Educational Leadership Faculty & Staff
List of Faculty & Staff
- Dr. James Ferrell, Associate Professor / Department Chair; School Administration
- Dr. Alesha Baker, Associate Professor / Program Chair - Library Media
- Dr. Renee L. Cambiano, Professor / Program Chair - Instructional Leadership (Pk-12 Teaching) / Leadership
- Dr. Ron Cambiano, Assistant Professor
- Dr. Kelli Carney, Associate Professor
- Dr. Maria Gray, Associate Professor
- Dr. Kari Henry Hulett, Assistant Professor
- Dr. Heidi W. Jenkins, Assistant Professor
- Dr. Barbara Jones, Assistant Professor
- Dr. Paula Schornick, Professor
- Dr. Sophia Burch, Professor
Dr. James Ferrell, Associate Professor; Chair
Directory Profile/Contact Information for Dr. Ferrell
Dr. Ferrell is an Assistant Professor of Education and Chair of the Educational Leadership department and School Administration program. He graduated from Oklahoma City University in 1992 where he majored in history. He received a master's degree in history from the University of Central Oklahoma in 2000, and earned his doctorate from Oklahoma State University in 2008.
Professional Experience
After receiving his teaching credentials from the University of Central Oklahoma, Dr. Ferrell began teaching social studies and Spanish at Union City Schools in western Oklahoma. After passing the state certification exams for principal and superintendent he moved to Stillwater where he began working on his doctorate at Oklahoma State University. After a short stint working at Agra Public Schools where he taught social studies and Spanish, Dr. Ferrell accepted a teaching position at Caney Valley Public Schools where he taught Spanish. After two years of working in the classroom, he accepted the position of middle school principal and served in that capacity for six years.
Service and Scholarship
Dr. Ferrell's research interests include poverty and the impact that can have on education, school curriculum, school reform, and equity issues.
Dr. Alesha Baker, Associate Professor
Directory Profile/Contact Information for Dr. Alesha Baker
Dr. Alesha Baker is an Assistant Professor in the Library Media and Information Technology program on the Broken Arrow campus. She completed her Ph.D. in Educational Technology from Oklahoma State University with a cognate in Online Teaching. Dr. Baker earned her Master of Science degree in Library Media and Information Technology in 2011 and her Bachelor of Science degree in Special Education in 1999, both from Northeastern State University.
Professional Experience
Dr. Baker taught in the public schools for 13 years, 10 years as a special education teacher and three years as a school librarian. She also has experience teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses which include multiple Library Science courses, Academic Strategies, and Applications of Educational Technology. Dr. Baker currently serves as chair for the Master of Science in Library Media and Information Technology program at Northeastern State University.
Service and Scholarship
Dr. Baker's publications and conference presentations include topics in open educational resources and teacher professional development. She received a research fellowship from the Open Education Group and has presented at local, national, and international conferences.
Dr. Renée Cambiano, Professor
Directory Profile/Contact Information for Dr. Renee Cambiano
Dr. Renée L. Cambiano is a tenured Professor of Education on the Tahlequah campus. She holds a doctorate in adult and vocational education from the University of Arkansas, a M.S. in instruction and curriculum leadership from the University of Memphis, and a B.S. in biology with a fisheries emphasis from Northeastern State University.
Professional Experience
Before coming to Northeastern State University, Dr. Cambiano was a Visiting Assistant Professor for the Department of Educational Leadership at the University of Arkansas where she taught Educational Research and Elementary Statistics and Data Processing for several doctoral programs. Dr. Cambiano has been a faculty member at NSU since 2000 and has served as the Department Chair for Educational Foundations and Leadership, Faculty Council President, President's Executive Council, and Graduate Council chair as well as many other University and College level committees. Dr. Cambiano's teaching field includes learning-centric pedagogy, adult learning, learning styles, brain-based learning, instructional strategies, educational and action research, and she is Dunn and Dunn Learning Styles Certified. She continues to serve as the outside research methods member of several doctoral students' dissertation committees. Dr. Cambiano currently serves as program chair for the Master of Science in Leadership program at Northeastern State University.
Service and Scholarship
Dr. Cambiano has published and presented at regional, national, and international conferences. She has published chapters such as Infusing yourself into the backstory: A multidimensional case study perspective, Sequencing instruction in global Learning communities and Learning styles relating to adult students. Her research interests include equity-based learning, learning-centric pedagogy , innovative immersive learning environments, cultivating global-minded citizens, online instruction, curriculum reform, the ubiquitous infusion thinking (UIT) strategy, internationalizing teacher education, community-based leadership, reform, and educational equity. She has received Graduate Faculty Mentor of the Year Award in 2019, the NSU Circle of Excellence in Research, the College of Education Outstanding Faculty in Research and Service, Oklahoma Higher Education Conference Innovation in Teaching and Learning award and in 2016 received the President's Model the Way award.
