Member Spotlight: Sara Skretta

By Meghan Grenda

AACTE’s Member Spotlight features an individual from a member institution, highlighting how their work makes a difference in classrooms across the country. Nominate yourself or another member by providing a response to the following questions and sending to mgrenda@aacte.org. 

Get to know Sara Skretta …

Member Spotlight: Jessica S. McLees

By Meghan Grenda

AACTE’s Member Spotlight features an individual from a member institution, highlighting how their work makes a difference in classrooms across the country. Nominate yourself or another member by providing a response to the following questions and sending to mgrenda@aacte.org. 

Get to know Jessica S. McLees …

AACTE Member Spotlight: Melody Russell

By Meghan Grenda

AACTE’s Member Spotlight features an individual from a member institution, highlighting how their work makes a difference in classrooms across the country. Nominate yourself or another member by providing a response to the following questions and sending it to mgrenda@aacte.org.

Meet Melody Russell …

Current Position: Professor, Auburn University

Number of years in your position: Since 2002

Alma Maters: North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (B.S.); University of Nebraska-Lincoln, (M.S.); University of Georgia, (Ph.D.)

How long have you been a member of AACTE?
I’ve been a member since 2019.

Why did you join AACTE?
I was serving as assistant department head and my department head at the time invited me to join the TAG he started for department heads, chairs, and directors.

Member Spotlight: Amanda Wilkerson

By Meghan Grenda

AACTE’s Member Spotlight features an individual from a member institution, highlighting how their work makes a difference in classrooms across the country. Nominate yourself or another member by providing a response to the following questions and sending it to mgrenda@aacte.org.

Meet Amanda Wilkerson …

Current Position: Assistant Professor, University of Central Florida 
Number of years in your position: 3 years 
Alma Mater: Florida A&M University #STRIKE
Hometown: Miami, Florida 

1. How long have you been a member of AACTE?
   The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education is a very progressive organization. A part of its focus is futuristic in nature. That is, AACTE is interested in ensuring that the field of education is diversified, developing talented scholars of color so that they may engage in preparing the next instructional and administrative leaders. To that end, I began my tenure as a member of AACTE in 2016, first as a Holmes Scholars. Today, I continue to enjoy active membership in the association and commit much of my work to the iconic ideas that attracted me to join as a student scholar. Honestly, I cannot believe that I have nearly 6 years of continuous membership and involvement with AACTE! 
   
   

Member Spotlight: Kari Vogelgesang

By Meghan Grenda

AACTE’s Member Spotlight features an individual from a member institution, highlighting how their work makes a difference in classrooms across the country. Nominate yourself or another member by providing a response to the following questions and sending to mgrenda@aacte.org

Meet Kari Vogelgesang …

Position/Institution: clinical associate professor and director, professional development at Iowa Center for School Mental Health, Baker Teacher Leader Center
College of Education, University of Iowa

1. 1. 1. How long have you been a member of AACTE?
         I’ve been a member with AACTE for 7 years.
         
         
      2. Why did you join AACTE?
         The University of Iowa has had a membership for our teaching and learning faculty since I was hired … and maybe before I was hired?
         
         
      3. Why did you decide to enter the field of educator preparation? 
         When I was a practicing elementary school teacher and started working with student teachers, I knew that I wanted to move over to educator preparation. In addition, while completing my master’s program, I surprisingly fell in love with research—particularly research that focused on better understanding classroom practices that can lead to healthier outcomes for our students. 
         
         

Member Spotlight: Shandra Claiborne-Payton

By Meghan Grenda

AACTE’s Member Spotlight features an individual from a member institution, highlighting how their work makes a difference in classrooms across the country. Nominate yourself or another member by providing a response to the following questions and sending to mgrenda@aacte.org.

Get to know Shandra Claiborne-Payton …

Position/Institution: Assistant Professor, Virginia State University
(Also serving at Executive Director for VSU CENTERS STEM Initiatives)
Number of years in your position: 5 years
Alma Mater(s): Ed.D Curriculum and Instructional Leadership, Northcentral University
Hometown: Chesterfield, VA

1. How long have you been a member of AACTE?
   I have been a member of AACTE for 6 years.
   
   
2. Why did you join AACTE?
   AACTE was the first professional organization I was introduced to as a young faculty. I was also intrigued by their mission to be the leading voice for educator preparation. AACTE provides a variety of opportunities for its members to grow, connect with like-minded individuals, and to learn how to be an advocate for teacher education. Joining AACTE has been a great fit for me to spread my wings and get active.
   
   

Member Spotlight: Clay Smith

By Meghan Grenda

AACTE’s Member Spotlight features an individual from a member institution, highlighting how their work makes a difference in classrooms across the country. Nominate yourself or another member by providing a response to the following questions and sending to mgrenda@aacte.org.

Get to know Clay Smith …

Position/Institution: I am in my 6th year as the Special Populations Coordinator in the College of Education at East Carolina University (ECU). Prior to that, I served for nearly 3 years as the South Central Consortium Coordinator for ECU’s Partnership Teach degree-completion model.

Number of years in your position: Two years

Alma Mater(s): B.S. in history education, East Carolina University; MAEd in history education, East Carolina University; Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, University of North Carolina-Wilmington.

Hometown: Mebane, NC

Member Spotlight: Shauna Alishea Torrington

By Meghan Grenda

AACTE’s Member Spotlight features an individual from a member institution, highlighting how their work makes a difference in classrooms across the country. Nominate yourself or another member by providing a response to the following questions and sending to mgrenda@aacte.org.

