Faculty Associate Profile

Welcome to the Faculty Associates Page of the Center for International Education (CIE). The purpose of this listing is to provide a quick view of the areas of expertise and international activities of the College of Education and Human Development at George Mason University. Should you be interested in working with any of our colleagues please contact them directly using the email address provided.

Michael M. Behrmann, Ed.D., Kellar Professor of Special Education and Director, Helen A. Kellar Institute for Human disabilities. Areas of expertise include special education (mild to severe disabilities); assistive technology; instructional design and development; and distance education including web-based, web-enhanced and videoconference systems. International education experience includes presenting at international conferences and workshops in Japan, Korea, China and India and teaching teachers at the Tibetan Children's Village, Dharmasala, India.

Dr. William G. Brozo, Ph.D.  International experience includes the Secondary Education Activity (SEA) Project, USAID, Macedonia, thatprovides training workshops to secondary vocational teachers in a five-year project; the PISA/PIRLS Task Force, International Reading Association, a project thatanalyzes, writes reports and articles and makes conference presentations based on policy and practice implications of cross-national literacy studies; the BMENA Literacy Hub Advisory Board, International Reading Association, International Division,that provides expert feedback on the content and  process of an electronic portal for the broader Middle East and North African region.

Sharon Castle, Ph.D., Curriculum and Instruction. Experience includesteaching English in Denmark to the Red Cross' asylum seekers, to Danish adults at the Danish Evening School and to adult students from various countries at the Cambridge Institute. Also currently teaches social studies and International Baccalaureate Program methods for the FAST TRAIN Program. Languages of delivery include English and Danish.

Nada Dabbagh, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Instructional Design and Technology (IDT). Teaches courses in learning theory, instructional design, and e-learning. Research interests include exploring the cognitive consequences of technologymediated learning tasks with the goal of understanding the pedagogical characteristics of task structuring as the basis for authentic learning designs. Languages of delivery include Arabic, English, and French. For more information about Dr. Dabbagh's teaching, research and instructional resources, visit her homepage.

Betsy DeMulder, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Director, Initiatives in Educational Transformation. Her doctorate is from Cambridge University (St. John's College), England, where she conducted a four-year research study of children's social and emotional development in the context of English schools.

Dimiter M. Dimitrov, Ph.D., Professor of Educational Measurement and Statistics .  Expertise in classical and modern measurement and applied statistics in education and related fields.  Current research interests focus on Rasch modeling, psychometric validation and analysis of cognitive attributes, and multivariate methods in educational research and evaluation.  Recent international activities include presentations and joint work with faculty and graduate students from Bulgaria, Russia and Spain. Languages of delivery: English, French, Bulgarian, Russian, Italian. For more information, visit his website.

Renee C. Falconer, Ph.D., Education/Curriculum and Instruction. Teaching and research in the areas of child development, language development and acquisition, early childhood education, elementary curriculum, and diversity issues. Educated in Hong Kong, Britain, and the United States. Teaching experience in Australia, Canada, Britain, the USA, and also at the International School of Kenya for 10 years.

Rebecca K. Fox, Ph.D., Co-Director, Advanced Studies in Teaching and Learning Program and Associate Professor in the College of Education and Human Development.  Affiliated also with the Center for Language and Culture, Dr. Fox's areas of expertise include teacher professional development; foreign/second language education and culturally responsive teaching; professional portfolio development and program evaluation; and teacher research. International experiences include professional presentations and teacher workshops in Eastern and Western Europe, Israel, China and Nepal, as well as professional development work with faculty from Azerbaijan, Australia and Pakistan. For more information about Dr. Fox's teaching, research and teacher instructional resources, visit her homepage. Languages of delivery include English and French.

Jeff Gorrell, Ph.D., Dean and Professor, College of Education and Human Development. International experience includes Fulbright Scholarship to Sri Lanka; research with the Ministry of Education in Sri Lanka on cognitive development of primary school students;  research on self-regulated learning and teacher efficacy in Brazil, South Korea, Sri Lanka, and Taiwan; and research consultant and dissertation evaluator in India. Languages of delivery include English and Brazilian Portuguese (advanced intermediate).

