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The Principal Investigator (PI) - Dean Sandra L. Robinson oversees all areas of development of the Center. She is responsible for the overall vision, resultant directions, and guidance of all aspects of the project. She communicates and collaborates with other key stakeholders of the FLARE Center. She has been named a UCF Distinguished Professor and serves as Dean of the College of Education. Dr. Robinson earned a Ph.D. from Duke University, an M.Ed. from Duke, and a B.A. from Marshall University. She has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in Reading at Duke University, Marquette University and the University of South Carolina. Her broad experience ranges from being the Assistant Director of the Duke University Reading Center to serving as a district-level reading resource coordinator, a public school Reading Coordinator, a coordinator for Grades K-3 and a teacher of children in preschool, elementary school and middle grades in Maryland, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and South Carolina

Co-Principal Investigator - Susan Wegmann is an Assistant Professor at the University of Central Florida. She teaches Content Area Reading in Grades K-12 and works with the FLaRE grant as a researcher. Her claim to fame is teaching 10 years in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 in Florida, Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi. For the past decade, she has taught at the college level and thoroughly enjoys relating her course work to the real world of teaching. She was graduated from University of South Florida with her B.A., University of Mississippi with her Master's in Education, and the University of Florida with her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, with a specialization in Reading. Her varied experiences in 3rd through 8th grades as well as college level instruction gives her a broad educational perspective. She is also the Director of Programs for the Morgridge International Reading Center, which seeks to research and support reading instruction.

FLaRE Center

Project Director - Enrique A. Puig has taught 25 years in Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) with experiences varying from classroom teacher to district resource teacher and has co-authored the OCPS Comprehensive Academic Achievement Plan for literacy instruction. He has a bachelor's degree in education and a master's degree in educational leadership. Enrique has also worked as an education consultant for numerous school districts across the country and has presented on various aspects of literacy instruction at state, regional, national and international conferences such as the International Reading Association (IRA), the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), the Florida Reading Association (FRA) and the National Reading Recovery and K-6 Literacy Conference. In addition, he has worked at the Ohio State University, Texas Tech University, and Purdue University on a comprehensive school reform project incorporating an immediate, intensive one on one intervention. He is the president of the Orange County Reading Council and an elected board member of the American Reading Forum. He has authored Guided Reading and Spanish Speaking Students (Scholastic) and co-authored The Literacy Coach: Guiding in the Right Direction (Allyn & Bacon). His current professional interests are the concepts of pedagogy and andragogy from a Vygotskian perspective involving literacy leadership teams to increase student learning. UCF Non-instructional Faculty Data Summary Sheet

Coordinator of Information Services - Larry Bedenbaugh is the jack of all trades who fills this position. His undergraduate and Master's work was in Math Education, his Specialist's work was in Curriculum & Instruction with an emphasis on technology integration, and his Doctoral dissertation focused on first year teacher perceptions of preparedness to meet national educational technology standards. Larry has designed several e-learning environments both for the college and for private business. Larry has over 28 years experience in K-12 classrooms, has been an educational technology facilitator, and currently teaches undergraduate and graduate level courses for the College of Education at the University of Central Florida, introductory computer applications at Seminole Community College, and facilitates for FOR-PD. He has conducted workshops and made conference presentations throughout the state and country on various aspects of reading, family literacy, and technology. His current research interests include information literacy and critical thinking skills, instructional technology best practices, teacher technology standards aligned with beginning teacher programs, and instructional and motivational uses of graphic novels in the classroom. UCF Non-instructional Faculty Data Summary Sheet

FLaRE Resource Coordinator - Betsy McClure has over 18 years of experience at the school level, starting as a classroom teacher, then a building reading facilitator, and finally as a trained literacy coach. She has worked primarily in Florida since 1987, with a two year residency in Maine, from 1999-2001. Betsy has presented at local and state reading conferences, speaking on using assessment to drive instruction, guided reading groups, and the role of the reading coach as part of school wide reform. Before joining FLaRE, Betsy was a district level reading coach, supporting the coaching model, K-12, through professional development. She has an Educational Specialist’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. She looks forward to supporting long-term professional development and systemic support for teacher growth and student learning. UCF Non-instructional Faculty Data Summary Sheet

FLaRE Area Coordinators

FLaRE Area Coordinator - Amy Abate holds a Master’s degree in Special Education in conjunction with Educational Leadership. She has been an inclusion teacher, team leader, department chairperson, middle school coordinator, and reading resource teacher. In addition to her classroom experiences and school site leadership, Amy has served as a district curriculum specialist in Miami-Dade County. In this capacity, she had the opportunity to provide professional development and share her knowledge of curriculum with colleagues. While teaching in Miami, Amy was nominated by her faculty as rookie teacher of the year, as well as, a district finalist.