Dr. Ron Cambiano, Assistant Professor
Directory Profile/Contact Information for Dr. Ron Cambiano
Dr. Ron Cambiano is an Assistant Professor of Education on the Tahlequah campus. Dr. Cambiano earned his Bachelor's and Master's Degrees from the University of Tulsa and his Doctorate of Philosophy degree in Organizational Leadership from the University of New Mexico.
Professional Experience
Dr. Cambiano served as NSU Dean of Student Affairs for more than 20 years. Currently, he serves as Special Assistant to the NSU president to whom he reports and works on a regular basis. His main functions are to work with the president to provide leadership and oversight for key planning and implementation processes that impact teaching, research, and service functions at NSU.
Service and Scholarship
Dr. Cambiano coordinates the university's efforts for the Northeast Oklahoma Regional Planning and Making Place Matter efforts where the university has made a commitment to the region to establish alliances for regional stewardship. Dr. Cambiano also serves as the NSU liaison to the Cherokee Nation, working closely with the Principal Chief, Secretaries of State, Leadership, Education, Career Services, Cultural Resources, and the Tribal Council.
Dr. Kelli Carney, Professor
Directory Profile/Contact Information for Dr. Kelli Carney
Dr. Kelli Carney, Professor of Library Media, joined the faculty at Northeastern State University in 2012. Dr. Carney earned her PhD in Curriculum Studies from Oklahoma State University in 2013. She is an alumnus of NSU, earning degrees in both Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education (1998), as well as a Master's degree in Education (2002) and Library Media Certification (2005). She currently serves as the Assistant Dean for the College of Education.
Professional Experience
Following her degrees at NSU, Dr. Carney earned National Board Certification in Library Media in 2007. Dr. Carney has over 13 years of experience in the public schools, which includes teaching fourth grade for six years and serving as a school librarian for seven years.
Service and Scholarship
She is an active member of the Oklahoma Library Association and the American Library Association as well as the Oklahoma School Librarians (OKSL) and the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) divisions. She also serves as the faculty sponsor for the Library Media & Information Technology Student Association (LMITSA) at NSU and enjoys her time spent mentoring and advising school librarian candidates.
Her research interests include children's reading motivation, reading attitudes, perceptions of school librarian roles, and developing empathy with literature.
Dr. Maria Gray, Associate Professor
Directory Profile/Contact Information for Dr. Maria Gray
Dr. Maria Gray joined the faculty of NSU in 2015 and is Associate Professor in the Master of Science in Leadership program in the Educational Leadership department at the NSU Broken Arrow campus. Before joining the College of Education faculty at NSU, Dr. Gray worked 15 years as a Communications Instructor at Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology (OSUIT). Dr. Gray earned her Bachelor of Arts in English and her Master's of Science in College Teaching the Language Arts from Northeastern State University. In 2007, she earned her Doctorate in Higher Education Administration from Oklahoma State University.
Professional Experience
Dr. Gray has taught in higher education for over 20 years. She has experience teaching traditional, online, and blended courses, having worked at Tulsa Community College, University of Arkansas, and Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology. Dr. Gray has taught and developed undergraduate courses in English, humanities, technical writing, public speaking, human resources, and computer literacy; graduate courses taught and developed by Dr. Gray include higher education administration, leadership, and research.
Service and Scholarship
Dr. Gray's publications and conference presentations include topics in technology in education, online learning, classroom management, leadership, women in leadership, and English Composition. She has served on department, college, institution, and state committees as director of online course reviews, curriculum co-chair, assessment coordinator, and committee member for the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education English PASS Standards Review. Dr. Gray is a certified Phi Theta Kappa Leadership Instructor, and she serves as course facilitator for the Online Educator Course 1 in the Center for Teaching and Learning at NSU. . Dr. Gray has been recognized with the College of Education Outstanding Faculty in Advising/Mentoring Award, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Online Excellence Award, the John & Susanne Roueche Excellence in Teaching Award, and the OSU A&M Regents Distinguished Teaching Award.
Dr. Kari Henry Hulett, Assistant Professor
Directory Profile/Contact Information for Dr. Kari Henry Hulett
Dr. Kari D. Henry Hulett joined NSU in 2021. Dr. Henry Hulett teaches and mentors in the Master of Education in Instructional Leadership program, where she also serves as program chair. Her instructional areas include methods and strategies for teaching and learning, motivation, learning, and leadership, instructional technology, and online teaching and learning. Dr. Henry Hulett holds a Ph.D. in Leadership from University of the Cumberlands. She earned her Masters of Education in Educational Technology from American College of Education, and her Bachelor of Arts in English Education from Northeastern State University.
Professional Experience
Dr. Henry Hulett has a passion for teaching and learning, with over 20 years of teaching experience spanning k12 education through college and adult continuous learning in both traditional and online learning modalities. Her public school teaching experiences are varied, ranging from 5-12th grades; she has taught courses in Reading, English, Science, Journalism, and Family and Consumer Sciences.
