Aurelio Avelleyra
Frontend Web Developer
Aurelio Avelleyra, Frontend Web Developer, manages and leads the strategy of front-end operations. He is deeply passionate about leveraging technology for excellence in education, and brings his extensive programming expertise and dedication to innovation to his work.
William Blandford
Software Engineer
William Blandford, Software Engineer, carries the torch for birth to 21 special education data systems. Bill brings his passion for scientific problem solving to all of his work. He is grateful to have a hand in designing and deploying systems that drive specially designed instruction and data based decision making that improve outcomes for all students.
Dan Brown
Visual Designer for Online Learning
Daniel Brown, Visual Designer for Online Learning, develops graphics and interactions across projects for the Learning Design and Innovation team. He strives for information accessibility by employing user first principles for a wide range of media.
Linda Carling
Director
Linda Carling is the Director of the Center for Technology in Education in the School of Education and leads a team of experts focusing on transforming teaching and learning with technology. She has nearly two decades of research and experience providing individuals with accessible, meaningful, and engaging learning opportunities, both in-person and virtually.
In alignment with CTE’s vision to change lives through knowledge that matters, Linda Carling builds and implements large-scale learning solutions that combine current pedagogical practices and online tools to engage and transform leaders and educators. The scope of her work involves designing and implementing technology-supported professional development for state, district, and school leaders to understand and take action around education data; instructing early childhood teachers and special educators to administer and use data from comprehensive early childhood assessments; and building effective partnerships with teachers and families.
She has provided leadership as a principal investigator, co-principal investigator, and director for many of the center’s grant-funded projects since 2002. Before she helped the School of Education build their first online program in 2001, she was a dedicated classroom teacher and K-12 virtual learning curriculum developer.
Gina Cash 
Project Administrator
Gina Cash, Program Administrator, supports CTE’s work with special education practices in Delaware. She joined the School of Education after completing a 30-year career in middle schools. She’s been a science teacher, assistant principal, and principal during her career working with schools in Prince George’s County, Washington D.C. — including a year with NASA — but spent the bulk of her career in Howard County. She started two regional special education programs during her tenure with HCPSS. In the 2000s, she was an early participant in a team-based classroom approach from JHU now known as Boundless Learning.
Jeannie Chipps
Project Administrator
Jeannie Chipps is a postdoctoral researcher working on the Engineering 4 Us All project. Jeannie helps with facilitating professional development and coordinating a summative student assessment within the project.
Meg Corasaniti
Senior Grants and Contracts Analyst
Meg Corasaniti, Senior Grants and Contracts Analyst, supports sponsored grants and contracts functions while working closely with the director of finance and operations to provide comprehensive financial and administrative service for CTE and its staff. She is enthusiastic to be part of a team that is working to bring better educational opportunities to students.
Tammy Devlin
Professional Development Coordinator
Tammy Devlin, Professional Development Coordinator, provides professional development to teachers across the nation around two innovative statewide assessment systems — the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment and the Early Learning Assessment — and the inclusive, evidence-based practice Boundless Learning approach. She has a deep commitment to supporting students with disabilities in general education, and trains teachers to use team-directed learning strategies and Universal Design for Learning in order to promote achievement among all students, including those with disabilities. She is thrilled to work with so many colleagues who share the vision of inclusive education.
Isabelle Doucet
Project Administrator
Isabelle Doucet, Project Administrator, manages the development and implementation of projects within the Early Childhood Comprehensive Assessment System (EC-CAS). With over 15 years of experience working as a technical project manager in the education field, Isabelle assists the CTE team with project management support for technology-focused work efforts. Isabelle has a particular interest in agile project management and change management processes. Outside of the office, Isabelle enjoys engaging in all things outdoors including long distance running, paddle boarding, and camping.
Edward Everett
Senior Instructional Technologist
Edward Everett, Senior Instructional Technologist, brings 10+ years of experience in learning design and LMS administration, training, and support. He enjoys exploring new and exciting technologies, producing professional development opportunities for facilitators of education, and the responsibility and creativity of working with clients to deliver innovative learning ecosystems.
Gabe Fremuth
Instructional Media Designer
Gabe Fremuth, Instructional Media Designer, delivers and showcases CTE’s work through video, design, and other media. His love of and experience with storytelling drives his approach to craft dynamic and interesting learning experiences, to best serve the needs of every child, student, or practitioner.
Jennifer Grams
Project Administrator
Jennifer Y. Grams, Project Administrator, manages the development and implementation of projects within the Early Childhood Comprehensive Assessment System (EC-CAS). She also assists the CTE team with identifying, evaluating, and responding to new business opportunities. Jennifer has served in a number of roles throughout her career, including research and policy analyst, marketing consultant, and project manager in the public, non profit, and private sectors. She is a dedicated advocate for children and families and has a particular interest in the intersection of education and public policy.
