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Our Team

The Lastinger Center team leverages extensive educational experience, research, and policy expertise to lead the design, production and delivery of strategic educational initiatives across the nation.

Join our team!

We’re always seeking talented professionals to work with us.

Director

Phil Poekert headshot<br />
Phil Poekert, Ph.D.

Director

Executive Leadership

Cathy Cavanaugh headshot
Cathy Cavanaugh, Ph.D.

Chief Experience Officer

Person Not Pictured
Zandra de Araujo, Ph.D.

Chief Equity Officer
Mathematics Principal

Shaunte Duggins headshot
Shaunté Duggins, Ph.D.

Associate Director
New Worlds Reading Initiative

Julie Henderson headshot
Julie Henderson

Interim Assistant Director
Communications

Leland Hill, M.I.B.

Assistant Director
Business Services

Paige Pullen headshot
Paige Pullen, Ph.D.

Chief Academic Officer
Literacy Principal

Lisa Sutter headshot
Lisa Sutter

Assistant Director
Products

Management Team

Pam Alfaro headshot
Pam Alfaro. M. Ed.

Manager
Literacy Implementation

Mary Bratsch-Hines, Ph.D.

Senior Manager
Research and Evaluation

Maya Brown headshot
Maya Brown

Manager
New Worlds Reading Initiative

Pam Chalfant headshot
Pamela Chalfant, Ph.D.

Assistant Director
Academics

Jose De Leon Alejandro headshot
José De León Alejandro, Ph.D.

Coordinator
Strategic Initiatives: Mathematics

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Erika Fritz-Ochs, M.Ed.

Manager
New Worlds Reading Initiative 

Dayna Galganski headshot
Dayna Galganski, M.A.

Coordinator
Experience, Design and Development

Luiz Franco Giovanini headshot
Luiz Franco Giovanini, Ph.D.

Manager
New Worlds Reading Initiative

 

John-Michael Gonzales headshot
John-Michael Gonzales, MPH

Manager
External Affairs and Communications 

Robin Gregory headshot
Robin Gregory, MSM

Manager
New Worlds Reading Initiative

Mary Beth Head headshot
Mary Beth Head

Manager
Projects

John Houder headshot
John Houder

Manager
Experience Design

Bryn Humphrey headshot
Bryn Humphrey, M.B.A.

Senior Manager
Product Development and Marketing

Ginno Kelley
Ginno Kelley

Assistant Director
Learning Design

Person Not Pictured
Nadeige King

Manager
Finance

Bryan Lutz headshot
Bryan Lutz

Product Manager
Technology

Joe Nicholson headshot
Joe Nicholson

Senior Manager
Creative Team

Alex Prinstein, M.Ed.

Product Manager
Coaching

Kyra Purvis headshot
Kyra Purvis, Ed.S.

Manager
New Worlds Reading 

Spencer Still headshot
Spencer Still

Manager
AV Production

Jessica Richards headshot
Jessica Richards, M.Ed.

Manager
Language and Literacy Partnerships

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Ellen Zinzeleta

Manager
Hillsborough Early Learning Network

Associates

Eva Andrade headshot<br />
Eva Andrade

Specialist
New Worlds Reading Initiative

Taylor Bainter headshot
Taylor Bainter, Ph.D.

Specialist
Mathematics Content Development and Implementation

Marissa Balbuena headshot
Marissa Balbuena, MS

Specialist
Graphic Design

Marissa Balbuena headshot
Julianna Banks, Ph.D.

Coordinator
Research

Leah Benn headshot
Leah Benn, MS

Specialist
New Worlds Reading Initiative

Melissa Brown

Specialist
Implementation Support

David Bryant headshot
David Bryant

Coordinator
New Worlds Reading Initiative 

Juliana Bunn headshot<br />
Juliana Bunn

Coordinator
Technology

Adrienne Campbell headshot
Adrienne Campbell

Specialist
New Worlds Reading Initiative

Jennifer Cao headshot
Jennifer Cao, MS

Specialist
Implementation Support

Anna Clark headshot
Anna Clark

Specialist
Content Design

Anna Clark headshot
Rosa Cortez

Specialist
Motion Graphics

Fernando Franco Crespo headshot
Fernando Franco Crespo

Specialist
Help Desk

Nasseeka Denis headshot
Nasseeka S. Denis

Specialist
New Worlds Reading Initiative

Dulcy Dillinger headshot<br />
Dulcy Dillinger

Specialist
Learning Services

Ana Lantigua Duran headshot
Ana Lantigua Duran, M.Ed.

