Profiles in Diversity Winners
2021-2022
Guili Zhang
Guili Zhang, PhD, is Professor and Chair of the Department of Special Education, Foundations, and Research at East Carolina University. She has been an international and national leader on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) for over 20 years and made positive impacts at the international, national, state, regional and institutional levels. Dr. Zhang published a national best seller on providing equitable and quality education to underprivileged children by conjoining the strengths of different education systems. Within ECU, Dr. Zhang serves as Chair of ECU API Caucus and President of the Chinese Association of ECU Faculty, Staff and Friends. Dr. Zhang also teaches a diversity course and is currently a Director of the Evaluation Core for FIRST, an NIH diversity grant aiming at transforming institutional culture by building a diverse and self-reinforcing community of biomedical scientists committed to diversity and inclusive excellence. Dr. Zhang is a recipient of awards including the Benjamin J. Dasher Best Paper Award from the Frontiers in Education conference, the Best Paper Award from the American Society for Engineering Education, and the Edward C. Pomeroy Award for Outstanding Contribution to Teacher Education from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.
Africa Hands
Dr. Africa S. Hands is an assistant professor in the Department of Information Science at University at Buffalo. Dr. Hands graduated from Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia; she was in the 2014 cohort of the San Jose State University Gateway PhD program. She holds an MLIS degree from San Jose State University and an MS in Applied Counseling Psychology from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. Dr. Hands is the Principal Investigator for Project CLiA, an IMLS-funded project examining public libraries as an information resource to college bound patrons. This research is based on her experiences working in both higher education (admissions and academic advising) and public libraries. Her work also explores the experiences of first-generation students – both as users of academic libraries and students and professionals in the LIS field. She is the author of Successfully Serving the College Bound (ALA Editions, 2015) and has published articles in the Journal of Education in Library and Information Science, Education for Information, Public Library Quarterly, and Information and Learning Sciences. Currently, her work examines the library as a facilitator of higher education information access and academic success. In 2021, she received a three-year Early Career Development grant ($213,303) from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Project CLiA investigates the ways in which public libraries in Central Appalachia support the college literacy of nontraditional prospective students through information and services.
2020-2021
Kawanna Bright
Dr. Kawanna Bright is Assistant Professor of Library Science at East Carolina University. Dr. Bright earned her PhD in Research Methods and Statistics from the University of Denver in 2018. Prior to earning her doctorate, Dr. Bright worked as an academic librarian for twelve years, with a focus on reference, instructional services, and information literacy. She earned her MLIS from the University of Washington iSchool in 2003. Dr. Bright’s current research focuses on assessment in libraries; equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in libraries; the application of research methodology to the study of library and information science; and the importance of the liaison librarianship role in academic libraries. Her work with Dr. Amy VanScoy (University at Buffalo) to investigate the reference and information services experience of librarians of color received a 2014 ALA Diversity Research Grant and was awarded the 2017 Beta Phi Mu-Library Research Round Table Research Paper Award. Among other projects, Dr. Bright is diligently continuing her efforts to develop a standardized DEI assessment tool for academic libraries in the hopes of moving the assessment of DEI away from simply counting “diverse” employees.
Amy Swain
Dr. Amy Swain is a Teaching Assistant Professor in the department of Special Education, Foundations & Research (SEFR) with a PhD in Culture, Curriculum & Change from UNC Chapel Hill. Dr. Swain’s research focuses on the enduring legacies of plantations and white supremacy on rural education in the Black Belt, particularly in eastern North Carolina. What does it mean to learn and live on lands dominated by settler colonialism and racist violence? How do such spaces harm our potential for growth and possibility? Her work takes up both qualitative and quantitative methods to understand these questions. All of her work is ultimately about dismantling the brutality of whiteness in our schools and helping to create a beloved community where love and justice are centralized.
2019-2020
Rhea Miles
Dr. Rhea Lynne Gordon Miles is an associate professor in the Department of Mathematics, Science and Instructional Technology Education who specializes in science education. She was the first African-American female to earn a PhD in science education from the University of Virginia and the first African-American female to earn tenure as an associate professor in science education at East Carolina University. She recently published Adventures of the STEM Brothers in September 2019.
Crystal Chambers
Dr. Crystal Renée Chambers is a professor in the Department of Educational Leadership. She was the 2018 recipient of the Andrew Carnegie Fellowship, which supports high-caliber scholarship in the social sciences and humanities. She received the American Association of Higher Education Black Caucus Doctoral Student Award in 2005 and the East Carolina University Women of Distinction Award in 2016, as well as being a fellow of the Chancellor’s Leadership Academy in 2013. Dr. Chambers also was the sole author of Law and Social Justice in Higher Education (2016)
Christy Howard
Dr. Christy Howard is an Associate professor in the Department of Literacy Studies, English Education and History Education. Her research has been published in several journals including Language Arts, Literary Research and Instruction, and the Journal of Language & Literacy Education. She was the 2018-2019 recipient of the Alumni Association and the Robert L. Jones Award for Outstanding Teaching and received the 2019 Honored Instructor Award from the East Carolina University Campus Living and Residence Hall Association. Her book, It’s not “one more thing”: Culturally responsive and affirming strategies in K-12 literacy classrooms” was released in July 2021.
