2026 - 2027 GTE Fellows
Dr. Yousra Abourehab is an Assistant Professor in Teaching, Learning, and Sociocultural Studies with affiliation to the Graduate Interdisciplinary program in Second Language Acquisition and Teaching at the University of Arizona. She holds a Ph.D. with a focus on multilingual/global education and second language acquisition and teaching from the University of Arizona. Her research interests include multilingualism/global education, community-based learning, and language planning policy. Her peer-reviewed articles have appeared in journals such as Applied Linguistics, Action in Teacher Research, International Journal of Play, Current Issues in Language Planning, and Multilingual and Multicultural Development, among others.
Dr. Abourehab is also directing the undergraduate Global Education Minor at the College of Education. She has been teaching pre-service teachers in the Elementary Education program where she offers courses in language acquisition, assessment and instruction for multilingual learners, and literacy methods. In Fall 2026, she will teach and revise TLS 323 Literacy Methods: Reading Focus to incorporate global perspectives and promote linguistically and culturally responsive practices across global cultures and communities. This course is for preservice teachers earning an Elementary Education (K-8) degree with ESL endorsement. Dr. Abourehab will be mentored by Dr. Mary Curran of Rutgers University.
Dr. Candice Byers is an Assistant Professor in the College of Education and Professional Studies at Jacksonville State University. Dr. Byers earned her Ph.D. from The University of Alabama at Birmingham in Educational Studies in Diverse Populations. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the Secondary Education Program. Her focus is English Language Arts, and she serves as the ELA Program Chair. She also coordinates the Senior Practicum field experiences for undergraduate and graduate secondary education students. She works extensively with teacher candidates and teaches courses on content literacy, teaching writing, teaching literature, literacy theory, and English Language Arts methods. Additionally, she supervises pre-service teachers during student teaching. Her research interests include multicultural young adult literature, adolescent girls, rural education, and mentorship. She is dedicated to preparing teacher candidates to engage students using global perspectives and inclusive, culturally responsive approaches. She sees global education as essential to empowering future educators to create meaningful connections across cultures and communities.
Dr. Byers will revise her Spring 2027 ESE 433 Teaching Literature course which is required for all Secondary English Language Arts majors. She will be mentored by Dr. Kathy Short of the University of Arizona.
Dr. Josef Donnelly is an Assistant Professor of Education at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. He earned his doctorate in Social Studies Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. At UH Hilo, he teaches courses on Social Studies Methods, Educational Foundations, and Learner Development. His research focuses on teacher education, place-based education, and the educational experiences of immigrant and Pacific Islander students.
Dr. Donnelly has multiple global education experiences. As a Peace Corps Volunteer, he lived and taught on Oneop Atoll in Chuuk State, Federated States of Micronesia, developing a deep commitment to place-consciousness and culturally sustaining education. Following his Peace Corps service, he taught in the South Bronx at a school for recently arrived immigrants. He is also a Fulbright recipient for the Teaching Global Classrooms program, during which he conducted fieldwork and taught in Chennai, India. He is planning to revise two courses this year Secondary LA/SS Pedagogy and Foundations of Education. Dr. Donnelly will be mentored by Dr. Erik Byker of the University of North Carolina, Charlotte.
Gayle Evans is a Clinical Associate Professor of Science Education at the University of Florida; and teaches Explorations in STEM Teaching, Classroom Interactions in STEM, Project Based Instruction and Apprentice Teaching in Secondary STEM. As program coordinator for the UFTeach STEM+C teacher education program, she coordinates field placements for UFTeach students and serves as university field supervisor and advisor for UFTeach science. She received her Ph.D in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Florida. Her specialization is science education, centered around teacher learning, from pre-service teacher education to the lifelong learning and professional growth of practicing teachers. She is committed to helping teachers plan curricula that meet the demands of state and national science standards while also actively engaging students in scientific inquiry. Guided by teacher preparation standards set by the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) and the Association of Science Teacher Educators (ASTE), Dr. Evans leads prospective teachers in developing pedagogical content knowledge for teaching science, attending to how learning environments cultivate relevant, safe and challenging opportunities for science learning and achievement, and developing professional knowledge and teaching proficiency. Dr Evans has been implementing COIL Virtual Exchange in the past two spring semesters with a partner from Universidad Pedagógica Nacional Francisco Morazán, Honduras to help students cultivate broader perspectives of how educators meet student needs across cultures and build connections with international colleagues. Dr. Evans will be revising SMT3301C: Classroom Interactions in STEM (Science section) to be taught in the spring 2027 semester. Dr. Evans will be mentored by Dr. Sumudu Lewis of the University of Massachusetts, Lowell.
Joe Terantino is an associate professor of Second Language Education and English Language Learning in the School of Teaching, Learning & Educational Sciences at Oklahoma State University. Dr. Terantino's chief goal in higher education is to assist in the development of quality teachers. To accomplish this, his teaching activities are designed to meaningfully connect students to aspects of real-world teaching and student learning that enable them to achieve mastery of key skills and concepts. He frequently teaches a variety of courses for initial teacher certification, including classroom management, secondary methods, language teaching methods, and advocacy and leadership, in addition to doctoral level courses on English learner education and artificial intelligence. His research focuses on language teaching and learning, the meaningful integration of instructional technologies and artificial intelligence in education, and the development of students' intercultural competence. He is passionate in his support for global education and therefore dedicates himself to establishing international partnerships (Belize, China, Costa Rica, Japan, Korea, Mexico), offering study abroad opportunities (Belgium, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Mexico, Spain) and integrating the development of students’ intercultural competence into coursework. Joe will be revising CIED Introduction to English Learners for Secondary Teachers in Spring of 2027. He will be mentored by Dr. Nilufer Guler of Jacksonville State University.
Sarah Thomas is a professor and chairperson of the Secondary Education and Education Leadership Program at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts. She received her doctorate from Boston University in Boston, MA and prior to that, spent 15 years teaching English Language Arts and ESL both in the USA and abroad. Sarah’s research interests include social justice in schools, pre-service teacher preparation, cultural competence in novice teachers, and the use of young adult novels in the ELA and ESL classroom. She is interested in global education and serves as an International Initiatives Fellow at BSU. In addition to teaching, Sarah serves on the board of greenlight for girls, an international NGO dedicated to inspiring girls to pursue STEM subjects. Sarah will be revising EDHM 336: Foundations in Sheltered English Immersion: The Education and Assessment of Diverse Populations. She will be mentored by David Schwarzer of Montclair State University.