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School of Education

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Faculty and Staff

Dr. Belinda Mitchell
Title	Director of the School of Education, Associate Professor, and MACI Coordinator
Email	bmitchel@shepherd.edu ( Email )
Phone	304-876-5781
Dr. Mitchell is serving as the Director of the School of Education at Shepherd University. Dr. Mitchell received her doctorate degree in special education from the University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas. Dr. Mitchell is a certified Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) professional developer and has provided many different professional development topics/sessions in various states including West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Nebraska, Florida and Colorado. At Shepherd University, Dr. Mitchell has taught various courses both undergraduate and graduate in Special Education. She has also served in various administrative roles while at Shepherd. Prior to coming to Shepherd, Dr. Mitchell was an adjunct faculty member at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas; graduate teaching assistant at University of Kansas; special education teacher at Central Academy Middle School, Fincastle, Virginia. Her research interests are response to intervention (RTI), the role of the special educator and learning strategies for students with a learning disability. She especially enjoys providing professional development for in-service teachers and helping teachers practically apply their new knowledge in their classrooms. CREDENTIALS Ph.D. Special Education, University of Kansas

Dr. Jason Allen
Title	Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Social Studies Education
Email	jallen@shepherd.edu ( Email )
Phone	304-876-5778
Dr. Allen is currently serving as an Assistant Professor of Education as well as the Specialization Coordinator for the Secondary Social Studies Education program. Dr. Allen facilitates both graduate and undergraduate courses at Shepherd University. He has presented at multiple educational conferences on topics such as: Teaching Religion in the Social Studies Classroom, A Classroom Renaissance: Using the Arts in the Classroom, The Treatment on the Monotheistic Religions in World History Textbooks, Using “The Force” in Social Studies Instruction, and “Teachers Assemble!” Using the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Your Social Studies Classroom. CREDENTIALS Doctorate in Curriculum & Instruction (Social Studies) West Virginia University: Morgantown, WV Master of Education/ Secondary Education (Social Studies) West Virginia University: Morgantown, WV Bachelor of Arts (Major: History) (Minor: English) Shepherd College: Shepherdstown, WV Certificates of Online Instruction: Sakai & Blackboard National Geographic Society Certified Educator Nearpod Certified Educator

Dr. Dawne R. Burke
Title	Professor
Email	dburke@shepherd.edu ( Email )
Phone	304-876-5292
Teaching sociology, psychology, and diversity issues at her alma mater, Dawne Raines Burke, Ph.D. is Professor of Education & Human Development in the School of Education at Shepherd University. Burke has published books, articles, book chapters, abstracts, conference proceedings, etc. A few of Burke’s titled publications are: An American Phoenix: A History of Storer College; Successful transitions from college to career (C2C). International Handbook of Research on Pedagogical Models for Next-Generation Teaching and Learning; John Storer: A Northern Midnight Meeting and the Southern Mission Begins. To Emancipate the Mind and Soul: Storer College 1867 – 1950; Paradigm Shifts: Resiliency Activation with Students in Higher Education. International Journal for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. University of Bahrain: Universal Design in the College Classroom. International Lilly Conference on College and University Teaching; Cultivating Educational Equity & Resiliency through Storytelling. International Association for Multicultural Education. CREDENTIALS Ph.D. Doctor of Philosophy, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University Post-Doctoral M.A. Curriculum & Instruction, Shepherd University M.A. Master of Arts, West Virginia University B.A. Bachelor of Arts, Shepherd University

Dr. Tauna J. Cole
Title	Professor
Email	tcole@shepherd.edu ( Email )
Phone	304-876-5280
Dr. Cole serves as a professor of literacy education in the School of Education at Shepherd University. CREDENTIALS Doctorate in Educational Leadership – West Virginia University MA in Literacy – West Virginia University MA in Special Education – West Virginia University MA in Reading – West Virginia University

Dr. LeAnn Johnson
Title	Associate Professor and MAT Coordinator
Email	ljohnson@shepherd.edu ( Email )
Phone	304-876-5508
Dr. Johnson is currently serving as an Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Master of Arts in Teaching Program at Shepherd University. She teaches courses in literacy, special education, the Clinical Support Course for all candidates in the EPP. Dr. Johnson has a special interest in supporting the application of research-supported teaching practices in the classroom. To this end, she chairs the steering committee for the annual Literacy Leaders Conference which brings teachers throughout the region together for a day of professional development and is a regular presenter at the annual West Virginia Reading Association Conferences and the Maryland Council for Exceptional Children Conferences. Her publications include Dig Deep: Professional Development from Project-Based Exploration and Classroom Application of Reading Strategies for Teacher Candidates and Students Shouldn’t Take Notes: Teach them to MAKE Notes. She also serves as the faculty counselor for Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education and recently received the Counselor of the Year award for the US Southeast Region for KDP, where she has also presented sessions for national audiences. CREDENTIALS Ph.D. Special Education: Language and Literacy Focus, University of Maryland M.Ed. Reading Instruction, University of Maryland B.S. Special Education: Early Childhood Development and Communicative Disorders Concentrations, Utah State University