Andrea Harkins-Brown
Program Director for Disability Policy and Systems Change
Andrea Harkins-Brown, Assistant Research Scientist, leads applied research studies and funded projects related to special education, systems change, and technology integration. She is passionate about supporting practitioners to apply evidence-based practices and innovative teaching approaches that allow all learners — including those with disabilities — to thrive in their schools and communities.
Rachel Eun Hye Hur
Associate Research Scientist
Rachel Hur, Associate Research Scientist, leads the administrative and research data analyses focusing on Maryland’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), early childhood education (ECE) programs, and ECE workforce. She contributes to research design, data collection, and analyses. She values her work as it informs policy and programs in a way that helps improve education for young children.
Sunnie Kim
Program Director for Professional Learning Development and Implementation
Sunnie Kim, Program Director for Professional Learning Development and Implementation, leads the development and implementation of professional learning for teachers and administrators across multiple states. She brings over 15 years of experience helping universities and non-profit organizations use online learning as a way to increase impact and reach to her work. An avid problem solver, she innovates and improves learning experiences; and as a parent of a child with a disability, she feels especially connected to CTE’s mission to create access, opportunity, and success for every learner.
Jennifer Kouo
Assistant Research Scientist
Jennifer Kouo, Assistant Research Scientist, is engaged in multiple research projects that involve transdisciplinary collaborations in the field of engineering, medicine, and technology, as well as research on teacher preparation and the conducting of evidence-based practices in multiple contexts. Jennifer’s areas of expertise include Universal Design for Learning, technology integration, assistive technologies, and serving students with a range of disabilities, particularly autism spectrum disorder.
Dionne La Touche
Professional Development Manager
Dionne La Touche, Professional Development Manager, leads the implementation of professional development for teachers, providers, and administrators around the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment and Early Learning Assessment. She is passionate about finding opportunities to optimize teaching and learning outcomes for early childhood professionals, young children, and their families.
Cecilia Leger
Program Administrator for Early Intervention and Preschool Special Education
Cecilia Leger, Program Administrator for Early Intervention and Preschool Special Education, provides technical support for Maryland’s early intervention data systems. Through her work at CTE, she helps to foster systemic change through the use of high-quality early childhood data to inform practice and policy. She’s passionate about providing solutions to bridge the gap between research and everyday practice in special education services for young children and their families.
Mary Lemon
Senior Administrative Coordinator
Mary Lemon, Senior Administrative Coordinator, supports the business and technical efforts of CTE faculty and staff around program activities, grant submissions, written communications, and online support operations. She brings over 20 years of experience working for JHU and was instrumental in the development of the first university-wide employee orientation. Mary hails from Baltimore City — home of the best steamed blue crabs on the east coast — and in her free time, she enjoys music, cooking, and entertaining friends and family.
Kimberly Lohr
Senior Instructional Technologist
Kimberly Lohr, Sr. Instructional Technologist, works with the Center for Technology in Education’s Comprehensive Assessment Team to design effective, creative, and high-quality training and support materials for state partners, data managers, and educators. She is passionate about designing instruction and delivering training solutions that help educators meet the needs of all learners in the classroom.
Lynne Mainzer
Deputy Director
K. Lynne Mainzer, Deputy Director of CTE and Associate Research Scientist at the School of Education (SOE), has provided leadership as principal investigator, co-principal investigator, and director for many of the CTE’s largest grant-funded projects, especially those offering technical assistance and online resources to educators at the state, district, and school levels. As the primary architect of three premier CTE programs — Dynamic Impact, Boundless Learning for Inclusion, and Boundless Learning Co-Teaching — she leads their ongoing development, implementation, and evaluation nationally and internationally. Her specific research interest focuses on how to advance group work and effective decision making through high-performance teaming. She has extensive online and face-to-face teaching experience; has taught graduate courses for SOE related to effective leadership, collaborative learning, special education, advanced instructional strategies, and technology integration; and has roots as a special education teacher in Maryland.
Jennifer Mao
Visual Designer
Jennifer Mao, Visual Designer, uses her love of marketing and design to turn ideas into captivating visuals with her best pals: Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, and Premiere Pro. She is dedicated to creating thoughtful and impactful design solutions that build meaningful connections.
Teresa O’Connor
Program Quality Specialist
Teresa O’Connor, Program Quality Specialist, provides innovative ways to promote high quality teaching and learning in order to enhance opportunities for all students. She brings her experience as an educator, mentor teacher, curriculum developer, administrator, trainer, and designer of an online Response to Intervention tool to her work coordinating an online IEP system that helps educators develop a federally compliant IEP, and provides a mechanism for analyzing data to help students with disabilities make progress in the general education curriculum.
Giselle Patton
Project Administrator
Giselle Patton, Project Administrator, is a member of the Emerging Technology team who develops and supports technology solutions for educators and students. She is a business analyst who brings end user design, software testing, help desk management, and project management skills to CTE. The positive impact that technology can have on students, families, and educators is the driving force behind her work.
