“Watching Grace grow up, I learned that, while she wasn’t equipped to deal with certain things in life, she is so talented in many ways – it just shows up differently. Grace is so happy all the time and she has so many hobbies. She can twirl a baton for longer than anyone I’ve ever met and she’s a great swimmer too,” said Crowley.

Since the 8th grade, Crowley knew she had the skills and passion to pursue ľĂľĂČČ children with disabilities as a career path. She grew up with Grace her whole life, but as she got older, she started to notice differences in their developmental stages. She began to teach and aid Grace in her studies, helping her learn to spell and write.

“To me that was my cue that there are so many people out there that are being treated as if they can’t do things when it’s not true; they can do it. They just do it in a different way,” Crowley said.

Grace’s talents and struggles emphasized °ä°ů´Ç·É±ô±đ˛â’s desire to teach special education.

“Grace has the best handwriting, and she’s also excellent at remembering things,” she said. “Teaching Grace encouraged me to want to help others through this, because it’s difficult when students don’t have a teacher to encourage what they are already good at, and instead focuses just on the skills that they need to develop.”

Crowley was encouraged to explore Elon from one of her other family members, an alum of Elon’s Teaching Fellows program. She provided Crowley with a list of what to look for in the best ľĂľĂČČ programs as she started to explore colleges.

“Elon was the only school that had everything on the list. I have always genuinely enjoyed it here,” said Crowley. “Before I even got into the Teaching Fellows, I said to my mom, I think this is where I need to be.”

Crowley prides herself on being a “social butterfly” who enjoys meeting and talking with others.

“I’m always meeting new people and reaching out to them. I’m most proud of myself for meeting new people and making lasting connections. Meeting others through Teaching Fellows has been the highlight of my Elon experience,” she said.

As a lifelong dancer, Crowley has connected her creative passions and interest in special education with research and a minor in dance. Having previously conducted research in high school on how incorporating dance with individuals who have special needs can enhance their overall body function and awareness of their body, she plans to build on her knowledge by beginning research here at Elon.

“Originally, my research was just how dance can benefit those who have special needs, both physically and mentally. I want to hone that into my future profession and discover how it can work in a classroom setting,” she said.

Crowley is also involved in volunteer work with Alamance County schools through service with the “It Takes a Village” Project, a program to aid English as a second language for elementary students.

She says this volunteer work has been a catalyst for her future work as a teacher.

“Last spring, I was placed in a classroom working 30 hours a week, which was huge for me. It’s exciting, and it reinforces that this is what I want to do following graduation,” she said.

°ä°ů´Ç·É±ô±đ˛â’s Joey Brocato Memorial Teaching Fellows Scholarship was established by Elon parents Mike and Karen Brocato P’16, in memory of their son Joey. The Brocato family expressed to Crowley that they intentionally wanted to donate to a future educator who wanted to go into special education.

“To know that I’m privileged enough to be the one they want to give back to encourages me to work my hardest,” saoe Crowley. “I’m lucky enough to have met my donors, the Brocato family, last fall, to meet and talk. I’ll text them to check in and get updates. It’s nice to have that personal connection.”

She explained that her close relationship with her donors has only increased her drive to succeed and give back to her community and the children in it.

“Knowing them has pushed me to want to be better. Their story is so meaningful to me because of my cousin, Grace,” said Crowley. “To have that connection and know them only pushes me further to do the best I can because I want them to feel like they’re putting their money into something beneficial.

As a future educator, Crowley says she is aware of the obstacles in the field, one being lower pay.

“As a future educator, I’m aware that I am not going to be making a ton of money, but it doesn’t change the fact that this is what I want to do,” she said. “Being given this scholarship and the opportunity to learn and get all the experiences that I need to be a future educator, without the worry of having too much debt, has been such a big help.”