FLaRE Area Coordinator - Cathi Addison holds a Master’s of Science in Reading and Language Arts K-12 from Florida State University. Additionally, she has presented on various literacy topics through out the state of Florida from the keys to the panhandle. Invitations to return always follow Cathi due to her wonderful sense of humor and ability to work with adults as well as students. As a classroom teacher, Cathi has taught over 17 years and is a National Board Certified Teacher. She is constantly broadening her knowledge, especially in reading instruction, improving her leadership skills, and sharing her experiences with colleagues. UCF Non-instructional Faculty Data Summary Sheet

FLaRE Area Coordinator - Kathy Baich taught in south Florida for over 15 years in both elementary and secondary education in Miami-Dade County and Palm Beach School Districts. Kathy received her Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and her Master's Degree in Reading Education from Florida International University. Kathy is certified in1-6 Elementary and K-12 Reading, she has her Gifted and ESOL endorsements, and is a Nationally Board Certified Teacher as a Middle Child Generalist. She is an Adjunct Professor at Broward Community College and Barry University and is a member of the Florida Reading Association and International Reading Association. 

FLaRE Area Coordinator - Charla Bauer has worked in K-12 education at the district level and taught writing through literature in high schools, community colleges, and universities while earning her Masters’ Degree in Rhetoric and Composition. Charla currently focuses her research energies on the instruction and assessment of literacy through writing, an interest that grew from her international educational background and early experiences as a literacy worker in Nicaragua. UCF Non-instructional Faculty Data Summary Sheet

FLaRE Area Coordinator - Matthew Benoliel

FLaRE Area Coordinator - Kris Bray received a Master’s degree in Reading and Language Arts from Florida State University in 2005. In addition, she is a certified facilitator for all six reading competencies and has added the reading endorsement to her professional certificate. In her role as reading coach, she provided district wide professional development in each of the six competencies for teachers seeking the reading endorsement. As an experienced professional developer, she has educated thousands of K – 12 teachers at the district and state levels. Before coming to work with FLaRE, she served as a Regional Coordinator with Reading First Professional Development. In 2006, she co-founded FLCA, Florida’s first professional organization of Literacy Coaches. She is committed to being a life long learner and continues her post-graduate work in literacy education.

FLaRE Area Coordinator - Marlene Cabrera has 20 years of teaching experience in Miami-Dade County. She earned a Masters in Reading and a Bachelor’s in English with a Minor in Art from Florida International University. She has taught English, ESOL, Drama, Art and Reading at the secondary level. Prior to joining FLaRE, she was Reading Department Chair and Teacher of the Year at Felix Varela High School. She is a National Board certified teacher in Adolescence and Young Adulthood Language Arts.

FLaRE Area Coordinator - Connie Cain received her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Central Florida in 2002 and her Master’s degree from NOVA Southeastern University. She was awarded her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Florida State University. Dr. Cain’s dissertation was based on research and study of teacher quality and professional development which has been an area of interest throughout her career. With nearly 25 years experience in education, she served as an elementary teacher, reading teacher, media/technology teacher, and as a school administrator. She has written several grants to support literacy projects and developed school-wide curriculum programs in technology and economics education, and has received many awards for curriculum projects as a teacher and administrator. UCF Non-instructional Faculty Data Summary Sheet

FLaRE Area Coordinator - Julie Christman earned her master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Boston University and her Bachelor of Science degree in Family and Consumer Journalism from UW-Madison. She taught elementary and middle school in Minneapolis Public Schools and Pinellas County Schools, as well as teaching reading acceleration classes modeled after Reading Recovery. Julie served as a Reading First reading coach and reading staff developer before joining Reading First Professional Development and FLaRE. Julie has written vocational and parenting curriculum, as well as articles on classroom libraries and  student-operated bookstores. She has served on her city’s Library Advisory Board and was elected to the City Commisson for St. Pete Beach where she resides with her family. 

