Impact Academy Fellows

Over the past seven years, DFI has supported 139 educator-preparation leaders through our Impact Academy fellowship. At the end of their fellowship, fellows are invited to join our Leadership Collaborative, an alumni network offering continued opportunities to connect and learn.

Our fellows come from a breadth of geographic and institutional contexts. Leaders represent public, private, and non-traditional educator-preparation programs.

139 Impact Academy fellows across eight cohorts

29% Fellows of color

66375 Total future teachers in institutions led by fellows

39 States represented

2023 Impact Academy Fellows

The eighth cohort of Impact Academy fellows represents 25 states and DC. They come from public, private, and non-traditional programs. Collectively, these fellows lead institutions serving nearly 15,000 future teachers, 45% of whom identify as people of color.

Andy Saultz, Pacific University

Anne Lamb, St. Louis Teacher Residency

Austin Moag, Relay Graduate School of Education

Barbara Tucker, Sul Ross State University

Beth Greene Costner, Winthrop University

Clifton Tanabe, University of Texas at El Paso

Debbie G. Thomas, Grambling State University

Elizabeth Dinkins, Bellarmine University

James P. McIntyre, Jr., Belmont University

James Meadows, Washington Education Association

Joellen Maples, St. John Fisher University

Judy A. Abbott, Stephen F. Austin State University

Kimberly Eckert, Reach University

Lana Collet-Klingenberg, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

LaTonya Turner, Marian University

Laura Spenceley, SUNY Oswego

Matt Cheek, Nashville Teacher Residency

Michael P. O’Malley, Texas State University

Robert Q. Berry, III, University of Arizona

Roxanne Greitz Miller, Chapman University

Ryan Evely Gildersleeve, Eastern Michigan University

Shayna Sullivan, Alder Graduate School of Education

Victoria Theisen-Homer, Northern Arizona University

Yune Tran, Providence College

2022 Impact Academy Fellows

Sara DeLano, Dallas College

Jason Barr, Rider University

Afra Hersi, Loyola University Maryland

Jerell Hill, Pacific Oaks College

William (Bill) Gaudelli, Lehigh University

Pervis Evans, Odessa College

Pete Kelly, University of Mary Washington

April L. Fleming, Florida SouthWestern State College

Amy Ginsberg, William Paterson University

Hansel Burley, University of New Mexico

Christopher Joyce, Louisiana Resource Center for Educators

Jeffrey L. Kirk, Texas A&M University – Central Texas

Joan Y. Pedro, University of Houston – Clear Lake

Gary Ritter, Saint Louis University

Elle Rodriguez, Relay Graduate School of Education

Brenda Sabey, Utah Tech University

Janna Scarborough, East Tennessee State University

Diana Turk, New York University

Judi Wilson, Augusta University

Ryan Wise, Drake University

2021 Impact Academy Fellows

Amy Vinlove, University of Alaska Fairbanks

Amy Holcombe, High Point University

Anne Gregory, Purdue University Northwest

April Bedford, Brooklyn College

Barbara Ridener, Kean University

Barbara Schwartz-Bechet, Misericordia College

Carol Ann Gittens, Saint Mary's College of California

Carolyn Theard-Griggs, Chicago State University

Chris Ward, Upper Valley Educators Institute

Cynthia Gardener, Maryville College

Danielle Dennis, University of Rhode Island

Dawn Shinew, Bowling Green State University

Jeannine Dingus-Eason, Rhode Island College

Kathlene Campbell, University of St. Thomas

Kip Kline, Lewis University

Leslie Cowel, Faulkner University

Loury Floyd, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

M Cecil Smith, Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Nicholas Shudak, Wayne State College

Paula Price, North Carolina A&T State University

Robin Duncan, California Baptist University

Sarah Hartman, Wayland Baptist University

Scarlet Clouse, Angelo State University

Willis Walter, Virginia State University

2020 Impact Academy Fellows

Laurie Burgess, Cornerstone University

Sharen Cypress, Freed-Hardeman University

Kimberly Gaiters-White, Virginia Union University

Trenton Gould, The University of Southern Mississippi

Sheri Hardee, University of North Georgia

Christy Harris, Relay Graduate School of Education – Atlanta

Myra Lovett, University of Louisiana Monroe

Kimberly McLeod, Texas A&M University Commerce

Nancy Ruppert, University of North Carolina – Asheville

Valerie Rutledge, The University of Tennessee – Chattanooga

Kimberly Rynearson, Tarleton State University

Mindy Sjoblom, Relay Graduate School of Education – Chicago

Denise Staudt, University of the Incarnate Word

Michelle Young, Loyola Marymount University

2019 Impact Academy Fellows

Stephen Atwater, University of Alaska Southeast

Paula Summers Calderon, Southeastern Louisiana University

Prentice T. Chandler, Austin Peay State University

Stacey Edmonson, Sam Houston State University

Deborah Erickson, Point Loma Nazarene University

Beth Foley, Utah State University

Penny Garcia, Eastern New Mexico University

Kim Hawkins, Carson-Newman University

Laurie Henry, Salisbury University

Lisa Huffman, Texas Woman’s University

Vessela Ilieva, Utah Valley University

Katie Cole Kinney, University of North Alabama

Peter Laipson, Woodrow Wilson Academy of Teaching and Learning

Nancy Marchand-Martella, Purdue University

Leah Nellis, Indiana University Kokomo

Jennifer Shewmaker, Abilene Christian University

Jabari Sims, Relay Graduate School of Education: Dallas-Forth Worth

Thea Williams-Black, Tougaloo College

Lisa Zagumny, Tennessee Technological University

2018 Impact Academy Fellows

Rachel Abbott, Georgia Southwestern State University

Jordan Barkley, Tarleton State University

Rob DeHaas, Dallas Teacher Residency

Katharine Delavan, Lake Erie College

Laurie Elish-Piper, Northern Illinois University

Alaina Harper, Relay Graduate School of Education

Virginia Padilla-Vigil, New Mexico Highlands University

Alma Rodriguez, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

J. Anthony Rolle, University of Rhode Island

Deanna Sands, Seattle University

Kimberly Walker McAlister, Northwestern State University

Andrew Wall, University of Redlands

Tamara Wallace, Radford University

2017 Impact Academy Fellows

Deborah Boyd, Lipscomb University

Donna Breault, Ashland University

Kenith Britt, Marian University

Ann Bullock, Elon University

Parker Fawson, Utah Valley University

John Gasko, University of North Texas at Dallas

Deirdre C. Greer, Columbus State University

Merrilou Harrison, Heritage University

Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy, American University

Gaetane Jean-Marie, University of Northern Iowa

Kyle Finke, Louisiana Resource Center for Educators

Andrea Lewis, Spelman College

Shelly Meyers, Limestone College

Sara Quay, Endicott College

Kim Winter, Western Carolina University

2016 Impact Academy Fellows

Andrea Kent, University of Southern Alabama

Ann Taylor, University of Missouri

Anthony Graham, North Carolina A&T State University

Damara Hightower, Benedict College

Don Schillinger, Louisiana Tech University

Ed Hill, Fort Valley State University

Michael Hillis, California Lutheran University

Paige Ware, Southern Methodist University

D. Ray Reutzel, University of Wyoming

Rob Muller, National Louis University

Thomas Philion, Roosevelt University