College of Education

James Uanhoro is an assistant professor in the Research, Measurement and Statistics program in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of North Texas. He received his Ph.D. in 2021 in the Quantitative, Research, Evaluation and Measurement program in the Department of Educational Studies at Ohio State University.

Uanhoro's work focuses on the similarities between multilevel regression models and commonplace measurement models — structural equation models, classical test theory and item response models. Specifically, he attempts to leverage insights from both groups of models to better understand patterns in complex data analysis contexts. Underlying much of this work is Bayesian data analysis, which he also applies in research collaborations with social scientists. Finally, James has an interest in building easy-to-use statistical tools that allow researchers better understand patterns in their data, and better communicate insights from their studies.

Payton Birlew received her Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology with a concentration in Family Science from the University of North Texas in 2017. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Development and Family Studies with a concentration in Family and Community from the University of North Texas in 2015. Birlew is a Certified Family Life Educator and a certified facilitator of the Prepare/Enrich curriculum.

Birlew is the co-founder of Have & Hold Family Life Education where she provides secular, research-based premarital and relationship education to couples across the state of Texas. She is dedicated to modernizing relationship education by making it accessible and inclusive.

Her research interests include the experiences of nonreligious families (especially related to marriage and parenting), fostering inclusivity and accessibility in Family Life Education, and marriage and relationship education. Birlew has never met a HDFS course she didn’t love to teach and loves working with students as they discover all that HDFS has to offer.

Dr. Stephanie Aguilar-Smith is an Assistant Professor of Counseling and Higher Education at the University of North Texas. She earned her Ph.D. in Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Administration and certificate in Chicano and Latino Studies from Michigan State University. She holds a Master’s in Public Administration, a B.A. in Journalism (Public Relations), and a B.A. in International Affairs from the University of Georgia.

Across her research, she broadly pursues the question: How might educational policies and practices be more equitable across the stratified and hierarchical system of U.S. higher education? A few of her specific research interests include Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Latinxs in higher education, and grant seeking and implementation in the collegiate context.

Before joining UNT, she worked at several research universities in a variety of areas including enrollment management, academic counseling, program development and evaluation, and writing center administration.

Dr. Jerraco Leontae Johnson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology, Health Promotion, and Recreation. An overarching theme of his research is health disparities among young, underserved children. Johnson's primary research aims are to develop and improve childhood health behaviors (i.e., fundamental motor skill competence, physical activity promotion) in young children from under-represented backgrounds. These children are highly at-risk for poor health trajectories (e.g., obesity, cardiovascular disease) and motor developmental delays. He specializes in implementing mastery motivational climate movement and health interventions in Preschool and Head Start settings, primarily for low-income children of color. A major emphasis of his research is on addressing and combating ethnic/racial, gender, and socioeconomic related disparities for this population. Justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) is an integral component of his research.During his graduate studies he was the recipient of several awards from the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA) including the Graduate Student Dissertation Research Grant, Outstanding Student Paper Award, and Graduate Student Award for International Conference Travel.

Dr. Lok-Sze Wong studies system reform policies as attempts to address systemic inequities. Drawing on education, sociocultural, and organization theories and mixed methods, her research unpacks how systems (re)produce inequities and how to humanely reform schools and districts as complex social systems. She focuses on professional learning opportunities that support teachers and administrators as they shift their practices while redesigning the very organizations in which they work. Dr. Wong began her career in education as an elementary school teacher in Los Angeles. Dr. Wong has a Ph.D. in Educational Administration and Policy from the University of Michigan.

Valerie Stevenson began her education at the University of Memphis, where she started to develop a passion for sports science, Kinesiology and sports medicine. She continued her Master’s education at the University of Arkansas and received a terminal clinical doctorate from the University of Idaho.

As a practicing athletic trainer for more than 10 years, she developed a clinical practice philosophy that involves collecting patient specific outcomes of each patient interaction and basing my clinical decision making on evidence and individual patient needs. As a result of her personal clinical philosophy, she utilized the same approach in teaching both athletic training and pre-occupational therapy students.

Scholarly dissemination of her patient care outcomes has been a priority in her career, as her evidenced-based action research peer-reviewed published manuscripts will show. Using that knowledge and proficiency in research and manuscript composition has also allowed for mentorship opportunities with athletic training doctoral candidates as well as serving as an expert committee member for masters level student research. Her experience using several advanced practice manual therapy techniques in her patient care and her strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) certification both contribute to her clinical expertise in therapeutic intervention, rehabilitation and differential diagnosis.

Dr. Brenda Rubio’s research and policy agenda focuses on the development of critically conscious educational leadership and community-district-university partnerships. Among her current research, she examines learning spaces that promote the curricular recognition of alternative epistemologies and the development of pedagogies that foster students’ culture, language, and funds of knowledge. Her research explores the impact of community-anchored, ethnic studies curriculum on the educators themselves, their classroom practices, and their leadership development.

Her experience in educational research and program evaluation is primarily focused on K-12 but extends into higher education. She has conducted research with schools and providers that serve diverse student populations, including schools located in rural border towns and Indigenous pueblos as well as urban, Title 1 schools that primarily serve immigrant and refugee student populations. An essential part of her work as a participatory action researcher focuses on establishing collaborative partnerships across institutions and disciplines to leverage the existing knowledge and expertise found within these communities. Dr. Rubio is a first-generation immigrant and college graduate who proudly continues to serve diverse communities.

Katherine Bomer is Professor of Practice in the Department of Teacher Education and Administration. Honored as the National Council of Teachers of English “Outstanding Elementary Educator” in 2017, she is the author of multiple books and articles about the teaching of writing and literacy for social justice. Her book, Hidden Gems: Naming and Teaching from the Brilliance in Every Student's Writing and accompanying DVD, “Starting with what Students Do Best” offer a transformative new approach to assessing and responding to student writing, even the most spare or difficult to understand. For a Better World: Reading and Writing for Social Action, co-authored with Randy Bomer, was built on research in her classrooms in New York City and Indiana of how young people take on projects to question equity in texts and use writing to advocate for fairness in their world.

Katherine taught graduate courses at Teachers College, Columbia University and at the University of Texas at Austin. Katherine began her career at Teachers College Reading and Writing Project with Lucy Calkins. For 10 years, she taught primary and intermediate grades, and her classrooms were featured in Annenberg video productions, and as demonstrations sites for many university programs. She consults nationally and internationally, presenting workshops in school districts as well as demonstrating and coaching inside K-12 classrooms about approaches to teaching reading and writing. As a frequent and popular keynote speaker, she combines a teacher's practical advice, a writer's love of language, and a powerful plea for social justice.