Elon students in Katie Baker’s MTH 2080 Number & Algebra for K-8 Teachers and EDU 4200 Mathematics Methods course, Heather Barker’s MTH 2090 Geometry & Data for K-8 Teachers and Emily Elrod’s MTH 3080 Mathematics & Statistics for Middle Grades & Secondary Teachers attended the North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCCTM) Annual Conference in November 2025.

ľĂľĂČČ in MTH 2080, 2090, and 3080 also presented at the conference and their conference experience was supported by the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education Dean’s Fund.

The Elon student presenters showcased their ideas for engaging mathematics tasks in the session “Preservice Teacher Power Hour: Fresh Lesson Ideas.”

Prospective math teachers from across the state presented new ideas for high-quality math tasks (elementary, middle and high school) that focus on developing students’ conceptual math understanding. Baker supported organization and facilitation of the session through her role as past-president of the North Carolina affiliate of the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators. Elrod supported the organization of this session, as well as the entire conference organization and orchestration through her current role as President of the NCCTM.

While at the conference, students attended sessions like Deborah Peart’s keynote on building mathematical identities and topics like using meaningful fraction models and number line use for building computational skills. Another topic of interest was exploring mathematical visions in the presentation Visualizing High-Quality Math Classrooms co-presented by Baker and Elon Teaching Fellow Sarah Copenhaver. This presentation overviewed findings from Copenhaver’s Inquiry Project and SURE 2025 data analysis phase about prospective teachers’ vision for K-5 mathematics classrooms that enact math tasks and discussions.

Katie Baker, associate professor of education and associate chair of the Department of Education and Wellness at ľĂľĂČČ’s Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education, has been selected as the 2026–28 . Baker will focus her research on ePortfolios as a high-impact educational practice.

CEL Scholars are faculty members who engage in sustained, multi-year inquiry around engaged learning practices, contributing to the center’s research, publications and national outreach. Baker’s work will draw on her extensive experience supporting ePortfolios in teacher education, particularly through her role as edTPA coordinator for Elon’s teacher preparation programs.

Since joining Elon in 2017, Baker has played a central role in implementing and sustaining the edTPA, a required performance-based ePortfolio assessment for teacher licensure in North Carolina. The edTPA requires teacher candidates to demonstrate their planning, instruction, and assessment through a digital portfolio that includes lesson artifacts, reflective commentary, and video recordings of classroom instruction. In her coordinator role, Baker supports teacher candidates, faculty and community-based clinical teachers across multiple content areas and licensure programs.

Baker’s scholarly work includes national and state-level presentations and publications on teacher education, mathematics education and performance-based assessment. She has served in leadership roles within the mathematics education community and has contributed to externally funded research focused on equitable and high-quality instruction. Her selection as a CEL Scholar enables her to build on this record of engaged scholarship and institutional leadership while exploring ePortfolio research and practices across other disciplinary contexts.

The Center for Engaged Learning supports research and dialogue on evidence-based ľĂľĂČČ practices that foster deep student learning. CEL Scholars play a key role in advancing that mission by connecting disciplinary expertise with broader conversations about engaged learning in higher education.
Baker will join an esteemed group of previous CEL Scholars, including David Buck, Caroline Ketcham, Amanda Kleintop, Ketevan Kupatadze, Buffie Longmire-Avital, Phillip Motley, Amanda Sturgill, Aaron Trocki and Cora Wigger. Applications for the 2027-29 CEL Scholar will open in Fall 2026.

Doherty is an Elon Teaching Fellows program alum who completed his ľĂľĂČČ studies in 2024, majoring in history with teacher licensure. As a current classroom teacher at Southern Alamance Middle School, he is a participant in the Teach for Alamance program and a student in the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education’s Master’s Degree in Innovation program. And now he’s a published author as well.

Doherty began his contribution to the research project as a part of his participation in the Elon Teaching Fellows program, and took ľĂľĂČČ research credit hours with both Drs. Carpenter and Morrison. He also participated in the Elon Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURE), which provided him dedicated time to work on data collection and analysis, as well as funds to compensate study participants.

