Ed Tech Hour

Dr. Inaya Jaafar is an educational psychologist with over 23 years of experience in teaching middle school English and science, being a primary grade interventionist, a preschool to 12th grade special services supervisor, and currently an elementary school assistant principal, dissertation reader, and adjunct faculty member. Dr. Jaafar has published an edited reference book on educational technology featuring her dissertation topic on the teacher student relationship with the use of technology. She has conducted research and published manuscripts focused on the educational impact of the pandemic, effects of natural disasters on school staff and student performance, trauma informed practices, and teacher resilience.  

Dr. Vail Hilbert is a dedicated and passionate international education professional who believes in creating engaging and inclusive learning environments. She began her career in public education in the United States and has been working in an international school in Mexico City for 14 years. Throughout her professional journey, she has had the opportunity to hold a variety of positions including classroom teacher, activity specialist, instructional coach, and dean of students. Dr. Hilbert uses connection to create an educational climate where students feel safe and valued. 

Dr. Hilbert received a bachelor’s degree in international studies. It was then that she began to think about and explore how the world is becoming more interconnected and the possibility that creates. Specifically, as she continued her journey into education and moved across borders, it became evident that online and international teaching and learning not only allows education to be more accessible but also provides opportunities for cross-cultural interchange. While online teaching and learning still has limitations and gaps, she continues to be committed to learning more and engaging in conversations about how best to leverage technology and integrate the cultural and psycho-social aspects of learning for the benefits of students everywhere. 

Dr. Courtney Kelley has been teaching at Cuyahoga Community College since 2009 and is currently a full-time psychology professor at the Eastern Campus. She holds a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from Bowling Green State University and received her B.A. in Psychology from Wittenberg University. While in graduate school, her areas of research included child and adolescent aggression and prosocial behavior, child and adolescent body image, eating attitudes and eating behavior, and academic motivation. Dr. Kelley regularly teaches General Psychology, Child Development, Lifespan Development, Honors Lifespan Development, and Psychology of Human Sexuality. She takes pride in bringing enthusiasm into the classroom and strives to create an active learning experience for students. 

Shena Sanchez, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Qualitative Research at the University of Alabama. As a critical qualitative researcher, she uses Critical Race Feminisms to understand the experiences of Girls and Women of Color in K-12 public schools. Her scholarly interests include intersectional research methods, student identity and voice, education policy and leadership, and the social-political-historical contexts of schooling. Dr. Sanchez is the founder of the Lavender Girls Project, a national mentoring and research group for and with Girls of Color from Title I high schools. She is currently conducting a study about the experiences of Women of Color public school administrators who lead using principles of social and educational justice. 

Dr. Tony Adams (PhD, University of South Florida) is a Caterpillar Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication at Bradley University. Before Bradley, he worked at Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) for nine years. In 2017, he was honored to be named the Bernard J. Brommel Distinguished Research Professor, the highest research award at NEIU. In 2021, he was honored to be named a Caterpillar Professor, the highest research award at Bradley. Dr. Adams has published more than 75 articles and book chapters as well as nine books including Narrating the Closet: An Autoethnography of Same-Sex Attraction (Routledge), Autoethnography (Oxford University Press), and two editions of the Handbook of Autoethnography (Routledge). He has facilitated workshops on qualitative research at numerous institutions, including the University of Edinburgh, Texas A&M, the University of Alabama, and the Autonomous University of Aguascalientes. He is the executive director of the International Association of Autoethnography and Narrative, a co-editor of the Writing Lives: Ethnographic Narratives book series (Routledge), and the founding co-editor of the Journal of Autoethnography (University of California Press).