Specialist
Implementation Support

Ana Lantigua Duran headshot
Brittany Duquaine

Specialist
Literacy Implementation

Ana Lantigua Duran headshot
Chris Engledowl, Ph.D.

Coordinator
Math Content Development & Implementation

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Diane Evans, MS

Specialist
Business Services
New Worlds Reading Initative

Matt Faiello headshot
Matthew Faiello

Graduate Assistant
Research and Evaluation

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Megan Fields

Coordinator
Communications
New Worlds Reading Initiative

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Deza Free

Specialist
Learning Services

John Fuller
John Fuller

Specialist
Business Services

Maggie Gardner, Ed.D.

Coordinator
Coaching

Hannah Goble headshot
Hannah Goble

Coordinator
Early Learning Product Development

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Angie Gomez, M.Ed.

Coordinator
Learning Enrichment

Brittany Gonzalez, MBA

Coordinator
Business Services

Rebecca Gonzalez headshot
Rebecca Gonzalez, Ed.S.

Coordinator
Network Support

Lucianna Grasso
Lucianna Grasso, MS

Coordinator
Client Services

Jamie Greenspan headshot
Jamie Greenspan

Coordinator
Graphic Design

Matthew Griffin headshot
Matthew Griffin

Specialist
Business Services

Natasha Hall headshot
Natasha Hall

Specialist
New Worlds Reading Initiative

Natasha Hall headshot
James Hamlin

Specialist
Studio

Lindsey Johnson headshot
Lindsey Harker, M. Ed.

Specialist
Academics

jamie harmon headshot
Jamie Harmon

Specialist
Academics

Rosie John-Baptiste headshot
Rosie John-Baptiste

Specialist
New Worlds Reading Initiative 

Marie Johnson headshot
Marie Johnson

Specialist
Business Services

Jordan Miles headshot
Jordan Koziol

Coordinator
Communications

Liza Leonard headshot
Liza Leonard, MSW, LCSW

Coordinator
Community of Practice Implementation

Gabe Lipartito headshot
Gabriel Lipartito, MS

Coordinator
New Worlds Reading Initiative 

Theresa Loch headshot
Theresa Loch, M.Ed.

Specialist
Implementation Support

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Ash Long

Production Assistant

Erica Lopez headshot
Erica Lopez

Specialist
Business Services

Erica Lopez headshot
Zach Lukasik

Specialist
Studio

Marielle Matheus headshot
Marielle Matheus, MA

Coordinator
Early Language & Literacy

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Nemir Matos-Cintron

Specialist
Instructional Design

Elizabeth McConney headshot
Elizabeth McConney

Specialist
New Worlds Reading Initiative 

Y. Michelle McGriff headshot
Y. Michelle McGriff, MBA

Specialist
New Worlds Reading Initiative

Danielle McMaster headshot
Danielle McMaster

Coordinator
New Worlds Reading Initiative

Ryan Meador headshot
Ryan Meador

Coordinator
IT Analyst

Ryan Meador headshot
Nick Mendez

Specialist
Stipend Processing

Karen Molinario headshot
Karen Molinario

Coordinator
Implementation Support

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Marianela Morán, M.Ed.

Specialist
Content Design

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Laura Morton, MS

Specialist
New Worlds Reading Initiative

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Tim Mosunich

Coordinator
Technology

Emily Moya headshot<br />
Emily Moya

Specialist
Learning Services

Monica Odea headshot
Monica O’Dea, M.Ed.

Coordinator
Literacy Implementation 

Karen Osarenkhoe headshot
Karen Osarenkhoe

Specialist
Implementation Support

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Amanda Pate

Specialist
Lead Literacy Navigator

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Hema Patel

Coordinator
Business Services

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Shelli Payne

Specialist
New Worlds Reading Initiative

Tammy Perez-Njezic headshot
Alyssa Pearson

Specialist
UI/UX

Tammy Perez-Njezic headshot
Tammy Perez-Njezic

Specialist
Client Services

Susan Phan headshot
Susan Phan

Coordinator
Business Services

Danielle Pico headshot
Danielle Pico, M.Ed.