The article can be found , and its abstract is as follows:

Before pre-service teachers (PSTs) enter educator preparation programs, their experiences as K-12 students shape their understanding of ľĂľĂČČ. Additionally, many aspiring teachers are exposed via social media to ideas, resources, and narratives about teachers and ľĂľĂČČ. To help explore and conceptualize how social media may be adding to PSTs’ knowledge and expectations of ľĂľĂČČ, we interviewed 28 PSTs about factors, experiences, and role models contributing to their understanding of ľĂľĂČČ. Participants reported having learned about ľĂľĂČČ through social media and demonstrated some awareness of the complexities and challenges of such learning. Most PSTs also valued content shared by teachers on social media but did not see these teachers as role models.

The reference for the article is as follows:

Carpenter, J. P., Morrison, S. A., & Doherty, G. T. (2025). Social media and pre-service teachers’ apprenticeships of observation. Journal of Research on Technology in Education. Advance online publication.

CATL Associate Directors serve staggered, four-year terms. In collaboration with the Center’s director and assistant director, the associate directors promote intentional, evidence-based ľĂľĂČČ and learning practices, contribute to university-wide initiatives related to ľĂľĂČČ and learning, and foster the scholarship of ľĂľĂČČ and learning at ľĂľĂČČ.

In addition to her classroom work, Winter has actively engaged in CATL’s faculty development programs, completing and then co-facilitating a community of practice for Elon’s Inclusive Teaching Certificate program, as well as participating in the Wellness Pedagogy Scholars program. Winter’s appointment as associate director of CATL reflects her dedication to faculty growth and student success. As associate director, Winter will contribute to CATL’s ongoing efforts to foster an inclusive, engaged and thriving ľĂľĂČČ and learning community at ľĂľĂČČ.

As a reflection of its commitment to supporting the holistic health of all students, faculty and staff, ľĂľĂČČ has formally announced plans to build a 135,000-square-foot facility within its Innovation Quad to support the broad spectrum of dimensions in its HealthEU initiative.

The HealthEU Center will become the second-largest building on campus behind Schar Center and will be a hub that combines academics with recreation, health and well-being offerings in support of the holistic growth of members of the university community. The design of the building prioritizes collaboration, connection and innovation.

“We understand that health and well-being are critical to the success not just of our students but also our faculty and staff,” President Connie Ledoux Book said. “This multifaceted facility will provide a wide range of support to our community and offer opportunities to connect with each other and with resources that support their growth and development.”

The three-story building will be built south of the Colonnades Neighborhood within the Innovation Quad, an area of campus that now includes Sankey Hall, Founders Hall and Innovation Hall. The multifunctional facility is rooted in the six dimensions of wellness through the HealthEU initiative — community, emotional, financial, physical, purpose and social.

The HealthEU Center will include offices and space for academic departments including Exercise Science, Education & Wellness and other faculty focused on health and wellness. Labs and spaces for interdisciplinary research will be included as will rooms designed for one-on-one and group fitness assessments, personal training, health and nutrition coaching, and financial literacy.

An expanded Counseling Services center will relocate to the new building in support of individual and group therapy with offerings including workshops and outreach programs. A HealthEU vending space will provide on-the-go wholesome options and a demonstration kitchen will support nutrition education efforts as a new resource for Elon’s Food Studies minor, which provides students the opportunity to study and synthesize concepts around food production, distribution and consumption from multiple perspectives. The demonstration kitchen will also serve as a venue for co-curricular health and nutrition coaching to promote healthy eating habits for students, faculty and staff.

The HealthEU Center will offer new campus recreation and fitness facilities including:

• A gymnasium with team and individual recreation spaces.
• An aquatics center with a collegiate competition-sized pool.
• Fitness, weight training and exercise space for groups and individuals.
• An indoor track.
• A climbing center with climbing and bouldering walls.
• Outdoor fitness center.

A physical therapy and athletic training clinic will be included as well as studios for individual and group meditation, mindfulness and yoga. Space will also be provided to support employee wellness programs.

