Julie Jordan has more than 30 years of professional experience as a business owner, entrepreneur, teacher, trainer and administrator. She holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering and education technology from Mississippi State University and a Ph.D. in international development from the University of Southern Mississippi. Jordan's career began in the private sector, working with computer networks, before her experience took her into classrooms as a technology coordinator and computer teacher at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science. The Mississippi Department of Education then hired her as a training consultant to help school districts implement classroom computer technology. Building on her computer interests, she decided to enter the business world, starting an Internet company. Jordan has been an adjunct instructor for MSU and Mississippi University for Women. She has led community-development outreach programs as project manager for the MSU Community Action Team. Serving 10 years as a Columbus Municipal School District trustee led her to six years as director and officer with the Mississippi School Boards Association. Jordan has been director at the RCU since October 2010. In that time the RCU has broadened the scope of work from its core expertise in career and technical education to areas including educator evaluation, performance based compensation, innovative high school models, school improvement, leadership development, and program evaluation.

Sean Owen is an associate research professor for the Research and Curriculum Unit. Prior to joining the RCU, he was a research professor for Mississippi State University’s Center for Educational and Training Technology (CETT). Much of his CETT work included writing grants and curricula and administering and evaluating programs that integrated technology into core academic and career and technical areas in school districts statewide. Owen received a Bachelor of Science in biological sciences with an emphasis in chemistry and psychology from the University of Mississippi. He also holds a Master of Science in biological sciences and a doctorate in education with a minor in teacher technology education. His research focus and experience primarily is in the applied sciences and career and technical education. Frequently presenting at local, state, and national conferences, he is an active member of the ACTE and Who’s Who of Emerging Leaders in America. Additionally, he is a former president of the Mississippi Educational Computing Association.

Nithya Arumugam joined the RCU in 2015 as a programmer analyst and is particularly involved in developing web applications and database administration. Arumugam started her career as an application developer/software engineer for an information technology company in the healthcare sector, and she has more than six years of experience in design and development of Microsoft SQL server databases and web applications using the Microsoft .NET framework. Her technological expertise includes ASP, ASP.NET, HTML, and the programming languages VB, C# and SQL. Arumugam holds a bachelor’s degree in physics and a master’s degree in computer applications from Bharathiyar University in Coimbatore, India.

Ashley Priebe Brown lives by the belief that when connected to a topic of interest, everyone can be creative, and everyone can learn. Her work at the RCU involves using data to improve student outcomes. A graduate of Mississippi State University, Priebe Brown earned a Bachelor of Science in secondary education and a Master of Arts in English. She is also Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) certified and holds a Mississippi Educator License with endorsements in English and art. While earning her master’s degree, Priebe Brown was a teaching assistant for Mississippi State University’s English as a Second Language Center. Priebe Brown taught English I and II at Louisville High School and Language Arts and Literature at Armstrong Middle School prior to joining the RCU in July of 2012. She is a member of the Mississippi Professional Educators.

Shelly Hollis joined the RCU in November 2014 as a project manager. Her duties include managing the development and implementation of the K-12 computer science pilot program, managing and executing database and reporting projects, and supporting information systems related to professional learning. Prior to joining the RCU, she worked in a public school system managing district technology. In her technology role, Hollis provided training and support to administrators, faculty and staff on all devices and software, in addition to evaluating and contributing to purchase decisions. She also managed the student information system, district website, E-rate program, MSIS reporting, automated calling system, and data uploads for the district. Before moving to Mississippi in 2007, she co-owned and operated a database design company where she created, installed, and maintained customized pre-school enrollment-management and compliance software solutions. Hollis is a graduate of Huntingdon College in Alabama where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in computer science.

