consultation meetings to address severe problem behavior. Prior to obtaining his BCBA credential, Kevin worked as an RBT in the role of program manager and lead RBT. Kevin has also completed contractual work through ODMHSAS as a case manager and behavioral health specialist, working alongside mental health providers to manage cases with trauma-related behavioral difficulties. Kevin shares a passion for implementing trauma-informed applications of behavior analytic interventions in addition to facilitating client-led therapy and assent-based learning modalities.

Jacquelyn Purser

Jacquelyn Purser is a first-year doctoral student in the area of Special Education at the University of Oklahoma, where she focuses her research on moderate to severe disabilities and paraprofessional coaching in the school setting. She is a SPIDERS scholar, which is a group of doctoral students across three states that are funded by the US Department of education and focus their work on rural special education.  Jacquelyn received her Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.   After working in the business world for 5 years, she spent 11 years as a stay-at-home mom.   Jacquelyn earned her Masters of Education in Special Education with an emphasis in Challenging Behaviors from Southeastern Oklahoma State University.    She has experience teaching reading and dyslexia intervention to students in elementary and middle school, third grade general education, and is currently a special education teacher with a focus on students with multiple disabilities at Blanchard High School in Blanchard, Oklahoma.  

Jenny Hogg

Jenny Hogg is a first-year doctoral student at the University of Louisville. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Special Education (Moderate and Severe Disabilities) and Elementary Education from Morehead State University. She received her master’s degree in Educational Technology from Morehead State University. Additionally, she holds her Director of Special Education certification and is a National Board Certified Teacher. Jenny taught students with moderate and severe disabilities for ten years in rural K-8 settings. This work led to her current role as a regional special education consultant, where she provides training, support, and technical assistance in IEP development, progress monitoring, trauma-informed care for educators, transition, and technology. Jenny is honored to be a part of the SPIDERS program, where she hopes to gain knowledge and skills to be more effective in the field of special education.

Enid Hurtado

Enid Hurtado is a student in the University of Louisville's Curriculum and Instruction doctoral program. She earned her bachelor's degree in Special Education with a concentration in Moderate to Severe from San Diego State University.  She received her Master of Education in Applied Behavior Analysis from Arizona State University. She taught for 10 years in grades K-12, in urban and rural school districts, specializing in teaching autistic students, inclusion, and assistive technology. She currently works for the Kentucky Autism Training Center, where she is responsible for providing and supporting school staff, parents, and community members with information about autism and the implementation of evidence-based practices that best support autistic students. Her research interests are in recruiting and retaining effective special education teachers and the effective implementation of functional communication systems using alternative and augmentative communication strategies with students in rural school districts. Enid is honored to be a SPIDERS doctoral scholar.

Nicholas A. Newton

Nicholas Newton is a father of two amazing girls and is married to his wonderful wife Katie. Nicholas is a Kentucky native from Hardin County, thanks to the US Army. He was a classroom teacher for elementary students with moderate to severe disabilities at Rineyville School for 10 years. His focus for research will be curriculum and academic instruction for students with moderate to severe disabilities.

Amber Priddy

Amber is a doctoral student and OSEP scholar at the University of Louisville in the Curriculum & Instruction program under the Project SPIDERs grant. She received a Bachelors in Business Administration at Campbellsville University followed by her Masters in Education (alternate route to certification) in Learning & Behavior Disorders (LBD) from Western Kentucky University. She has also completed her initial and renewal certifications as an Exceptional Needs Specialist under National Board Certification, as well as her Level I and II certifications for Director of Special Education through Campbellsville University. Most recently, she added Moderate & Severe Disabilities (MSD) certification through Western Kentucky University. Since starting her career in education in 2003, she has worked as an instructional assistant, LBD resource and co-teacher in grades K-12, middle school behavior unit teacher, district Special Education facilitator, and Director of Special Education & Preschool. She is currently the middle school MSD teacher with the Nelson County Schools and is interested in further researching special education teacher recruitment, preparation, and certification.

Paige Prough

Paige is in her first year of pursuing her doctorate at the University of Louisville in Curriculum and Instruction. Paige is passionate about students with behavioral challenges and hopes to focus her research on the MTSS process for reading and how to better their learning outcomes. She earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Kinesiology from Indiana University. She received a Master’s of Arts in Special Education with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis from University of West Florida and a Master’s in Education from Indiana University in Educational Leadership with a certification in Director of Exceptional Needs and School Administration. She taught for 14 years in grades K-8 in Florida and Indiana specializing in autism, intellectual disabilities, and emotional disabilities. For the last 3 years, she has served as the Director of Special Education at a rural school district in Indiana. She is grateful to be a part of the Project SPIDERS cohort at University of Louisville and is looking forward to the knowledge she gains and how it can impact the rural school district she is working in.

Robin Tabor

Robin Tabor is a first-year doctoral student in the area of Special Education at the University of Louisville. She received her bachelor’s degree from Liberty University and holds two master’s degrees from University of the Cumberlands, one in Special Education and one in Elementary Education. She also completed her certification training for Director of Special Education in 2022. Robin has 11 amazing years of experience as a special education teacher in a variety of subjects from preschool to 12th grade. Robin is extremely passionate about exploring educational practices in reading and inclusion in regard to students with disabilities. Her research interests focus on reading best practices and inclusion in special education across all grade levels. 

David Hoppey, PhD

David Hoppey, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Special Education and the Director of the Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership at the University of North Florida.  He teaches methods courses to both special education and general education teacher candidates and mentors teacher candidates in the field.  He also teaches doctoral seminars on special education leadership, teacher education, and qualitative research methods.

His scholarship focuses on special education policy, teacher education, and school university partnerships. He has published in leading journals such as The Journal of Special Education, Teachers College Record, Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, and Teacher Education and Special Education. He is a co-editor of a book series on Advances in Teacher Education. He is a co-editor of, School University Partnerships, the research journal of the National Association of Professional Development Schools (NAPDS).

Dr. Pamela Williamson

Pamela Williamson is a Professor at the University of North Florida. Her undergraduate degree is in elementary education, her master’s specialization is in reading, and her Ph.D. is in special education.  As an elementary teacher, she served students with disabilities in her general education classroom.  She has experience working with individuals with autism and their teachers in the area of reading intervention and instruction. She has published numerous peer-reviewed articles related to reading and autism in journals such as Exceptional Children, Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, the Journal of Special Education, Intervention in School and Clinic, andTeaching Exceptional Children. In addition, she is the coeditor of an award winning textbook, Quality Literacy Instruction for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders, and has educated inservice educators, related service personnel, and families on this topic across the U.S.