Faculty and Staff

Meet the Teaching and Learning Team

The faculty believe perspective gives meaning to the intellectual and practical elements of curriculum and instruction and these must be explored with students for their underlying assumptions, and for their relative strengths and weaknesses. The theoretical and practical paradigms that shape American education are explored for their implications in today's increasingly global classroom.

Teaching & Learning (EDCI)
Main Office: 203 Clay Hall
Phone: (615) 963-5465
Campus P.O. Box 9561

Dr. Nicole Arrighi

Nicole Kendall Arrighi, Ed.D.
Assistant Dean, Teacher Education
Professor

B.S., 1999, University of Tennessee at Martin, M.S. 2000,
Peabody College of Vanderbilt University, Ed.D, 2005,
Tennessee State University

Office: 112A Clay Hall
Phone: (615) 963-5482
Email: nkendall@tnstate.edu

Dr. Kisha Bryan

Kisha Bryan, Ph.D.
Interim Chair, Teaching & Learning
Associate Professor

B.A., 1999 Voorhees College; M.A.T., 2001, State University of New York;
Ph.D., 2012, University of Florida

Office: 211D Clay Hall
Phone: (615) 963-5466
Email: kbryan@tnstate.edu

Dr. Sumita Chakraborti-Ghosh

Sumita Chakraborti-Ghosh, Ph.D.
Professor 

B.S., 1975, Calcutta University, Calcutta, India; B.S., 1987,
Utah State University; M.A., 1979, Rabindra Bharati University,
Calcutta India; Ph.D., 1998, New Mexico State University

Office: 209B Clay Hall
Phone: (615) 963-5476
Email:  schakraborti@tnstate.edu 
 
 

Beth Christian

Beth Christian, Ed.D.
Professor

B.A., 1991, University of Tennessee; M.A., 1993, 
Middle Tennessee State University; Ph.D., 2002,
Peabody College of Vanderbilt University

Office: 216 Clay Hall
Phone: (615) 963-5324
VSCC Campus: (615) 230-3706
Email: bchristian1@tnstate.edu 

Mrs. Gervaise Clark

Mrs. Gervaise Clark
Administrative Assistant III 

Office: 203 Clay Hall
Phone: (615) 963-5465
Email:  geclark@tnstate.edu

Dr. Latoya Johnson

Latoya Johnson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor

B.S., 2007, University of Southern Mississippi; M.A.T., 2011,
Bellhaven University; Ph.D., 2015, University of Georgia

Office: 211A Clay Hall
Phone: (615) 963-1346
Email: ljohns91@tnstate.edu  

Dr. Dong Hyun Kang

Donghyun Kang, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor

B.A., 2003, Seoul National University of Education; M.Ed., 2007, Seoul National University
of Education; Ph.D., 2019, Texas A&M University


Office: 105C Clay Hall
Phone: (615) 963-5465
Email: dkang@tnstate.edu

Dr. Show Mei Lin

Show Mei Lin, Ph.D.
Associate Professor

B.A. 1981 Soochow University, Taipei, Taiwan; M.S.W. 1985,
California State University, Fresno; Teacher Certification 1997,
University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Ph.D.2009 The 
University of Oklahoma

Office: 209A Clay Hall
Phone: (615) 963-1348
Email: slin@tnstate.edu

Graham Matthews

Graham P. Matthews, Ph.D.
Associate Professor

B. A., 1969, Central State University; M.A., 1970, University of Michigan;
Ph.D., 1976, University of Michigan; M. Div., 1982, Vanderbilt University 
Divinity School.

Office: 204B Clay Hall
Phone: (615) 963-5029
Email:  gmatthews2@tnstate.edu

Dr. UrLeaka Newsome

UrLeaka Woodard Newsome, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor

B.S., 2002, Mercer University; M.S., 2005, Louisiana Tech
University, Ph.D., 2016, University of Georgia

Office: 211D Clay Hall
Phone: (615) 963-5477
Email: unewsome@tnstate.edu

Heraldo Richards

Heraldo Richards, Ph.D.
Associate Dean, College of Education
Associate Professor

B.A., 1975, University of Chicago; M.A., 1985, University of Michigan;
Ph.D., 1993, Northwestern University

Office: 112 Clay Hall
Phone: (615) 963-5620
Email:  hrichards@tnstate.edu  

Celeste Williams

Celeste Williams, Ed.D.
Professor

B.S., 1987, Guilford College; M.S., 1995, 
Ed.D. 2001, Tennessee State University

Office: 211C Clay Hall 
Phone: (615) 963-5446 
Email:  cwilliams@tnstate.edu  

Dr. Hyeong Jean Yoo

Hyeon Jean Yoo, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor

B.S., 2007, M.A. 2010 Gyeongsang National University, South Korea;
M.S. 2021, Auburn University; Ph.D. 2021, Auburn University

Office: 203 Clay Hall
Phone:
Email: hyoo@tnstate.edu


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