Bhanupriya Shanmugam first joined the Research and Curriculum Unit in June 2012 as a graduate research assistant, and now serves the applications solutions/information technology group as a project manager. In this role, she manages and executes database and reporting projects and supports information systems related to assessment and professional learning. She has two years of work experience as a software engineer for the banking domain of an information technology company. Shanmugam earned a bachelor’s degree in electronics and communication engineering in 2009 from Anna University in Chennai, India. In 2014 she received a master's degree in business administration with a focus in management information systems from MSU.

Michelle Taylor plans and facilitates online professional development. She has a passion for business, and in her role with the RCU, she writes the business curricula and teaches the online high school business course. Taylor creates, conducts, and presents research on online professional development, online career-technical education, and blended learning. She earned an associate and bachelor’s degree in business from Northeast Community College and the University of Mississippi respectively. She holds master’s, specialist’s, and doctoral degrees in instructional technology from MSU. Her doctoral study focused on why educators did or did not complete the online professional-development courses they began. Before joining the RCU, she served as the business office technology instructor and department head for the campus at East Mississippi Community College (EMCC)—Scooba and taught eighth-grade computer discovery for 10 years at Baldwyn Middle School, as well as high school keyboarding, computer applications, computer maintenance/repair, psychology, and sociology. While working at Baldwyn and EMCC, Taylor wrote grants and attended workshops to aid her in this process. She is a National Board Certified Teacher in Career and Technical Education. She also holds COOL, IC3, iCAT, Propulse, and Novell certifications. Taylor is a master teacher for Intel in its Teaching Using Higher Levels of Thinking curriculum, as well as in the Essentials course. She has completed her administrator’s training from the Mississippi Department of Education for secondary and post-secondary. She has a master teacher certification in economics and for entrepreneurship. Taylor is a member of multiple business and education associations, and she serves as the president of the Mississippi Business Education Association and secretary for the Southern Business Education Association. She also serves on many committees at the state and national levels for education, government, and industry including the United States Federal Reserve Board Educatory Advisory Board, MSU Financial Education Partnership, and a parent volunteer for Girl Scouts of America.

Kristen Dechert conducts research and evaluation work and coordinates communication efforts for the RCU. Prior to joining the RCU in 2011, she was a technical writer and editor for MSU's Energy Institute. She has taught technical writing, literature, and academic-writing courses and has served on textbook editorial review boards and as an expert reviewer for linguistic research in Tennessee and Arizona. Dechert holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from the University of Montevallo and Mississippi State University, respectively. She is a member of the American Educational Research Association.

Gabrielle Barrientos is a graduate research assistant at the RCU, where she contributes to editing and research projects for the communication, research, and evaluation team. She also serves as a member of the Mississippi State University graduate school’s Ambassador Program, which reaches out to future graduate students. Barrientos graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in public policy leadership from the University of Mississippi, where she was also a Trent Lott Leadership Scholar and a Sally Barksdale Honors College graduate. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in public policy and administration at Mississippi State University.

Holly Holladay is a graduate research assistant at the RCU where she works with the communications team on a variety of projects. Holly is a 2011 graduate from Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC, with a degree in sociology and a minor in government. Her love of books and writing, as well as graphic design, led her to pursue a career in the publishing industry. After working in the industry for two years, she opened her own book publishing business and represented authors from across the country. Holly began teaching English in her hometown of Manning, SC, in September 2015 in addition to operating her business. Her teaching experience led her to Mississippi State University, where she is currently pursuing a master’s degree in English with an emphasis in linguistics and a concentration in teaching English as a second language. She is most interested in working to combat literacy issues and in researching new practices and curriculums for writing in high schools.

Emile Creel joined the RCU in June 2016 as the managing editor for Connections and School Focus magazines. In this role, she writes and edits for the magazines and manages social media for the publications. Prior to joining the RCU, Creel interned for the Bagley College of Engineering’s Communication Office and the MSU Department of Communication. A Golden, MS native, she earned a bachelor’s degree in communication with a minor in marketing from MSU. She is a member of the Public Relations Society of Mississippi.

