UNC Expert Directory

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Anderson’s research focuses on volcanoes, specifically how the surfaces of active and older lava flows are influenced by the behavior of a volcano. Anderson has published nearly 50 peer-reviewed articles, including four in Nature, and he has received several NSF grants to support his research. He has studied active volcanoes in more than a dozen countries and has been supported by the NSF NASA to study lava flows on Earth, Mars and Venus.

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In the News:

• The New York Times: “Signs of Recent Volcanic Eruption on Mars Hint at Habitats for Life”

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Baird’s research focuses on how mountain belts are built through plate tectonic collisions and the geologic history of mountain belts. His current focus is understanding all the geologic events that produced the igneous and metamorphic rocks found in the Front Range near Lyons to the Poudre Canyon. Baird has also extensively researched similar nature in northern Sweden and in the Adirondacks of New York.

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In the News:

• The Greeley Tribune:“UNC researchers: We don’t know everything about how Big Thompson Canyon rocks were formed”

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Benedict’s research explores the songs and behaviors of male and female birds. She conducts field research on wild birds in Colorado and beyond and studies vocal learning and communication among captive parrots.

Major questions driving her research include: How do animals communicate? Why do bird species sound different? Why do individual birds within a species sound different? How do the songs of male and female birds compare? How do songs relate to other avian behaviors, like mating, nesting and habitat use?

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A licensed psychologist with a master’s and doctorate in Rehabilitation Psychology, Bezyak provides instruction at both the undergraduate and graduate levels in the areas of counseling, disability and human services. She also conducts research in the areas of ADA implementation, health promotion of individuals with disabilities and evidence-based practice in rehabilitation counseling.

Bezyak serves as the principal investigator to the Rocky Mountain ADA Center, where she is responsible for coordinating all research projects and partners, along with disseminating research results to a national audience. Her expertise is in the areas of employment for people with disabilities, negative attitudes towards individuals with disabilities, and full community participation for individuals with disabilities.

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In the News:

• UNC:  New Study Explores Overcoming Stigma in Hiring People with Disabilities
• UNC:  Professor Receives U.S. Department of Education Grant for Rehabilitation Counseling Program

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Bovaird-Abbo’s expertise includes medieval language and literature, particularly Middle English and Arthurian studies. She regularly teaches classes on Old English, Middle English, History of the English Language, Linguistics, the Arthurian Legend (medieval to modern) and J. R. R. Tolkien.

Bovaird-Abbo’s current research project explores the effects of gender and class on depictions of the Arthurian character of Gawain in fourteenth- and fifteenth-century Middle English romances, particularly in terms of Gawain’s interactions with women and younger knights, as a reflection of changing values among the English gentry.

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Bywater-Reyes studies landscapes and how humans and other factors change them. She is currently researching river restoration and watershed management, and how factors such as biota, fires, floods, climate change and humans influence landscapes from rivers to hill slopes. 

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Endres’ research explores “rhetorical communities,” or communities that are bonded together not by geographical location, but by a set of shared story lines and characters (e.g., common heroes, villains, plots).  He studies communities such as bikers (motorcycles), tattooed people and most recently, individuals who use costumes as a form of self-expression and identity. 

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Farber’s research explores the intersection of game-based learning (GBL) and social and emotional learning (SEL). He studies how playing and making games can cultivate empathy, perspective-taking and ethical decision-making. For example, games are practice spaces to play with social emotions, so in some games, players collaborate to solve mutual goals. Many other games engage players in perspective-taking, where they may develop virtual empathy through taking agency of digital avatars. 
 
