The beginning of a new school year is, of course, a busy time for students, but also for faculty, as well, who must ensure a smooth start to the academic year.
In that regard, this year the School of Education has added 19 new faculty members, lecturers, and instructors to its rolls and welcomes one visiting assistant professor. In all, they include two new assistant professors and a visiting professor in the Doctor of Education program, two assistant professors and six lecturers in the Counseling program, an assistant professor in Health Professions, and no fewer than seven lecturers in the Urban Teachers program.
“I’m looking forward to working with these new faculty members, and I am excited to see how they will contribute to their programs and students’ learning,” says Dean Christopher Morphew. “They are a diverse and talented group.”
To highlight a few of those joining the faculty, the School of Education introduces:
Justin Lauka, PhD, is an assistant professor and clinical director in the Counseling program. Lauka’s research focus is on counseling supervision, clinical training, and professional and educational standards. Lauka also is a licensed clinical professional counselor in Maryland who served previously as program director for a clinical mental health counseling program.
Matthew Bonner, PhD, is an assistant professor of counseling who teaches courses in family/couple counseling and counseling techniques. He has published numerous scholarly pieces in journals, books, and encyclopedias, and taught at both Lenoir–Rhyne University and Loyola University of Maryland. At Loyola, he was director of Clinical Education in the Pastoral Counseling program. Bonner also developed a clinical mental health counseling program at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, a satellite of Lenoir–Rhyne.
Laura Quaynor, EdD, is an assistant professor in the Doctor of Education program, specializing in supporting first-year doctoral students and developing academic writing skills. Quaynor began as an ESL and French immersion teacher. Her research focuses on citizenship and civic education, and how schools enact global citizenship education, particularly among English language learners. As a faculty member, she has developed and led courses on ESL/bilingual teaching methods, cross-cultural studies, linguistics, and comparative education, and created a state-approved online endorsement program.
Olivia Marcucci, EdD, is an assistant professor in the Doctor of Education program. An interdisciplinary scholar of educational and racial equity, her research focuses on school discipline policies and practices. Marcucci has a background in building research-practice partnerships with both educators and students to improve knowledge, practices, and policies in school communities. She has published frequently and her 2018 presentation at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association won the Carol Weinstein Outstanding Paper Award.
Emily Jones, EdD, is an assistant professor and an expert in learning technology with extensive cross-disciplinary experience collaborating with health care educators and practitioners to create student-centered educational experiences. Jones is noted for promoting technology-assisted program evaluation methods, organizing workshops, and publishing at international conferences and in journals. Prior to becoming full-time faculty, Jones was an adjunct professor at the School of Education, a researcher at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and an emerging technologies manager at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing.