Early conceptual renderings of the building depict architecture that complements Elon’s traditional collegiate aesthetic with a modern flourish, boasting swaths of large windows to create an open, welcoming space and showcase the activity within the building from the exterior. An expansive entry plaza, outdoor fitness areas and ample green space surround the building, while inside areas for fitness and athletics, nutrition, mental well-being, research, classrooms and offices can be found throughout the three floors. A significant portion of the second and third floors are open, so visitors can easily view the activity below at the pool, gymnasium courts and climbing areas.

Elon has set a $25 million fundraising goal to help make the HealthEU Center a reality. To date, donors have contributed more than $6.5 million to the project, said Jim Piatt, senior vice president for university advancement and external affairs. Among the generous donors to the project are alumni Mark ’98 and Kim Tyson ’99, of Monroe, North Carolina, who made a $3 million gift to name the counseling center in the building.

“We are actively engaged in a fundraising campaign to support the HealthEU Center in partnership with inspired donors who believe in the vision for the center and are committed to ensuring students have the skills they need to lead lives of meaning and purpose,” Piatt said.

The plans for the facility follow years of work at Elon including the 2016 report by the Presidential Task Force on Social Climate and Out-of-Class Engagement as well as the 2018 report by the Task Force on Student Wellness and Well-Being. The university appointed a group tasked with creating a vision for a new center on campus, and in 2022, the university launched the HealthEU initiative that is guided by the HealthEU Council and the new director of HealthEU iniatitives, Anu Räisänen, who starts at Elon in August.

Brad Moore, associate vice president for facilities and chief facilities officer, said the task force creating the vision for the new facility completed multiple visits to other university facilities. The visits included new buildings and renovated buildings, and while some tried to integrate multiple components into the facility, none went as far as what Elon was seeking to do, Moore said.

“What we found was that no one was doing exactly what we were planning on doing which was not only the practice of health and well-being, but the research and study and education around wellness and well-being,” Moore said.

Jon Dooley, vice president for student life, said many of the facilities on other college campuses are very student-focused, and Elon wanted to take a more expansive approach. “In our case, we’re thinking about this as a community of well-being that is supported by this facility,” Dooley said. “The goal is for this to be a resource to the entire university community — students, faculty and staff.”

Elon has been intentional with the design by fully integrating academic components into the facility to underscore the emphasis on collaboration and to help leverage the spaces within the facility for research purposes. Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Rebecca Kohn explains that the building was designed so that users move through different types of spaces on their way to their destination. For instance, the classrooms will be interspersed throughout the three floors of the building rather than placing them all in one area.

“There’s exercise equipment spread throughout the building,” Kohn said. “Faculty offices won’t necessarily be next to classrooms, and faculty and staff offices related to health and wellness will be intermixed.”

For instance, a person heading to the third floor for a financial literacy class may pass the gym, the offices for counseling services and an exercise science lab. The goal is to help people see the connection between these different elements and how they impact a person’s overall wellness and well-being.

“We’d like this to be a space that draws all faculty, staff and students into it so that everyone can see something about this building that they want and need to be part of,” Kohn said.

Construction of the HealthEU Center will begin in the fall, with Samet Corp. serving as construction manager. Plans call for the building to open in 2026.

In her article “,” reporter Chantal Brown with educational news outlet talked with experienced educators who focus on students with learning differences to see how AI can be utilized. Among those Brown spoke with was Associate Professor of Education Stephen Byrd, who is the program coordinator for special education at Elon.

Byrd told Brown that he’s conscious of the fact that using AI and technology in the classroom can be controversial, but that it’s important that students with learning differences be exposed to how to responsibly use the technology as well and to see how it can support their educational development. “We also know that it’s very important that all of our students have access to technology, not just students without disabilities, but students with disabilities, so that they can have the maximum opportunity to learn so that they’ll not be behind in this area,” Byrd told Brown.

for more.