Dave Peloff
Associate Director for Emerging Technologies
Dave Peloff, Associate Director for Emerging Technologies, leads CTE’s research and development work related to emerging educational technologies and oversees the teams that design and build CTE’s software tools and data systems. His interests include exploring the potential impact of virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and machine learning on the future of education.
Vy Phung
Research Assistant
Vy Phung, Research Assistant, works on various early childhood research projects that focus on improving the quality of education, collaboration between early childhood providers and families, and student outcomes through literature reviews, online surveys, focus groups, and data reports. She is passionate about early childhood research and wants to continue learning more about qualitative and quantitative software for mixed methods research.
Matt Pierce
Senior Instructional Designer
Matt Pierce, Senior Instructional Designer, leads the development of learning architecture and online tools that help make education accessible for every learner. He brings 12 years of instructional design experience and his love of film, media, and all things technology to his work. He is also a volunteer for several nonprofits in the area, which aligns well with his passion to help kids and families both in his community and beyond.
Gennarose Pope
Program Director of Communications
Gennarose Pope, Program Director of Communications, helps CTE put their best word forward. She brings her passion for inclusive education; her decade of experience as a disability nonprofit communications director; and her time as a journalist, professional singer, and educator to all of her work. She is honored to help create access, opportunity, and success for every learner.
Lisa Reed
Associate Director of Business Development
Lisa Reed, Associate Director of Business Development, oversees CTE’s fiscal responsibilities, including budgeting, resource allocation, procurement, and compliance. Her efficient, goal-driven, and intentional approach aligns with her passion for fitness, family, and a healthy lifestyle; and she is honored to work with such passionate, driven people.
Sherry Richburg
Program Coordinator
Sherry Richburg, Program Coordinator, joined CTE from the school’s Institute for Education Policy. She holds an associate’s degree in business management from Kaplan University and a certificate in finance management from Carey Business School. Her career belies an unwavering dedication to excellence in administrative and research coordination within the realm of education policy.
Tonya Satchell
Program Director for Early Childhood Research and Evaluation
Tonya Satchell, Assistant Research Scientist, focuses on research related to Quality Rating and Improvement Systems and equitable assessment strategies. Her research interest includes early childhood systems and interventions that support young children from diverse backgrounds, especially those who have been marginalized.
Andrea Schanbacher
Project Administrator
Andrea Schanbacher, Project Administrator, facilitates school improvement across a school system in Maryland, and improves outcomes for students with disabilities in Delaware. She co-developed and co-facilitated a team-based continuous improvement process to promote systems change nationally and internationally. She began her career as a special educator and served students with disabilities in both the general education and non-public settings for 15 years.
Kristen Thompson
Program Director for Business Systems and Technology Solutions
Kristen Thompson, Program Director for Business Systems and Technology Solutions, leads a technical development team responsible for building, maintaining, and continuously improving large-scale data systems for educational use, with a focus on comprehensive early childhood assessments. Kristen is a passionate problem solver and SCRUM master. She takes a creative, big picture approach to all of CTE’s technological projects by parsing out stakeholders’ complex needs and building innovative and evolutionary solutions to meet them. Kristen has brought her innate ability to transform CTE’s vision of access, opportunity, and success for every learner into reality for over 17 years.
Mark Trexler
Assistant Clinical Professor
Mark Trexler, Assistant Clinical Professor, supervises and maintains a comprehensive extended learning model that provides students with exposure to various external learning experiences, equipping them with the skills and knowledge necessary to become effective global education leaders as Extended Learning Coordinator for the International Teaching and Global Leadership (ITGL) program. He also serves as the Faculty Lead Teacher for two ITGL graduate courses where he imparts his expertise in evidence-based best practices in teaching and learning.
He is also a faculty adjunct in the special education program, teaching two graduate-level courses focusing on evidence-based best practices in secondary transition and individual education planning for special education, helping educators create inclusive learning environments that promote student success. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a strong commitment to teaching and learning, supporting CTE projects that promote evidence-based best practices in education.
Melanie J. Upright
Program Administrator for Leadership and Educational Impact
Melanie J. Upright, Program Administrator for Leadership and Educational Impact, co-directs development, training, implementation, and evaluation of Dynamic Impact — the pioneering continuous improvement approach that builds equitable conditions to advance teaching performance and student achievement among all students. With two decades of educational experience, Melanie has led teams at the school, district, and state levels to support data-informed decision making and to implement evidence-based inclusive initiatives, including the JHU Boundless Learning program.
Furthermore, as a district level coordinator, Melanie has supervised speech-language pathologists serving birth – 21; coached administrators, general education and special education teachers and instructional assistants; and led systems change initiatives in classroom management — efforts which helped to narrow the achievement gap in elementary mathematics, early literacy development, and improved access to augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Melanie believes in the potential of all students and the magic of the classroom.
Jinn Winn Chong
Program Director for Learning Design and Innovation
Jinn Winn Chong, Program Director for Learning Design and Innovation, brings her passion, expertise, and experience in learning architecture and user experience design. She works with teams across CTE to design and develop learning ecosystems and online tools that help engage learners and users in their online experience.