Jenni Gallagher
Dr. Jenni Gallagher is an Associate Professor in the Department of Literacy Studies, English Education and History Education. She teaches elementary and middle grades methods of social studies. Dr. Gallagher earned her PhD at Iowa State University. Dr. Gallagher has collaborated on publications on a variety of diversity and education related topics, including inquiry-centered education within the social studies classroom; implicit bias; and diversity, equity, and inclusion in rural education. Her research has been published in educational publications, including, but not limited to, Theory and Practice in Rural Education, Education, Citizenship, and Social Justice, Educational Leadership Review. Dr. Gallagher received awards in diversity from East Carolina University and earned certifications in Racial Equity Training from the Equity Literacy Institute.
2018-2019
Dr. Mikkaka Overstreet
Dr. Mikkaka Overstreet is an assistant professor in the Department of Literacy Studies, English Education, and History Education at East Carolina University. Her research focuses on exploring intersections of literacy, identity, and learning, as well as preservice and in-service teacher learning, particularly as related to culturally responsive pedagogical practices. Recent publications include The Journal of Language & Literacy Education, NASPA Journal About Women and Gender in Higher Education, Reading Psychology, and the Journal of Ethnographic and Qualitative Research.
Dr. Overstreet obtained a Ph.D in Curriculum and Instruction, M.Ed. in Literacy, and B.S. in Early Elementary Education from the University of Louisville.
Dr. Christina Tschida
Dr. Christina Tschida is an associate professor in Elementary Social Studies and is a part of the Department of Elementary and Middle Grades Education.
Dr. Tschida obtained a Ph.D and Masters in School Administration and Curriculum and Instruction from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro and a B.A. in Elementary Education and English from St. Catherine University.
Dr. Laura H. King
Dr. Laura H. King is an associate professor in the Department of Special Education, Foundations, and Research. She is the current Director of the Irene Howell Assistive Technology (IHAT)Center. Her teaching and research interests include assistive technology, universal design for learning, and disability in education and higher education.
Dr. King obtained her M.S. and Ph.D.in Special Education at the University of Central Florida, and her B.S. in Special Education at the University of North Carolina, Pembroke.
Dr. Matthew Militello
Dr. Matthew Militello is the Wells Fargo Distinguished Professor in Educational Leadership at East Carolina University. He has held faculty positions at North Carolina State University (2008-2014) and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (2005-2008). Prior to his academic career, Militello was a middle and high public school teacher, assistant principal, and principal in Michigan (1992-2003).
Dr. Militello has more than 60 publications including six books including Reframing community partnerships in education: Uniting the power of place and wisdom of people (2016, Routledge) that is the basis for the Community Learning Exchange work he conducts with educators and community members in North Carolina and across the country.
2017-2018
Dr. Steve Schmidt
Dr. Steve Schmidt is a professor in Adult Education and is a part of Department of Interdisciplinary Professions. His research interests are online teaching and learning, workplace training and development, and cultural competence. He obtained his Ph.D. and M.S in Adult Education from The University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, and his Bachelor of Business Administration from The University of Wisconsin, Whitewater.
Dr. Janeé R. Avent Harris
Dr. Janeé R. Avent Harris is an assistant professor in Counselor Education and is a part of Department of Interdisciplinary Professions. She is a also a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate (NC), Approved Clinical Supervisor, and National Certified Counselor. Dr. Avent Harris obtained her Ph.D in Counseling and Counselor Education and her MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and her BS in Psychology from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Dr. Anne Swenson Ticknor
Dr. Syntia D. Santos Figueroa is currently working as assistant professor at East Carolina University (ECU). Her areas of interest include cultural competence development, international counseling, international education, counselor education, and school counseling. In addition, Dr. Santos serves as an editorial board member for the Professional Counselor journal (TPC).
Dr. Loni Crumb
Dr. Loni Crumb is an assistant professor in the Counselor Education Program in the Department of Interdisciplinary Professions at East Carolina University and a Licensed Professional Counselor. She received her Ph.D. in Counseling and Student Personnel Services from the University of Georgia, M.A. in Education and Community Counseling from Clark Atlanta University, and B.A. in Psychology from North Carolina State University.
2016-2017
Dr. Christopher J. Rivera
Dr. Christopher J. Rivera is an assistant professor in Special Education and is a part of the Special Education, Research, and Foundations Department. His research interests include working with diverse students with moderate and severe disabilities, technology in education, and teacher preparation.
Dr. Caitlin Law Ryan
Dr. Caitlin Law Ryan is an associate professor in Reading Education and is a part of the Literacy Studies, English Education, and History Education Department. Her research interests include multicultural children’s and young adult literature, literacy as social practice in elementary schools, interdisciplinary literacy studies, and queer theory.
2015-2016
Dr. Benjamin Blaisdell
Dr. Benjamin Blaisdell is an Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Racial Equity Studies graduate certificate in the College of Education at East Carolina University. His scholarship uses Critical Race Theory (CRT) to examine how white supremacy and antiblackness are normalized in schools and on schools as racial spaces, spaces that invest in white students and divest from students of color. Dr. Blaisdell engages in a collaborative form of research and professional development called equity coaching, which uses CRT to foster racial literacy and antiracist action with teachers, administrators, and other school personnel.
Dr. Syntia D. Santos Figueroa
Dr. Syntia D. Santos Figueroa is currently working as assistant professor at East Carolina University (ECU). Her areas of interest include cultural competence development, international counseling, international education, counselor education, and school counseling. In addition, Dr. Santos serves as an editorial board member for the Professional Counselor journal (TPC).