Six faculty and staff members in the University of South Florida (USF) College of Education were awarded the Excellence in Undergraduate Education Award by the College’s Undergraduate Program Committee.
The Undergraduate Program Committee advises on policy matters and acts for the College’s faculty on matters related to undergraduate education. The Excellence in Undergraduate Education Award celebrates College of Education faculty members who strive for excellence in teaching undergraduate students both within the College and throughout the USF community.
Learn more about each of the recipients below.
Deanna Bullard, PhD
Dr. Bullard is the assistant director of academic advising in the College of Education
at USF’s St. Petersburg campus. In addition to providing advising services to students
at the St. Petersburg campus, she teaches “University Success,” which serves as an
introductory course designed to develop skills required for success in university
courses and campus life.
Paula Cate
Paula Cate is an instructor in the Department of Educational and Psychological Studies.
She is best known for teaching the course “Introduction to the Teaching Profession,”
which is one of the first courses students take as part of their undergraduate studies
in the College of Education. A multi-state professionally certified educator, Professor
Cate served as a teacher in Pasco County School District prior to joining the College
of Education in 2005.
Mandie B. Dunn, PhD
Mandie B. Dunn, PhD is an assistant professor of English Education. Her research investigates
the lived experiences of teachers to better understand the complexity of their roles
as professionals responding to multiple and competing stakeholders. She teaches courses
including “English Education Methods,” “Methods of Teaching English in High School,”
and “Methods of Teaching Secondary English Language Arts.”
Sophia Han, PhD
Dr. Han is an associate professor of Early Childhood Education at USF and the program
coordinator for the Early Childhood Education undergraduate program. Her research
centers around the theme of socio-culturally responsive teaching and learning in early
childhood. She teaches courses including “Teaching Literature and Writing in Early
Childhood” and “Guidance of Young Children.”
Cindy Lovell, PhD
Dr. Lovell is an adjunct instructor at USF’s Sarasota-Manatee campus where she teaches
courses including “Curriculum and Pedagogy of ESOL” and “Consultation, Counseling,
and Guidance Skills for Gifted Students.” Outside of her work at USF, Dr. Lovell also
serves as the director of education at Epic Flight Academy in New Smyrna Beach and
works with the state of Florida to develop test questions for the teacher certificate
exam in ESOL.
Alexandra Panos, PhD
Dr. Panos is an Assistant Professor in the Literacy Studies Program. Dr. Panos’s research
interests include critical, disciplinary, and media literacy, children’s' literature,
spatial and geographic dimensions of education, and the complex interdependencies
of schools and their communities. She teaches courses including “Disciplinary Literacies,”
“Content Area Reading,” and “Qualitative Research Pedagogy.”