Learn all about the Graduate Student Council here
Current GSC Representatives
![]() |
Margaret Thornton 2018-20 GSC Representative |
Margaret Thornton is a PhD student in education administration and supervision at the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Virginia and serves as a graduate researcher assistant to the University Council for Educational Administration Headquarters Office. Margaret’s research interests include equity-focused school leadership development, school leadership for detracking, and critical race theory. Prior to beginning her studies, she worked in detracking programs in Central Virginia in both teaching and leadership capacities. An alumna of AmeriCorps, Margaret volunteers with several non-profits, including the wraparound educational service program City of Promise. She earned her B.A. in English Literature and her M.Ed. in Secondary English Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Virginia.
![]() |
Joonkil Ahn 2020-22 GSC Representative |
Joonkil Ahn is a Ph.D. student in Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Joonkil taught English Language Arts for 17 years in multiple public high schools and served as a department chair in one high school in Korea. His primary research agenda focuses on K-12 leadership strategies that enhance teachers’ self-efficacy in instruction, classroom management, and student engagement. He is especially interested in for whom and when principal’s leadership practices may or may not work for educational outcomes. Having benefited much from both Jackson Scholar and David L. Clark programs, Joonkil looks forward to serving peer graduate students as a member of the Graduate Student Council.
![]()
|
Frank Gause 2020-22 GSC Representative |
Frank Gause is a PhD. student in the Educational Foundations program at the University of South Carolina. Frank holds a teaching certification in Secondary Social Studies and is Montessori credentialed (I and II). He has over 15 years of teaching experience at the secondary level. He is a trained and credentialed Cognitive Coach, Mindfulness Instructor, and has experience working as an educational consultant for K-12 and education-based organizations. His research interests include identifying the social inequities that contribute to the disproportionate representation of African American males in Special Education, using a Critical Race Theory lens to explore the use of Hip Hop culture in the classroom to create equitable learning opportunities, and the methods of displacement of African American educators in South Carolina after Brown v. Board (1954). Frank is a Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program Scholar at the University of South Carolina and is looking forward to working with and supporting fellow graduate students as a member of the Graduate Student Council.
![]()
|
Lebon Daniel James III 2020-22 GSC Representative |
Lebon Daniel James III is a Ph.D. student in the Educational Policy and Planning program in the College of Education’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Texas at Austin. His research focuses on k-12 school leadership, principal preparation programs, and the intersection of schools and communities. More specifically, he is interested in principal capacity to support and lead staff based on the context of the communities, families, and students they serve. Lebon currently serves as an Editor with Texas Education Review and as a board member for Black Outside, a Texas-based education nonprofit dedicated to partnering with schools and providing outdoor programming for black and brown youth. Prior to pursuing a doctoral degree full-time, Lebon served as a teacher, instructional dean, and assistant principal in San Antonio, Texas, where he earned his Master of Education in School Leadership from Trinity University. Additionally, Lebon has a B.S. in Political Communication and a B.A. in Ethnic Studies he received from the University of Texas at Austin. As a doctoral student, Lebon is grateful for the tremendous commitment UCEA has made in supporting students including the mentorship he has received through the Research Development Program and programming from the Graduate Student Council. Lebon is excited to serve and support graduate students in various capacities as a member of the Graduate Student Council.
![]() |
James “Lamar” Foster 2019-21 GSC Representative |
James “Lamar” Foster is a doctoral student in the Educational Policy and Organizational Leadership program at The University of Washington (UW). Lamar’s research focuses on policy implementation, leadership, and race & equity. Prior to beginning his studies at UW, Lamar lived in Pittsburgh, PA where he attended Duquesne University and was an after-school program coordinator. He has been a proud member of UCEA and AERA since 2015. Recently, he served as the program manager for AERA’s Graduate Student Council. Lamar is also a UCEA Barabra L. Jackson scholar. He is a proud child of an immigrant and a veteran of the US military. In his free time, Lamar enjoys watching basketball, UEFA soccer, serving in his community, and spending time with his wife.
![]() |
Annie Maselli 2019-21 GSC Representative |
Annie Maselli is a Ph.D. student at Pennsylvania State University in the Department of Education Policy Studies. Her research interests include the relationship between place, equity, and education and issues of educational access and justice. Serving as a graduate student associate with the Center on Rural Education and Communities, she is particularly interested in how rural schools can address issues of social inequality and community development. Annie holds a B.A. in International Development from The University of the South and a M.Ed. in Community Development and Action from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of Education.