Graduate Assistant
Literacy Implementation and Research and Evaluation

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Takeshia Pierre

Graduate Assistant
Math Matrix and Leadership for Professional Learning

Jennifer Reed headshot
Jennifer Reed

Specialist
Business Services

Jennifer Reed headshot
Lexi Reyes

Specialist
Interactive Media

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Matthew Richmond

Specialist
Content Design

Karina Rivera

Specialist
Academics

Shell Romano headshot
Michele (Shell) Romano

Research Administrator
College of Education Post Award Services

Shell Romano headshot
Mercedes Ryan

Specialist
Family & Community Engagement
New Worlds Reading Initiative

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Christine Salama, M.Ed.

Coordinator
Learning Sciences

Lourdes Salgado headshot
Lourdes Salgado, MS

Specialist
New Worlds Reading Initiative

Lourdes Santiago Poventud headshot
Lourdes Santiago-Poventud, Ph.D.

Coordinator
Content Design

Lourdes Santiago Poventud headshot
Alex Sarrain

Specialist
Motion Graphics

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America El Sheikh

Graduate Assistant
IES Goal 2 DIAL

Donny Shrum headshot
Donny Shrum, MS

Coordinator
Data Sciences

Stephanie Snidarich headshot
Stephanie Snidarich, Ph.D.

Coordinator
Research

Stephanie Snidarich headshot
Jesse Sullivan

Specialist
Editing

Tiffany Taylor Jones headshot
Tiffany Taylor-Jones, M.Ed.

Coordinator
Instruction

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Ana Valdes, M.Ed.

Specialist
Implementation Support

Ron Viafore, Ed.S.

Coordinator
Early Learning Implementation

Matt Vonesh

Specialist
Editing

Tamara Weber

Specialist
Project Management

Betsy Westra headshot
Betsy Westra

Administrative Specialist
New Worlds Reading Initiative

Brendan Williams headshot
Brendan Williams

Coordinator
New Worlds Reading Initiative 

Catesby Willis headshot<br />
Catesby Willis

Specialist
Instructional Design

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Amanda Wilson, MA

Coordinator
Literacy Content

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Paul Wonsavage

Post Doctoral Associate
Mathematics

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Kimberly Youmans

Specialist
Literacy Implementation

Affiliate Faculty

Alyson Adams, Ph.D.

Clinical Professor, Associate Director for Teaching and Teacher Education
School of Teaching and Learning

Person Not Pictured
Anthony F. Botelho, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
School of Teaching and Learning

Taryn Brown
Taryrn Brown, Ph.D.

Clinical Assistant Professor
School of Teaching and Learning

Chonika Coleman-King
Chonika Coleman-King, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
School of Teaching and Learning

Christopher Curran
F. Christopher Curran, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
School of Human Development and Organizational Studies in Education

Corinne Huggins-Manley
Anne Corinne Huggins-Manley, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Research and Evaluation Methodology
Associate Director of Human Development and Organizational Studies in Education

Ashley MacSuga-Gage
Ashley S. MacSuga-Gage, Ph.D.

Clinical Associate Professor of Special Education and Special Education Program Area Leader
School of Special Education, School Psychology and Early Childhood Studies

Iheoma Iruka
Iheoma U. Iruka, Ph.D.

Research Professor of Public Policy and the Founding Director of the Equity Research Action Coalition at FPG Child Development Institute at University of North Carolina

Hyunyi Jung headshot
Hyunyi Jung, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
School of Teaching and Learning

Fiona King headshot
Fiona King, Ed.D.

Associate Professor
School of Inclusive and Special Education, Dublin City University

Walter Leite, Ph.D.

Professor, Research and Evaluation Methodology Program
School of Human Development and Organizational Studies in Education

Kathrin Maki, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Special Education, School Psychology, and Early Childhood Studies

Rob Moore headshot<br />
Rob Moore, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Educational Technology, School of Teaching and Learning

Matthew Ohlson, Ph.D.

Dir Taylor Leadership Inst | Associate Professor
Taylor Leadership Institute | Academic Affairs Division
University of North Florida

Yuxi Qiu, Ph.D.

Clinical Assistant Professor
Counseling, Recreation and School Psychology

Seyedahmad Rahimi headshot<br />
Seyedahmad (Ahmad) Rahimi, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Educational Technology, School of Teaching and Learning

Person Not Pictured
Jinnie Shin, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Research and Evaluation Methodology Program
School of Human Development and Organizational Studies in Education

Wanli Xing, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
School of Teaching and Learning

Pengfei Zhao, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
School of Human Development and Organizational Studies in Education