FLaRE Area Coordinator - Joe Cloutier brings a widely eclectic background with him to FLaRE. Having taught at all levels of education, (e.g., elementary, junior high, senior high, university and adult education), Joe thinks of himself as one who “educates the world.” This shows in his extensive international teaching and leadership efforts in two very different countries. He was Headmaster of a bilingual school in Chiapas, Mexico and currently brings American teachers to Poland to demonstrate and discuss American teaching methods to Polish teachers and bring a sense of American culture to Polish school children. In addition, he helped set up Adult Education classes for refugees in Jacksonville. Other experiences include such things as having a two-year run as the host of a live call-in television show, No Easy Answer, in New York to directing several mental health programs to performing as the clown, “Hi-D-Ho.” Joe’s clowning has led him to performances abroad in Europe and Asia (2005 World’s Expo in Nagoya, Japan) as well as throughout North America. Currently, he is President of one of the largest “clown alleys” in the country, Gator Clowns of Jacksonville, a non-profit organization which serves northeast Florida and southeast Georgia. He is happy to bring all his talents and experiences to the FLaRE Project.

FLaRE Area Coordinator - Craig Cosden was born in Baltimore, MD and attended three high schools in that area. Craig matriculated at the University of Miami, thus receiving a BS degree. Craig entered graduate school and completed his first year of course work at St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore. At the conclusion of this study, he journeyed to Florida and enrolled in said program at Stetson University. Craig was first employed as a high school teacher in Lake County. He continued this course of employment in Polk County. Craig soon returned to the Lake County school system where he accumulated 25 years of experience as a social studies teacher. Craig was invited to work in summer programs for struggling 8th grade middle school students, who had to successfully complete remediation before entering high school. Craig received the Outstanding Young Men of America Award and later The Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award. Consequently, he was invited to be a high school literacy coach because of his great enthusiasm and belief in the critical importance of literacy in the lives of our students. He served in that position for three years before arriving at FLaRE.

FLaRE Area Coordinator - Cheree Davis worked in Santa Rosa County schools since receiving her Bachelor of Arts in English Education and her Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction and Reading Education. She taught secondary language arts and reading and worked as a middle and high school ESOL resource teacher. She co-authored Reading Strategies for Secondary Students, written for Santa Rosa County teachers and Don’t Leave Kids Alone With Their Textbooks: Reading In the Content Areas, a training manual written for Santa Rosa County teachers. Upon moving to Okaloosa County, she worked as a middle and high school literacy coach and became a reviewer for Florida’s Professional Development System Evaluation Protocol. She has presented state-wide on numerous literacy topics and is an adjunct professor at the University of West Florida. Cheree is currently furthering her education and working towards Educational Leadership certification. UCF Non-instructional Faculty Data Summary Sheet

FLaRE Area Coordinator - Jocelyn Downs earned both her undergraduate and master's degree in English Education, but her first job was teaching struggling readers in a high school setting. Since then, she has taught grades 6-12, language arts and reading, served as the Brevard Reading/Language Arts Resource Teacher, and most recently the Secondary Reading Facilitator for Brevard Public Schools. A National Board Certified Teacher, she holds both ESOL and Reading endorsements. She has presented at NCTE, FCTE, Southeastern Regional IRA, Secondary Reading Council of Florida, Just Read Florida! Conference, and across the state with FLaRE. She is a past president of Brevard Council of Teachers of English, an adjunct for Brevard Community College with the Educator Preparatory Institute, and a member of the National Writing Project through the Writing Project at UCF (Class of 2000). Her passion is helping teachers develop the tools to create students who are literate, life long learners.

FLaRE Area Coordinator - Jennifer Escandell is from Hialeah, Florida where she also began her teaching career. She has taught English, Creative Writing, ESOL, and Gifted at the secondary level and worked with adult learners seeking to earn a high school equivalency diploma. Prior to joining FLaRE, Jennifer served as Language Arts Department Chair, EESAC Chair, and Reading Coach at Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School. She is a certified CRISS trainer and holds Gifted and Reading Endorsements. She was awarded her Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature and her Master’s Degree in English Education from the University of Florida in Gainesville where she also minored in TESOL and Education. Jennifer completed her Educational Specialist in Educational Leadership at Nova University.