![]() |
Mariama Nagbe 2019-21 GSC Representative |
Mariama Nagbe is a proud Detroit native, Barbara L. Jackson Scholar, and current PhD student studying higher education leadership at The University of Texas at Austin. Anchoring her identity as a critical organizational scholar, her research interests seek to examine the socialization structures, policies, culture, and practices of doctoral programs from an organizational theory perspective. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology, and two Master’s Degrees in Social Work and Higher Education from The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. As a faculty aspirant, Mariama plans to pursue a tenure-track position at a leading research institution, and ultimately become an academic administrator. At this level, she hopes to use her scholarship to transform how institutional practices and policies of graduate programs center social/organizational justice and equity in their structures and approaches, while mentoring young scholars with the intent to increase underrepresented groups in academia.
![]() |
Taeyeon Kim 2018-20 GSC Representative |
![]() |
Lam Pham 2018-20 GSC Representative |
Lam Pham is a Ph.D. student in K-12 Leadership and Policy Studies with a specialization in quantitative methods. His research primarily uses econometric and quasi-experimental methods to investigate how school leaders in persistently low-performing schools can make effective personnel policy decisions. He is particularly interested in the capacity-building policies and practices that facilitate continuous school improvement, especially the recruitment, retention, and development of teachers and school leaders. Lam primarily works with Dr. Gary Henry at Vanderbilt University and Dr. Ron Zimmer at the University of Kentucky.
Prior to his doctoral studies, Lam worked as a Fulbright Scholar in Vietnam, taught math in a turnaround high school in Oklahoma City, and served as a math instructional coach with Teach for America. He received a B.A. in chemistry from Harvard University.
![]() |
Courtney Maudlin 2018-20 GSC Representative |
Courtney Mauldin is a third-year Ph.D. student and research assistant in the K-12 Educational Administration program at Michigan State University. Her research focuses on youth with multiple stigmatized identities and the ways in which their narratives inform school leadership perspectives. In addition to her doctoral studies, Courtney serves as Junior Representative of Division A for the AERA Graduate Student Council where she oversees GSC initiatives while also serving as a member of the UCEA Graduate Student Council. Courtney holds a B.A. in Communication Studies and an M.Ed. in Instructional Practice. As a former educator, she is an avid volunteer providing literacy instruction to early readers and continues to mentor first-year teachers in developing social justice oriented lessons and fostering equitable learning environments.
![]() |
Patricia Virella 2018-20 GSC Representative |
Patricia M. Virella is a New York City native who has worked in urban schools for over a decade in the elementary setting. Patricia is a former elementary charter school principal and teacher. Patricia is currently a Ph.D. student and research assistant at the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut. Recently, she has served as Managing Editor of Educational Administration Quarterly. Additionally, she serves as faculty at Sarah Lawrence College’s Art of Teaching Program, and adjunct faculty at the University of Connecticut’s Neag School for Education. Her research interest includes urban education, educational leadership, Puerto Rico Education reforms and policy, and pre-service teacher education.
Past GSC Representatives
Bryan A. VanGronigen is a PhD student in education administration and supervision at the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia and serves as a graduate research assistant to both Professor Daniel L. Duke and the University Council for Educational Administration Headquarters Office. His research focuses on organizational resilience and change in PK-12 school settings, the role and influence of third-party vendors in PK-12 education, and educational leaders’ judgment and decision making processes. Prior to enrolling in a doctoral program, he was a teacher and school administrator in public and independent schools in Missouri and South Carolina. He also volunteers his time with several non-profits, including serving as the Assistant Dean of the Legislative School for The American Legion Boys State of Missouri, an eight-day youth-in-government summer program. Bryan earned his B.S.Ed. in secondary social studies from the University of Missouri and his M.Ed. in higher education administration and institutional advancement from the Peabody College of Education at Vanderbilt University.
