Dr. Pallavi Aggarwal, Ed.D
During the years of 2023 - 2029, 17 postdoctoral fellows will partner with public K-12 education sites in St. Louis to address real-world challenges through a cycle of inquiry. Fellows receive mentorship and training to enhance instructional effectiveness, promote asset-based instruction, and improve student learning outcomes.
Postdoctoral Fellows Cohorts:
Dr. Pallavi Aggarwal, Ed.D, is a Postdoctoral Fellow at The University of Missouri - St. Louis (UMSL). She has recently completed her first year of translational research supported by the UMSL Charter School Translational Fellows (UMSL-CSTF) program. She moved from India to the United States in 2016. She has 6 years of experience teaching science and math to elementary and middle school students in a charter school in North Carolina and at the Ferguson Florissant School District in Missouri. She loves challenging her students with higher-order thinking content and motivating them to aim for higher academic and personal goals. As an educator, many aspects of teaching and learning intrigued her, and she wanted to know more, driving her to pursue her Ed.D. She completed her Ed.D degree at UMSL, granting her the chance to pursue being a postdoctoral fellow. This opportunity allowed her to extend her passion for research and learn new skills.
Dr. Debra Cole, PhD
Dr. Debra Cole, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Fellow at The University of Missouri - St. Louis (UMSL). She has recently completed her first year of translational research supported by the UMSL Charter School Translational Fellows (UMSL-CSTF) program. She is a long-time K-12 language educator. She has taught German, Language Arts, and ESL for over 20 years. She served as the Regional Coordinator for ELLs in 20 counties of West Central Illinois. She also established and directed the Beardstown Dual Language Enrichment Program in Beardstown, IL. Since moving to St. Louis, she has worked as the MELL Instructional Specialist for the St. Louis region. She was the founding coordinator for English Learner and Immigrant Education in the Hazelwood School District.
Dr. Paula Miller, PhD
Dr. Paula Miller, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Fellow at The University of Missouri - St. Louis (UMSL). She has recently completed her first year of translational research supported by the UMSL Charter School Translational Fellows (UMSL-CSTF) program. She graduated with her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in December 2022, and in May 2008, she also acquired a Master of Education Degree in Adult and Higher Education from UMSL. Since 2011, Paula has worked in several positions at UMSL, including graduate research assistant, graduate teaching assistant, and project/program research coordinator. She earned the Preschool Climate of Healthy Interactions for Learning & Development Observation Tool (CHILD) certification from Yale University. Paula has worked in the public and private school sectors for over 15 years in elementary, secondary, and higher education as an Information Systems/Information Technology Administrator for St. Louis Public Schools and Saint Louis University.
Dr. Taylor Lawson-Smith, Ed.D
Dr. Lawson-Smith is a Postdoctoral Fellow at The University of Missouri - St. Louis (UMSL), supported by the UMSL Charter School Translational Fellows (UMSL-CSTF) program. Dr. Lawson-Smith is a seasoned professional with over a decade of experience in STEM education for grades 6-12. With seven years dedicated to state assessment development, Dr. Lawson-Smith excels in content and bias review, cut score determination, item writing, and standard alignment. Her expertise extends to curriculum writing and development, bolstered by a doctorate in education focusing on curriculum and instruction. An internship with the Missouri House of Representatives sparked a deep passion for education, driving Dr. Lawson-Smith’s interest in systemic changes and education policy.
Dr. Jamie Martin, Ed.D
Dr. Jamie Martin, Ed.D, is a Postdoctoral Fellow at The University of Missouri - St. Louis (UMSL), supported by the UMSL Charter School Translational Fellows (UMSL-CSTF) program. As a dedicated advocate for social justice in education, Jamie completed her undergraduate studies at Texas State University and recently earned her EdD from the University of Missouri-Saint Louis. Her dissertation, titled Participation Mandatory, Learning Not Required: A Phenomenological Study of Diversity Training in Law Enforcement and Education, focused on attendees’ perceptions regarding professional development training related to individual assets.
Dr. Dawn Thieman, Ed.D
Dr. Dawn Thieman, Ed.D, is a Postdoctoral Fellow at The University of Missouri - St. Louis (UMSL), supported by the UMSL Charter School Translational Fellows (UMSL-CSTF) program. Dr. Thieman earned her Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning Processes at the University of Missouri - St. Louis (UMSL). With 26 years in K-12 and 6 years in post-secondary education, she has many educational experiences. Dawn has served as a School District Project Coordinator and a grant project coordinator for UMSL COE. Her K-12 roles included assistant superintendent, director of student services, instructional coach, reading specialist, and English learner specialist. Her academic and research interests focus on teacher preparation and development, curriculum, instruction, assessment, and instructional coaching for equitable, linguistically, and culturally relevant teaching. She is especially interested in how these topics support: teacher preparation for serving multilingual learners (MLs), ML program development in K-12 and post-secondary education, and educational policies impacting ML students.
Dr. Jacob Steiss, Ph.D
Dr. Jacob Steiss, Ph.D, is a Postdoctoral Fellow at The University of Missouri - St. Louis (UMSL), supported by the UMSL Charter School Translational Fellows (UMSL-CSTF) program. As a former ELA and Social Studies teacher, Jake has spent the past 5 years designing and facilitating professional learning for novice and experienced teachers in Southern California as part of the WRITE Center. In addition to helping educators improve their literacy instruction, he conducted qualitative and quantitative research to increase knowledge about: student writing, how disciplinary thinking develops, and how teachers’ beliefs and practices affect student learning. Jake earned his PhD in Education at UC Irvine.
Dr. Kim Starkey, PhD
Dr. Kim Starkey, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Fellow at The University of Missouri - St. Louis (UMSL). She has recently left the classroom after 18 years as a middle school language arts teacher in the Fox School District for a position with the UMSL Charter School Translational Fellows (UMSL-CSTF) program. A graduate of UMSL, her research involves using Design Thinking strategies to develop participant empathy, and she strives to implement empathy-promoting activities within the academic lessons she creates for learners. In short, she loves problem-solving and making systems work better to support the humans they serve. Dr. Starkey is thankful for the opportunity to partner with the students and leaders of St. Louis as she learns more about the strengths and needs of their learning communities.
Dr. Adriana Martinez, PhD
Dr. Pete White, Ph.D
