As we begin a new school year, we are excited to welcome new faculty to the School of Teaching and Learning (TCH). Dr. Ling Hao, Dr. Michael Young, Dr. Richard Bex, and doctoral candidate Treyce’ Gaston-Spear bring extensive research expertise in bilingual children’s literacy, equity in the classroom, and digital STEM learning.
Dr. Ling Hao
Dr. Ling Hao has joined the School of Teaching and Learning as an assistant professor. She will teach TCH 208 Reading & Language Development and TCH 264 Language Arts Instruction Strategies.
She received her Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning from the University of South Carolina and her master’s degree in Reading Education from the University of Florida.
The professor’s research interests include literacies in families, multimodal literacies, reading assessment, and children’s literature. Her work focuses on exploring emergent bilingual children’s multimodal meaning-making processes and promoting the literacy development of students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
During her doctoral study, she received several awards from the University of South Carolina, including the Dera D. Parkinson Fellowship and Bryant A. & Jacqueline F. Meeks Scholarship. Starting in 2019, she served as an external review board member for the Journal of Language and Literacy Education. She is the guest co-editor of a special theme issue for English Journal (NCTE).
Hao’s research has been published in journals that include Talking Points, Literacy, Language Arts, Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, and Bilingual Research Journal. She is co-editor of the book Multimodal Literacies in Young Emergent Bilinguals: Beyond Print-Centric Practices (2022).
Dr. Michael Young
Dr. Michael Young earned his Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning: Language, Literacy, and Culture from the University of Iowa in 2020. Prior to his appointment in the School of Teaching and Learning, he was an assistant professor and associate department head at the University of Minnesota Duluth, where he was awarded the Blehart Distinguished Teaching Award.
He is a former member of the Executive Council for the Minnesota Association of Colleges of Teacher Education, where he served in legislative and policy advocacy. The professor’s research examines issues of equity inside classrooms and schools by highlighting the often conflicting and disjointed discourses of elementary literacy teaching that privilege state definitions of literacy, definitions often rooted in colonization and oppression.
Taking up critical qualitative methods including narrative inquiry, his dissertation research examined elementary teacher narratives of experience in teaching literacy in the context of school accountability efforts. Much of this research is informed by his experience as a former early childhood and elementary educator, instructional coach, and curriculum facilitator.
His work is published in Language Arts, Talking Points, and Rural Educator, and he is an active member of the National Council for Teachers of English, the Literacy Research Association, the International Literacy Educators Coalition, and the American Education Research Association.
He serves on the Award Committee for the Whippoorwill Award for Rural Young Adult Literature.
His most recent publication, “I am Queer, Not Obscene: Disrupting Policy Mandates that Censor Readers and Reading,” was published in the March 2024 issue of Language Arts. It addresses the current wave of policy-driven LGBTQIA+ curriculum violence, inviting educators to queer literacies rather than censoring them.
Dr. Richard Bex
Dr. Richard Bex is an assistant professor of Science Education in the School of Teaching and Learning. His research centers on designing, developing, and evaluating environments for STEM learning using a design-based research approach.
He examines the users, their topics of conversation, and their patterns of interaction and participation in digital STEM learning environments. His work also has included providing impactful professional development opportunities for practicing STEM teachers that focus on the nature of student values to inform curriculum and instruction.
The professor has extensive experience with mixed-methods, qualitative, machine learning, and social network analysis techniques to understand, evaluate, and improve environments for STEM learning. He previously served as a visiting assistant professor in TCH.
Before becoming a member of the ISU community, he worked as a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Florida’s Kenneth C. Griffin Computer Science for All Education Initiative. He led research studies and helped build the University of Florida’s computer science micro credential courses and teacher education program.
Additionally, as a postdoc, he collaborated with faculty members within the University of Florida’s College of Education to integrate computer science across content areas in elementary, middle, and secondary teacher education. He earned his Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus in Science Education from the University of Florida. Before earning his Ph.D., he taught high school and middle level science in North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
Treyce’ Gaston-Spears
Treyce’ Gaston-Spears is a doctoral candidate at Bradley University and has returned to the School of Teaching and Learning for her internship. She began her academic journey at ISU, earning her undergraduate and graduate degrees in sociology. She is working with Associate Director Dr. Ellis Hurd, coordinator of Graduate Programs, and other faculty and staff.
“Treyce’ is a burgeoning scholar in the fields of education and higher education administration,” Hurd said. “I have worked with Treyce’ as our TCH intern since the spring and value the partnership already established between Illinois State University and Bradley University. Treyce’ is an asset to all those around her, and we look forward to her continued work in TCH.”
A resident of Bloomington-Normal, Gaston-Spears said she has always prioritized education and one of the ways she supports the community is by contributing to the Gaston Memorial Scholarship.
“This return to my alma mater is a unique and gratifying experience, allowing me to further my education and professional development under the guidance of distinguished educators. This internship represents a critical step in my professional journey, offering rich opportunities for learning, reflection, and engagement. I have been immersed in projects emphasizing integration of technology, critical thinking, and social justice in the classroom, reflecting my commitment to educational equity and excellence.”
She will graduate in December.
Educators recognized for contributions to student success
During Teacher Appreciation Week, several faculty were recognized as Influential ISU Faculty/Staff Educators by the Cecilia J. Lauby Teacher Education Center. Six faculty members received the Impact Award from University College, which recognizes members of the campus community whose individual contributions impact students’ overall success, retention and ultimately, graduation.
“The School of Teaching and Learning is lucky to have such a dedicated pool of instructional assistant professors who contribute not only to our students’ success but to change and improvement in PK-12 education,” said Dr. Kristina Falbe, acting associate director for scheduling and contractual staff. “Being recognized by students is a meaningful acknowledgment of their hard work and dedication. We appreciate their commitment to fostering effective, critical, and compassionate teaching.”
The following were recognized:
Dr. Christie Angleton, Assistant Professor
Matt Bohrer, Clinical Assistant Professor
Dr. Trevor Chapman, Instructional Assistant Professor
Stacy Durako, Instructional Assistant Professor
Julie Funk, Instructional Assistant Professor
Dr. Terry Husband, Professor
Dr. Tom Lucey, Professor
Dr. Steve Mertens, Professor
Carin Novak, Clinical Assistant Professor
Dr. Erin Quast, Associate Professor
Kara Story, Instructional Assistant Professor
Dennis Taylor, Instructional Assistant Professor
Carrie Young, Instructional Assistant Professor
Allison Antink-Meyer, Professor, School of Teaching and Learning
Chelsea Dauenbaugh, Instructional Assistant Professor, School of Teaching and Learning
Ellis Hurd, Professor, School of Teaching and Learning
Miranda Lin, Professor, School of Teaching and Learning
Joellen Scott, Instructional Assistant Professor, School of Teaching and Learning
Bruce Weldy, Clinical Assistant Professor, School of Teaching and Learning
