Education
Alumni Spotlight: Kerra Johnson ’04 provides job opportunities, hands-on experience for next generation of EduNiners
Kerra Johnson graduated with honors from UNC Charlotte in 2004 as a North Carolina Teaching Fellow, earning her degree in elementary education. A lifelong educator, Johnson taught at both the elementary and middle school levels and has tutored students of all ages for nearly 25 years. Beyond the classroom, she also mentored middle and high […]
Reinke Named a Finalist for Charlotte’s 2025 Teaching Excellence Award
Luke Reinke, associate professor of reading and elementary education in the Cato College of Education, is a finalist for the UNC Charlotte Teaching Excellence Award for tenured faculty. Reinke is an enthusiastic mathematics educator whose work blends research, teaching and service to reimagine how future teachers learn to teach math. Known for his thoughtful, equity-centered […]
Six new faculty join Cato College
Cato College welcomes six new faculty for the new semester from all across the country. Their experience and accolades add to the prestige and practical knowledge students gain from being an EduNiner, whether undergraduate or graduate and across all disciplines. We are proud to add these six bright lights to our team! Autumn Griffin Assistant […]
Smith chosen as president-elect of NCACTE
Director of Assessment & Accreditation Brad Smith, Ed.D. ’19, has been selected as the president-elect of the North Carolina Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. His three-year term as president-elect will prepare him for a subsequent three-year term as president, where he will lead the organization as the lead advocacy group for policy issues regarding […]
A Life of Purpose: Thai Ray Williams, Ph.D. ’25
Thai Ray Williams is not your typical graduate. A 32-year classroom teacher, Williams felt called to do more for her exceptional education students after taking part in Charlotte research. Now, she’s graduating with a Ph.D. in Special Education and is turning over a new leaf as faculty at Utah State University, where she will inspire […]
‘Create Something Special’: DeJané Cade ‘26, CTEC ‘25
It takes a special kind of person to turn an interview around on the interviewer, especially when that person is only 19 years old, but by the end of our time together, DeJané Cade was the one doing the interviewing! Watching her move throughout campus, she turned every new person she met into a networking […]
Telra Institute breaks ground on new campus with Cato faculty on Board
Charter school Telra Institute, opened in 2022, will welcome high schoolers for the first time this fall, at a new location right next door to Central Piedmont Community College’s Levine Campus. This will allow students to have what Telra is calling a “tightly integrated dual enrollment experience.” Their aim is that all students completing high […]
‘Somebody Is Waiting for You’: Drs. Brittany ‘25 and Jaalil ‘24 Hart
There are two kinds of academics in this world – those who prefer outside encouragement and those who need support from those in the trenches with them. Brittany and Jaalil Hart took the latter to what some may call the extreme in choosing to complete their doctoral degrees at the same time as husband and […]
Cato College’s Sejal Foxx honored with de Silva Graduate Mentor Award
Sejal Parikh Foxx ’08 Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Counseling in the Cato College of Education, is one of this year’s recipients of the Harshini V. de Silva Graduate Mentor Award. Considered a cornerstone of mentorship in the Ph.D. Program in Counselor Education and Supervision, Foxx was honored for supporting students both […]
Educating the next generation: Kendall Wilson looks to return home to give back to her community
By Bryson Foster ‘23Photos by Amy Hart As Kendall Wilson approaches graduation, she wants to give back to her home community of Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, by educating the next generation of students. “I always say don’t forget where you come from. Fuquay-Varina made me the person I am. I want to return and make it […]