IPDA USA Committee
Trina Emler
Chair
Institution: University of Kansas
Dr. Trina E. Emler is a researcher at the Center for Creativity and Entrepreneurship Education at the University of Kansas and Vice President of YEE Education. Emler started in education in 2006 teaching in the private and public sectors in Florida, at elementary and middle school levels. Her work extended beyond the classroom to leadership, mentorship, program and standards evaluation, and co-teaching for diversity and inclusion. Currently, Emler’s research and practitioner work enable her to publish, teach, and present on creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship education and associated pedagogical strategies as a means of meeting the needs of diverse learners.
Dave Johnston
Vice Chair
Dave Johnston is the Director of Professional Development at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) based out of the Bronx Zoo in NYC. He oversees all teacher and graduate education at WCS, including international partnerships in over 20 countries. He has presented his work at over a dozen national and international professional conferences and his work has won the Top Honors in Education award from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. He holds a BA in Physical Anthropology from Penn State University and an M.Ed. in Science Education from City College of New York. He is a Ph.D. candidate in Teacher Education and Teacher Development at Montclair State University. His dissertation utilizes didactic transposition to examine professional development outcomes for informal STEM educators related to inquiry based instruction.
Jerusalem (Jerry) Rivera-Wilson
Institution: Academy for the Advancement of Teaching, Leadership and Schools (AATLAS)
Jerusalem (Jerry) Rivera-Wilson (Ph.D. University at Albany, SUNY). For over 30 years, Jerry has been involved in some facet related to the profession of teaching. In 1996, she joined the School of Education at the University at Albany, State University of New York. Currently, she is the Director of Professional Development and Continuing Education for the Academy for the Advancement of Teaching, Leadership and Schools (AATLAS). Her research interests include progressive education, pre-service and in-service professional development, and alternative assessment practices. Jerry is very active at the state level as the Executive Director of the New York State Association of Teacher Educators (NYSATE).
Dianna Weinbaum
Dianna Weinbaum serves the state of Florida as Senior Director for Cognia. She provides support to schools with accreditation, assessment, and continuous improvement. In addition, she supports Cognia’s professional learning opportunities for educational professionals to optimize success for every student. Before joining Cognia, Dianna provided leadership to The School District of Palm Beach County as an educator, School Improvement and District Accreditation Specialist, Human Resources Manager, and Director of Professional Standards. During her tenure with the 10th largest school district in the country, Dianna provided project guidance and supervision to all stakeholder groups regarding school improvement, system accreditation, and strategic planning. In addition, she oversaw all functions associated with investigations of employee allegations related to ethics, improprieties, complaints, misconduct, or conflicts of interest.
Tracy Thuebner
As the leader of the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning, Tracy brings a wealth of experience identifying, describing, and researching innovative education practices and trends and connecting researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. As a senior researcher at WestEd, she has researched trends in college and career readiness, high school reform, digitally enhanced education, and Common Core standards for organizations such as Google, the Gates Foundation, the Institute of Education Sciences, and most recently the S.D. Bechtel, Jr Foundation. Previously, Huebner worked at the Harvard Children’s Initiative as a lecturer and researcher on complex evaluations for school-based programs. Huebner received an MA and PhD in education from Stanford University and completed postdoctoral work at Harvard University as a Spencer Fellow in Education.
Cathy Cavanaugh
Institution: Lastinger Center for Learning at the University of Florida
Dr. Cathy Cavanaugh is Chief Experience Officer and Research Scientist in the Lastinger Center for Learning at the University of Florida. Previously she held roles at Microsoft leading Professional Development and Analytics in the education products group, and working with education leaders and organizations around the world to transform learning and teaching. Cathy’s experience includes leading a statewide education transformation initiative and launching a virtual school in Western Australia; higher education leadership and research in the Middle East during a national mobile learning program; and work as a professor and researcher in educational technology in US universities; as well as school teaching and leadership. She was a Fulbright Senior Scholar advancing e-learning in Nepal. She has developed successful and innovative online degree and professional development programs, and blended learning programs for K-12 students. She also directed professional development centers in the US and was a STEM classroom teacher in the US and Caribbean. Cathy’s research and her 150 publications focus on technology-empowered teaching and learning in virtual schools, online and blended learning, teacher development, and mobile learning. Her work has been recognized for its impact with international awards including a 2016 International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Making IT Happen award, as well an innovation awards for research focused on virtual schooling. Cathy is a frequent speaker at education events, and she has consulted on educational technology with national and state governments, universities, schools, and organizations. Her education includes a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, a Master of Education, and a Bachelor of Education.