Roni Adams
Graduate Chair/Associate Professor
PhD, Educational Psychology with an emphasis in Teaching and Learning, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2001; MS, English and Psychology, SOU, 1984; BS, Secondary Education: English, California Polytechnical Institute, 1970
After teaching in the K-12 public school system in Southern California for 32 years, Dr. Adams fulfilled her goal to become a full-time teacher educator at SOU in 2006. Her passions include culturally responsive school reform, multicultural education, and social justice.
Office: Education/Psychology 140
Phone: 541.552.8253
E-Mail: adamsr@sou.edu
Amy Belcastro
Professor
PhD, Educational Policy, University of California, Davis, 2009; MA, in Education, California State University, Sacramento, 1996; BA, History, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1988
Dr. Belcastro has been at SOU since 2001. Prior to coming to SOU, she worked as a member of the research and development team for the California Department of Education. She also taught in alternative education as well as teaching Social Studies, Language Arts, Multiple Subjects, and being a Title I Reading Specialist. Her professional areas of research include education policy; higher education retention and success of historically underserved populations; K-12 curriculum and assessment policy; social-emotional learning; and issues of social justice and democratic schools.
Office: Education/Psychology 134
Phone: 541.552.8245
E-Mail: belcasta@sou.edu
Tanya Blakeley
Instructor
MS, Education, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 1998; BS, Education, Texas Christian University, 1997
Tanya Blakeley has been with SOU since 2009, where she is half time in Education and half time in Criminology and Criminal Justice as the Program Coordinator. Prior to moving to Oregon, Tanya worked as a classroom teacher in grades 5-12, and in various non-profit organizations in areas of education and program coordination.
Office: Taylor 118
Phone: 541.552.8095
E-Mail: blakeleyt@sou.edu
Amanda Casto
STEM Education Instructor
PhD, Curriculum & Instruction, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2019; MSEd, Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment, Walden University, 2010; BA, Social Studies, Madonna University, 2007
Dr. Casto began teaching at SOU in 2019. Prior to that, she devoted 12 years to teaching students in grades K-8 and improving the quality of instruction for students in North Carolina. She has taught in a variety of K-8 settings throughout her professional journey, including traditional public, STEM magnet, private, and charter schools. Dr. Casto is most passionate about topics in education related to the themes of STEM education, multicultural education, and the professional development of preservice and inservice teachers.
Office: Education/Psychology 132
Phone: 541.552.7051
E-Mail: castoa@sou.edu
Dr. Teresa Coker
Assistant Professor – Environmental Education and Education
Dr. Coker is co-coordinator of the Environmental Education Graduate Program at SOU, and she teaches in both the Environmental Education program and the School of Education. Teresa approaches education through an equity lens, continually seeking to make education accessible and attainable for all. She has experience working in both nonformal and formal education settings. Her nonformal environmental education experience includes teaching at Sandy Creek Nature Center, the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, and the Urban Tree House Project. Her formal education background includes elementary teaching and faculty positions at other institutions. In addition to her educational experience, her research interests have led her to examine program evaluation for nonformal organizations.
Office: Education 136/Science 226
Phone: 541.552.6871
E-Mail: cokert1@sou.edu
Susan Faller
Senior Instructor
MS, Education, San Jose State University, 1996
Susan brings 15 years of classroom experience to her role as a faculty member at SOU. She worked in the San Francisco Bay Area teaching 4th, 5th, and 8th grades. She earned National Board Certification in 2003 and 2013. She uses the experience gained through that process to support all licensure students at SOU as the edTPA Coordinator. Her areas of interest include reflective teaching, differentiation, math investigations, science inquiry, and mentoring of student teachers. She considers her role in the School of Education as an investment in our future teachers.
Office: Education/Psychology 111
Phone: 541.552.6919
E-Mail: fallers@sou.edu
Megan Farnsworth
Associate Professor
PhD, in Multicultural Special Education, University of Arizona, 2010; MS, Education, Southern Oregon University; BS, Cultural Geography, Humboldt State University
Dr. Farnsworth possesses a strong commitment to teach, serve, and collaborate with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse families and students who may experience exceptionalities. Dr. Farnsworth has taught in both public and private schools in California, Oregon, Arizona, and Hawaii. She is currently co-authoring a textbook that will help teachers meet the needs of diverse learners.