Kevin Clay is a 5th year doctoral candidate in Education at Rutgers University. For the past six years, he’s taught and advised in several pre-college access programs that serve mostly low-income, Black and Latinx residents in cities throughout the state of New Jersey. In this context, Kevin currently facilitates youth participatory action research (YPAR) with a group of high school students, where they research local, national, and global problems, and develop plans to make interventions in the students’ community. Kevin’s experiences in this settings form the basis of his dissertation research on how young people negotiate political orientations on matters of race, class, and inequality. In addition to these areas, Kevin teaches two courses at Rutgers University in the Graduate School of Education– Individual and Cultural Diversity and Introduction to Education. He has also co-taught Urban Education. Fall 2016, he began teaching African American studies at Middlesex County College. Aside from his research and teaching, Kevin was recently elected to the American Educational Research Association Division G Executive Committee to serve on the mentoring subcommittee. He also joined Rowan University College of Education’s Project IMPACT (Increasing Male Practitioners of Color) as a mentor to newly enrolled pre-service teachers, committed to teaching in communities of color upon their graduation.
Nakia Gray-Nicolas is a doctoral candidate in Educational Leadership at the Steinhardt School of Education, Culture and Human Development at New York University. Her research focuses on interrogating the purpose and effectiveness of, and access to pre-college transition programs. She hopes to pursue an academic career and also continue to do research on programs and interventions in high school and college contexts that promote academic persistence and success for low-income and working class students of color. Prior to entering her doctoral program, she worked at a non-profit organization as the youth services director and as a middle school English teacher. While enrolled in her program she worked as a college transition program director, and now works as a college lecturer. Nakia holds a B.A. in English from Cornell University and two M.S.Ed’s (English Education and Inclusive Special Education) from the Syracuse University Graduate School of Education. Nakia is also an avid volunteer and continues to mentor high school and college students.
Meredith Wronowski is currently pursuing a PhD in Educational Administration, Curriculum, and Supervision at the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education at The University of Oklahoma. Her primary research interest is recruiting and retaining effective educators in urban, high-needs schools, and she has participated in research collaborations with the University of Central Oklahoma and The K20 Center at The University of Oklahoma. She also holds a Master’s of Education degree in Cross-cultural Teaching from National University in San Diego, California and a Bachelor’s of Science in Microbiology from the University of Oklahoma. She has previously taught high school science, and holds a National Board of Professional Teaching Standards certification in Adolescent and Young Adult Science. She has also previously worked as an instructional coach in Oklahoma City Public Schools, and she is currently an active practitioner working as the Director of Teacher Leadership for Lighthouse Charter School in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
![]() |
David Aguayo 2015-17 GSC Representative |
![]() |
Elizabeth Gil 2015-17 GSC Representative |
Elizabeth Gil is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Administrative and Instructional Leadership at St. John’s University, having earned her PhD in K-12 Educational Administration at Michigan State University, where she was named a King-Chávez-Parks Future Faculty Fellow. Her research interests include family educational involvement, culturally responsive educational leadership practices, and post-high school educational access and success. Elizabeth also serves as a faculty member with the Summer Workshop of the Institute for Recruitment of Teachers. Prior to becoming a professor, she taught in New York City public schools for over 10 years, also serving as a grant coordinator and data specialist working with children, parents, and teachers. Elizabeth holds a Bachelor’s degree in history from New York University, a Certificate in bilingual education, and Master’s degrees in Curriculum and Teaching from Michigan State University, and Educational Administration from the College of Saint Rose.
![]() |
Rachel White 2015-17 GSC Representative |
![]() |
Wesley Henry 2014-16 GSC Representative |
![]() |
Hilary Lustick 2014-16 GSC Representative |
Dr. Hilary Lustick is an Assistant Professor of Educational and Community Leadership in the Educational Leadership masters and doctoral programs at Texas State University, San Marcos. She was a UCEA GSC member from 2014-2016, while completing her PhD at NYU and studying restorative practices in New York City schools. Hilary loved her GSC experience, and strongly recommends it to anyone pursuing a degree in educational leadership! She still studies issues relevant to culturally responsive schooling, school climate, and the politics of education. She lives in Austin, Texas, where she spends her free time performing poetry and trying to stop the War on Truth.
![]() |
Isaiah McGee
2014-16 GSC Representative |
![]() |
Jada Phelps-Moultrie 2014-16 GSC Representative |
![]() |
Amy Reynolds 2013-15 GSC Representative |
Amy Reynolds is a doctoral student at the University of Virginia in the Educational Administration and Supervision Department and a graduate research assistant for the UCEA Headquarters Office. Her research interests include selection processes for school-level leaders and the context and impact of state policies for school leader preparation and licensure. Her methodological interests include both quantitative (e.g. HLM) and qualitative (e.g. policy archaeology) techniques. Prior to her work at the University of Virginia, Amy was a high school biology and chemistry teacher in Chicago Public Schools and Charlottesville City Schools, wrote curriculum and served as the Division Advisory Moderator for a Chicago charter school, and served as a science teaching Fellow Adviser for the Chicago Teaching Fellows.