Anthony E Kelly, Ph.D., Professor. Scientific advisor and multiple report author with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on brain research and education.

Anastasia Kitsantas, Ph.D., Educational Psychology. Served as the Acting Director of the Center of Global Education and as a Faculty Director for the Study Abroad Program. Research focuses on self-regulated learning and motivational processes across multiple domains and educational contexts.

Estela Landeros, M.A., Special Education, Assistive Technology Coordinator at the Training and Technical Assistance Center, (TTAC), Hellen Kellar Institute. Experience includesdeveloping, implementing and managing training programs in the use of assistive technology for job inclusion in Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mexico and Peru while working with the Organization of American States; writing and receiving grant approval to sponsor projects from Microsoft, the U.S. Department of Labor and the European Commission; as a Program Manager for IBM Mexico, developed and implemented teacher training workshops in the use of technology in education in Costa Rica, Mexico, Venezuela, and Panama. Languages of delivery include Spanish, English and French.

Jack Levy, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus in Multicultural Education, Second Language Acquisition. Serves as Co-Editor, Journal of Research in International Education (Sage Publications); serves as Co-Editor, Handbook of Research in International Education (Sage Publications); and served as former Coordinator - FAST TRAIN International Teacher Preparation Programs. Experience includes coordinating the Master's Program for Curriculum Improvement in Indonesian Religious Schools; Coordinating the  Pakistan Teacher Education and Professional Development Project; and serving as a member of the planning team for the Alliance for International Education.

Gustavo A. Mellander, Ph.D., Dean Emeritus. Specialization includes higher education administration. Experience includes serving as the Dean of Academic Affairs, Inter American University of Puerto Rico; serving as a consultant to colleges in Puerto Rico, Panama and Taiwan; co-authoring the Higher Education Master Plan for Hungary; and advising U.S. Ambassadors to Uruguay and Costa Rica. Twenty years residence in Latin America. Languages of delivery include English and Spanish.

Dr. John Nauright, Ph.D., Professor, Sports Management. Experience includes international education. He is also currently a Visiting Professor of History and American Studies at the University of Lincoln in England. His Ph.D. is from Queen's University in Canada where he specialized in African history. He has taught at universities in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Denmark, Scotland, England and the United States. He has been a visiting professor in South Africa, Canada, Denmark and India. He has published books focusing on international sports as well as research articles dealing with urban development in Africa. He will direct a new graduate concentration in international sports management and the newly expanded graduate program in the School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism.

Ilham Nasser, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Early Childhood Education. Experience includes 20 years of experience in teaching and research in various educational settings in the United States and the Middle East (mostly Israel and Palestine). Areas of expertise include peace education, bilingual and foreign language teaching and their impact on tolerance and understanding in conflict areas, and program assessments and evaluations. Languages of instruction are Arabic, English and Hebrew.

Elavie Ndura, Ed.D., Associate Professor of Education, Fulbright scholar, and British Council Scholarship recipient. Areas of expertise include curriculum development, implementation and evaluation; multicultural and bilingual education; second and foreign language teaching methodology; and immigrants' acculturation. Languages of delivery include English, French, and Kirundi.

Priscilla Norton, Ed. D., Curriculum and Instruction - Technology Integration in K-12 Settings. Areas of expertise include Teacher professional development, use of technology to design K-12 learning opportunities, design of online learning environments and  faculty development related to teaching with technology. International experience includes working face-to-face and virtually with Macedonian education faculties to integrate technology with teacher education at all universities in Macedonia.

