2019 - 2020 Fellows

Elena Aydarova holds a PhD in Curriculum, Instruction, and Teacher Education from Michigan State University. Dr. Aydarova is an Assistant Professor of Social Foundations in the College of Education at Auburn University. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in social foundations of education, including Diversity of Learners and Learning Settings as well as Modern Education and Comparative Perspectives. Her research focuses on educational reforms in the context of global neoliberal transformations in education, exploring such issues as global trends in privatization of teacher education, teacher preparation for culturally and linguistically diverse students, as well as internationalization of education in the U.S.


Michael Kopish is an Associate Professor of Teacher Education at Ohio University. He taught high school social studies for 10 years before earning his doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Wisconsin-Madison with an emphasis in social studies education. At Ohio University he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in social studies education and global education. Dr. Kopish’s research interests include service learning, global citizenship education, civic engagement, and inclusive classroom practices in social studies.


Minda Morren López earned her Ph.D. in Culture, Literacy, and Language from the University of Texas, San Antonio.  Currently, she is associate professor of literacy and serves as associate chair of the Curriculum and Instruction Department.  She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses to preservice and inservice teachers and literacy specialists in reading, writing, multicultural education, and language acquisition.  Her award-winning dissertation examined language ideologies and biliteracy practices in Spanish-English Two-Way Immersion schools in Texas.  She continues to publish mixed-methods research on topics such as equity, ideologies, literacies, language acquisition, multicultural/multilingual education, and teacher preparation and development.


Adriana Laza Medina is an associate professor of Reading Education in the Cato College of Education's Reading and Elementary Education Department at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She received her Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education from Peabody College for Teachers at Vanderbilt University. She has her master’s degree in Reading Education from Florida International University and her doctorate in Reading from University of Miami.  Dr. Medina teaches courses in content area literacy, comprehension, reading assessment and intervention, and teaching reading to English language learners. She serves as Chair of her College's Internationalization Committee and as secretary for the University’s Mu Chapter of Phi Beta Delta International Honor Society.


Christina Noel is an Associate Professor of special education at Western Kentucky University.  In 2015, she earned her Ph.D. in Special Education from Vanderbilt University.  Dr. Noel teaches graduate and undergraduate level courses for preservice teachers, including an introduction to special education course and a behavior and classroom management course



Chang Pu is an Associate Professor of Teacher Education (ESOL) and the ESOL Endorsement Program coordinator at Berry College. She received her Phd in Culture, Literacy, and Language from the University of Texas, San Antonio. At Berry College, Chang teaches ESOL endorsement and TEFL courses, and Multicultural Education at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Chang’s research interests include English as a second language education, bilingual education, heritage language education, and teacher education. She also collaborates with international schools and English immersion schools in China, providing preservice teachers teaching abroad internship opportunities and helping preservice teachers develop intercultural competence.


Jacqueline Yahn is an assistant professor and the Middle Childhood Education Program Coordinator for Ohio University’s Eastern Campus. She earned her doctoral degree in educational administration with a special focus on rural education from Ohio University. Dr. Yahn teaches coursework in middle childhood education, adolescent and children’s literature, and reading instruction and development. Her primary areas of scholarship are policy and leadership issues in rural schools and communities.  Yahn’s work often focuses on school funding in rural areas, as well as the influence rural industries have on school and community vitality.