EEJ College of Education & Human Services New Faculty 2016
Sarah Yoho Leopold
Assistant Professor | Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education
Terminal Degree: PhD, The Ohio State University
Area of Research: Speech perception in the normal- and impaired-hearing populations
Outside Interests: Dr. Leopold enjoys traveling, reading, good food, and spending time with her husband, Jordan, and their retired racing greyhound.
Renee Polanco Lucero
Assistant Professor | Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education
Terminal Degree: PhD, California State University, Los Angeles and University of California, Los Angeles (Joint Program)
Area of Research: Implementing listening and spoken language services in the school setting, working with culturally and linguistically diverse families
Outside Interests: Dr. Lucero likes spending time with her family, going for walks, baking, and reading.
Shawn D. Whiteman
Associate Professor | Family, Consumer, and Human Development
Terminal Degree: PhD, The Pennsylvania State University
Area of Research: Family relationship processes and adolescents’ health and well-being, sibling socialization of health risk behaviors
Outside Interests: Dr. Whiteman enjoys spending time with his family and recreational activities including golf and basketball.
David G. Schramm
Assistant Professor | Family, Consumer, and Human Development
Terminal Degree: PhD, Auburn University
Area of Research: Relationship, marriage, and parenting education
Outside Interests: Dr. Schramm loves to spend time with his wife and four kids traveling and exploring the outdoors.
Aryn M. Dotterer
Assistant Professor | Family, Consumer, and Human Development
Terminal Degree: PhD, The Pennsylvania State University
Area of Research: The development of and changes in school engagement and academic achievement among ethnic minority and low income youth from childhood through adolescence, with an emphasis on parenting and family-school linkages
Outside Interests: Dr. Dotterer enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and walking/hiking.
Joshua R. Novak
Assistant Professor | Family, Consumer, and Human Development
Terminal Degree: PhD, Brigham Young University
Area of Research: The intersection between couple relationships and health behaviors, specifically with how couple processes might attenuate negative health outcomes. Also, the processes within therapy that can lead to positive therapy outcomes utilizing an attachment-based lens and incorporating neuroscientific principles
Outside Interests: Dr. Novak enjoys any outdoor activity, spending time with his wife and puppy, movies, and creating/testing new recipes in the kitchen.
Breanne K. Litts
Assistant Professor | Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences
Terminal Degree: PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Area of Research: Learning through making, designing, and producing in makerspaces, mobile augmented-reality applications, and game-based learning environments
Outside Interests: Dr. Litts loves adventure of all types, especially traveling to new places and trying new foods. She also enjoys hiking, rock climbing, welding, kayaking, and playing most sports/games. She has an exceptional affinity for a good cup of coffee.
Matthew Vierimaa
Assistant Professor | Kinesiology and Health Science
Terminal Degree: PhD, Queen’s University
Area of Research: Using a wide range of methods, understanding how social and contextual factors impact youth’s performance, participation, and personal development in sport
Outside Interests: Dr. Vierimaa enjoys cooking, playing many difference sports, and spending quality time with his wife, son, and pet Australian Shepherd.
David A. E. Bolton
Assistant Professor | Kinesiology and Health Science
Terminal Degree: PhD, University of Alberta
Area of Research: The neural control of balance (i.e. How does the brain keep us from falling?)
Outside Interests: Dr. Bolton enjoys hiking, Van Halen, tennis, beach volleyball, and BBC radio 4.
Christopher J. Dakin
Assistant Professor | Kinesiology and Health Science
Terminal Degree: PhD, University of British Columbia
Area of Research: Understanding how sensory information and the body’s mechanics come together to produce movement
Outside Interests: Dr. Dakin enjoys adventures with his family, travelling, hiking, sports, and learning.
Shane W. Bench
Assistant Professor | Psychology
Terminal Degree: PhD, Texas A&M University
Area of Research: The functions of emotions and the intersection of emotion and cognition
Outside Interests: Dr. Bench enjoys time with family and friends, music, movies, and the outdoors.
Maryellen McClain Verdoes
Assistant Professor
Psychology
Terminal Degree: PhD, Indiana University
Area of Research: Evidence-based assessment and intervention in schools, cultural and linguistic diversity in schools, neurodevelopmental disabilities
Outside Interests: Dr. McClain Verdoes enjoys spending time with her husband, running, cycling, hiking, and traveling.
Anne L. Larson
Assistant Professor | Special Education and Rehabilitation
Terminal Degree: PhD, University of Minnesota
Area of Research: Supporting high-quality interactions between caregivers and young children to improve language and early literacy skills in at-risk populations
Outside Interests: Dr. Larson likes being outdoors - hiking, biking, and camping with family and friends - and spending time playing and reading with her son.
Kaitlin Bundock
Assistant Professor | Special Education and Rehabilitation
Terminal Degree: PhD, University of Utah
Area of Research: Effective instruction and intervention for students struggling with mathematics, as well as positive behavior interventions and supports
Outside Interests: Dr. Bundock enjoys spending time with her partner, playing with her dog, listening to podcasts, reading, practicing yoga, and swimming.
Sarah E. Pinkelman
Assistant Professor | Special Education and Rehabilitation
Terminal Degree: PhD, University of Oregon
Area of Research: Application of behavior analysis to schools
Outside Interests: Dr. Pinkelman enjoys spending time with her husband, exploring the outdoors, running, and yoga.
Karen D. Hager Martinez
Assistant Professor | Special Education and Rehabilitation
Terminal Degree: PhD, Utah State University
Area of Research: Student teacher supervision and feedback; use of technology in teacher preparation, including remote teacher observation
Outside Interests: Dr. Hager Martinez enjoys hiking, camping, gardening, and knitting.
Trenton J. Landon
Assistant Professor | Special Education and Rehabilitation
Terminal Degree: PhD, Michigan State University
Area of Research: Counselor development and clinical supervision; issues of social justice, equity, and community inclusion for persons with disabilities
Outside Interests: Dr. Landon is a sports fan, and in particular a college football fanatic. He enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Julie, and their five kids, and they try not to be the crazy parents in the stands at their children’s soccer, basketball, football, and baseball games. As a family they enjoy the outdoors, hiking, and camping.
Marla K. Robertson
Assistant Professor | School of Teacher Education and Leadership
Terminal Degree: PhD, Texas Woman’s University
Area of Research: Writing instruction, teacher decision-making, and teacher professional development in complex school systems
Outside Interests: Dr. Robertson likes to spend her time reading YA fiction, gardening, making family movies, and doing family history.
Amy Piotrowski
Assistant Professor | School of Teacher Education and Leadership
Terminal Degree: PhD, Florida State University
Area of Research: 21st century literacies, digital literacies, adolescent literacy and young adult literature, teacher education
Outside Interests: Dr. Piotrowski enjoys reading, hiking, and traveling.
Jessica F. Shumway
Assistant Professor | School of Teacher Education and Leadership
Terminal Degree: PhD, Utah State University
Area of Research: Number sense and instructional strategies for supporting students’ number sense development
Outside Interests: Dr. Shumway enjoys chasing around her three young boys, hiking, and reading newspapers at coffee shops.