Dr. Tracy Nichols
Title	Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Elementary Education
Email	tnichols@shepherd.edu ( Email )
Phone	304-876-5039
Dr. Nichols is an Assistant Professor of Elementary Education and currently serves as the ELED Specialization Coordinator at Shepherd University. She teaches a variety of ELED methods courses and supports teacher candidates in the field. Dr. Nichols’ background includes twelve years teaching in elementary classrooms with various leadership roles, including Gifted Education Specialist, Reading Specialist, Structured English Immersion, Model Math Classroom, and New Teacher Mentor. Her professional development presentations promote the development of creative and collaborative learning environments, inquiry-minded critical thinkers, and cultivating independent learners. Dr. Nichols’ research interests include teacher well-being, emotional intelligence, and adaptive teaching practices, with an eye toward reducing teacher attrition from the profession. CREDENTIALS: Ph.D. General Psychology with Emphasis on Cognition and Instruction Grand Canyon University, AZ M.Ed. Elementary Education University of Phoenix, AZ B.A. International Business, Economics, and Spanish Illinois State University, IL

Dr. James B. Tuttle
Title	Associate Professor and Coordinator of English Education
Email	jtuttle@shepherd.edu ( Email )
Phone	304-876-5278
Dr. Tuttle is currently serving as an Associate Professor in the School of Education. He earned a Ph. D. in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Virginia after teaching for a decade in public and private schools in the state. Dr. Tuttle is a former president of the Shepherd University faculty senate and former faculty representative to the SU Board of Governors. CREDENTIALS Ph.D. Curriculum and Instruction, University of Virginia

Mrs. Helen Baker
Title	Field Placement Coordinator
Email	hbaker@shepherd.edu ( Email )
Phone	304-876-5270
Mrs. Baker is currently serving as the coordinator of field placement in the School of Education at Shepherd University. Mrs. Baker coordinates field placements for education courses in addition to student teaching placements for all teacher education students. Mrs. Baker teaches EDUC 150 online and EDUC 390. Mrs. Baker serves as an advisor for elementary education students. CREDENTIALS Online Teaching Certifications for Sakai Master of Science, Strategic Leadership, Mountain State University Bachelor of Arts, Secondary Education, Shepherd University

Mrs. Karen James
Title	Certification Analyst
Email	kjames@shepherd.edu ( Email )
Phone	304-876-5403

Ms. Terresa Kepner
Title	Coordinator of Educator Preparation Program / Accreditation & Compliance
Email	tkepner@shepherd.edu ( Email )
Phone	304-876-5291
Ms. Kepner is currently serving as Coordinator of Educator Preparation Program / Accreditation & Compliance within the School of Education at Shepherd University, where she also advises students in the Elementary Education program. She serves as peer reviewer for Higher Education Accreditation with both the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). Terresa is an alumna of Rho Theta Sigma and Kappa Delta Pi and is currently a member of NAEYC, the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Education (NAECTE), the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), the Southern Early Childhood Association (SECA), the West Virginia Association for Young Children (WVAYC), and the Northern Virginia Association for the Education of Young Children (NVAEYC). She is currently working on her Educational Doctorate (EDD) in Curriculum & Instruction, with research focusing on the first-year early childhood teacher’s experience in higher education. Other research interests include multiculturalism, diversity, and inclusion as well as UDL and ELLs in the EE classroom; educational and instructional technology in both early education and higher education; and classroom management strategies with a focus on building resilience and positive environments in the early childhood classroom. CREDENTIALS Doctor of Education (EDD) – Curriculum & Instruction (ABD), University of Phoenix, AZ Master of Science (MS) – Instructional Design and Technology in Higher Education, Kaplan University, Davenport, IA Master of Arts (MAED) – Early Childhood Education, University of Phoenix, AZ Bachelor of Science (BSED) – Early Childhood Education, Northeastern State University, Tahlequah, OK

Ms. Emily Tinsman
Title	Administrative Assistant
Email	etinsman@shepherd.edu ( Email )
Phone	304-876-5305
Office	KN #108