Kimberly Cassidy is an assistant professor at Shawnee State University in Portsmouth, Ohio. She is also the director of graduate studies at the School of Education, director of early childhood programs and early childhood special education programs. Dr. Cassidy earned her PhD in Early Childhood Education from East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee. She also earned her Masters in Early Childhood Special Education from East Tennessee State University. Dr. Cassidy has an EdS in Educational Leadership from Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee and a Bs degree in Business Management with a Concentration in Marketing from Carson-Newman University in Jefferson City, Tennessee. Dr. Cassidy's research interests are Implementing Yoga in the Classroom for Cognitive Stimulation for Self-Regulation and Attributional Retraining, The Risks and Challenges of Grandparents as Primary Caregivers, Co-Teaching in the Classroom for Increased Rigor and Multi-Perspective Learning, and Using Scenario-Based Dialogue in the Classroom for Strategic Thinking and Rigorous Instruction.
Beverly Sande is an Assistant Professor and Director for Panther Teaching Academy at Prairie View A & M University. She has worked as an educator for over 25 years. Dr. Sande has previously engaged in projects that advance knowledge of inclusive practices and research on social justice, equity literacy, collaborative continuous improvement practices, curriculum redesign, and large-scale implementation models. She has also worked across disciplines to develop inclusive teacher education programs and curricula that encourage diverse students, especially students of color, students with disabilities, and gifted students, to acquire professional teaching licenses. Currently, she is working on research that focuses on educational reform policies, large-scale educational implementation, culturally relevant pedagogy, and curriculum redesign and development in higher education.