Amanda Thomas Gronewold joined the RCU in July of 2014, bringing nine years of experience ranging from award-winning newspaper advertising to web design. A Louisville, MS native, Gronewold earned her associate degree in art from East Central Community College in 2003, followed by a Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design from Mississippi University for Women in 2005. At the RCU, Gronewold designs Connections magazine, various materials for career-technical student organizations, conference materials, reports, and training materials. She also facilitated the 2015 redesign and reorganization of the RCU's website, and continues to provide improvements, maintenance, and content guidance for the site. Gronewold also oversees the RCU's social media presence.

Anne Lang joined the RCU in August 2015, where she serves as editor and assists with research and communication projects. Prior to joining the RCU, Lang worked as a research associate at Mississippi State University’s Center on Blindness and Low Vision. She began her career in Houston, TX, where she worked in research and direct service for a number of education-focused nonprofit organizations. Lang holds bachelor’s degrees in history and political science from Rice University and a master’s degree in public service and administration from Texas A&M University.

Roslyn Miller has more than 20 years’ experience as an educator in public, private, after-school, and university settings. She began and spent most of her teaching career as a secondary mathematics and language arts teacher in Bakersfield, California, before moving to Starkville, Mississippi, where she was lead teacher for a 21st-century community learning center after-school program. She has also taught practicum courses in secondary education and served as a university supervisor for teacher interns at Mississippi State University. Miller holds a master’s degree in secondary education from MSU and a bachelor’s in mathematics from Harding University. Miller is a doctoral student at MSU in curriculum and instruction with a minor in mathematics and a board member of the Mississippi Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

Supriya Mishra joined the RCU as a graduate research assistant and now serves as a data coordinator, working on various research and evaluation projects. Mishra earned her master’s degree in educational psychology from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln and she is currently working on her doctorate in learning, design, and technology.

Judy Middleton, a project coordinator at RCU, assists with logistics and event planning. She earned a Bachelor of Science in business management at the University of Minnesota and a Master of Arts in teaching at Mississippi State University. Before assuming her current position, she was a teacher in the Starkville-Oktibbeha County Consolidated School District

Holli joined the RCU in 2015 as a project coordinator. As a member of the operations team, Mitchell’s duties include coordinating travel and assisting with meeting logistics, all in support of the RCU’s educational mission. Prior to joining the RCU, Mitchell was employed as an administrative assistant to the pesticide division director for the Mississippi Department of Agriculture & Commerce.

Dana Seymour conducts educational research and evaluation for the RCU, drawing on her experiences in federal grant project management, educational nonprofit experience, K-12 public education, and teacher preparation. A doctoral candidate in educational psychology, Seymour is especially interested in the ways empirical research influences educational policy and practice. She holds bachelor’s degrees in English and philosophy from Centenary College and has completed post baccalaureate studies in education at both Louisiana State University and Mississippi University for Women. Seymour is a member of the American Educational Research Association, Mid-South Educational Research Association, and the American Evaluation Association.

A career and technical educator for more than 16 years, Betsey Smith taught family and consumer science courses in Louisiana. She also helped create and implement a career center as the career counselor. She earned a Bachelor of Science in family and consumer science education from Louisiana State University and a master’s in counseling from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. She is ProStartÆ and Propulse certified. As Associate Director, Smith oversees secondary curriculum processes and provides supervision for all aspects of the CTE-related activities and projects. She is an expert in school counseling education and family consumer science education, and she uses her expertise in assisting with writing and implementing curricula, providing leadership for a cross-functional team of professionals at the RCU, and collaborates with leaders across Mississippi.

Prior to her work at the RCU, Suzanne M. Bean worked for 35 years as a teacher, faculty member, and leader in education across Mississippi. During her time as a professor of education at Mississippi University for Women, she was the founding director of the Roger F. Wicker Center for Creative Learning. She currently serves as president of the Board of Directors for the Mississippi Association for Partners in Education. She has co-authored numerous books and publications, including the fourth edition of the textbook Methods and Materials for Teaching the Gifted (2015). She is a member of Leadership Mississippi and has served as president of the Mississippi Association of Gifted Children and director of the Mississippi Governor’s School.

