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Faculty Profiles
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Helene Anthony, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Dr. Anthony holds a Ph.D. from Michigan State in Educational Psychology. She received a Masters of Art in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Massachusetts, as well as an International Relations from the University of Delaware. Her research interests include literacy instruction and inclusion strategies.
Richard Blumberg, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Dr. Blumberg holds a Ph.D.in Special Education and Rehabilitation from the University of Oregon, and an M.A. in Counseling from the University of San Francisco. He is currently Co-Director of the Career and Community Studies Program. He conducts research and has published articles and book chapters in the areas of Positive Behavioral Support, the Transition from School to Adult Life, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and the needs of individuals who are dully diagnosed with mental illness and intellectual disability.
Dallas Cheek, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Dr. Cheek earned his doctorate from Texas A&M in curriculum and instruction. His research interests include content area literacy at the secondary level. He has been on faculty at TCNJ since 1992.
Alan H. Cohen, Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Undergraduate Coordinator
Dr. Cohen obtained a Ph.D. from Temple University with research in the area of psycholinguistics and an M.A. in Speech and Language Pathology from the same university. His continuing research interests encompass a number of areas: 1) preservice training of regular and special education teacher candidates; 2) communication disorders; 3) use of "total communication" with students with disabilities; 4) language and communication problems in individuals with autism and related disabilities; 5) international aspects of special education.
Amy G. Dell, Ph.D., Professor and Department Chair
Amy Dell is director of the Adaptive Technology Center for New Jersey
Colleges, which is funded by the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education.
The Center provides information and training on the use of assistive
technology to improve the academic experiences of college students
who have disabilities. Dr. Dell also serves as editor-in -chief of
TECH-NJ: Technology, Educators & CHildren with disabilities -
New Jersey, and director of the Center for Assistive Technology &
Inclusive Education Studies. She received her Ph.D. from the University
of Rochester and has been a professor at TCNJ since 1983. http://adaptivetech.tcnj.edu
Dr. Dell, in collaboration with Jerry Petroff and Deborah Newton (Univ of Southern Connecticut), has recently authored the textbook Assistive Technology in the Classroom: Enhancing the School Experiences of Students with Disabilities published by Prentice Hall.
Noreen Moore, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Noreen Moore earned a Ph.D. in Literacy Education from the University of Delaware. Her current research interests are in K-12 writing strategies and instruction, writing and technology, and the vocabulary development of young children. Dr. Moore has presented her research at national and international literacy conferences. Her most recent publications include research on vocabulary instruction for preschool children.
Nadya Pancsofar, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Nadya Pancsofar received a doctorate from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Human Development and Psychological Studies. Her research focuses on parental language input to young children and home-school partnerships, with a particular emphasis on families and schools in low-wealth communities. Dr. Pancsofar has most recently published articles on father-child language interactions and their influence on child language development.
Jerry G. Petroff, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Jerry Petroff obtained a Ph.D. from Temple University in Psychological Studies in Special Education. He earned both his master and bachelor degrees from The College of New Jersey. He holds several New Jersey teaching certificates and is certified as a Supervisor of Special Education. Dr. Petroff's research interests include transition to post-secondary life for students with severe disabilities, early communication and family life. He has been on faculty since 2001.
Dr. Petroff, in collaboration with Amy Dell and Deborah Newton (Univ of Southern Connecticut), has recently authored the textbook Assistive Technology in the Classroom: Enhancing the School Experiences of Students with Disabilities published by Prentice Hall.
Shridevi Rao, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Graduate Coordinator
Shridevi Rao received her doctorate in Special Education from Syracuse University. She has a strong interest in qualitative research and has conducted and participated in studies based on this methodology. Her current interests are in the areas of inclusion, positive behavior supports, and family perspectives. She has published and made several presentations in these areas.
Kathleen M. Rotter, Ed.D., Assistant Professor
Dr. Rotter received her doctorate and master's degree from Rutgers University. She received her bachelor's degree from The College of New Jersey. Her research interests include special education law, the work of the Child Study Teams, assessment of pupils with educational disabilities; and teaching pupils with learning disabilities. Dr. Rotter was formerly a Director of Special Services and the coordinator of due process and mediation for the New Jersey Department of Education.
Jean Slobodzian, Ed.D., Associate Professor
Dr. Slobodzian received her doctorate from Rutgers University, her master's degree from the University of Connecticut, and her bachelor's degree from The College of New Jersey. She has extensive experience as a classroom teacher working with deaf and hard of hearing students. In addition, she holds national certification as a sign language interpreter and as a teacher of American Sign Language. Dr. Slobodzian combines a sociocultural lens with qualitative research methods to study identity development, cross-cultural relationships, and issues of equity. Embracing a configured concept that fuses pedagogy and scholarship, her research agenda also includes mentoring of students in community-based research projects.
Lynn Smith , Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Dr. Smith earned a B.S. in speech pathology and audiology from NYU, and a M.Ed. in education of the deaf from Smith College. She taught deaf children for several years before returning to university where she worked as a research associate in the field of speech perception of deaf children. Along the way, she earned a certificate of clinical competence in audiology from The American Speech, Language, and Hearing Association. She earned a Ph.D. in speech and hearing science from The City University of New York. Dr. Smith received the recognition of The Best of Audiology Literature from The American Academy of Audiology. At TCNJ, Dr. Smith served as chair of the Institutional Review Board for several years.
Kathryne Speaker, Ed.D., Associate Professor
Dr. Speaker earned her doctorate from Temple University in Early Childhood and Elementary Education, her master's from University of Virginia and her bachelor's degree from LaSalle University. Her research interests include: literacy and technology, storytelling and language acquisition, children's museums and learning environments, and school Violence. Her expertise is in literacy, storytelling, children's literature, early childhood education and preprofessional field experiences. Dr. Speaker's campus commitments include the Academic Integrity Committee, Faculty Senate and General Education Advisory Council. She is also a Faculty Fellow for the First Year Experience at TCNJ.
Barbara K. Strassman, Ed.D., Professor and Coordinator of the Program in Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Dr. Strassman is Coordinator of the Program in Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. She holds certification as a Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Reading Specialist, Teacher of Reading, and Principal/Supervisor. Her current research focuses on technology and writing instruction. Dr. Strassman has served on local Boards of Education and maintains an active role in several national and international organizations. She received her doctorate from Columbia University.
Jean
Wong, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Jean Wong earned a doctorate in Applied Linguistics from the University of California at Los Angeles. She teaches graduate courses and undergraduate TESL modules in the Teaching English as a Second Language program and in the Reading program. Her research interests include Conversation Analysis (CA), repair, and second language pedagogy. Aside from journal articles and book chapters, Dr. Wong (with Dr. Hansun Waring of Columbia University) is the author of: Conversation analysis and second language pedagogy (2010). New York: Routledge.
Yiqiang Wu,
Ph.D., Associate Professor and Graduate Coordinator of TESL
Yiqiang Wu received his doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on TESL/Bilingual Education from Texas A&M University and master's degree in English and Linguistics from the same university. His current research includes TESL/Bilingual instructional and learning strategies, L1 and L2 skill transfer, and trouble spots in L2 learning. His latest book is entitled Teaching English to Chinese Students Effectively. He has recently coauthored an English textbook for middle schools in China. He serves on the Council for the Education of Language Minority Students of the New Jersey Commission of Higher Education.