Farber has been invited to the White House and to keynote for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

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In the News:

• Washington Post: “Can Video Games Teach People to be More Empathetic? Maybe”
• USA Today:  “Could Video Gaming Hold the Key to Better Learning?”
• EdSurge:  “Educators Share How Video Games Can Help Kids Build SEL Skills”

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Fischer’s research focuses on the intersection of history teaching and politics, particularly surrounding 20th and 21st-century U.S. political history. He also teaches and studies the history of U.S. international relations, including the Peace Corps and past wars. He has authored the forthcoming book entitled Teaching Trump: Critical Issues in History and Civics Education(Routledge, 2025) and the Memory Hole: The US History Curriculum Under Siege (IAP, 2013). He is the current UNC faculty Trustee and the Chair of the Board of Distinguished Advisors of the National Council for History Education. 

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Franklin examines how plants respond to environmental disturbances, such as fires and floods, and anthropogenic activities such as fracking. He has studied vegetation in the eastern and western U.S., Finland, China, Slovakia and Belize. He also researches the distribution of plants in relation to each other, or plant communities. 

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Fulks is a concert violinist often performing classical chamber music and solo recitals around the nation. Through his expertise, Fulks educates UNC students through a unique and comprehensive scale method to form the foundation of his students’ development, incorporating fundamental principles from both the Ivan Galamian and Dorothy Delay schools of violin technique to specifically tailor scale practice to each student’s individual area of need.

Fulks also helps organize and run a chamber music series in Greeley called “Beethoven in the Rockies,” which aims to enrich the cultural lives of the community and provide them with affordable access to excellent performances and educational experiences in a welcoming and friendly atmosphere. 

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Through the Colorado Center for Rural Education (CCRE), Fulton focuses on recruiting and retaining qualified teachers, leaders and special service providers in rural school districts. The CCRE has expanded educator pathway programs, supported teacher preparation students who commit to student teaching in rural Colorado, facilitated a rural teacher leaders program that prepares teachers for expanded professional roles, developed a coordinated professional development network for rural educators, and cultivated rural education advocacy, scholarship and grant writing. 

Fulton has helped CCRE expand its student teacher program, advance credentialed educators in rural Colorado, and increase higher education retention in the field. He continues this work, as well as helping expand access to online higher education for future rural educators. 

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In the News:

• Rural Schools Collaborative: “Colorado Center for RuralEducation Joins RSC Regional HubNetwork”

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Jameson’s research focuses on understanding how people feel about learning, particularly in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields, and how we can improve those experiences through educational interventions. She studies mathematical dispositions, which include students’ attitudes, beliefs and emotions about math. Many people struggle with math anxiety, a fear or nervousness that can make solving math problems stressful. This anxiety often starts early and can lead people to avoid math-related careers. On the other hand, math self-efficacy—a person’s belief in their ability to succeed in math—is key to persistence and success. Jameson’s research explores how educators can create learning environments that reduce anxiety and build confidence in math. 

More recently, Jameson expanded her research to study the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education. She is collecting national data from college instructors and graduate students to understand their self-reported use of AI, their confidence and familiarity with it, their professional development needs and their opinions on its effectiveness, usefulness and potential concerns.

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Junne’s research focuses on the histories and cultures of African Americans, Africans, African Asians, African Europeans and Central and South American Africans. This includes researching their interactions, positive and negative, with people of other races/ethnicities. Power relationships are also important areas of research.

A specific area of research focuses on Black people in the American West. One facet includes research on the community of Dearfield, located about 25 miles east of Greeley. Founded in 1910, it was a highly successful Black community that folded only because of the Dust Bowl of the 1920s. We have formed a “Dearfield Dream” committee that received funding to repair and stabilize buildings and there are plans to create a visitors’ center and turn the town area into a national historic site.

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For more than thirty years, Karlin has conducted research devoted to understanding both the familial caregiver and issues relating to care of the chronically ill. One program of research considers how Hispanic families provide care to older family members who have Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Demetia (ADRD). This research looks at the needs of Hispanic caregiver families that are not currently being met, including disparities in service use, the role of acculturation, spiritual relevance prior, during and after the care process. 

Karlin’s interests also include the psychosocial factors and resilience of aging adults affected by natural disasters. She has collected data from survivors of the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake in Italy, Hurricane Katrina in the U.S. and earthquakes in Peru, examining rhetorical resilience and community recovery. 