Gayle Fortenberry is a project manager at the RCU and coordinates agricultural-education program development. She began her career in education as an agricultural education teacher in the Columbus Municipal School District where she spent 16 years as a teacher and FFA advisor. During this time, she was actively involved in the agricultural-education profession, serving as a curriculum writer for the development of the AEST program, an editorial board member for the national FFA New Horizons magazine, an advisory board member for Applied Technologies/Learning Labs Corporation, a coauthor for the Forests and Forestry textbook, and sole author for the Forests and Forestry Lab Manual and Teacher’s Guide for Pearson Education. After leaving the classroom, Fortenberry worked for three years as an Advanced Placement coordinator at Columbus High School, through a grant that expanded access to AP programs to low-socioeconomic/at-risk students. Most recently, Fortenberry served as the state coordinator for the Mississippi FFA Association through the Office of Career and Technical Education and Workforce Development at the Mississippi Department of Education. In this role, she planned and coordinated all state-level FFA events and facilitated training and leadership activities of the state FFA officer team. While state FFA coordinator, Fortenberry served on the Mississippi FFA Foundation Board of Directors, the Mississippi FFA Alumni Council, the Mississippi Livestock Council, the Dixie National Sale of Junior Champions committee, and the STAR-Teach Agriculture Team for Mississippi. Fortenberry holds Bachelor of Science degrees in both agricultural education and agricultural communications and a master’s degree in school administration, all from Mississippi State University.

Kristin Fuhrmann serves as an instructional coach at the RCU. She is responsible for implementing and supporting the innovative school initiatives in Mississippi, including early college high schools and the North Carolina New Schools framework. Fuhrmann has over 10 years of experience as an elementary teacher, working in both the Yadkin and Wake County school systems in North Carolina. Most recently, she worked for the Starkville School District as site coordinator for the Pre-K STREAM program. Fuhrmann earned a Bachelor of Science in elementary and kindergarten education from Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Arts in reading education from Appalachian State University. She is also a National Board Certified Teacher in the area of early and middle childhood literacy.

A veteran educator with more than 20 years experience, Scott Kolle has been a part of the RCU since 2004. As an instructional design specialist, his focus is agricultural sciences, along with trade and industrial-technology programs. He provides expertise in curriculum development, revision and professional learning for the state’s secondary and postsecondary career and technical programs. Before joining the RCU, he taught agriculture and horticulture in Mississippi’s community college system for 15 years. Kolle has a Bachelor of Science in horticulture, a Master of Education in agriculture and extension/vocational education and a Doctor of Philosophy in agricultural sciences, with an emphasis in agriculture and extension education, all from Mississippi State University. He is a certified Agricultural and Environmental Science and Technology teacher. He is Propulse certified and also holds Internet and Computing Core Certification.

Mandy Clark joined the RCU in July 2016 as an instructional design specialist. She writes education and training curricula and human-sciences curricula for the RCU. Before joining the RCU, Clark spent 17 years in the Columbus Municipal School District in Columbus, MS, where she served as a classroom teacher in second-fourth grades, curriculum coordinator at a pre-K-fifth grade campus, and as the sixth-grade assistant principal at Columbus Middle School. She earned Bachelor of Science degrees in speech-language pathology and elementary education and a master’s degree in gifted education, all from Mississippi University for Women. Her Ed.S degree in educational leadership came from Arkansas State University in August 2014.

Kenny Langley manages science curricula, computer science projects, and some career and technical enterprises, working with educators throughout the state to advance STEM and environmental education. Prior to joining the RCU, Langley worked at Mississippi University for Women, managing training for math teachers and environmental-education programs. He also taught science courses in Madison County schools before returning to Mississippi State University (MSU) for a master’s degree in landscape architecture, focusing on water resources and sustainable development. He continues to work on the Wetland Education Theater project at MSU, which will install a two-acre environmental and wetland education facility in the heart of campus.