Trez and Rein represent the first cohort to complete Teach for Alamance, a program established in 2023 by the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education at ľĂľĂČČ to recruit and retain top talent to local public schools.

In exchange for a two-year commitment to teach in the Alamance-Burlington School System, new Elon graduates receive a full scholarship to the university’s Master of Education in Innovation program, as well as a small annual stipend to help with living expenses.

Teach for Alamance participants grow their knowledge of innovative approaches to ľĂľĂČČ, deepen their knowledge of educational research, and develop a broader understanding of the way that young people use technology to learn and connect with peers.

“It’s important for ľĂľĂČČ and the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education to support the very schools in our community that help us prepare teacher candidates for successful careers,” said Dean Ann Bullock. “By providing a program to entice graduates to stay and teach here, we strengthen those relationships, which benefits all involved.”

Introducing the 2023-2025 Teach for Alamance Fellows

Matt Trez ’23 G’25
Eighth Grade Social Studies
Turrentine Middle School

“Any opportunity I get to step up my game is something I’m going to take.”

Matt Trez joined the Elon Phoenix football team in 2019 as a preferred walk-on offensive lineman. Then came COVID. With time to assess his goals, the Connecticut native hung up his cleats and switched majors from finance to education. He needn’t look far for inspiration.

“My mom loves her ľĂľĂČČ job more than anything,” Trez said. “She loves her kids. And I had to make a decision between possibly sitting at a desk for the rest of my life or a job where I could connect with people and build relationships.”

Student ľĂľĂČČ led Trez to an opportunity to help coach football for Williams High School in Burlington. How could he not jump at the eventual full-time job offer to teach eighth grade at nearby Turrentine Middle School? More than a career, Trez had discovered a community filled with the very children of faculty and staff who’d mentored him at Elon.

“My kids are on the cusp of becoming young adults. Having a part in their formation is really, really interesting,” he said. “I also love that I’ll get to see these kids grow into their own and flourish once they go off to a high school where I coach.”

The Teach for Alamance program simply made sense. “It’s a dream deal,” Trez said. “The people at Elon during my ľĂľĂČČ studies really cared about making sure we made it to the finish line. I feel like I’m getting that same support now. I don’t want my educational journey to stop. I’m always going to do what I can to get to that next level and better myself.”

Zoë Rein ’23 G’25
Ninth Grade English and Language Arts
Eastern Alamance High School

“I always loved learning and I wanted to keep learning and do a job I thought would be different every single day.”

Freshman year of high school was tough for Zoë Rein. Her family had just moved to Colorado from their longtime home in Kansas City, and the quiet teenager was lacking confidence in her new environs. She soon met teachers who encouraged her love of the language arts and the passion for poetry she’d harbored since reading Emily Dickinson as a child.

Rein’s college search would lead her to Elon and an Honors Program with the flexibility to double major in mathematics and English with teacher licensure. She today teaches language arts and advises a poetry club at Eastern Alamance High School.

“Writing is what makes me feel like I’m helping students do something they’ll be able to do for the rest of their lives, something that helps them empower themselves and find a voice,” Rein said. “That’s the thing that brought me out of my shell.”

Rein hadn’t planned on graduate school so soon after starting her career. A self-described “huge researcher,” she wanted to work for a time, then pursue answers to questions drawn from classroom experiences. But earning a master’s degree on a full scholarship? Turned out that Teach for Alamance was too good to turn down.

Rein notes other benefits to pursuing a master’s degree as a rookie teacher. The program reinforces concepts learned as an ľĂľĂČČ and students have access to faculty who provide advice for overcoming the rough moments all new educators face.

“Some days it can be really hard to remind myself of all the things I know are pedagogically good,” Rein said. “Reading again about effective ľĂľĂČČ helps me reframe what I need to do.”

About the Master of Education in Innovation program

ľĂľĂČČ’s 30-hour Master of Education in Innovation program is a part-time, distance education program designed for teachers who are active educators in the K-12 setting delivered online in the summer, spring and fall semesters.