Office: Education/Psychology 128
Phone: 541.552.8390
E-Mail: farnsworm@sou.edu
Erin Gravelle
Associate Professor
Ed.D, Educational Leadership, Seattle University, 2010; MAT, Seattle University, 2002; BS, Sociology with Minor in Women’s Studies, University of Washington, 1999
Dr. Gravelle started teaching in the School of Education at SOU in the fall of 2009. She loves her role as Coordinator of the Multiple Subjects MAT program as it allows her to work closely with MAT students, schools, district administrators, faculty, and the guides/supervisors. She also teaches literacy courses in the undergraduate and graduate programs and is able to build on her previous work as a preschool, kindergarten, and first-grade public school teacher – helping future teachers learn the stages of reading and writing development and taking that information to consider how to create classrooms that will motivate their future students to become lifelong readers and writers. She also teaches the capstone/practicum courses to the undergraduate senior education students. She feels it’s a fascinating course because it enables her to take what she learned through her years teaching in elementary schools and also her study of leadership and apply it to her with work with SOU students. She really enjoys digging into topics with her students that focus on self-growth, one’s role in society, poverty, diversity, assessment, and differentiation in instruction.
Office: Education/Psychology 112
Phone: 541.552.6935
E-Mail: gravellee@sou.edu
William Greene
Professor
PhD, Educational Psychology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1998; MA, Education, California State University, Fresno, 1992; BA, English Literature with a Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential, California State University, Fresno, 1981
Dr. Greene has taught in a variety of grade levels and cultural contexts that include California, Hawaii, and American Samoa. He came to Oregon in the fall of 1998 to help launch the newly established Master of Arts in Teaching program at SOU. His current teaching and scholarship focus on holistic education and human development..
Office: Education/Psychology 120
Phone: 541.552.6921
E-Mail: greenew@sou.edu
Dennis Jablonski
Professor
PhD, Educational Leadership, University of Oregon, 2009; MEd, Education, Pepperdine University, 2001; BA, Physical Education, Occidental College
Dr. Jablonski arrived at SOU in 2002 after 11 years of teaching high school on the Big Island of Hawaii. His primary areas of teaching and research are in educational technology, research foundations, and yes, elementary physical education. Those physical education credentials come from his previous life as a college football coach and rugby player for the U.S. National Team.
Office: Education/Psychology 126
Phone: 541.552.8914
E-Mail: jablonsd@sou.edu
Younghee Kim
Undergraduate Chair/Professor
PhD, Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education, University of Oregon, 1996
Dr. Kim taught in the School of Education at Oregon State University from 1996-99 and worked as a child development specialist during the years 1990-96. Dr. Kim has been teaching in the Early Childhood Development and Elementary Education programs in the School of Education at SOU since 1999. Her scholarship includes holistic teaching and learning, core reflection approach to teaching, contemplative education, and linking play to practice.
Office: Education/Psychology 122
Phone: 541.552.8247
E-Mail: kimy@sou.edu
John King
Director for the Division of Education, Health, and Leadership, Associate Professor
PhD, Curriculum and Instruction, University of Washington, 2005; MAT, Seattle University, 1996; BA, Economics and History, Seattle University, 1992
John’s scholarship focuses on the pedagogy of teaching and learning about controversial issues, supporting teacher professionalism and authenticity in an age of accountability, and building resilience. His current administrative priorities include building pathways for underserved populations, supporting trauma informed practice, and deepening university/community partnerships.
Office: Education/Psychology 108
Phone: 541.552.6261
E-Mail: kingjo@sou.edu
Jo-Anne Lau-Smith
Professor
PhD, Educational Psychology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2001; MEd, Special Education, UCLA, 1984; BA, Psychology, UCLA, 1981
Dr. Lau-Smith began her career as a Special Education demonstration teacher at the UCLA Fernald School. Her work as a teacher/researcher at UCLA continues to have a significant influence on who she is as an educator today. She learned that students with learning, emotional and behavioral needs can be engaged in school when learning is explicitly linked to their personal interests and goals. A focus on students’ intrinsic motivation, providing choices and highlighting students’ strengths have been a hallmark of her teaching approach. Her teaching at SOU continues to be student-focused and has evolved further with the application of core reflection, a strength-based process that assists students to become reflective and intentionally inviting teachers.
