Dr. Lilia DiBello is an Associate Professor and the Department Chair in the Curriculum and Instruction Department.  Her Bachelor’s degree is in Psychology/Early Childhood Education from Tulane University, and she earned an M.S. degree in Early Childhood with Reading/Language Arts as areas of specialization from Florida International University.  Her Doctoral degree is from FIU in the area of Curriculum and Instruction, with a Specialization in Instructional Leadership and a Cognate in Early Childhood Education.  Dr. DiBello is an active member of ACEI and NAEYC and serves on the United Way Center for Excellence Advisory Board.

Dr. Javier Gonzalez is an Assistant Professor in the Curriculum and Instruction Department with over 23 years of experience in the field of early childhood and elementary education. He earned his PhD in Curriculum and Instruction with a cognate specialty in Early Childhood Education from Barry University in 2011. Dr. Gonzalez has taught in the Dade County Public Schools as well as for the private sector. He also taught at Florida International University, Kennesaw State University, and Chattahoochee Technical College. He has presented at numerous state, regional, and national conferences. His current research foci include the systemic constraints and high stakes testing and teasing, aggression, and bullying in young children.

Dr. Cynthia J. Lasky holds a Doctor of Education in Early and Middle Childhood Education from Nova University, a Master’s of Science in Reading from Barry University, and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Southern Connecticut State College.  She holds a State of Florida Professional Educator’s Certificate in the following areas: Administration/Supervision (grades K-12); Elementary Education (Grades K-6); Reading (Grades K-12); Specific Learning Disabilities (Grades K-12); and an ESOL Endorsement.

Dr. Cynthia J. Lasky has 30 years of experience in the Miami Dade County Public Schools.  In addition to teaching grades K-6, Dr. Lasky also served as a Title I after-school tutoring coordinator, a supervisor of university interns, and a mentor to first year teachers. Her research interests center around nutritional literacy/childhood obesity, teacher retention, and multicultural children’s literature. Dr. Lasky has been involved with school gardens for over 25 years.

Dr. Sam Perkins is the Director of the Bachelor of Science in Education Program. He earned his Ph.D. in Higher Education with a specialization in TESOL from Georgia State University. His research interests include topics related to culture and transformative education and leadership.

Dr. Fay Roseman is an Assistant Professor and currently serves as the Director of Field and Clinical Experiences. She earned her Ph.D. at Barry University and her Master’s of Social Work at New York University.  Her B.A. in Elementary Education is from Pace University in New York. Dr. Roseman’s experiences include teaching at the K-6 level and clinical practice in various settings such as children’s rehabilitative services and working with non-traditional families in private practice in New York and Florida. Dr. Roseman serves as the Florida Department of Education Certification Ombudsman, coordinates field experiences and internship placements, and teaches courses in both undergraduate teacher preparation programs and graduate Counseling programs.

Dr. Carter Winkle is an Assistant Professor in the Curriculum and Instruction Department.  In addition to a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre Performance from Indiana State University and a M.A. in Applied Linguistics from the University of South Florida, Dr. Winkle earned a Ph.D. from Barry University in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in TESOL.

Beyond recent scholarship in the area of privatized-partnerships and matriculation pathways programs in university settings, Dr. Winkle continues to explore educational issues within the realm of second-language teaching and learning: specifically, the ways in which alternative forms of assessment and feedback, such as embedded audio feedback to students’ compositions, may support learner development.  He additionally continues to examine questions related to sexual identity in second-language teaching and learning contexts through a social justice or advocacy lens.  Dr. Winkle is an active member of AERA, PDK, and TESOL, and in July 2012, begins service as a Board Member of the Doctors Charter School of Miami Shores.