FLaRE Area Coordinator - Cheryle Ferlita

FLaRE Area Coordinator - Donna Garcia earned her Bachelor's degree in English Language Arts from UCF and taught language arts and reading for Okeechobee County schools before becoming a FLaRE coordinator. She has served in a variety of leadership roles such as middle school team leader, English/Reading Department Head, district mentor for beginning teachers and district trainer for ESOL. She earned a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership in 1997 and National Board Certification in 2002. Donna has presented at the state and national level for NBPTS and IRA and looks forward to more opportunities to learn and grow with the FLaRE Project. UCF Non-instructional Faculty Data Summary Sheet

FLaRE Area Coordinator - Darliny Gonzalez-Katz holds a Master’s Degree in ESOL from Nova Southeastern University and a Bachelor’s Degree from Florida International University. She has been a reading teacher for eleven years and a reading coach for seven years. Additionally, Darliny was the reading Department Chair Person, Director of Saturday School Program, coordinator for all tutorials held before, during and after school, sponsor for student-council, Adult Ed teacher for night school, and she sponsored girls sports for five years of her career. She has been a CRISS Trainer and has provided many trainings throughout the district. Her passion is to help educators motivate their students so that they can become successful readers.

FLaRE Area Coordinator - Roxana Hurtado worked in Miami-Dade as a secondary language arts and reading teacher for thirteen years. She also was language arts chair and past president for the Dade County Council of Teachers of English. She was on the State of Florida Committee for Instructional Materials in Grammar and Composition K-8. She has completed her master’s work in reading at Florida International University and has her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Miami in English and History. UCF Non-instructional Faculty Data Summary Sheet

FLaRE Area Coordinator - April Johnson has been in education for 27 years. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. She was awarded a Master’s Degree in Adult Education and Educational Leadership in 1996. She was in the classroom for 24 years before accepting a Reading Resource position in Madison County. Her responsibilities included planning the reading curriculum for approximately 1600 students, providing in-service for faculty and staff throughout the district, coaching, and administering assessments. For the past three years, she has been a consultant and trainer with SRA throughout the state of Florida. She has been a member of the Professional Development Council and a member of the Reading Task Force with PAEC. She was chosen Outstanding Teacher of the Year and served several years as grade level chairman and lead teacher. As an Area Coordinator with FLaRE, she will continue to provide professional development, research and resources to schools and teachers to further professional growth and student achievement. UCF Non-instructional Faculty Data Summary Sheet

FLaRE Area Coordinator - Susan Kelly attended Purdue University for three years then moved to Florida and completed her undergraduate degree in education at the University of Central Florida. After serving as a teacher for exceptional education in Orange County for nine years, she returned to the University of Central Florida to obtain her Master's degree in school counseling. As a result of her strong desire to continue learning, she sought and earned National Board Certification. She credits much of her learning to the year-long training she received from Ohio State University in literacy and coaching. Her most recent role before joining the FLaRE staff was that of a literacy coach.  UCF Non-instructional Faculty Data Summary Sheet

FLaRE Area Coordinator - Nancy Lewis received her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Central Florida in 2001. She has fifteen years teaching experience in elementary classrooms and served as the Literacy Coordinator at Orlo Vista Elementary where her classroom was used as model classroom for the International Reading Association annual meeting. Her dissertation employed a case study methodology and is titled Bridging the gap between theory and practice: The intersection of classroom practice and a post-modern curriculum matrix. Dr. Lewis has taught numerous graduate level classes at the University of Central Florida in supervision, curriculum reform, inquiry, reading in the content, emerging literacy, and educational change. She has worked as an educational evaluator and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the National Evaluation Institute. Her work has been published in peer-reviewed journal at both the state and national levels. In addition, Dr. Lewis’ work has been presented to national and international audiences. Dr. Lewis was recently the Principal Investigator for a National Science Foundation grant that transitioned people from industry into teaching. She is interested in teacher quality and change, teacher beliefs, educational evaluation, and post-modern curriculum and teaching practices.

