CUFA GRAD FORUM CANDIDATE ELECTION BIOS (07-08)

The College and University Faculty Assembly (CUFA)

An affiliate of the National Council for the Social Studies

The following are bios from the 2007-2008 candidates for elected positions in the CUFA Graduate Student Forum. Voting will take place during the 2007 business meeting at the annual CUFA conference in San Diego, CA. The meeting will take place at 7:130M on Wednesday, November 28th in room 25A.

Vice Chair (two-year position)

Lara Backus. I will be graduating in May 2010 so I am available for this position for two years. I am currently attending UNC Chapel Hill, in the culture, curriculum and change PhD program focusing on elementary social studies, teacher education and sociology. Prior to beginning my PhD in 2006, I taught elementary social school for twelve years. While a classroom teacher, in an inner city school, I successfully integrated the social studies curriculum. I earned my master’s degree at UNC-Charlotte under the advisement of Dr. Jeff Passe. Currently, I am researching pre-service teachers’ engagement of social studies and social justice. I am also examining how social studies methods courses are taught in non-testing states versus testing states. I am interested in the reform efforts targeting elementary social studies. I feel social studies has the potential to be a powerful curriculum force if provided the opportunity.

Secretary (one-year position)

Shreya Desai is a doctoral student in social science education at the University of South Florida. Ms. Desai has taught Honors and Advanced U.S. History and World Geography classes at the middle school level. She currently is a graduate research assistant at the David C. Anchin Center working on projects regarding Secondary School Redesign Initiative and the US Virgin Islands in partnership with Florida and the Islands Comprehensive Center. She has a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Florida and an M.A.T. in Social Science Education from the University of South Florida. Ms. Desai was invited to participate in the 2nd James F. Ackerman Colloquium on Technology and Citizenship. Ms. Desai’s research interests include racial, cultural, and gender equity, multicultural/global perspectives, and reform issues in education.

Graduate Forum Program Chair (one-year position)

Caroline Sheffield is a doctoral candidate in Social Science Education at the University of South Florida. She has taught middle grades social studies for eight years in Jacksonville, Florida and in Tampa, Florida. Her research interests include gifted education and the social studies, technology integration, and the use of trade books in the socials studies. She has presented numerous times at international, national, state, and local conferences. She has been published in both regional and national publications. Additionally, she has served as a reviewer and editor for numerous publications, and has served as a proposal reviewer for the 2008 AERA conference. Currently on leave from the School District of Hillsborough County, Caroline is a visiting Instructor and a graduate advisor at the University of South Florida.