Team Members

Donna Bone ~ Donna.Bone@Uconn.edu

Donna Bone is the Project Coordinator for the New Literacies Research Lab. Donna has a B.S. in Computer Science and Financial Management from Quinnipiac University and an M.S. in Elementary Education from Southern CT State University. Her work experience includes the corporate environment as a technical writer, computer programmer and revenues analyst, and the education environment as coordinator of a State of CT interdistrict grant and as a CT classroom teacher.

Jill Castek ~ Jill.Castek@Uconn.edu

Jill Castek is a Ph.D. candidate in Cognition and Instruction at UConn. She studies online reading comprehension and its application to teaching and learning in K-8 schools. Her dissertation examines the instructional contexts that facilitate the acquisition of new literacies in upper elementary classrooms. Jill has published work in Reading Teacher, Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, Knowledge Quest, Book Links and the New England Reading Association Journal.  Her work appears in the forthcoming volume entitled Technology-Based Learning Environments for Young English Learners: Connections In and Out of School. Prior to joining the New Literacies Research Team, Jill spent several years as an elementary educator and Reading Specialist in Northern CA.  She earned an M.S. degree in Reading from California State University, East Bay.  She currently works as literacy specialist with the Seeds of Science Roots of Reading team at the Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley.

Julie Coiro ~ JCoiro@Snet.net ~ Homepage

Julie Coiro, a graduate, is now an Assistant Professor of Education at the University of Rhode Island. She has taught in preschool, elementary, and middle school classrooms.  Julie has a Ph.D in Educational Psychology, a Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction, and a B.A. in Special Education. She also has twelve years experience as a staff developer.  Julie's research focuses on strategic reading comprehension, new literacies of the Internet, and effective practices for technology integration and professional development.  She co-authored the book Teaching with the Internet K-12: New Literacies for New Times with Don and Debbie Leu and has published in other venues such as Reading Research Quarterly, The Reading Teacher, Educational Leadership, Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, and the 2nd Edition of the Handbook of Literacy and Technology. She is co-editor of The Handbook of Research in New Literacies (in press).

Heidi Everett-Cacopardo~ Heidi.Everett-Cacopardo@Uconn.edu

Heidi Everett-Cacopardo is a master’s student in Cognition and Instruction at the University of Connecticut. She has taught secondary science for 3 years in New Haven, Connecticut. She is studying how struggling adolescent readers become more engaged in learning through international, Internet-based projects between classrooms.

Douglas Hartman ~ Douglas.Hartman@Uconn.edu ~ Neag Homepage ~ CHIP Homepage

Douglas K. Hartman is Professor of Literacy & Language and Co-Director of the New Literacies Research Lab in the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut. He is Senior Editor of the Journal of Literacy Research and is Co-PI (with Drs. Leu, Olson, & Truxaw) of a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York to study the acquisition and application of new literacies by new teachers in mathematics, science, and English.  He has authored several dozen journal articles, book chapters, technical reports, and book reviews on the new literacies, adolescent literacy, health literacy, and the history of literacy.

Laurie Henry ~ Laurie.Henry@Uconn.edu ~ Homepage

Laurie A. Henry, a graduate, is now an Assistant Professor of Education at the University of Kentucky.  She is a certified middle school teacher with a Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction.  Laurie provides professional development for educators in the area of technology integration and the new literacies of the Internet.  She was recently appointed to the Advisory Panel for ReadWriteThink  by the International Reading Association.  Laurie is the 2005 recipient of the Nila Banton Smith Research Dissemination Support Grant.  Her current research interest focuses on the reading strategies that are used when searching for information on the Internet and equity issues in online reading comprehension instruction.

Don Leu ~  Donald.Leu@Uconn.edu  ~ Neag Homepage

Donald J. Leu is the John and Maria Neag Endowed Chair in Literacy and Technology and holds a joint appointment in Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Psychology at the University of Connecticut. He is also Co-Director of the New Literacies Research Lab at the University of Connecticut, a former President of the National Reading Conference and is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the International Reading Association. A graduate of Michigan State, Harvard, and Berkeley, Don’s work focuses on the new skills and strategies required to read, write, and learn with Internet technologies and the best instructional practices that prepare students for these new literacies.

He has more than 100 research publications and sixteen books and he has given keynote addresses in Europe, Australia, Asia, South America, and North America. He is currently a Principal Investigator on a number of federal research grants (CTELL, The New Literacies of Online Reading Comprehension, and NAEP Secondary Reanalysis) and is editing the Handbook of Research on New Literacies (Erlbaum) with Julie Coiro, Michele Knobel, and Colin Lankshear.

Greg McVerry ~  jgregmcverry@gmail.com

Greg McVerry is a doctoral student at the University of Connecticut studying literacy and technology. He received a Masters of Education from the University of Hartford. Greg has taught math and language arts for five years in Regional School District 14 (Woodbury and Bethlehem, CT). He currently teaches sixth grade and serves on the language arts curriculum, the math curriculum, and the technology curriculum committee. Greg was awarded the Connecticut Educators Computer Association Technology Integration Award for 2006 for his "Iron Age to the Information Age: Teaching the New Literacies" unit. He has provided professional development to districts on topics ranging  from integrating classroom websites, electronic whiteboards, to developing e-portfolios.

Ian O'Byrne ~ ian.obyrne@uconn.edu

Ian O'Byrne is a doctoral student at the University of Connecticut studying literacy and technology. He received his Masters of Education from the University of Massachusetts in the 180 Days Program. Ian has taught English Language Arts in both the middle schools and high schools of Springfield and Chicopee Massachusetts. He currently teaches English 11 and Read 180 at Chicopee Comprehensive High School. He has served as Adjunct Professor at WNEC in the School of Education. Ian is a Master Teacher in the Intel Teach to the Future program, and has used that experience to create professional development for teachers in his districts. He has been involved in initiatives in his school districts ranging from online coursework, integrating technology in the classroom, school to career, and acting as department leadership.

Mark Olson ~ Mark.Olson@Uconn.edu

Mark's area of expertise is in Science Education and Teacher Education. Mark received his B.A. from Concordia College (Moorhead, MN), and his Ph.D. from Michigan State University. He is also a Knowles Young Scholar Fellow.

Mary Truxaw ~ Mary.Truxaw@Uconn.edu

Mary Truxaw is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education in the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut. Prior to earning her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, Mary taught mathematics for over 20 years in Los Angeles, New York, and Connecticut.  She currently teaches mathematics education and clinical seminar courses at the University of Connecticut.  Mary's research focuses on discourse in mathematics classes, new literacies and technology to enhance mathematics instruction, and teacher education. Her research has been presented and published at regional, national, and international forums.

Lisa Zawilinski ~ lisa.zawilinski@uconn.edu

Lisa Zawilinski is a doctoral student in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Connecticut. She is studying the ways in which Internet communication technologies enhance classroom instruction, support collaborative knowledge building, and prepare students for the 21st century literacy demands. Lisa received her Bachelors and Masters degrees at the University of Connecticut and has more than 13 years experience in the field of education working with students in grades K-6. As former co-director for the Connecticut Writing Project, Lisa has also provided workshops in technology and writing across the content areas. Recent in press articles/chapters include: "What is New About the New Literacies of Online Reading Comprehension" to appear in Spring 2007 (NCTE/NCREL publishers) and "Children's Books and Technology in the Classroom: A Dynamic Combo for Supporting the Writing Workshop" available in the April 2007 edition of the Reading Teacher.