Office: Education/Psychology 138
Phone: 541.552.6925
E-Mail: lausmitj@sou.edu
Jesse Longhurst
Assistant Professor
PhD, Curriculum and Instruction, New Mexico State University, 2014; MA, Education, SOU, 1999; BA, Theater, Lewis and Clark, 1997
Dr. Longhurst has been with SOU since 2011 and with the School of Education since 2014. Her research interests include rural education, teacher education and the role of place, class and culture in schooling. Before coming to SOU, Dr. Longhurst was a high school language arts, drama and social studies teacher as well as community college writing instructor.
Office: Education/Psychology 113
Phone: 541.552.6312
E-Mail: longhursj@sou.edu
Gerald McCain
Professor
PhD, Bilingual and Special Education, New Mexico State University, 1997; MS, Bilingual Special Education, New Mexico State University; BS, Special Education, New Mexico State University
Dr. McCain came to SOU in 2000. He has over 25 years of experience at the university level. Prior to SOU, he was a special education teacher in New Mexico and taught at four different universities including Southern Illinois University, Eastern Oregon University, New Mexico State University, and the University of Texas at El Paso. He has several publications in areas of multicultural education, critical theory, bilingual education, special education, as well as comparative research on indigenous education. Dr. McCain currently teaches special education, educational research and oversees the ESOL/Bilingual endorsement program at SOU.
Office: Education/Psychology 159
Phone: 541.552.6934
E-Mail: lmccaing@sou.edu
Renee Owen
Assistant Professor
EdD, Organizational and Adult Learning and Development, Columbia University Teachers College, 2019; MA Educational Leadership, University of Colorado, Denver, 2007; BFA University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 1990
Dr. Owen joins SOU in 2020 with more than two decades of experience as a school leader in unique public and private schools. She uses a holistic, human-centered approach toward closing the opportunity gap and uplifting the human spirit. She also works to develop non-profit leaders and boards. Her ongoing interests are in transformative learning, contemplative practices, the neuroscience of racial bias, and self-organizing governance.
Office: Education/Psychology Hall
Phone: 541.552.8422
E-Mail: owenr@sou.edu
Aprille Phillips
Assistant Professor
PhD, Educational Studies, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; MA, Education: Language, Literacy, and Culture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; BA, English and Education, Hastings College
Aprille Phillips joins the SOU faculty from Nebraska, where she most recently served as the Student Achievement Coordinator at the Nebraska Department of Education and taught courses in education foundations and multicultural education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Dr. Phillips’s areas of inquiry include education policy, the intersections of democracy and education, and transnationalism. At SOU, Dr. Phillips teaches in both the IAL and CAL Educational Leadership programs.
Office: Education/Psychology 136
Phone: 541.552.6514
E-Mail: phillipa6@sou.edu
Sarah Razzano
Instructor
MS, Early Childhood Special Education, University of Oregon, 2003; BA, Speech Therapy, Communication Disorders & Sciences, University of Oregon, 2001
Sarah followed her passion for working with young children by earning her master’s degree and teaching license in Special Education and Early Intervention at the University of Oregon. This pivotal experience opened the door for an amazing and rewarding career in several top performing, award-winning school districts. She has devoted herself to helping early childhood elementary students realize their full potential. She has successfully taught in the Palm Springs Unified School District, San Juan Capistrano Unified School District, and most recently in the Eanes Independent School District in Austin, Texas. She is devoted to empowering parents to be advocates for their children, creating inclusive school environments and building a school community that values all learners. She believes that aspiring to be an educator is the ultimate profession and feels honored to have the opportunity to collaborate with future teachers. See Sarah Razzano’s blog website here.