Before coming to NSU, Dr. Henry Hulett worked at Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology (OSUIT), where she served as the founding Director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning, directing faculty development and distance learning programs. She also taught English courses in the School of Arts, Sciences, & Health.
Service and Scholarship
Dr. Henry Hulett has presented at state and national conferences on various topics, including leadership in the classroom, technology in education, professional development and teacher self-efficacy, and quality in distance learning.
She is a certified peer reviewer for Quality Matters and serves as a peer reviewer for Lilly Conferences, the Association of Educational Communications and Technology, Action in Teacher Education, and the Online Learning Consortium.
Dr. Heidi W. Jenkins, Assistant Professor
Directory Profile/Contact Information for Dr. Heidi Jenkins
Dr. Heidi W. Jenkins is an Assistant Professor in the Library Media and Information Technology program on the Broken Arrow campus. She completed her Ph.D. in Education: Curriculum Studies from Oklahoma State University with a cognate in Educational Technology in 2018. Dr. Jenkins earned her Master of Library and Information Studies from the University of Oklahoma in 2004 and her Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Education: Biological Sciences in 1990 from the University of Vermont.
Professional Experience
Dr. Jenkins taught in the public schools for 29 years, 10 years as a science teacher and nineteen years as a school librarian. She also has experience teaching graduate courses in Library Media and other educators in varied educational technology software and hardware.
Service and Scholarship
Dr. Jenkins’ has published and presented at conferences on the topics of nonviolence education as well as mental illness in young adult literature. She has received numerous grants to further educational technology at the public school level and has served on library committees and as a mentor to future librarians.
Dr. Barbara Jones, Assistant Professor
Directory Profile/Contact Information for Dr. Barbara Jones
Dr. Barbara Jones holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education, a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education and a Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma in instructional leadership and academic curriculum. She is a certified elementary principal and classroom teacher in early childhood, elementary, and MS Language Arts.
Barbara and her husband Ron have three children, a daughter-in-law and son-in-law, a grandson and granddaughter, two dogs, Sisse, a black lab, and Louie, a standard poodle. She serves as a praise singer and Sunday school teacher at her church, enjoys RVing, and cooking for family and friends in her free time. She enjoys coffee breaks, reading, new recipes, and spending time with her grandbabies, Jax and Della.
Professional Experience
Before her employment with Northeastern State University, Dr. Jones worked at Broken Arrow Public Schools as a site principal. Barbara has been an adjunct Instructor and University Supervisor working with pre-service teachers at the University of Oklahoma in Tulsa for the past five years. She is excited to be serving her alma mater as a full-time faculty member in the College of Education.
Service and Scholarship
Her current research interests include how elementary principals can better support early childhood teachers and students, school funding, and raising student achievement through school improvement strategies and curriculum development.
Dr. Paula Schornick, Professor
Directory Profile/Contact Information for Dr. Paula Schornick
Dr. Paula Schornick is a tenured Associate Professor of Education, Co-Chair of the School Administration program and offices on the Broken Arrow campus. She received a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in 2008 from the University of Oklahoma, a Master's Degree in School Administration in 1997 from the University of Oklahoma, and a Bachelor's Degree in Secondary Mathematics Education in 1994 from Northeastern State University.
Professional Experience
Dr. Schornick has served 23 years in education including working as a high school mathematics teacher and head coach, college mathematics instructor, high school administrator, university director, and university assistant and associate professor. She is very involved in exercise and fitness and teaches both indoor spin classes and group fitness classes in Claremore.
Service and Scholarship
Dr. Schornick provides test preparation seminars for students throughout the state and has served as a consultant for Cameron University. Dr. Schornick also works closely with future principals and superintendents across the state to prepare them for the Oklahoma principal and certification exams. Her research interests include instructional leadership and professional development.
Dr. Sophia Burch, Professor
Directory Profile/Contact Information for Dr. Sophia Burch
Dr. Burch teaches all the best classes, including action research, advanced educational measurements (assessment), teaching methods, and thesis/capstone for the Instructional Leadership program. When she isn’t teaching, she’s reading and thinking about teaching and learning, which is best done in her kayak or on her paddleboard.
Professional Experience
Dr. Burch earned a Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction with an emphasis in science education from the University of Arkansas. She also has master's degrees in both biology (plant ecology) and early childhood education. She spent over a decade teaching in the early childhood classroom, as a Montessori pre-primary (ages 3-6) certified Montessori teacher, and served as an education outreach coordinator for the state, creating and implementing programs in water quality and water safety. She worked as a field biologist the past several summers, conducting plant surveys and monitoring American Burying Beetle populations. In the past, she has taught zoology, botany, chemistry, and early childhood and elementary education courses at the university level.
Service and Scholarship
Dr. Burch's research interests include science with young children, teaching practices, and research and assessment methods. She has published and presented on topics including science in the early childhood and elementary classroom, curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment. She has served in various leadership positions in accreditation for the institution and educator preparation programs.
