SPEAKERS

Danice  Brown, Ph.D

Associate Professor of Psychology, SIUE

Danice L. Brown received her Ph.D in Counseling Psychology from The Ohio State University in 2008.  Her graduate training included a year-long APA approved predoctoral internship at the University of Illinois at Chicago Counseling Center. She is currently a professor in the Clinical Adult Psychology Graduate Program at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Dr. Brown has taught graduate courses in cognitive assessment and career counseling.  She currently teaches multicultural counseling and psychotherapy and undergraduate courses in psychopathology, multicultural psychology, and careers in psychology. Her research interests include African American resiliency, racial socialization, racial discrimination, and multicultural issues in psychotherapy and higher education. Her work has been published in the Journal of Black Psychology, Culture, Health, and Sexuality, and Children and Youth Services Review and has been presented at the annual conference of the American Psychological Association and the Winter Round Table at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Thomas  Hoerr, Ph.D

Head of New City School, STL

Thomas R. Hoerr, Ph.D., has been the Head of School at New City since 1981. Prior to coming to New City, Tom was the principal of Pershing Elementary School in the school district of University City. Tom founded and directed the Washington University Non-Profit Management Program and co-facilitated the ASCD Scholars Program. Tom has written more than 90 articles and four books: Becoming A Multiple Intelligences School (ASCD Press, 2000), The Art of School Leadership (ASCD Press, 2005), School Leadership for the Future (NAIS Press, 2009) and his most recent one, Fostering Grit: How do I prepare my students for success? (ASCD Arias, 2013). He writes a monthly column, “The Principal Connection,” for Educational Leadership, one of the country’s premier educational publications. 

Victoria Groves - Scott, Ed.D

Assistant Dean of the School of Education, Chair of Curriculum & Instruction and Special Education, Professor of Special Education, SIUE

Victoria Groves-Scott is the Assistant Dean for the School of Education and Chair of the Department of Curriculum & Instruction and Special Education at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. She is a professor in the department of Special Education and Communication Disorders.  Dr. Scott received her bachelor's degree in elementary education and special education from Drury University, and went on to earn a master's degree in special education from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and a doctorate in special education from the University of Kansas.  She received the Teaching Excellence Award from SIUE in 2006 and the 2006 Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award. Dr. Scott was chosen by her peers as the Kansas Council for Exceptional Children Outstanding Special Education Teacher of the Year for 1998, and was also awarded the Council for Exceptional Children Federation Award in 1999. She has conducted research in the areas of assessment, phonemic awareness, reading instruction, instructional technology, and assistive technology. Dr. Scott currently runs a Grit afterschool program at the SIUE East Saint Louis Charter High School with a team of professors, researchers, and undergraduate students.

PS: Dr. Scott is AWESOME!

Levi Molenhour

Research Assistant 

Levi serves as a Research Assistant for Dr. Scott and had the idea for this conference. He will graduate this Spring with a B.S. in History with teaching certification.  He is currently working on his senior thesis, which is focused on the role of Kentucky as a Border State in the the Civil War (which is really interesting, feel free to find me at the conference and converse about it)!  Upon graduating, Levi will begin a Master's program at SIUE.  After another two years at SIUE, Levi plans to teach, make a difference in the way students are educated, and eventually pursue a doctoral degree.

Victoria  Mizel

Research Assistant 

Victoria also serves as a Research Assistant for Dr. Scott.  She will graduate this Spring with a B.S. in English Language & Literaure with teaching certification.  She loves conversations of all kinds; Midwestern weather; and the sweet, sweet moment when students authentically grasp a difficult concept.  Upon graduating, Victoria hopes to start her own adventure as a teacher in a classroom of her own,

Colin  Neumeyer

Language Arts Teacher, SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School

Colin Neumeyer isn't a teacher.  He's a superhero.  Colin once fought a bear, then ate it for dinner.  Chuck Norris is scared of Colin Neumeyer.  

Howard  Rambsy, Ph.D

Associate Professor of Englsh Language & Literature, SIUE.

Dr. Rambsy came to SIUE in 2003. He attended Tougaloo College in Mississippi as an undergraduate and earned his master's and Ph.D. in English at Pennsylvania State University. He has also studied in Ghana, Nigeria, France and New York City. He is passionate about modern black literature; visual literacy; textual scholarship (how book designs influence readers); and African American authors Richard Wright, Zora Neale Hurston and Colson Whitehead.

Dr. Rambsy will not be presenting at the conference, however he is in an integral member of the research team.

Bridget Nelson

English Teacher, SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School

It is commonly known in some circles that Bridget Nelson is an English teacher by day and rock star by night.  She is a raging feminist, runner, and a mother of dragons, aka basset hounds.  Bridget is involved in the East St. Louis History project at the Charter High.

Carolyn Kribs

Social Studies Teacher, SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School

Carolyn Kribs has been teaching at the Charter High School for nine years. She serves as the school’s universal PBIS coach, joint yearbook advisor, and project participant in the Moments in East St. Louis History Project.

Gina Washington

Director, SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School