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College of Arts, Education, & Sciences
School of Education

Faculty in Ed.D. Program

The Ed.D. faculty comprises prominent researchers in such areas as elementary and secondary education, school administration, educational leadership, K-12 and higher education policy, educational technology, and special education. 

Full Member: Eligible for Committee Member & Major Professor
Associate Member: Eligible for Committee Member

 

Dr. Stacie Austin

   Dr. Stacie Austin (Full Member)
   Assistant Professor 
   George T Walker Hall 2-134
   (318) 342-1482
   saustin@ulm.edu 

          Areas of Expertise: 

Dr. Austin earned her Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Louisiana at Monroe in 2019. She began her teaching career in 2002 and has teaching experience ranging from pre-k to graduate school in general elementary education, elementary and middle school art, undergraduate and graduate level courses. Along with teaching in an academic setting, Dr. Austin is also an artist and 225hr Registered Holy Yoga Instructor and enjoys implementing mindfulness practices in and out of the classroom.  Her research interests include creative pedagogy, social emotional learning, and arts integration.

 

Dr. Jeremy Bell

   Dr. Jeremy Bell (Full Member)
   Assistant Professor of Special Education
   George T Walker Hall 2-135
   (318) 342-1272
   jebell@ulm.edu 

        Areas of Expertise: 

Dr. Bell received his Ed.D. in Leadership Studies at Louisiana State University, Shreveport in 2020.  He began teaching in 2001 and has experience teaching social studies and special education. In 2016, he began working as an educational diagnostician and gifted coordinator.  He has taught in all grade levels and has worked in leadership capacities in multiple schools. He now coordinates the special education programs, teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in special education, gifted education, and educational technology.  He has interests in all things special education including educational diagnosis, learning disabilities, educational technology, and gifted education.

 

Dr. Frances Watson-Hester
Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership (Full Member)
George T Walker Hall 2-130
(318) 342-1284
hester@ulm.edu

        Areas of Expertise:

Dr. Frances Watson-Hester began her passion over 30 years ago in the ministry of Education. Dr. Hester believes that education is not a job, or a career, but instead a calling. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Grambling State University and a minor in early childhood. She later pursued studies in the Education program from Texas Southern University where she earned her master’s degree in Counseling and in Administration. Dr. Hester furthered her studies at Prairie View A&M University and received her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership.
She has served as a Classroom Teacher, Guidance Counselor, Community Relations Coordinator, Assistant Principal and Middle School Principal. After leading successfully in schools, and turning them around, she was recruited to work for The Texas Department of Education. Dr. Hester has recently retired after serving and leading The Teaching and Learning Center for all 25 school districts in Houston, Texas. After taking a little time to selfcare, Dr. Hester is back in the trenches as an Educational Consultant, traveling throughout the nation and teaching at the University of Louisiana at Monroe.
Dr. Hester is involved in many professional memberships. She has earned the Principal of the Year Award, Most Outstanding Educators Award, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Distinguished Award, just to name a few. Her most recent accomplishment is her book entitled Classroom Management 101 which provides Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 interventions.
Her educational experiences have afforded her the opportunity to collaborate with a diverse group of people to meet the common goal of increasing student achievement and well-being. Dr. Hester’s educational philosophy is based on her uncompromising belief that all students can learn, given a positive learning environment, strong support systems, and a committed/focused educational team that is willing to build intentional relationships. Dr. Hester is the proud mother of two beautiful boys who are both musicians. She spends her free time chasing behind them, traveling, reading, and relaxing. As Dr. Hester so often says, “Let’s Address the true problem, the elephant in the room.” “It’s NOT the kids. It’s the grown folks!”

 

Dr. Heather Kennedy   
   Dr. Heather Kennedy (Associate Member)
   Field Experience and Residency Coordinator
   George T Walker Hall 2-40
   (318) 342-1882
   hkennedy@ulm.edu

                  Areas of Expertise:

       

Dr. Kennedy earned her Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from University of Louisiana Monroe in 2019. She began her teaching career in 2010 and has teaching experience in early childhood and elementary general education classrooms. She currently teaches in the elementary education program and is the Field Experience and Residency Coordinator in the School of Education. Her research interests include early field experience, teacher residency experiences, co-planning and co-teaching models used in the classroom.

 

Dr. Kioh KimDr. Kioh Kim (Full Member)
Professor
George T Walker Hall 2-35
(318) 342-1277
kim@ulm.edu

     Areas of Expertise:

Dr. Kim earned his Ph.D. in Instructional Technology from the University of Wyoming in 2005. He has been teaching since 1992 in K-12, college undergraduate and graduate courses. Dr. Kim’s research interests include pre/in-service teachers’ technology integration into their classroom and training pre/in-service teachers computer-based technology.

 

Dr. Gregory Koers  Dr. Gregory Koers (Full Member)
  Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership
  George T Walker Hall 2-26 
  (318) 342-1292
  koers@ulm.edu

       Areas of Expertise:

Dr. Greg Koers received a Ph.D. from Colorado State University in Education and Human Resource Studies, an M.A. from the University of Montana in Political Science, and a B.S. from Central Michigan University with a double major in Anthropology and Sociology.  His area of research focus is with educational leadership, policy, and politics and research methodology. Prior to assuming professional responsibilities as an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Louisiana Monroe, Dr. Koers was a middle school assistant principal and principal in Southern Colorado.  In that capacity, he facilitated a number of systemic changes centered on the implementation of instructional coaching, the development of Positive Behavior Intervention Supports and a restorative justice approach to school discipline. 

