Opening Pathways for Marginalized Individuals in Higher Education

"This research book will help to alleviate and remedy many issues of "historical privilege" with a lens on diversity and support through the creation of inclusive communities of equitable educational access by examining specific case studies and stories from the field which will better describe the narrative of issues and trends around inclusive higher education environments "--

Dr. Stephanie P. Huffman is a professor in the Department of Leadership Studies. This is currently her 18th year at the University of Central Arkansas. She has published over 30 peer reviewed articles, book chapters, and edited books in the field of library science and instructional technology. A few of her publications include edited books entitled Technology Tools for the Literacy Classroom and Cases for Building Quality Distance Delivery Programs and journal articles entitled The Use of Audiobooks in the School Library, The Lack of Citations and Copyright notices in Multimedia Presentations, Socratic Dialogue and Order in Online Chat Rooms, and Technology Planning: The SIMPLE Model . She has been honored by receiving several awards, in 2009 the Technology Leader of the Year award from the Arkansas Association of Instructional Media, in 2012 the Retta Patrick Leadership award from the Arkansas Library Association, and in 2012 Pat McDonald Outstanding Individual Achievement Award from the Arkansas Association of Instructional Media. Her research interests include distance education, technology planning and leadership, literacy, and teacher leadership.

I am the Department Head of the Childhood Education and Family Studies department within the College of Education at Missouri State University. I am also a Professor of early childhood education within a large teacher education program. I have taught at the undergraduate and graduate level and also serve as a research advisor for students within the Early Childhood and Family Development Master's program. I have worked in the early childhood field for over 35 years serving in both the private and public sector. I was a preschool teacher and center director as well as a primary teacher, literacy coach and instructional coordinator in the St. Louis Public School District. The school in which I taught was designated a National Blue Ribbon School and partnered with a local university as a Professional Development School. My research interests include literacy development in the early childhood years, early childhood curricula, and teacher preparation.