Reading Center Doctoral Students
Jan Blake is a current doctoral student at the University of Tennessee. She holds a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Victoria in Secondary Education: Geography and Visual Arts, and a Masters of Education degree from the University of British Columbia in Language and Literacy: Reading. Jan has taught grades K through 12, as well as experience teaching 5th and 6th university education courses. She has brought a broad and rich education background to her studies here at UTK; as a practicing classroom teacher, special education, early reading intervention, gifted program coordinator, primary support teacher, program and collaborative learning coordinator, as well as many other wonderful educational experiences. Jan has written 3 provincial curriculums, provided extensive and varied workshops and programmed professional development for teachers, administrators and parents at the local, district and provincial levels. Jan is active with the British Columbia Teachers Federation providing support to school districts as a lead teacher for Quality Teaching. While here at UTK, she has worked with the State Improvement Grant for Tennessee, supervised Education 100 Apple Corps students, provided professional development workshops to Tennessee teachers and is a current Field Representative of the National Reading Conference for Tennessee. As well, as maintaining professional memberships in Canada Jan is a member of the International Reading Association, National Reading Conference, and the Eastern Educational Research Association. Jan’s research interests include: striving readers, assessment and evaluation, and teacher identity.
Maria Cahill is a doctoral student in Reading and Literacy at the University of Tennessee. Her interests include emergent literacy, early literacy, and reading motivation. Maria is currently working with Dr. McGill-Franzen on the NRC's Edward Fry Book Award Committee. Maria is a former school library media specialist. She holds an MLIS from the University of South Carolina and a B.S. in History and Sociology from East Tennessee State University.
Hannah Dostal-Barnett is a doctoral student in Reading and Literacy at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Educational Interpreting and Human Services and a Master’s degree in Education. Currently, she teaches middle school language arts at Tennessee School for the Deaf (T.S.D.). Her research interests are derived from her experiences while working in the residential and instructional departments at T.S.D. Her research interests include adolescent literacy, and writing instruction of linguistically diverse students. Hannah is a member of the International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English.
Jennifer Jordan holds a B.A. in Sociology and a M.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Tennessee. She is currently certified in and highly qualified to teach grades 1 through 6. Over the past eight years she has taught first grade and fourth grade. While teaching, she supervised interns and Apple Corps students in her classroom. She was also a member of the school’s mentoring program for new teachers. She conducted teacher professional development sessions on research-based primary grade literacy instruction at her school. Her research interests include emergent literacy, teacher preparation, and expository writing instruction in the primary grades. She is a member of the Smoky Mountain Reading Council and the International Reading Association.
Wendy Meller is a former First Grade and Kindergarten Teacher. She attended Penn State University for her undergraduate studies. She received a Master’s degree in Elementary Education from Holy Family University and pursued post-graduate work at Hunter College and Fordham University. She is a licensed reading specialist that became a Cosby Scholar at Fordham University’s K-2 Young Readers at Risk Program through the Ennis William Cosby Foundation. Currently Wendy is working on her Ph.D in Literacy Education at the University of Tennessee. While at UT, she has taught reading methods courses and supervises intern teachers in the Urban Multicultural Teacher Education Program. Her research interests are focused on urban teacher education, critical pedagogy, and reading teacher preparation. Throughout her teaching career, she has mentored several new teachers and provided professional development in the areas of reading, writing and assessments. Wendy is a member of the International Reading Association, the Tennessee Reading Association, the National Association for Multicultural Education, and the National Reading Conference. Before coming to Tennessee, she taught in Japan, New York City and Philadelphia.
Rebecca Payne is a doctoral candidate in Reading and Literacy at the University of Tennessee. Her research interests include new literacies, content area reading, developmental reading instruction, and teacher professional development. Rebecca has participated in several research studies including the THEC Teacher Quality Kindergarten Literacy Project and a study of undergraduate bloggers in Nutrition. She also works with various school districts on teacher professional development in literacy. Rebecca has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in content area reading, language arts methods, elementary and middle school developmental reading instruction, and clinical courses in the diagnosis and correction of classroom reading problems. Rebecca has taught middle school reading and language arts in Florida, served as a special teacher of reading in Harlem, and worked as a district literacy specialist in Naples, FL. She holds an M.Ed. and a B.A. in Elementary Education from the University of Florida. Rebecca is a member of the National Reading Conference, the International Reading Association, the National Council of Teachers of English, the American Educational Research Association, and the International Society of Learning Sciences.
Karen Rice earned her BA in English and a MS in Education from the University of Tennessee. Her research interests include middle school and adolescent literacy, adolescent literature, teacher preparation, vocabulary acquisition, teaching reading in the content areas, and writing instruction. Currently, Karen is beginning her seventh year teaching language arts and reading at Heritage Middle School in Blount County; in previous years, she has taught ninth, tenth, and eleventh grade English in summer school for Blount County. In the past few years, she has designed and implemented the Reading Intervention curriculum at her school, authored a quarterly school newsletter entitled Learning about Literacy, and chaired the Reading Incentive Plan committee. She has led school wide in-service on Teaching Reading in the Content Area, Implementing Writing Across the Curriculum, and Vocabulary Instruction. In addition, she has presented on Reading and Writing Workshops for Middle School at the Blount County Reading Conference. Karen is a member of the International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English.
Kandy Smith is a doctoral student in Reading and Literacy at the University of Tennessee. She has a B.A. in English and an M.A. in Administration and Supervision. An elementary school principal for 10 years (grades K-6), a middle school language arts and high school English and Spanish teacher, her educational work experiences encompass grades K-12. Kandy is currently working as a school consultant with the Tennessee State Improvement Grant. Kandy is a member of the International Reading Association, the National Council of Teachers of English, and the National Reading Conference.
Katie Solic is a doctoral candidate in Reading and Literacy at the University of Tennessee. Her interests include comprehension instruction, literacy policy, struggling readers, and teacher professional development. Katie is currently developing her dissertation, and is interested in examining teacher decision making and learning while using core reading programs. Katie has taught reading methods courses for both pre-service and practicing teachers. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Notre Dame and a M.Ed. in Reading Education from University of Florida.
Susan Wagner is an elementary educator with Blount County Schools in Tennessee. She received her Master’s degree in Instructional Technology and Curriculum from the University of Tennessee and her undergraduate degree from Maryville College in Child Development and Learning with teacher licensure. While a student at Maryville College, she received the college’s Child Development Award. Her elementary teaching experience includes multiage instruction and curriculum design. Susan has provided professional development in creative writing instruction. Her research interests include motivating struggling readers, creative writing, technology in reading instruction, and teacher education. Susan is a member of the International Reading Association and a participant in the Teaching American History Grant.
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