Meet the College of Education's New Faculty
Message from the Dean
We are excited about the diversity and richness in their perspectives, backgrounds, and areas of study, and can already see how their work will advance the mission, vision, and values of our college. Please join me in welcoming the newest members of our faculty community. Our new colleagues bring expertise in a wide range of topics, including refugee education, the influence of discrimination on mental and physical health, the experiences of culturally and linguistically diverse children with disabilities, and literacy building—issues that are both important and timely.
Jason Chow, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department: Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education
Alma Mater: Vanderbilt University
Dr. Chow's research focuses on the co-development of child language and behavior, teacher-child interactions, and supporting educators’ implementation of evidence-based practices. Methodologically, he works to improve and disseminate high-quality and state-of-the-art designs in meta-analysis and adaptive interventions' designs. He is the PI on an IES-funded grant, "Developmental Relations Between Language Ability and Behavior Problems," and also pursues work to identify barriers and factors that facilitate the implementation of evidence-based behavior management practices that support speech-language pathologists and the diverse body of students they serve.
“One of the best parts of my job is the opportunity to teach and mentor future researchers and practitioners. It’s the most engaging and satisfying experience, and I probably learn more from my students than they do from me.”
Dr. Renée Garraway, Ed.D.
Assistant Clinical Professor
Department: Human Development and Quantitative Methodology
Alma Mater: Bowie State University
Dr. Garraway has over 25 years of diverse work experience in clinical social work, special education, and school-based administration. Her research focuses on the experiences of culturally and linguistically diverse children with disabilities, and her work has been accepted for presentations at national and international conferences, as well as several book and journal publications. Dr. Garraway is committed to ensuring that all students, regardless of race, socioeconomic status, or exceptional abilities receive rigorous, engaging and relevant instruction in a safe and nurturing learning environment.
“I want to help to prepare future teachers to work with a rapidly changing population of diverse students.”
Jioni A. Lewis, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department: Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education
Alma Mater: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Dr. Lewis' research examines the influence of discrimination on the mental and physical health of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Her work explores the intersection of racism and sexism experienced by Black women, as well as resilience and protective factors, and the influence of subtle forms of racism experienced by BIPOC college students. She has applied intersectionality theory to develop the Gendered Racial Microaggressions Scale, a self-report instrument to measure subtle forms of gendered racism. Dr. Lewis received the Rising Star Early Career Award at the American Psychological Association's National Multicultural Conference and Summit (2019).
“My research, teaching, and advocacy have been grounded in my passion and commitment to social justice and equity. As a counseling psychologist, I am committed to engaging in social justice research that seeks to dismantle systems of oppression and improve the health and well-being of marginalized individuals and communities."
Jing Liu, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department: Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership
Alma Mater: Stanford University
Dr. Jing Liu's research examines education policy issues including student absenteeism, exclusionary discipline, educator’s labor market, and school reform, grounded in a framework of economic theory and policy analysis. In his recent project, entitled, “From Referrals to Suspensions: Unpacking the Origins of Racial Disparities in Exclusionary Discipline," Dr. Liu is trying to uncover when, how, and why racial bias emerges in the entire process of exclusionary discipline.
“I am passionate about this line of work because of my years of experience working with local school districts and seeing how high-quality evidence can make a huge difference in education leaders' decision-making and practices. My interest in using cutting-edge quantitative methods including data sciences comes from my training and exposure in a highly interdisciplinary environment.”
Margaret Marcus, Ph.D.
Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor
Department: Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership
Alma Mater: University of Maryland
Dr. Marcus' work focuses on equity and access related to dual language education, specifically for low-income Spanish-speaking families. Her dissertation focused on equitable access to dual language education programs in a local public-school district, and she is particularly interested in family language policy and how multi/bilingual families make decisions around language. Prior to her doctoral program, Dr. Marcus was an instructional coach at a bilingual charter school and taught the Spanish portion of a 2nd grade dual language program.
"I hope to develop teachers who are committed to providing the best possible education for their students, who value home language and linguistic diversity, and who can act as 'moral agents' towards a more just world."
Sophia Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department: Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership
Alma Mater: Loyola University Chicago
Dr. Rodriguez has taught middle and high school in New York City and Chicago public schools. Her research interests include education policy and reform, racial and ethnic identity formation in schools, and immigrant youth belonging to school and society. Her current grant-funded projects, funded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services and the Spencer and William T. Grant Foundations, focus on the experiences of immigrant youth in K-12 schools, and how educators and school-based mental health professionals can better advocate for immigrant children and families.
“As a teacher and advocate, I witnessed systemic racism and lack of resources in schools and urban communities. I have been committed to improving educational opportunity and access for minoritized populations through community-based partnerships in all of my research studies.”
COE's Alexandra Shelton, a doctoral candidate in the special education program.
Alexandra Shelton, Ph.D.
Faculty Specialist
Department: Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education
Alma Mater: University of Maryland
COE's Alexandra Shelton, a doctoral candidate in the special education program.
Dr. Shelton's work focuses on improving literacy instruction and intervention for secondary students with reading difficulties and disabilities via intensive intervention and teacher professional development and coaching. She is currently the project director of two federally-funded grants (including one funded by the Institute of Education Sciences) that aim to provide professional development and coaching to middle school teachers to promote their use of evidence-based literacy practices.
As a former high school special education teacher, she served students in the general and special education settings in English language arts, reading, math, and science.
"I aim to improve literacy outcomes for secondary students with and without disabilities by supporting general education and special education teachers' implementation of evidence-based literacy practices. With increased access to literacy, students can engage and participate more fully in school and society."
Stephanie Varner M.Ed.
PD Coordinator
Department: Human Development and Quantitative Methodology
Alma Mater: Notre Dame of Maryland University; Loyola University Maryland
Prior to joining COE, Stephanie Varner taught kindergarten in Maryland public schools for ten years. Varner holds master's degrees in both special education and educational technology. As the PD coordinator, Varner will work closely with the College's teacher education students and the local schools in which they will serve their teaching placements. Varner plays a crucial role as relationships with mentor teachers and area school systems are essential to preparing strong teachers.
“I received my undergraduate degree from UMD's College of Education and wanted to give back by sharing what I've learned with future teachers in the student teaching program.”
Zeena Zakharia, Ed.D.
Assistant Professor
Department: Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education
Alma Mater: Columbia University Teachers College
Dr. Zakharia's research examines the interplay of language, conflict, and peacebuilding in education and advances a critical approach to refugee studies in the Middle East. Dr. Zakharia is currently co-PI on a study that investigates partnership arrangements in the global educational response to the Syria refugee crisis. Her work employs a critical, interdisciplinary, and transnational lens to develop nuanced understandings of localized policy issues affecting vulnerable populations and their embeddedness in national and global phenomena.
“I am an interdisciplinary social scientist committed to peace, equity, and social justice in and through education. My scholarly interests are shaped by over two decades of education research, teaching, and school leadership in war-affected contexts.”