The M.Ed program is intentionally designed to disrupt practitioners’ traditional concepts of schooling and move teachers toward more progressive visions and praxis. Candidates are:

• Introduced to a range of progressive student-centered pedagogies such as project-based learning and place-based education
• Asked to reimagine education within a constructivist framework, allowing for equitable learning opportunities that are respectful and responsive of students’ backgrounds
• Offered opportunities to experiment in their own practice with innovative pedagogies

Twenty-one education programs from 15 states and the United Arab Emirates received CAEP’s 2023 Frank Murray Leadership Recognition for Continuous Improvement, named after the founding president of the Teacher Education Accreditation Council, a precursor to CAEP.

Recipients are selected from educator preparation providers granted accreditation by CAEP at the initial level from the previous year, who provided a full complement of evidence with demonstrated data trends and no stipulations or areas for improvement.

“There is no greater privilege than preparing young people for careers in education,” said Ann Bullock, the Dr. Jo Watts Williams Dean of Education at ľĂľĂČČ. “Our faculty are second to none in their commitment to excellence. This award underscores ongoing efforts to ensure our teacher candidates excel as they follow their professional calling into school classrooms.”

CAEP was created by the consolidation of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the TEAC. Murray was a key advocate for a single set of educator preparation standards to unify the profession and was instrumental in the merger.

“Frank Murray was passionate about education preparation, a prominent leader in our profession, and an advocate for evidence to improve education,” said Yuhang Rong, chair of the CAEP Board of Directors. “The providers that CAEP is recognizing are committed to continuous improvement and preparing their students to succeed in a diverse range of classrooms after they graduate. Murray Leadership Recognition recipients should be proud of their accomplishments.”

CAEP has accredited 541 educator preparation providers in 43 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates.

“This fifth class to receive the Murray Recognition represents the diversity and innovation that comes with CAEP accreditation,” said CAEP President Christopher Koch. “These recipients reflect the innovation that CAEP affords in achieving excellence, by meeting the standards in a variety of ways, for the diverse populations they serve.”

2023 Frank Murray Recognition for Continuous Improvement

• Al Ain University—United Arab Emirates
• Alcorn State University—Mississippi
• ľĂľĂČČ—North Carolina
• Florida Atlantic University
• Georgia Gwinnett College
• Grace College—Indiana
• Kent State University—Ohio
• Liberty University—Virginia
• Mississippi State University
• Missouri Western University
• North Carolina State University
• Northwest Nazarene University—Idaho
• Sam Houston State University—Texas
• Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
• Spelman College—Georgia
• The University of Mississippi
• University of South Carolina Beaufort
• Valley City State University—North Dakota
• Virginia Wesleyan University
• Western Oregon University
• Williams Baptist University—Arkansas

Part of the Vernon Press Series in Education, “” brings together diverse voices of educators (inside and outside of formal educational spaces), students, activists and artists, including those often marginalized in the formal academic process of knowledge creation, to highlight justice-forward approaches to ľĂľĂČČ and learning.

Organized around the Toward a Liberating Learning Spirit (TALLS) model for developing critical consciousness, developed by Stephens and co-editor Laura Pipe, the chapters feature a range of styles from academic scholarship to personal essays, author interviews, graphic literature, folktales, hip-hop lyricism and other diverse forms of knowledge creation and dissemination.

The structure of the book was an intentional choice to decolonize (as much as possible in the book publishing process) what is traditionally held as valid academic scholarship. In these varied forms, the chapter authors provide a foundational context for decolonizing education in ways that seek to disrupt academically detached approaches to learning, elevate learner narratives as acts of unlearning, apply experiential and justice-forward direct action to the learning process, and examine the concept of liberation in lived context. This book serves as a call to action to “ignite” a process of undoing (to any extent possible) practices of colonization in education.

“Ignite” is available for purchase at Vernon Press, Amazon, and other major book retailers. Members of the Elon community can save 24% by ordering direct from Vernon Press using code CFC59011C51E at checkout.