Dr. Sandra Stewart, Chair
Sandra Stewart currently serves as the Associate Dean for Teacher Education at Sam Houston State University. She leads and facilitates undergraduate curriculum, coordination and develop new degrees/certifications and innovative programs in teacher education, student admissions in the Educator Preparation Program and staff support in the field experience office. Dr. Stewart has been in education for 27 years as a teacher, principal and central office administrator in K-12 schools and assistant/associate professor and associate dean in higher education. As a faculty member from 2006-2012 in both Elementary Education and Educational Leadership at Stephen F. Austin State University. Dr. Stewart taught literacy and early childhood courses and facilitated internship for teacher candidates in literacy. In addition, she taught in the principal preparation and coordinated the program for one year. Her research interests include social justice, literacy, diversity, and leadership. Dr. Stewart has published and presented on moral leadership, best practices in literacy, social justice in education, and effective leadership practices.
Dr. Debbie Price, Vice-Chair
Dr. Debra Price (Debbie), serves as a faculty member with SHSU and holds degrees from The University of Colorado in Boulder, Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, and the PHD from The University of Texas at Austin. Prior to pursuing the doctoral degree, Dr. Price taught elementary school for 13 years. She served in the roll of professor and director of the Doctoral Program in Literacy in the department of Language, Literacy and Special Populations at Sam Houston State University (SHSU) for 17 years. During that time, Dr. Price taught courses in literacy and special education at the undergraduate, masters and doctoral level. She has authored numerous articles and has presented at several national and international conferences on the topic of literacy. In 2014, Dr. Price was named Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs in the College of Education. In that roll, she serves as a liaison between the 6 doctoral programs, the 15 master’s degree programs and the University Graduate Studies Department. Additionally, she leads and facilitates graduate programs in the college and advocates for graduate programs at the university, state, national and international levels. She works closely with the centers within the college and sponsors activities to promote research across all departments. Dr. Price has served in an advisory capacity for the SHSU Charter School since the charter documents were written and submitted for approval to the Texas Education Agency.
Dr. Daphne Johnson, Member
Dr. Johnson received her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education, her M.S. degree in Reading with an additional Reading Specialist Certification, and her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and Individual Differences. She taught in the Texas public schools for ten years, most in a first grade classroom. Currently, Dr. Johnson teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in human growth and development, instructional strategies, content literacy, assessment for learning, and classroom management delivered both face to face and online.
Dr. Johnson’s research interests include classroom management issues and effective strategies for online instruction. She has been published in Instructional Leader, Interactive Technology and Smart Education, New Teacher Advocate, TechEdge, Learning and Leading with Technology, and Kappa Delta Pi Record
Dr. Johnson has written grants designed to increase the retention of students, leading toward graduation; and most recently, a grant for a summer camp for 4th – 8th graders, focusing on Logic and Critical Thinking Skills. She was instrumental in bringing the project-based learning initiative to Sam Houston State University’s Educator Preparation Program. She also has two published books on critical thinking: Thinking beyond the test: Strategies for re-introducing higher-level thinking skills (2017) and Focus on thinking: Engaging students in higher-order thinking (2017).
Dr. Diana Nabors, Member
Dr. Diana Nabors is a professor of Early Childhood Education at Sam Houston State University. I have taught for more than 38 years. I taught in the public school system; early childhood, Pre-K, Kindergarten, and First Grade as well as Special Education for 21 years and at the university level for 24 years. As a noted author and presenter I have presented on Child Development and Early Childhood Teaching Strategies across the nation as well as internationally. But my love and focus, is in the classroom in Texas. I enjoy working with my university students as they enter the classroom as pre-service teachers and beginning teachers. Getting in the classroom, working with children, playing and learning in centers are the parts of my life that keep me young.
D
r. Deborah Morowski, Member
Dr. Deborah (Debbie) Morowski is a Professor and Chair of the School of Teaching and Learning at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. Prior to coming to Sam Houston, Debbie was an associate professor and the elementary education program coordinator in the Department of Curriculum and Teaching at Auburn University. She is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, with a masters and a doctoral degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in curriculum studies. Dr. Morowski has received awards for teaching and has been the recipient of grants promoting her research on culturally relevant teaching practices and instructional strategies utilizing primary sources. She has published numerous articles on social studies education, teacher education, and educational history. Debbie is a regular presenter at international, national, and state conferences. Dr. Morowski’s research interests include teacher education, social studies education, and educational history.
Courtney Westerkamp, Member
Mrs. Courtney Westerkamp was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing with a Management focus from McNeese State University. She started her career in sports (arena football) administration and community outreach before becoming an educator for a private high school in Lake Charles, LA. She taught a business computer applications class there as well as a computer science elementary level class.
The Westerkamp family relocated to The Woodlands in 2012, where Mrs. Westerkamp continued her career as a substitute teacher in both elementary and middle schools. She has 6 years of experience in education and still enjoys working as a substitute when time allows, in addition to serving on the school and PTO boards and volunteering at her children’s school.
Mrs. Westerkamp has been married to her husband, Jason, for 11 years and they have 5 children: Kelsey (20), Hallie (10), Gavin (9), Cayman (8), and Beau (5). The Westerkamps are proud and excited to have recently adopted both Cayman and Beau from China. They have even more to celebrate, as Kelsey is recently engaged and will be married in May of 2018!