 

Dr. Myra LovettDr. Myra Lovett (Full Member)
Associate Professor 
George T Walker Hall 2-130 
(318) 342-1271 
mlovett@ulm.edu

        Areas of Expertise:

Dr. Lovett earned her Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Louisiana at Monroe in 2014. She has been teaching elementary and middle school since 1998, and now teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the School of Education. She is also the Director of the School of Education. Dr. Lovett’s research interests include educational decision-making, pre/in-service teachers’ instructional strategies; co-teaching; and training pre/in-service teachers on best practices.  

 

portrait dr. quitanaDr. Jenny Quintana-Cifuentes (Full Member)
Assistant Professor
George T Walker Hall 2-76
(318) 342-3208
quintanacifuentes@ulm.edu

                  Areas of Expertise:

Dr. Quintana earned her Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Purdue University, a master's degree in Technology Leadership and Innovation, and a master's degree in Environmental and Ecology Engineering. She was a technology teacher for more than six years and a graduate research assistant for almost seven years. She currently teaches at the doctoral program level in the School of Education.

Dr. Jason MixonDr. Jason Mixon
Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership (Full Member)
George T Walker Hall 2-31
(318) 342-1254
jmixon@ulm.edu

 

       Areas of Expertise:

Dr. Mixon has thirty years of experience in education as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, and assistant superintendent throughout Texas. He was named Assistant Principal of the Year and nominated for Principal of the Year by the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals. Dr. Mixon has also been an associate professor, director of a doctoral program, chair, and assistant dean for several universities throughout Texas and Louisiana. Dr. Mixon received his Ed.D. from Sam Houston State University and his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Texas at Tyler. He has chaired over fifty dissertation committees and served on sixty dissertation/capstone committees during his tenure in higher education. 

 

Dr. Parviz Safadel
Dr. Parviz Safadel (Full Member)
Assistant Professor
George T Walker Hall 2-81
(318) 342-3142
safadel@ulm.edu

 

       Areas of Expertise:

Dr. Safadel earned his Ed.D. in Instructional design and Technology with a focus on immersive technologies from Texas Tech University in 2016. His research interests include spatial cognition in Immersive environments and serious game design and lesson development. He is an animation filmmaker and illustrator and enjoys creative activities. 

 

Dr. Ashley Schulte
Dr. Ashley Schulte (Full Member)
Assistant Professor
George T. Walker Hall 2-129
318-342-1288
schulte@ulm.edu

 

                Areas of Expertise:

 

Ashley Schulte earned her Ed.D. degree from the University of Louisiana at Monroe in 2021 with a concentration in Curriculum and Instruction. Her research focused on the impact of implicit bias on school discipline. Dr. Schulte earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education (1-5) and began teaching in the Monroe City School System. She was named Cypress Point Teacher of the Year in 2011. During this time she continued her education first completing a Master of Education in Elementary Education, then a second Master of Education in Educational Leadership. 
After seven years of classroom teaching, Dr. Schulte was named principal of Baskin Middle School in 2016. Baskin Middle School serves students in Prek-8th grade in rural Franklin Parish. She served in this role for six years, earning Franklin Parish middle school principal of the year in 2018.  While working as a principal she began pursuing her doctorate degree from the University of Louisiana at Monroe.  
After 13 years in public education Dr. Schulte transitioned to higher education taking the role of Director of Institutional Effectiveness at Delta Community College before returning to her Alma Mater, the University of Louisiana at Monroe. She is currently an associate professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. 

 

 

Dr. Shalanda StanleyDr. Shalanda Stanley (Full Member)
Associate Professor
George T Walker Hall 2-139
(318) 342-1270
sstanley@ulm.edu

 

        Areas of Expertise:

Dr. Stanley earned her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus in reading and literacy education from Louisiana State University in 2012. She has been teaching elementary school since 1998, and now teaches undergraduate and graduate reading and special education methods courses in the School of Education. Dr. Stanley's research interests include best practices in reading, writing and literacy. 

 

Dr. Sandra Watson
Dr. Sandra Watson (Full Member)
Associate Professor
George T Walker Hall  
(318) 342-1266
swatson@ulm.edu

 

 

       Areas of Expertise:

Dr. Watson earned her Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a STEM Emphasis from Georgia Southern University in 2002. She served ten years as a high school teacher of physical science and biology, has worked in higher education for 15 years as a science educator, served as a UTeach Co-director at the University of TN at Chattanooga and the University of Houston-Clear Lake. She teaches undergraduate, and graduate courses in STEM education, and serves on doctoral committees. Her research interests include multiculturalism and equity in the science classroom, teacher effectiveness, using computer sims in education, mentoring in education, science self-efficacy, and secondary education.

 

DR. Amy Weems Dr. Amy Weems (Full Member)
 Assistant Professor 
 George T Walker Hall 2-30
 (318) 342-1280
 weems@ulm.edu

 

       Areas of Expertise:

Dr. Weems earned her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Louisiana Monroe in 2011. She has worked in K-12 and higher education settings since 1998, serving as teacher, curriculum coordinator, school technologist, and administrator.  Her service and research interests include teacher roles in promoting secondary content literacy, preparing students for life after high school, recruitment and support efforts for increasing and diversifying the teaching workforce, and implications of education reform. Dr. Weems has most recently served in a lead role for the development of the Louisiana Pre-Educator Pathway in partnership with districts, state agencies, and universities across Louisiana.


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