Department of Elementary, Middle Level and Literacy Education
Dr. Heidi J. Higgins, Assistant Professor, received a PhD from the University of Nevada, Reno in Educational  Specialties with a focus in mathematics. She comes to UNCW from Missouri State University. Dr. Higgins will teach math methods courses in our elementary school program area and graduate courses in our master’s of education degree in elementary education program. She taught elementary school for several years and also worked as a math specialist in the public schools. |
Dr. Julie Lambert received a PhD from Florida State University in Science Education. She was a Post Doctoral Research Associate at the University of Miami where she conducted research and created curriculum |
Dr. Rajni Shankar-Brown received a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus in Middle School Literacy from the University of North Carolina |
Dr. Amy R. Taylor, Assistant Professor,
received a PhD in Science Education from North Carolina State University.  Her dissertation study focused on students’ and teachers’ conceptions of surface area to volume in science contexts. She will teach science courses in our elementary program, both undergraduate and graduate. Dr. Taylor is National Board Certified teacher. She has taught science in public schools for several years. |
Dr. Colleen Walker joined the Department of Elementary, Middle Level, and Literacy Education in January, 2009. She is the first faculty member hired in the Watson School of Education with major responsibility for |
focusing on instructional interventions to promote science and literacy for linguistically diverse elementary students. Dr. Lambert comes to UNCW from Florida Atlantic University. She has a joint appointment, working with the Center for Marine Science and the Watson School of Education. Dr. Lambert will teach in the elementary education programs, both undergraduate and graduate.
Charlotte. Her dissertation was a case study of the lived experiences of homeless children. Dr. Shankar-Brown will teach literacy classes in our middle school program, both undergraduate and graduate. She will also be involved with the language and literacy graduate program. Dr. Shankar-Brown has taught in middle schools in the United States and India.
teaching in our extension program in Jacksonville. Dr. Walker will teach reading and language arts courses, as well as children’s literature courses, in our elementary education program. She will also teach in our graduate programs in language and literacy and elementary education. Dr. Walker received her Ph.D. from The Ohio State University in Language, Literacy and Culture in 1998. She is also a certified Reading Recovery Teacher Leader. She came to UNCW from Fayetteville State University.