![]() |
Daniela Torre 2013-15 GSC Representative |
![]() |
Kristina Brezicha 2013-15 GSC Representative |
Kristina Brezicha is a doctoral candidate at The Pennsylvania State University in Educational Theory and Policy and Comparative International Education program. Her research focuses on student voice, school reforms and improvement including leadership development and teacher quality. Prior to beginning her doctoral program, she taught elementary special education students in New York City. She holds two Master degrees, one in Politics and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University and the second in Urban Education from Mercy College.
![]() |
James Vines 2012-14 GSC Representative |
![]() |
Jasmine Ulmer 2012-14 GSC Representative |
Jasmine B. Ulmer currently is an assistant professor in the College of Education at Wayne State University, where she teaches and directs the doctoral track in qualitative methods. Her overall program of research develops place-based methodologies and pedagogies, particularly as they relate to social justice and educational research. Within that, her research interests include methodologies for critical policy analysis and critical discourse analysis. Her works have appeared in journals such as Qualitative Inquiry, Cultural Studies <=> Critical Methodologies, Education Policy Analysis Archives, and Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, among others. She is a former National Board Certified Teacher, instructional coach, and U.S. Department of Education Teaching Ambassador Fellow. She graduated from the University of Florida with a Ph.D. in educational leadership and a concentration in educational research methodologies.
![]() |
Rod Whiteman 2012-14 GSC Representative |
Rod Whiteman is a third year doctoral student in Education Policy Studies at Indiana University. Prior to his graduate work, Rod taught middle and high school choral music. At IU, he has served as a graduate research assistant at the Center for Evaluation & Education Policy and has taught social foundations of education in the teacher education program. Rod¹s research examines how public policy affects schools as organizations, and the identity development of school leaders within organizational contexts.
![]() |
Yinying (Helen) Wang 2012-14 GSC Representative |
![]() |
Erin Anderson 2011-13 GSC Representative |
Erin Anderson is an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy in the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver. She received her Ph.D. in Administration and Supervision from the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia. Dr. Anderson worked for five years as a research assistant and research associate for the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA). During this time, she served on the committee for the Professional Standards of National Leaders. The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) has contracted her to support the development of the 2015 PSEL and 2016 National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP) standards. Dr. Anderson had been published in the Journal of Research on Leadership Education and the upcoming Handbook of Educational Supervision (2019). She is also the co-author of A policymaker’s guide: Research-based policy for principal preparation program approval and licensure (2015). Her research interests include planning for and leading school improvement, effective leadership practices in schools and districts, and policy and practices for high-quality principal preparation.
![]() |
Bradley W. Davis 2011-13 GSC Representative |
Bradley W. Davis is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at The University of Texas at Arlington. He is a mixed-methods researcher whose teaching and research interests include social justice leadership, public school administration, leadership policy, educator labor markets, and education law. Prior to joining The University of Texas at Arlington, Dr. Davis was a public school educator in the Greater Houston area. He holds a Ph.D. in Educational Administration from the University of Texas at Austin.
![]() |
Richard Gonzales |
![]() |
Sedat Gumus 2011-13 GSC Representative |
Sedat Gumus is an associate professor of Educational Administration at Necmettin Erbakan University, Turkey. He earned his MA and PhD in Educational Administration at Michigan State University. He worked as Vice Director and Director of International Relations at the Council of Higher Education, Turkey’s national higher education planning and coordination body between 2013-2015. He also conducted research as visiting scholar at University of Georgia’s Institute of Higher Education during 2015-2016 academic year. Dr. Gumus’s research interests include comparative and international education, educational policy, and higher education. He uses both qualitative and quantitative methods in his research.
![]() |
Madeline Mavrogordato |
Madeline Mavrogordato is an assistant professor of K-12 educational administration in the College of Education at Michigan State University. She received her Ph.D. in Leadership and Policy Studies at Peabody College, Vanderbilt University. Dr. Mavrogordato’s research centers on issues surrounding school reform and improvement for disadvantaged student populations. She utilizes both quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate how the social context of education, implementation of educational policies, and school leadership shape educational outcomes for underserved students, particularly immigrants and English language learners.
![]() |
Amanda Werts 2011-13 GSC Representative |