Anastasia P. Samaras, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Curriculum and Instruction. Areas of expertise include teacher education, professional development, faculty development, teacher education program development from a Vygotskian Theoretical Lens, collective self-study of teaching practices for classroom teachers, interdisciplinary teaching and early childhood education. Experience includes serving as a Teacher Educational Advisor, Juris AIDS for the United States Agency for International Development’s Africa Bureau Education Division Workshop, Mbabane, Swaziland; serving as a Co-Editor, Proceedings Herstmonceux IV: The Fourth International Conference on Self-Study of Teacher Education Practices, England; serving as the Co-Chair, Program Committee, Herstmonceux IV: The Fourth International Conference on Self-Study of Teacher Education Practices, England; serving as an educational advisor, implementing drama works for children for The Drama for Conflict Resolution Project, Croatia; and participanting in The Friendship Construction Team, International Life, Peace, and Hope Centers, Croatia.

Burl E. Self.  Areas of expertise include the infrastructure development process, especially educational infrastructure; community technical college feasibility studies; transportation planning and strategic and national assessments.  Experience includes  knowledge and first tier on-the-ground experience in Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Tunisia, Bahrain and North and South Yemen.  Also a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.

Beverly D. Shaklee, Ed.D., Professor of Curriculum and Instruction, and Director, Center for International Education. Areas of specialization include culturally responsive teaching; gifted education, assessment, teacher development and inquiry; and professional development schools. International research and teaching in South Africa, Russia, The Bahamas, Pakistan and other international settings.

Farnoosh Shahrokhi, Ed.D. Assistant Professor-Outreach and Administrative Coordinator for the Education Leadership Program. Areas of expertise include leadership preparation programs and leadership development in new democratic societies. International experience includes Academic Advisor for the Curriculum Development and Leadership Training Project for Armenia, Pre-service Education for Azerbaijan and Co-PI and Co-Director for the Eurasia, South Asia Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program.

Lynne Schrum, Ph.D., Professor and Coordinator, Elementary and Secondary Education. Areas of expertise include educational technology, teacher preparation, appropriate uses of information technology and online and distance learning, Web 2.0. Past president of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE); current editor of the Journal of Research on Technology in Education (JRTE) (2002-2008). International education includes presenting at international conferences and workshops in Japan, Korea, Denmark, Norway, Abu Dhabi, Oman, Turkey, Nepal, and Egypt.

Vicky G. Spencer, Ph.D, Special Education.   Areas of expertise include special education (mild to moderate disabilities); cognitive strategy instruction with a focus on literacy; and inclusive classrooms. International experience includes assessing the literacy needs of the Tamil Indians in Penang, Malaysia; teaching ESL classes in Ecuador, Malaysia and Russia; and collaborative research projects with Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. 

Sherry L. Steeley, Ph.D., Education/Curriculum and Instruction/Language and Culture, Center for International Education/FAST TRAIN. Areas of expertise include ESL/EFL education and teacher education. International experience includes USAID work in teacher training programs in Pakistan and work with ESL and social studies teachers from throughout Eurasia and South Asia.

Donna R. Sterling, Ed.D., Associate Professor of Science Education, and Director, Center for Restructuring Education in Science and Technology (CREST). Experience includes: Lived and taught in Thailand.

Elizabeth Sturtevant, Studies ways to improve the literacy and learning of diverse adolescents both in the U.S. and internationally. Her work primarily focuses on contexts that support strong teacher decision making and research-based practices. She has served as co-chair of the International Reading Association's Commission on Adolescent Literacy and was a leadership team member of the Secondary Education Activity (SEA) in the Republic of Macedonia, working with teachers there over a four-year period. She has also served for seven years as co-editor of the Journal of Literacy Research,an international research journal. Currently she is the International Editor for the BMENA Literacy Hub, an online journal and resource for policy makers and educators in the Middle East and North Africa (www.literacyhub.org). 

Eva K. Thorp, Ed.D., Early Childhood Special Education. Associate Professor, Early Childhood Education.  Areas of expertise include early identification and intervention with  infants and toddlers with disabilities; early education for young children, including those with disabilities;  family-professional collaboration; teacher professional development; and interagency collaboration and planning.  International experience in preschools in South Africa and Kenya.