Faculty and Staff N-Z

The faculty and staff of Curriculum, Instruction, and Educational Leadership.

Germaine Newstrom

Secretary
Room: 001 MEB
724.738.2647
germaine.newstrom@sru.edu

Enoh Nkana, Ph.D.

Contact Information:
Enoh Nkana, Ph.D., Professor
Office: 109 McKay
Phone: 724.738.2948
E-mail: enoh.nkana@sru.edu

Academic Qualifications:
Ph. D., Curriculum and Instruction, Andrews University
M.Ed. Inlcusive Education, Southern Adventist University
B.A., Elementary Education

Research Interests:
The Implementation of Universal Design for Learning in higher education
Inclusive Postsecondary Education Programs for students with intellectual and developmental disabilitites
The instruction of ESL/ELL students

Amy Orville, Ed. D.

Amy Orville, Ed. D., Instructor

Office: 203 McKay

Phone: 724.738.2042

Email: amy.orville@sru.edu

Diane Papa

Contact Information:
Diane Papa, Instructor
Phone: 724.738.2042
E-mail: diane.papa@sru.edu

Academic Qualifications:
B.S., Slippery Rock University

James Preston, D. Ed.

Contact Information:
James Preston, D. Ed., Associate Professor, Assistant to the Dean
Office: 105B McKay
Phone: 724.738.2293
E-mail: james.preston@sru.edu

Academic Qualifications:
D. Ed., Curriculum & Instruction, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
M.Ed. in Secondary Mathematics Education, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
B.S. in Secondary Mathematics Education, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Kara Ratai, M. Ed.

Contact Information:

Academic Qualifications:

Research Interests:

Debbie Reep, Department Secretary

Contact Information:
Debra Reep, Department Secretary
Office: 104 McKay
Phone: 724.738.4733
E-mail: debra.reep@sru.edu

Robert C. Snyder, Ph. D.

Contact Information:
Robert C. Snyder, Ph. D., Professor
Office: 126 McKay
Phone: 724.738.2299
E-mail: robert.snyder@sru.edu

Academic Qualifications:
Ph. D., Instruction & Learning, University of Pittsburgh
M.Ed., Science and Mathematics Education, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
B.S., Elementary Education, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Children's book author
"What is a Veteran, Anyway?" (2017, National Council for the Social Studies "Tradebook of the Year" award winner)
"Why Did Daddy Have to Leave" (2019)

Laura Strong, D. Ed.

Contact Information:
Laura Strong, D. Ed., Instructor
Office: 220A McKay
Phone: 724.738.2301
E-mail: laura.strong@sru.edu

Academic Qualifications:
D. Ed., Curriculum and Instruction, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
MA/TE, Teaching English, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
B.A., English, Cameron University of Oklahoma

Research Interests:
Creativity
International/Higher Education
Culturual & Linguistic Diversity
Student Teacher Preparation

Sara Tours, Ph. D.

Contact Information:
Sara Tours, Ph. D, Assistant Professor
Office: 112 McKay
Phone: 724.738.2864
E-mail: sara.tours@sru.edu

Academic Qualifications:
Ph. D., Curriculum & Instruction w/ specialization in Early Childhood Education, Florida State University
M.S. , Early Childhood Education, Florida State University
B. S., Early Childhood Education, Florida State University
A. S., Early Childhood Education, Broward College
A. A., Early Childhood Education, Broward College

Research Interests:
- Kindergarten Teachers Developmentally Appropriate Beliefs, Practices, and Opinions
- Pre-Service Teachers' Choices of Major and School
- Play
- International Education

Christine Walsh, Ph. D.

Contact Information:
Christine Walsh, Ph. D., Associate Professor
Office: 201 McKay
Phone: 724.738.4889
E-mail: christine.walsh@sru.edu

Academic Qualifications:
Ph.D. Curriculum & Instruction, Literacy, Kent State University
M.S. Reading Specialist, Youngstown State University
B.A. Elementary/Special Education, Mercyhurst University

Research Interests:
Emergent Writing
Struggling Literacy Learners
Preparing teacher candidates to teach in diverse settings

Deborah Wells, Ph. D.

Contact Information:
Deborah Wells, Ph. D., Professor
Office: 208A McKay
Phone: 724.738.2300
E-mail: deborah.wells@sru.edu

Academic Qualifications:
Ph.D. Curriculum and Instruction: Literacy, Arizona State University
M.Ed. Elementary Education/Literacy, Auburn University
M.S. Library and Information Science, Clarion University
B.A. English, Auburn University
B.S. Elementary Education, Auburn University

Research Interests:
Children's Literature
Politics of Education
Literacy and Poverty

Whitney Wesley, D. Ed.

Contact Information:
Whitney Wesley, D. Ed., Professor
Office: 226 McKay
Phone: 724.738.2042
E-mail: whitney.wesley@sru.edu

Academic Qualifications:
D. Ed., Curriculum and Instruction, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
M. Ed.,
B.S.,

Research Interests:

Hye Ryung Won, Ph.D.

Contact Information:
Hye Ryung Won, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Office: 113A McKay
Phone: 724.738.2042
E-mail: hyeryung.won@sru.edu

Academic Qualifications:
Ph.D., Curriculum and Instruction, with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education, Florida State University
M.Ed., Early Childhood Education, The University of Texas at Austin
M.Ed., English Education for Children, Chung-Ang University
B.Ed., Early Childhood Education, Korea National Open University
A.Ed., Early Childhood Education, Shinhan University

Research Interests:
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in Early Childhood Education
Drama-Based Instruction for Young Children
Theatre in Early Literacy Education
Pre-Service Teacher Education

Junko Yamamoto, Ed.D.

Associate Professor
Room: 006B MEB
724.738.2313
junko.yamamoto@sru.edu

Linda Zane, Ed. D.

Contact Information:
Linda Zane, Ed. D., Professor, Department Chairperson
Office: 104 McKay
Phone: 724.738.2296
E-mail: linda.zane@sru.edu

Academic Qualifications:
Ed. D., Instructional Leadership, with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education, Duquesne University
M.A.T., Instruction and Learning, University of Pittsburgh
B.S., Business and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh

Research Interests:
Early childhood physical environments; her book entitled Pedagogy and Space: Design Inspirations for Early Childhood Classrooms was published in December, 2014 by Redleaf Press