Additionally, Karlin has conducted rural research focused on older adults in eastern Colorado and western Nebraska, culminating in the development of the Older Adult Service Usage Assessment (OASUA). 

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Kimball is an anthropologist whose work bridges cultural understanding, mindfulness practices and community engagement. He specializes in how communities connect with and preserve their cultural heritage. His international collaborations, particularly in India, focus on helping indigenous communities document and safeguard their traditional knowledge and cultural practices. He has pioneered approaches that view heritage not just as artifacts from the past, but as living traditions that continue to shape community identity and resilience.
   
As founding director of UNC’s Center for Applied Contemplative Studies, Kimball brings mindfulness practices to educational settings. He develops programs that help students manage stress, improve focus and build resilience. His work examines how mindfulness can address challenges like substance misuse, social isolation and climate anxiety.
   
Kimball’s research and teaching also focus on navigating cultural differences effectively. He has established virtual cultural exchange programs that connect students across international boundaries. His expertise helps organizations build stronger intercultural relationships and more inclusive communities.

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Kirshner’s research and work focus on international teacher development. She often travels to Brazil to expand education there, and co-founded the Belize Education Project, a nonprofit that enhances literacy for learners in Belize, deepening global conversations between educators and instruction.

In her latest book, “Teaching Social Studies in the Early Childhood Classroom: Nurturing Democratic and Global Citizens” (2025), published by Bloomsbury Publishing, Kirshner dives into social studies themes including culture, identity, gender identity and power and authority. Kirshner believes conversations about raising global and democratic citizens is the most important work of her time. 

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Klyde’s research focuses on the history of women in sports, sport and social issues and gender and communication. Klyde is also interested in critical theory, feminism and issues in the media. 

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Kyle is a bioarchaeologist who analyzes human skeletal remains to better understand the impacts of social transitions on human health and lifestyle in the past. She is interested in human adaptation in settings undergoing rapid change, often under social, cultural and environmental disruption. Her recent research focuses on the eastern Mediterranean basin, investigating the impact of Greek colonization of the Balkans from the 8th to the 6th centuries BC, by studying archaeological human remains from a series of sites in Albania, Italy and Greece.  

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With a teaching emphasis in human resource management, Larson focuses his research on trying to help businesses understand the value of their employees in their frenzied environments. More specifically, his research interests include positive psychology, employee resiliency, employee turnover, performance management, accountability and organizational culture.  

Milan, in his role as a subject-matter-expert in leadership development and human resource management, has worked with a variety of well-known companies such as Indiana University Health, Hewlett-Packard, University Hospital at the University of Colorado’s Medical Center, Agilent Technologies, JBS-Swift and Company, Rain Bird Corporation, Hunter Industries, State Farm Insurance, Big Sky Athletic Conference, Visiting Nurse Association of Delaware Valley, Polk Company, United Way, and Advanced Energy. 

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Lee’s research focuses on urban sustainability, including built environments and spatial analysis with a special interest in social and health disparities, including gender and transportation.

She is currently collaborating on projects in Detroit, New York City, Seoul and Piura (in Peru). She has published in the Journal of Urban Design, Journal of Urban Affairs and recently, the Journal of Urban Studies and London School of Economics Urban Centre’s Politics and Policy blog.

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Lerach’s research expertise resides in mesoscale meteorology (weather phenomena on scales from tornadoes to major storm outbreaks) and high-impact weather, as studying the physics of clouds and aerosols (from the creation of individual cloud drops and ice crystals to precipitation reaching the ground) and related computer modeling.  

His research varies from investigating dust impacts on severe, tornadic storms in the Southern Plains to quantifying the strength of thunderstorm outflows and cold pool intensity across Northern Colorado. He is also observing and modeling Rocky Mountain snowfall and resulting avalanche hazards within the Colorado Front Range and simulating pollution impacts on snow and thunderstorm events over the Italian Alps. 

