Meet the New Members of the Education Faculty

With the 2017-18 Academic Year now underway, the Education Department at Moravian University is proud to introduce three new faculty members: Doris Correll, Dr. Laurie Kahn, and Dr. Carolyn Mitten. 

Doris Correll serves as our new Director of Field Experience. As Community School Coordinator, she brings over 30 years of experience as an educator with the Bethlehem Area School District (BASD) and has excelled in multiple BASD positions. Her past work includes both regular and bilingual teacher appointments, work as an English for Second Language (ESL) specialist, an Instructional Support Teacher, and a Reading Recovery Site Coordinator. Mrs. Correll comes to us from her last position as Supervisor of the English Acquisition Program of the BASD, where she was tasked with overseeing thousands of ESL students in the area. 

This wealth of experience is bolstered by a strong theoretical background grounded in Social Linguistic Constructivism and a belief in the discursive classroom. Correll holds degrees in Early Childhood/Elementary education as well as Bilingual/Bicultural Studies and in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. She has given presentations and workshops to her colleagues in the BASD as well as at local colleges and on behalf of the National Association of Bilingual Education. 

Mrs. Correll’s also brings a true Greyhound Spirit and a history within the Education Department here at Moravian. She has taught Moravian students as an adjunct, was instrumental in the design of Moravian’s own ESL Specialist Certification program—one of the first programs of its kind to be approved in the Commonwealth of Education—and is deeply rooted within our Moravian Education family. If you haven’t yet met Mrs. Correll, ask her about her Cocker Spaniel Lexi! 

Laurie Kahn, Ph.D, joins us from the University of Oregon as a specialist on Disability Studies in Education. She is interested in the intersection of disability and culture, and fostering culturally responsive special education practices. At Moravian, she hopes to help students recognize both the theory that makes their practice significant and the curiosity to seek out new and interesting solutions. 

As a scholar, Laurie Kahn represents a prolific and insightful voice—her 2014 Doctoral dissertation titled “Let’s Just Be Who We Are: Experiences , Sense of Self, and Beliefs About the Future for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, Queer, and Intersex Adolescents with Disabilities” was named the outstanding dissertation of the year by the American Educational Research Association Disability Studies in Education Special Interest Group. In addition, she currently sits as chair of the human rights and diversity committee for the Division for Career Development and Transition for the Council of Exceptional Children. Kahn’s impressive work stretches into the classroom as well; she has taught Special Education in New York, Florida, Oregon as well as abroad in Bolivia, New Zealand, Cambodia, and Western Samoa. A commitment to discursive practice and an immense wealth of knowledge make her a welcomed addition to our department!  

While Laurie is new to Moravian there are some familiar faces: Dr. Gleason worked with Laurie Kahn as a teaching assistant at the University of Oregon before coming to Moravian. We welcome Dr. Kahn with great excitement for her wonderful perspective, extensive knowledge, and genuine curiosity to be better both in the classroom and outside of it and we welcome all of our students who have not had the pleasure of meeting her to stop by and say hello.

Carolyn Mitten rounds out our new trio and will bring her unique perspective as both Math educator and curriculum designer. Mitten believes in fostering strong connections with students. She is excited at how the Moravian context will allow her to work more closely with her classes and is eager to establish her own cultures of learning and thinking in collaboration with her new colleagues.

Mitten earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics along with Pennsylvania certification at Messiah College and her Master of Education Degree in Teaching & Curriculum with an emphasis on Mathematics Education from Penn State University Harrisburg. It was during this early experience that Mitten not only developed some of her own teacher philosophy surrounding Math Education, but also found the focus of her PhD: Curriculum & Instruction in Mathematics.

Mitten received her Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Florida with a research focus on the use of formative assessment in mathematics classrooms as well as the preparation of teachers for equitable teaching practices that engage all learners. Mitten has presented her work various national education conferences, and her recent publications can be found in Studies in Higher Education and the Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom.

Dr. Mitten has previously taught both undergraduate and graduate courses, including “Mathematics Content & Methods for Teaching Mathematics in the Inclusive Elementary Classroom” and “Formative Assessment for Mathematics Instruction”. She is excited at the possibility of new and interesting course designs for both our undergraduate and graduate programs and looks forward to meeting students throughout the semester to discuss the curriculum. We are sure Carolyn will bring many new and interesting ideas to our department, and are almost as excited as she is to have her work alongside students. Welcome Carolyn! 

These great new faculty bring with them a strong academic background built upon both scholarship and practice. If you haven’t met them already we urge you to visit the third floor and say hello. One thing is for certain—they will be happy you stopped by.