Mhaire Nickels, who joined the RCU in October 2015, serves as the RCU’s receptionist. In this role, she directs calls and helps with enquiries, as well as other administrative duties. Prior to working at the RCU, Nickels worked for Mississippi State University’s Department of Landscape Architecture, where she worked as an office associate, responsible for processing payroll, maintaining student files, and updating property and inventory. Her first job at Mississippi State University was in Student Account Services. Nickels, who is a native of Scotland, moved to Mississippi in 1996.

Before joining the Research and Curriculum Unit in 2012, Alexis Powe Nordin was employed as a human resources generalist for a North Mississippi semiconductor manufacturer. Prior to entering industry, Nordin coordinated the American Language and Culture Program in Mississippi State University’s (MSU’s) Office of International Education, where she oversaw intensive English immersion programs for visiting international students and taught classes for English-language learners. Nordin has also taught English composition and technical communication for various departments at MSU. Nordin holds a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in history from MSU and a Master of Arts in English from Louisiana State University. She also holds a Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) certification from MSU.

A National Board Certified teacher, Myra Pannell coordinates the Impact Learning team at the RCU and is responsible for implementing and supporting the MDE’s innovative school initiatives such as career academies, early college high schools, districts of innovation, and instructional coaching. She earned a Bachelor of Science in elementary education, a Master of Science in technology and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from Mississippi State University. Pannell has 17 years of experience in education and holds IC3, COOL and Propulse certifications.

Ellen Shaw serves as a project manager for the RCU. She provides support and quality control for curriculum. Before joining the RCU in July 2007, Shaw served as a career/technical assistant dean and Tech Prep coordinator for East Mississippi Community College. Her professional career spans both the private and public sectors and includes roles as a teacher, trainer, administrator, educational consultant, and design specialist. Shaw holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business education and a Master of Education degree in career/technical education from Mississippi State University. Her certifications include IC3, COOL, and NCCER Coordinator.

Since joining the RCU staff in 2003, Denise Sibley has been involved in the development of assessments and curricula for career and technical education programs in Mississippi. As instructional design specialist for the RCU business cluster, she is responsible for all facets of the instructional-design process, including analysis, development, implementation and evaluation. She collaborates with subject-matter experts and instructors during course design and development, ensuring the curricula and assessments meet the expectations of all stakeholders. Her previous employment was as an instructor in the College of Business at Mississippi University for Women. She has a Bachelor of Science in accounting and a Master of Education in gifted studies.

Suzanne Tribble is an instructional design specialist for the healthcare and clinical services cluster. She collaborates with subject-matter experts and instructors during course design and development, ensuring that the curricula and assessments meet the expectations of all stakeholders. Having worked at the RCU since 1990, she has made many contributions as an illustrator and technical writer and in assessment and workforce specialist positions. She has used her expertise in community college leadership and soft skills in the workplace to develop workforce training and online professional-development curricula as well as e-learning modules for industry training. Most recently, Tribble has served in the professional learning area as a facilitator for online learning courses. She holds a bachelor’s degree in commercial art, a master’s degree in educational technology and a doctorate in community college leadership.

Amanda Tullos serves as a Project Manager at the Research and Curriculum Unit at Mississippi State University. Before joining the RCU, she worked in the Clinton Public School District as Assistant Principal at Clinton Park Elementary. Prior professional experiences include serving as an instructional interventionist in the Clinton Public School District and as an elementary teacher in the St. Bernard Parish School District. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and Master of Educational Leadership at Mississippi College. She was awarded the Dr. W. B. Thompson Award for Outstanding M.Ed. Graduate in Educational Leadership and Glenda Locke White Education Award from Mississippi College. She is also a National Board Certified Teacher in the area of Early and Middle Childhood Literacy.