Get to know Shauna Alishea Torrington …

Position/Institution: Graduate Assistant-International Student and Faculty Services- Ohio University
Number of years in your position: Two years
Alma Mater(s): University of Guyana (2005); Twice alum of Ohio University (2015, 2017)
Hometown: Georgetown, Guyana, South America

1. How long have you been a member of AACTE? I have been a member of AACTE?
   I have been a member for three years.

2. Why did you join AACTE?
   I joined AACTE when I became a member of the Holmes Scholar Community at Ohio University.

3. Why did you decide to enter the field of educator preparation?
   I love to teach, and I know that good teachers make a difference I believe that the teachers have a very important role in the classroom and their preparation for that role is instrumental. My experience in teacher preparation was garnered as a graduate assistant working in the Teacher Education Department of Ohio University.
   
   
4. What’s been your favorite or most memorable moment of your career so far?
   My favorite and most memorable moment in my career is working with mentors in the field that valued my international experiences and area of expertise. Many of whom invited me to their class to talk with their teacher candidates about my experience in and out of the U.S. as a student and as a parent.

Member Spotlight: Tracie McLemore Salinas

By Meghan Grenda

AACTE’s Member Spotlight features an individual from a member institution, highlighting how their work makes a difference in classrooms across the country. Nominate yourself or another member by providing a response to the following questions and sending to mgrenda@aacte.org.

Get to know Tracie McLemore Salinas …

Position/Institution: Director, Mathematics and Science Education Center, Appalachian State University; Professor, Department of Mathematical Sciences

Number of years in your position: I am in my 17^th year at Appalachian State as a faculty member and my first year as Director of the Mathematics and Science Education Center.

Alma Mater: B.S. William Carey University, Hattiesburg, MS; M.S. and Ph.D. University of Tennessee – Knoxville

Member Spotlight: Teresa Clark

By Meghan Grenda

AACTE’s new Member Spotlight features an individual from a member institution, highlighting how their work makes a difference in classrooms across the country. Nominate yourself or another member by providing a response to the following questions and sending to mgrenda@aacte.org.

Get to know Teresa Clark …

Position/Institution: Associate Professor of P-20 and Community Leadership, Murray State University 

Number of years in your position: I am in my seventh year at Murray State. I started as an Assistant Professor and was promoted to Associate last summer. 

Alma Mater(s): Geneva College (B.A. and M.A.) and Vanderbilt University (Ed.D)

Hometown: I grew up in Beaver, PA, lived in Nashville, TN and now Murray, KY.

Member Spotlight: Will Coghill-Behrends

By Meghan Grenda

AACTE’s new Member Spotlight features an individual from a member institution, highlighting how their work makes a difference in classrooms across the country. Nominate yourself or another member by providing a response to the following questions and sending to mgrenda@aacte.org. 

Get to know Will Coghill-Behrends …

Current position: Clinical Associate Professor, Multilingual Education; Co-Director, Baker Teacher Leader Center (Global Education Initiatives)
Number of years in position: 6
Alma Mater(s): University of Northern Iowa; University of Iowa
Hometown: Bettendorf, Iowa

1. How long have you been a member of AACTE?
   I’ve been a member of AACTE since 2015, though our institution has been a member for much longer, so by association, I’ve been a member for longer than that, I suppose.

2. Why did you join AACTE?
   I started taking a more active role in AACTE when we decided to adopt edTPA as our Program Completion Assessment.

3. Why did you decide to enter the field of educator preparation?
   I was teaching German at the local high school and was asked to teach a course in the teacher preparation program that I had also taught in graduate school. The course was focused on technology in the classroom and that opportunity led to additional teaching opportunities and eventually some grant work on teacher portfolio assessment that pulled me full time into the College of Education and that was all she wrote.

Member Spotlight: Paul Massy

By Meghan Grenda

AACTE’s new Member Spotlight features an individual from a member institution, highlighting how their work makes a difference in classrooms across the country.  Nominate yourself or another member by providing a response to the following questions and sending to mgrenda@aacte.org. 

Get to know Paul Massy …

Current position: Graduate Teaching Assistant, Florida Atlantic University
Expected Graduate Year: 2024
Alma Mater(s): Corinth Teachers College; University of the West Indies (U.W.I.), St. Augustine
Hometown: Arima (Trinidad and Tobago); Boca Raton, Florida

Member Spotlight: Bethany Hamilton-Jones

By Meghan Grenda

AACTE’s new Member Spotlight features an individual from a member institution, highlighting how their work makes a difference in classrooms across the country.  Nominate yourself or another member by providing a response to the following questions and sending to mgrenda@aacte.org.

Get to know Bethany Hamilton-Jones …

Current position: Clinical Associate Professor, University of Georgia (UGA)
Number of years in this position: I’ve been in teacher preparation since 2006!
Alma Mater(s): UGA and SUNY Oswego
Hometown: Fairport, NY

Member Spotlight: AACTE and You

By Meghan Grenda

AACTE’s new Member Spotlight features an individual from a member institution, highlighting how their work makes a difference in classrooms across the country. The spotlight offers an opportunity for you to share your institution’s initiatives with your colleagues, inspire other institutions to consider membership, and strengthen awareness of educator preparation. View our first Member Spotlight highlighting Bethany Hamilton Jones.

Share your story with peers, inspire students, and strengthen awareness of the profession and association. Each month we’ll highlight an individual in our EdPrepMatters blog and e-newsletter. Nominate yourself or another member by providing a response to the following questions and sending them to mgrenda@aacte.org.