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Dr. Elba Barahona
Lecturer in Bilingual Education and ESL
Dr. Elba Barahona received a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Louisiana Teach University. She graduated with a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology with concentration in Bilingual/ESL education at Texas A&M University (TAMU). During her doctoral program, she was involved in multiple projects related to the academic improvement of English Language Learners across large urban school districts in Texas. She was a research intern at the Texas A&M Education Research Center, a member of the English Language Learners Writing Project Research Team, and a member of the Project English Language and Literacy Acquisition-Validation (ELLA-V). Dr. Barahona brings several years of public school experience as a bilingual teacher in dual-language classrooms in Texas. Her experience at the university level includes teaching courses online and face-to-face in the areas of bilingual education at TAMU. Dr. Barahona’s areas of interest include bilingual education, English as a second language (ESL) programs, effective instructional strategies for English language learners, and assessment for bilingual and ESL students.
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Dr. G. Blue Brazelton
Senior Lecturer in Higher Education
Dr. G. Blue Brazelton earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Texas Tech University, a Master of Science in Education in College Student Personnel from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and a Ph.D. in Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education from Michigan State University. As an experienced student affairs professional, Dr. Brazelton has served students in various roles at Northern Illinois University, Southern Illinois University, Texas State University and Michigan State University. Before joining the University of North Texas as a visiting lecturer, he was the program coordinator and primary faculty member for the Higher Education and Student Affairs program at Northern Michigan University. His research primarily focuses on minoritized student groups, technology in higher education, and United States community and two-year colleges and is published in many of his field’s research and scholarly journals. When he is not teaching and researching, Dr. Brazelton enjoys homebrewing beer and barbecuing for friends and family.
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Dr. Amarie Carnett
Assistant Professor in Special Education
Dr. Amarie Carnett earned a Master of Education at Texas State University, specializing in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and obtained her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from Victoria University at Wellington in New Zealand, where she conducted research on educational behavioral interventions related to the use of Speech-Generating Devices (SGDs) for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Prior to her life as an academic, she worked as a special education teacher and behavior specialist within the public school system. She has several peer-reviewed publications on topics related to communication interventions and functional and adaptive skills. In her free time, Dr. Carnett enjoys yoga, hiking and listening to live music.
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Dr. Yi-Ju Cheng
Senior Lecturer in Counseling
Dr. Yi-Ju Cheng is originally from Taiwan and had the privilege to pursue her master's and doctoral degrees in Counseling from the University of North Texas. Dr. Cheng is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Registered Play Therapist and has years of clinical experiences working with diverse clients in school, community and private practice settings. Her passion includes play therapy and multicultural issues in counseling and counselor education/supervision. Dr. Cheng has been involved in several qualitative and quantitative research projects where she learned how empirical research plays an important role in improving the counseling profession. Dr. Cheng published an article based on her dissertation exploring the impact of child-centered group play therapy on children's social-emotional development and plans to investigate further to advocate for more children and the use of group play therapy. Dr. Cheng maintains her professional activities by presenting at both state and national conferences and staying active in clinical practice. During her leisure time, she enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking and snowboarding with her family, including two big fluffy dogs.
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Dr. Lauren Eutsler
Assistant Professor in Elementary Education
Dr. Lauren Eutsler is an Assistant Professor in the Language and Literacy Studies Program in the UNT Department of Teacher Education and Administration. She obtained her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Florida and her M.Ed. in Elementary Education from Northern Arizona University. Her research and scholarly writing focuses on portable technology and children’s reading development.
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Dr. Cynthia Frosch
Assistant Professor in Human Development and Family Science
Dr. Cynthia Frosch is a Developmental Psychologist and Endorsed Infant Mental Health Mentor. She earned her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for Developmental Science at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill. Her passion is translating research on infant mental health and early family relationships into action for students, parents and professionals. Dr. Frosch’s research interests center on socio-emotional development in early childhood, including the interplay of social and emotional skills and early learning. Her work has a strong relationship focus – examining how emotional connection and parenting sensitivity contribute to healthy development. In an effort to understand how to best support those who care for young children, Dr. Frosch’s recent work focuses on reflective practice among early childhood professionals. She is a member of the Child Life Council, Zero to Three and the World Association for Infant Mental Health.
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Dr. Yolanda Mitchell
Senior Lecturer in Development and Family Studies
Dr. Yolanda Mitchell received her M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy and Ph.D. in Family Studies from Kansas State University. Dr. Mitchell’s primary areas of interest and scholarly activity are centered on cultural competence, empathy and humility—specifically among parents and practitioners with an emphasis on race and ethnicity. She teaches courses related to Family and Community Service, Youth Development, Family Violence, and Families and Diversity. Before beginning her career in academia she worked for several years with families in crisis including child abuse and neglect, juvenile offenders, and as an advocate for victims of domestic and sexual violence for the United States Department of Defense.
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Dr. Rachel U. Mun
Assistant Professor in Educational Psychology -- Gifted and Talented
Dr. Rachel U. Mun received her Ph.D. in Education, Learning Sciences and Human Development from the University of Washington. Prior to that, she received her M.Ed. in Counseling Psychology from Washington State University and B.A. in Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Mun’s research interests are best described as an intersection between gifted education, mental health and immigrant issues. For the last four years, her research has focused on social and emotional development, immigration, parental influences, career decision-making and educational access for special populations of gifted learners using primarily mixed and qualitative methods. Most recently, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the National Center for Research on Gifted Education (NCRGE) at the University of Connecticut, conducting research on identifying and serving underrepresented gifted learners. In her spare time, she enjoys creative writing, watching science fiction movies and spending time with her family.
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Dr. Michael K. Schmit
Assistant Professor in Counseling
Dr. Michael K. Schmit earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Texas at San Antonio, a Master of Arts in Counseling from the University of Louisiana at Monroe, and a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Dr. Schmit’s research agenda focuses on counseling outcome research, integrated care treatment approaches, and quantitative research methodology. He has published peer-reviewed articles on the practical application of single-case research design and how to calculate and report practical significance in counseling outcome research, and has presented at numerous local, state and national conferences. Dr. Schmit is currently exploring the effectiveness of an integrated behavioral and primary healthcare treatment approach on holistic client functioning with persons diagnosed with severe and persistent forms of mental illness. Dr. Schmit also brings more than six years of combined clinical and administrative experience working in both private practice and community mental health agency settings. His clinical background encompasses working with adults, children and families addressing issues related to holistic client functioning, serious mental illness, substance use and so forth. In his free time, Dr. Schmit enjoys spending time with his wife and miniature dachshund and traveling the world.
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Dr. Robert Voelkel Jr.
Assistant Professor in Educational Leadership
Dr. Robert H. Voelkel Jr. earned a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts with an emphasis in Education and a Master of Arts in Education with an emphasis in Curriculum and Instruction from San Diego State University. He received his Ed.D. in Educational Leadership with a focus in social justice from the University of California, San Diego and California State University, San Marcos. He is National Board Certified in English Language Arts (sixth-10th grades). He was a practitioner for more than 20 years, serving as an elementary and middle school teacher, middle school assistant principal, and middle school principal. Dr. Voelkel’s research interests include school reform, professional learning communities and collective efficacy, transformational leadership, and social justice. His most recent research explores the relationship between professional learning communities and collective efficacy. He also continues to examine high-functioning and less well-functioning within school teams. Prior to his appointment at UNT, he was an assistant professor in northern Georgia. He also served in the United State Marine Corps for eight years. In addition to supporting leaders, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Kimberly, and their six children -- Lauren, Sara Jo, Natalie, Leah, Joshua and Matthew – reading and exercising.
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