Main Navigation
Main Content
Curriculum and Instruction Faculty
Our faculty are a unique blend of researchers, educators and professionals who are proven experts in their fields.
Alex J. Armonda, Assistant Professor
Alex J. Armonda, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the School of Education. He teaches courses on curriculum theory and educational foundations in the Curriculum and Instruction program. Alex’s scholarship explores the traditions of critical pedagogy, psychoanalytic theory, critical theory, and educational philosophy. His work has appeared in notable journals and edited volumes, including Educational Theory, Review of Education, Pedagogy, and Cultural Studies, Educational Philosophy and Theory, and The Oxford Encyclopedia of Curriculum Studies.
View Full Bio
Heidi Bacon , Associate Professor
Language, Literacies, and Culture
Dr. Heidi Bacon became interested in education through voluteer work as a reading and mathematics tutor in an adult education program. She pursued secondary teacher certification and taught high school for eight years. She is a strong proponent of service learning and coordinated a youth-led service learning program for six years. She earned an MA in 2006 and a PhD in 2014 from the University of Arizona in Language, Reading and Culture. She was instrumental in developing Tucson's Literacy Zones and the Women's Literacy Network, a women's literacy and empowerment program.
View Full Bio
Wham Room 327
618-536-2441
hrbacon@siu.edu
Senetta Bancroft, Associate Professor
Early Childhood, Elementary Education
Dr. Bancroft has expertise in science teacher professional development, qualitative research methods, and the use of critical theories to inform science education research and practice. Her research currently focuses on teacher beliefs about science instruction and the impacts of sociocultural environments on traditionally underserved doctoral student communities’ persistence in STEM. Her teaching includes secondary science methods and introductory chemistry.
View Full Bio
301B Pulliam Hall
618-453-6162
senetta.bancroft@siu.edu
Lingguo Bu, Professor
Early Childhood, Elementary Education
Dr. Lingguo Bu's instructional interests are K-12 mathematics teaching and learning, and dynamic learning environments in school mathematics. Dr. Bu's research interests are mathematic cognition in dynamic learning environments, model-centered learning and instruction in school mathematics, number theory in school mathematics, and linguistic dimensions of mathematical cognition.
View Full Bio
Wham 323L
618-536-2441
lgbu@siu.edu
Lavern Byfield, Associate Professor
Early Childhood, Elementary Education
Dr. Lavern Byfield is an associate professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.
View Full Bio
Wham 322G
618-536-2441
byfield2@siu.edu
Kristen Cameron, Assistant Professor
Early Childhood Education, Curriculum Instruction
Ph.D.; Educational Policy Studies (Social Foundations of Education)
2023, Georgia State University
Areas of Interest: early childhood education and care, critical policy analysis, John Dewey, the Reggio Emilia educational project, neoliberal influences in education, philosophical and historical research methods.
View Full Bio
Wham 222 H
kcameron@siu.edu
Harvey Henson, Jr., Associate Professor
Elementary Education
Henson’s research areas of interest include science education, earthquake seismology, and applied geophysics. Henson teaches undergraduate and graduate students in science and science education, mentors undergraduate students in research, advises graduate students, and partners with STEM educators. Harvey Henson has been sharing his expertise in earthquake seismology with local officials, emergency responders, and school and community groups for more than 25 years.
View Full Bio
Pulliam 301A
618-453-4214
henson@siu.edu
Brianna Janssen Sánchez, Assistant Professor
Curriculum and Instruction, Languages, Cultures and International Studies
Brianna Janssen Sánchez received her Ph.D. from the University of Iowa in 2015. Dr. Janssen Sánchez, an alumna of SIU (B.A. FLIT/Spanish 2007, M.A. Spanish 2009), specializes in foreign language teaching methodology, instructional technology in foreign language teaching and K-16 teacher training and program assessment. Her doctoral dissertation, “The social dynamics of interaction in telecollaborative tandem exchanges” highlights her interest in intercultural and bilingual interactions as well as meaningful language use mediated by technology (asynchronous and synchronous computer mediated interactions) as a sight for cultural and social learning through language. At the University of Iowa, Dr. Janssen Sánchez was the director of the Language Media Center and taught graduate courses in instructional technology for language teaching and learning, assessment and research.
View Full Bio
Faner 2025Cheng-Yao Lin, Professor
Elementary Education
Dr. Cheng-Yao Lin graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is a Professor of Mathematics Education at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Dr. Lin was awarded a Fulbright Specialist Award in 2017 to Taipei, Taiwan, where he taught at a university and conducted research. He is interested in the integration of technology into mathematics education, the preparation of pre-service teachers and cross-cultural research on pre-service teachers' knowledge of fractions. He has published in many peer-reviewed journals for research in mathematics education.
View Full Bio
Wham 327
618-536-2441
cylin@siu.edu
Christina McIntyre, Associate Professor
Early Childhood, Elementary Education
Christie McIntyre, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum.
View Full Bio
625 Wham DriveJohn McIntyre, Senior Visiting Professor, Professor Emeritus
Teacher Leadership, Curriculum Studies
D. John McIntyre, Ed.D. (Syracuse University) is a Professor Emeritus and Senior Visiting Professor for Curriculum Studies.
His research interests are in teacher education, including school-university partnerships and teacher development. Current projects include (QCS) a longitudinal study of pre-service teachers’ constructions of becoming teachers; the perceptions of teachers of the impact of working in a school – university partnership; a survey of university’s field experience programs, etc.
View Full Bio
Wham 329 A
618-453-4223
johnm@siu.edu
Grant Miller, Associate Professor
Child and Family Services, Elementary Education
Grant Miller has academic specialties in social studies education, universal design for learning, and sheltered instruction. Dr. Miller received his Ph.D. from Boston College in 2007. His courses in curriculum and instruction include elementary education curriculum, public school social studies methods and action methods research. His research focuses on historical thinking, developing curricula that help students think like historians and social scientists.
View Full Bio
Phone: 618-453-4250
gmiller@siu.edu
Office: Wham 323K
Ed Pultorak , Professor
Teacher Leadership | Curriculum Studies
Ed Pultorak, Ph.D., is currently a Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on Teacher Leadership. The passion, drive, and dedication for helping individuals become the very best teachers has been his paramount goal and focus since joining SIU over 20 years ago and throughout his professional career.
View Full Bio
618-536-2441Crystal Shelby-Caffey, Associate Professor
Elementary Education
Dr. Crystal Shelby-Caffey is an associate professor of Language, Literacies, and Culture. She teaches literacy courses within the Teacher Education Program as well as courses in the Language, Literacies, and Culture graduate programs. She has taught a range of elementary grade students within the Chicago Public School system and, most recently taught 4th grade in the Carbondale Elementary District No. 95.
View Full Bio
Wham 327
618-536-2441
ccaffey@siu.edu
Amy Tallman, Lecturer
Office: Wham 121
Phone: 618-453-2415
amy3tallman@siu.edu
Stacy Thompson, Professor
Early Childhood
Dr. Stacy Thompson is a professor in the School of Education at Southern Illinois University. She has a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Child Development from Oklahoma State University, a M.S in Child Development and Family Relations from Oklahoma State University, and a Ph.D. in Child Development from Iowa State University. Her research interests include sensory integration, interventions for families and caregivers, and quality care for young children.
View Full Bio
Wham 322H
618-453-4254
stacyt@siu.edu