[ Teacher Leadership ]

Faculty

Jeanne White, Ed.D., Assistant Professor, Program Director
Dr. White holds a B.S. in education from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, an M.Ed. in curriculum and instruction from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and an Ed.D. in curriculum and instruction from Loyola University. She is certified in elementary education and general administration and was an elementary teacher in Orland Park for twelve years as well as an adjunct professor in Early Childhood Education at Governor’s State University before joining the Elmhurst faculty in 2005. With areas of specialization in literacy and mathematics, her dissertation involved investigating how children’s literature improved performance and attitude of mathematical problem solving. She has authored several articles and presented locally and nationally on the topics of elementary mathematics and social justice education. 

Diana Brannon, Ed.D., Assistant Professor
Dr. Brannon earned her B.S. in elementary education at the University of Dayton and M.Ed. in 1993 from Indiana University, where she completed all but her dissertation in the doctoral program in Language Education, earning her doctorate from Argosy University in curriculum and instruction. She was a classroom teacher and reading specialist for 11 years before joining the faculty in 2005. Dr. Brannon is a Nationally Board Certified teacher and holds an Illinois Master Teacher certificate. She is a member of the International Reading Association, Illinois Reading Council, and National Association of the Education of Young Children. She recently authored an article in The Education Digest (2005) on the effect participation in full-day and half-day kindergarten has on children’s literacy development in first grade. Dr. Brannon has presented at many national, state, and local education conferences. She was awarded the Legacy Teaching Award in 2002.

Ayanna F. Brown, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Dr. Brown holds a B.A from Tuskegee University in Secondary Education, Language Arts Education. She taught 7th grade language arts while earning her M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instructional Leadership from Vanderbilt University Peabody College. After teaching middle school, Dr. Brown became a Scholarships Coordinator for both Project GRAD and Imagine College, which was a consortium between Metro Nashville Public Schools and Vanderbilt University. Her work centered around family, school, and academic planning for high school students, most of whom were first generation future college students. She completed her Ph.D  at Vanderbilt University in Interdisciplinary Studies in Language, Literacy, and Sociology where her research focuses on discussions of “race,” contemporary African American Studies, and Discourse Analysis. Her research has been presented nationally and internationally including in Australia, Canada, and will begin creating a research agenda in Senegal, West Africa. She has served the education profession as a member of the National Commission on Reading, the National Council of Teachers of English, the American Education Research Association, and the International Federation of Teachers of English. Dr. Brown has been a guest lecturer, curriculum consultant, and program coordinator for both public and private institutions.

Lisa Burke, M.S., Assistant Professor
Ms. Burke earned a M.S. from Northern Illinois University in education and holds LBS1 certification. She was a special educator for 16 years before joining the faculty at Elmhurst College in 2001. She was a teacher to K-8 students with moderate to severe disabilities, a learning disabilities resource teacher, and then was an inclusion facilitator for students with mild to moderate disabilities. Ms. Burke specializes in differentiated instruction and adapting curriculum, collaboration, consultation, and working with paraeducators. She is a member of the Council for Exceptional Children and the honorary society of Kappa Delta Phi. Ms. Burke established the first student chapter of Council for Exceptional Children at Elmhurst College. She received KDP’s Educator of the Year award in 2003 and 2005.

LuEllen Doty, Ed.D., Professor
Dr. Doty earned a doctorate from the University of Kentucky and a M.Ed. from the University of Louisville in special education. Her undergraduate degree was from Indiana University in elementary education. Her areas of specialty include early childhood special education and applications of technology in special education. Dr. Doty is the author of several educational publications, and has a forthcoming book from Magnum Press, Meeting Instructional Objectives for the Inclusive Classroom, co-authored with Dr. Michael Feldman. She is a member of the Council for Exceptional Children and the honor societies of Kappa Delta Phi and Phi Kappa Phi.  Dr. Doty has served on the executive board of the Illinois Council for Exceptional Children and has presented nationally. She is the recipient of the Academic Advisor of the Year Award.

Judy Fiene, Ed.D., Associate Professor
Dr. Fiene earned a B.S. from University of Illinois at Chicago in physical education. Subsequently she acquired additional certification in elementary education and school administration. She has taught grades 4, 5, 6, physical education, and has served as an assistant principal in an elementary school. Her doctorate is in Reading and Language. Her specialty area is in reading development, specifically reading comprehension and classroom instruction. She has presented her research at local and national conferences. Dr. Fiene has developed a reading clinic at a local elementary school and is currently working with teachers in a primary school with a diverse population to assist them in the area of reading instruction. She is a member of the International Reading Association, National Reading Conference, and Illinois Reading Council. She holds membership in Kappa Delta Pi honorary society and is also the faculty councilor for the Elmhurst chapter.

Debra K. Meyer, Ph.D., Professor
Dr. Meyer earned a B.A. from Purdue University in education and psychology. She taught in a 5th/6th grade team and in a developmental second grade in Mesa, Arizona before earning her Ph.D. from the University of Texas-Austin in educational psychology. Her research examines the relationships among classroom characteristics and student motivation, emotion, and learning.  She has presented at national and international conferences and authored over 25 publications. Dr. Meyer serves as the liaison professor at an elementary professional development school, where she supervises interns and practicum students. She is a member of the American Psychological Association, American Education Research Association, National Reading Conference, International Reading Association, Illinois Reading Council, and Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development. She has received several awards for teaching and advising, and holds memberships in Phi Kappa Phi, Kappa Delta Phi, and Omicron Delta Kappa honor societies.

David D. Victor, M.A., Instructor
Mr. Victor earned his B.A. from Elmhurst College in history and his M.A. in educational administration from Roosevelt University. He has extensive experience as a secondary educator serving as a teacher, social studies department chairperson, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent, and acting superintendent. Mr. Victor was responsible for several federal, state, and local grants in his administrative roles and he has been active at the regional and state levels in curriculum development and assessment. In addition, he has published curriculum materials and articles in social science education and has co-authored a high school world history textbook. Mr. Victor has been an active member in the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the Illinois Principals’ Association, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and has presented at various state and national conferences.

Therese Wehman, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Dr. Wehman earned her doctorate in child development from the Erikson Institute, Loyola University-Chicago. Her specialization includes children birth to six with disabilities, early childhood program administration, organizational development, and team building. She holds advanced degrees and Illinois certification in educational administration, elementary, early childhood and special education and has extensive experience designing and administering early childhood intervention programs. Her research involves early intervention system change, parent-professional partnerships, leadership development, teacher mentorship and inclusion. Dr. Wehman holds memberships in the National Association for the Education of Young Children, Council for Exceptional Children, Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (National and Illinois), and Association of Infant Mental Health (World and Illinois). She serves as the Governor’s appointed Personnel Preparation Representative on the Illinois Interagency Council on Early Intervention. Dr. Wehman has published articles, curriculum materials, and a textbook, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Toward Full Community Inclusion (2005, PRO-ED). 

Mary Jo Young, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Dr. Mary Jo Young holds a B.A. in math from the College of St. Francis, Joliet, a M.Ed. in early childhood education from National Louis University, and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction with a major in early childhood education from Indiana University. Before coming to Elmhurst College, she taught in the preprimary and primary grades, was director of an early child care center, and taught undergraduate and graduate teacher education courses at Roosevelt University. Along with teaching early childhood classes here at Elmhurst College, Dr. Young currently coordinates the early childhood program. She is a member of several organizations including National Association for the Education of Young Children, National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators, International Reading Association, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and Phi Delta Kappa.