The Research to Practice Gap

Dr. Alejandra A. Fernández Morgado is a scholar, special educator, and advocate for equity in special and advanced education. A Cuban American educator, her work centers multilingual, multicultural, and marginalized learners, as well as the working conditions of Latinx teachers. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Special Education at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. She has taught across special education settings in K-12 and beyond, prepares preservice teachers at the university level, and contributes nationally to inclusive gifted education through leadership, editorial, and research roles. She is committed to dismantling systemic barriers and expanding access for underrepresented students and educators.

Buruuj Tunsill earned a Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning with a specialization in Special Education from Florida International University. Her research interests center on racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse children in special education, with particular attention to inequities in educational systems, culturally responsive teaching practices, and family–school partnerships.

Dr. Tunsill brings seven years of K–12 teaching experience in both Florida and Oklahoma, having taught in major metropolitan and rural settings. Her professional experience includes working with a wide range of exceptionalities, including but not limited to emotional and behavioral disorders, intellectual disabilities, autism, specific learning disabilities, speech and language impairments, and other health impairments.

Dr. D’Annette Mullen is a lecturer in the Special Education program at Boston University Wheelock College of Education and Human Development. Her research is dedicated to the preparation of special educators, addressing discipline disproportionality, and integrating restorative practices in schools. Dr. Dee previously taught high school students with disabilities in New York City, where she also served as a liaison between district and city-level special education services. She also has experience serving as a restorative practices facilitator.

Dr. Sharde Theodore is an Assistant Professor in Morgan State University’s Department of Teacher Education and faculty affiliate of the National Center for the Elimination of Educational Disparities (NCEED). Previously, she taught for five years in Title I schools across Miami-Dade County Public Schools as a General and Special Education Teacher. A proud HBCU alumna, she earned her bachelor’s from North Carolina A&T State University and went on to complete her master’s, specialist, and Ph.D. degrees in Special Education at Florida International University. Dr. Theodore strives to amplify marginalized voices through impactful community-based applied research projects and to prepare the next generation of educational leaders and disability rights advocates.

Laura Foster is an affiliate faculty member with the Center for Montessori Education. She brings over 20 years of experience as an educator and leader in early childhood education. Her career spans public, non-profit, and independent school settings, where she has consistently centered equity, inclusion, and joy in learning. In addition to her teaching experience, Laura has created and delivered multiple professional development workshops, sharing her expertise with educators to foster growth and improve classroom practices.

Currently, Laura serves as a first-grade teacher at the National Presbyterian School in Washington, D.C. She holds the Administrative Credential from the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) in Washington, D.C. 

Michael Fairbanks II is a former National Teacher of the Year nominee. He has since served as a school principal across both public and private sectors and has led instructional improvement efforts nationwide, partnering with schools and districts to strengthen teaching and learning at scale. He now coaches and develops emerging school leaders through his work with New Leaders.

His current interests focus on strengthening the teacher pipeline, advancing adult learning and facilitation in education, and building sustainable leadership systems that support long-term school success.

Tara is an assistant professor of instruction in special and inclusive education at the University of Northern Iowa and a PhD candidate at the University of Iowa, where her research focuses on the intersection of special education and neuroscience within teacher preparation. She is deeply committed to professional service, including active involvement with the Council for Exceptional Children and related advocacy initiatives. Beyond her academic work, she values family, wellness, and lifelong learning—and proudly geek out for all things education, trauma, and neuroscience.