Since joining the RCU staff in 1994, Jo Ann Watts has been involved in the development of assessments and curricula for career and technical education programs in Mississippi. As an instructional design specialist for the architecture and construction cluster, she is responsible for all facets of the instructional-design process, including development and revision of the curricula and facilitating the corresponding assessments. She collaborates with subject-matter experts and instructors during course design and development, ensuring the curricula and assessments meet the expectations of all stakeholders. During her time at the RCU, Watts has been involved in the integration of academic and vocational education, has coordinated the state vocational education conference and computer discovery training, has served on the inservice design committee and was the project investigator for construction education.

As the Business Operations manager, Pam Stafford oversees the daily functions of the business office and the unit’s operations. She manages and is responsible for balancing the RCU’s yearly fiscal budget and serves as an expert and advisor in all business matters. She earned her Bachelor of Science in business education in 1990 and Master of Science in business technology in 1992. A member of the National Association of Professional Women, she was employed in the Mississippi State University Office of Admissions and Scholarships before joining the RCU.

Roo Gleim joined the RCU in March 2016. Roo moved to Mississippi from Pennsylvania, where she ran her own indoor baseball/softball training facility and worked at a local newspaper as an advertising executive. In her role as a Project Coordinator for the RCU she helps process financial ledgers, create invoices, and assist in daily business operations.

Prior to joining the RCU, Kristi McIlwain worked with the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Plant Industry as an administrative assistant. While there, she assisted with the coordination of state meetings, national conventions and exam events. She has also worked for A&A of Mississippi, where she processed payroll and maintained employee information, and Republic Finance, where she assisted with customer inquiries and general accounting duties and processed loan applications.

Serving public education in Mississippi for more than 15 years, Marilyn Bowen is the professional learning manager, researching and developing innovative programs in online pedagogy and learning. She is the developer and leader of the rigorous Certification of Online Learning program for instructors desiring to become highly qualified to teach online. She provides oversight for all RCU online professional-learning opportunities and teacher-endorsement trainings. Her education includes a doctorate in educational technology and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in elementary education.

Tracy Handley Burt has 23 years of educational experience from the state of Alabama. She received her B.S. from Mississippi State University in elementary education in May 1992 and her M.A. in education administration from the University of West Alabama in 2001. Brown taught grade school for over a decade and then served as assistant principal at Hubbertville School Pre-K-12 in the Fayette County school system. She became principal at Guin Elementary School in the Marion County school system and then moved to Hibbett Middle School in Florence, AL, which ranked 12th in the state in Niche’s rating of best public middle schools. In December 2015, Brown received her Ed.D. from the University of Alabama Birmingham in educational leadership, and she began work at the RCU in July 2016.

Cindy began work at the RCU in July 2015. In her role as a project manager, she serves as an instructional coach. Ming is also responsible for implementing and supporting innovative school initiatives in Mississippi, including early college high schools and the North Carolina New Schools framework. Ming spent 15 years working for the Columbus Municipal School District, where she taught U.S. history. She graduated from Mississippi University for Women with a Bachelor of Science degree in secondary education.

Lois Kappler is a project manager who coordinates face-to-face professional learning across the state. As a liaison between the Mississippi Department of Education, administrators, and teachers, she provides training on statewide initiatives, including teacher and leadership development through the High Performance Leadership Institute, career and technical education (CTE) new teacher training, and the CTE Administrators’ Academy. Kappler has been involved in PreK-12 education for 30 years across four states. Before joining the RCU in July 2012, she worked in the Columbus City School District as an English teacher and administrator for 18 years. She earned her Bachelor of Science in English education and special education from the Mississippi University for Women and a master’s in educational leadership administration from Mississippi State University (MSU). She currently is working towards her PhD at MSU with a focus of study on teacher effectiveness and turnaround leadership.