Office: Education/Psychology 159
Phone: 541.552.7156
E-Mail: smiths16@sou.edu
Nigel Waterton
Assistant Professor
Ed.D, Curriculum and Instruction, Montana State University, 2016; MAT English and Secondary Teaching, University of Portland, 1994; BA, Philosophy & Theology, University of Portland, 1991.
Dr. Waterton taught secondary English in Colorado and Montana for fourteen years before working in teacher education at Montana State University in Bozeman. His areas of interest and research include rural teacher education, culturally sustaining education, narrative inquiry, English education, particularly writing pedagogies, and the National Writing Project’s influence on teachers and students.
Office: Education/Psychology 030
Phone: 541.552.6340
E-Mail: watertonn@sou.edu
Education Staff
Anita Caster
Graduate Administrative Services Coordinator
Master in Management, SOU, 2000; BA, Education (Elementary and Music), Southern Oregon University, 1989
Office: Education/Psychology 130
Phone: 541.552.6996
E-Mail: caster@sou.edu
Jonathan Chavez-Baez
Coordinator for Minority Outreach Programs
MA, Higher Education, Portland State University, 2013; BA, Communication, Southern Oregon University, 2009
Jonathan has been working at SOU since 2009. For the past eight years, he has devoted his time working with the Latino community to increase high school graduation, college enrollment, parent participation, assistance to undocumented students, and the creation of numerous programs for underrepresented students. He has been working with youth for over 14 years in southern Oregon. Currently, he is the Co-Director of Academia Latina hosted at Southern Oregon University. Jonathan’s passion is the implementation of programs in higher education institutions that can help guide underrepresented students to obtain a college education. In his free time, he is a member of numerous boards and organizations that included the Oregon Community Foundation’s Latino Partnership Program, the Southern Oregon Latino Scholarship Fund, Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Cultural Connections, Hispanic Interagency Committee, and SOU’s Diversity & Inclusion and Strategic Planning Committees. In March 2017, Jonathan was appointed to the Oregon Commission on Hispanic Affairs by Governor Kate Brown.
Office: Education/Psychology 034
Phone: 541.552.6478
E-Mail: chavezbjo@sou.edu
Miaya Dombroski
Student Teaching Placement Coordinator
BS, Psychology, 2016
Office: Education/Psychology 158
Phone: 541.552.6928
E-Mail: dombroskm@sou.edu
Mary Patridge
Student Success Coordinator
BS, Social Science, Western Oregon State College, 1989; EdM, College Student Services Administration, Oregon State University, 1992
In her role as Student Success Coordinator, Mary advises new and transfer students as they set a path toward reaching their educational and career goals. From taking the first steps of registration to finding footing in a major, Mary is dedicated to providing support and access to resources for Education, Health & Leadership students while always encouraging them to be leaders in their own lives. She is excited to be a part of the diverse, innovative and welcoming culture of SOU. A long-time resident of southern Oregon, Mary enjoys spending time with her family, theater, running and volunteering for creative organizations that serve children and teens.
Office: Education/Psychology 161
Phone: 541.552.7154
E-Mail: patridgm1@sou.edu
Kayla Rapet
Minority Outreach Programs Navigator
MA, Education, Southern Oregon University, 2015; BA, English Education, Southern Oregon University, 2012
Kayla taught English as a foreign language in South Korea for one year before joining on as the Minority Outreach Programs Navigator in 2014. Currently, she assists with Pirates and Bulldogs to Raiders and the Early Childhood Development program, and is an instructor for the ECD Orientation and Writing for Teachers online courses.
Office: Education/Psychology 036
Phone: 541.552.8436
E-Mail: rapetk1@sou.edu
K.C. Sam
Distance Learning Transfer Specialist
Office: Education/Psychology 142
Phone: 541.552.6936
E-Mail: samk@sou.edu
Margaret Wright
Educational Licensure Specialist
BA, Humanities,Southern Oregon University, 1984
Office: Education/Psychology 100
Phone: 541.552.6938
E-Mail: mbwright@sou.edu
Contact the School of Education
SOU Education Program
1250 Siskiyou Blvd.
Ashland, OR 97520
541.552.6936
– Questions About The SOU Education Program? –