FLaRE Area Coordinator - Karen McDaniels began her career in education in Miami-Dade, working as a classroom teacher and Literacy Coach, and has also taught Reading courses at Miami Dade College. Before coming to FLaRE, Ms. McDaniels served as a Curriculum Support Specialist for Miami-Dade County Public School’s Division of Language Arts/Reading. Here, she provided quality professional development for hundreds of teachers, impacting thousands of students. She is a certified CRISS trainer and as a member of Florida Council for Teachers of English (FCTE), Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), National Middle School Association (NMSA) and International Reading Association (IRA), she has presented at various conferences throughout the state and nation. Ms. McDaniels has earned a M.Ed. and B.A. in English Education. She is certified in Educational Leadership and is both Gifted and Reading Endorsed.

FLaRE Area Coordinator - Julie Anne McEachin received a Master’s degree in Reading and Language Arts from Florida State University in 2002. In her experience as a professional developer, she has trained thousands of K-12 teachers at the district and state levels. Before becoming an Area Coordinator, she served as a state trainer with FLaRE and facilitated K-12 institutes throughout the Panhandle and Central regions of Florida. Julie Anne is well-versed in state-wide reading initiatives and in 2002, went on to work with the Just Read, Florida! Office to help pioneer the K-3 Reading First academies across the state. She co-founded Florida’s first professional organization of literacy coaches (FLCA) and served as President in 2006. To broaden her commitment to education and literacy, Julie Anne has begun work on a doctorate and continues to teach in a Bay county classroom.

FLaRE Area Coordinator - Rebecca Powell earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s degree in Reading Education, K-12, from the University of South Florida. She has been a reading coach, team leader, classroom teacher, and resource teacher. Rebecca was a developer for the Just Read, Florida! K-3 Reading Academies throughout the state, and the Intervention Academy. As a classroom teacher, she was the recipient of a state mathematics grant linking literacy and mathematics, as well as a district literacy grant. Before joining FLaRE, Rebecca was a reading coach and led professional development at the school, district, and state level. She also co-authored “Quick Reference to Reading Intervention Strategies, K-12 Reading Plan,” a resource guide for Polk County reading teachers. In addition, she currently teaches adult English language learners.

FLaRE Area Coordinator - Pamela L. Rader has over thirteen years of experience in the state of Kentucky with Preschool, Elementary (Title I), Middle (Reading, Writing, PLVS/Careers) and Adult Education prior to her work as an Intensive Reading Educator in Lee County, Florida. Her experience and knowledge of curriculum, instruction, and assessment has driven change within former assignments and continues to be the foundation for her work with FLaRE. Pam obtained her undergraduate certification in Elementary Education, Middle Level Language Arts (Reading and Writing), and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Lindsey Wilson College. She also holds a Masters in Leadership and Administration from Eastern Kentucky University and is currently completing her Ph.D. Pam has presented on various topics on the local and state level including Character Education and Technology. She is a member of the NRA, NCTE, and other professional organizations.

FLaRE Area Coordinator - Cisley Senghor

FLaRE Area Coordinator - Ruth Shaulis spent 11 years in the classroom and 3 years as a literacy coach in Sarasota County, Florida prior to becoming a FLaRE Coordinator. She has a Masters degree in interdisciplinary curriculum and instruction. Her passion for professional development stems from her history with a school literacy council and the impact it made on student achievement. Her personal philosophy is focused on the belief that every educator has positive practices to share and build upon, and that every student has the potential to become a stronger learner.

FLaRE Area Coordinator - Linda Tuschinski brings over fifteen years of experience in the education field to FLaRE. She studied abroad and in the United States earning her Bachelor’s Degree in English from the University of Maryland and later a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Jacksonville University. Most recently, Mrs. Tuschinski was employed by Duval County in Jacksonville serving as a team leader, English department chairperson, a secondary teacher, curriculum writer, grant writer, a standards coach, and an assistant principal. She has also served as an adjunct professor in the ESOL Department at Florida Community College in Jacksonville. She is an active member of FCTE, FRA, IRA, NCTE, and PDK. Her experience and knowledge of the latest in literacy research and easy rapport with people make her a welcome addition to FLaRE. UCF Non-instructional Faculty Data Summary Sheet

FLaRE Area Coordinator - Renee Walton

FLaRE Area Coordinator - Jacqueline Zeig