Leanne Long has extensive experience in the training and development of educators. She develops, coordinates, and presents face-to-face and online training for the state’s career and technical educators. Her research interests include business education, technology education, distance learning, pre-service teacher education, effects of professional learning, and teacher retention. A Mississippi State University alumna, she holds a Bachelor of Science in technology teacher education, a Master of Science in technology, and a doctorate in education administration. She is a Walden Certified Online Educator and holds the Internet and Computing Core Certification.

Brad Skelton joined the RCU in 2012 as an instructional design specialist for the agriculture cluster. He has over 15 years of experience in the landscape, parks and recreation management, and golf course industries. He also has over six years of experience in education, including former positions at Hinds Community College and the Mississippi Department of Education. Skelton earned a bachelor’s degree in golf and sports turf management and a master’s degree in technology from Mississippi State University. He also holds the Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC3) and the C.O.O.L. certification.

As an RCU research specialist, Theresa Wheeler contributes to the creation and revision of career and technical education curricula. Her background in research includes work completed under National Aeronautics and Space Administration and National Science Foundation grants researching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. Wheeler holds a Bachelor of Arts in general liberal arts with a research emphasis, and she has a Master of Science in sociology from Mississippi State University (MSU). She is currently pursuing a doctorate in criminology at MSU.

Cathy Curtis joined the RCU in 2016 and works in curriculum development and revision. Before starting at the RCU, she was a grant coordinator with Family-Centered Programs of the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District. In this role, she coordinated Project AIM, a school-based mentoring program for students in Grades 3-8; Counseling Crusade Project, a three-tiered behavioral support and intervention program for students in kindergarten through fifth grade; and a 21st Century after-school program for students in Grades 3-8. Prior to working in program coordination, Curtis taught English at Starkville High School and French at West Point High School. Additionally, she has served as an adjunct English instructor at East Mississippi Community College. She holds a Bachelor of Science in secondary education and a Master of Arts in English from Mississippi State University. Curtis also holds a Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) certification from Mississippi State.

Melissa Luckett is a project coordinator at the RCU. As a member of the operations team, she provides logistical support for various projects that promote the RCU’s mission. Prior to joining the RCU, Luckett dedicated 12 years to her role as a parent volunteer in the Starkville-Oktibbeha County Consolidated School District. She also worked as a project coordinator for the City of Starkville. Luckett received her bachelor’s degree and Master of Public Policy Administration from Mississippi State University.

Sandra Gibson joined the RCU as an instructional design specialist in 2016, working with the Computer Science for Mississippi (CS4MS) pilot program and with the assessment team. Gibson started her career as a senior inventory analyst for a Christian bookstore company, where coordinated and reconciled quarterly inventories for 75 stores nationwide. She also previously worked at a major outdoor sporting-goods company in the finance department. In this role, Gibson researched vendor finance discrepancies and maintained and reconciled the yearly advertising-cost dataset. As a recent graduate of Mississippi State University with a master’s degree in computer science, she brings with her a wealth of technical knowledge.

Betsy Jones serves as a project manager for the RCU, where she provides assistance in ensuring quality assessments. Before joining the RCU, Jones worked at Mississippi State University for 23 years in the roles of business manager, research associate, and accounting assistant. Prior to working at the university, Jones worked in the private sector for various financial institutions, where she focused on loans and loan processing.

LaNell Kellum is an accomplished administrator with an extensive background in educational administration, research, project development and management, and teaching in Mississippi and Oklahoma. Kellum holds a PhD in community college leadership from Mississippi State University, where she also received her master’s and bachelor’s degrees in education. Kellum previously served as the director of postsecondary career and technical education for the Mississippi Community College Board and as a senior research associate for the Stennis Institute of Government and the RCU. She also previously directed the Eastern Oklahoma Educational Opportunity Center at Rogers University; directed the McKellar Technology Center in the Columbus School District; and served as principal of Columbus High School. During her career, Kellum has developed state curriculum frameworks, conducted research, designed and conducted professional development for teachers and administrators, and chaired state teams to acquire federal education and workforce development funds for the Mississippi Department of Education and the Mississippi Community College Board.