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Dr. Longenecker is a board-certified emergency physician who has been working in medical education for the past 25 years at the residency level and now in the medical school environment. Her expertise lies in issues surrounding medical education, access to care and the current and predicted physician shortage in the U.S. 

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Low’s research covers Chinese language and literature from ancient to contemporary China. She also translates and researches Chinese fiction and how the stories reflect the world they were written in. 

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Mackessy’s research focuses on venomous snakes, including different aspects of the biology of the remarkable animals, ranging from functional biochemistry to population molecular genetics to natural history/ecology. He has also recently studied Gila monster venom, which has inspired the popular drug Ozempic, used to treat diabetes and obesity.  

The world-renowned expert in snake venom biochemistry and proteomics runs the Mackessy Venom Analysis Lab (MVAL) at UNC. The lab focuses on identifying the compounds in snake venom that can improve the health of people with debilitating diseases and disorders. 

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McCorkle’s expertise focuses on helping students, professors and professionals gain a digital self-marketing advantage through the use of social media marketing for personal branding, job search, skills development, career advancement and life-long learning.  

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Newman’s research focuses on equity, diversity and inclusion (DEI) in higher education and STEM, as well as interdisciplinary collaboration and applied sociology. As a principal investigator, Newman has led multiple research teams across disciplines, bringing together faculty from the physical and social sciences to explore systemic inequities and develop interventions that promote belonging and success for underrepresented students. Her work integrates intersectionality, sociology, gender studies and social justice frameworks to examine disparities in educational access, retention and professional advancement. 

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Pierce’s research explores the barriers to educator preparation, the financial impact of completing educator preparation programs and the value of partnerships between educator preparation institutions, districts/schools and state and local agencies. This helps support innovative and accessible educator preparation programs to address educator shortage issues across Colorado and the nation. For example, Pierce and colleagues have developed partnerships with multiple local school districts to successfully and efficiently support paraprofessionals through educator preparation licensure programs to address local educator shortages. 

Pierce serves as co-director of the Center for Innovative Educator Preparation (CIEP) at UNC. CIEP serves as a hub for grant and partnership development, an incubator for the development of ideas to improve educator preparation, a resource for local districts and schools for professional development and partnerships and a partner for the development and implementation of high school dual-enrollment educator pathway programs.

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Pugh’s expertise lies in student motivation. His research in this area focuses on understanding and addressing contrasting motivation patterns such as confident versus helpless, interested versus bored, intrinsically versus extrinsically motivated and learning-oriented versus self-handicapping. Specifically, Pugh studies transformative experiences – a particular type of engagement experience related to other motivation patterns. In general, transformative experiences occur when students use in-school learning in their everyday, out-of-school lives to see and experience the world in meaningful new ways. Pugh investigates the nature of such experiences and works with science teachers to foster them. 

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Pullen’s research lab studies how the healthy immune system works and cost-affordable treatments to alleviate problems such as allergy, autoimmunity and cancer. For example, his lab has identified the molecular biology behind why the nutraceutical supplement berberine might be useful with other treatments for rheumatoid arthritis, yet could be detrimental for cancer recovery or vaccination. Researchers in his lab have also worked on cannabinoid and exercise effects in healthy individuals and in cancer models. More specifically, his lab is one of the few in the world to specialize in the biology of mast cells (those things that cause you to sneeze sometimes). 
    
Pullen is the chair of the Education Committee for the American Association of Immunologists (AAI). Part of the Committee’s work is undertaking a research study on the state of immunology education at all medical schools in the nation. 

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Romulo studies how people use natural resources, specifically ways that we can manage resources sustainably. She uses economics and social science to explain decision–making and find solutions for resource management problems. A large part of Romulo’s research is assessing teaching and learning and building tools to do that well for environmental programs. 

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Smith’s expertise surrounds evangelical Christianity and American politics. Specifically, he teaches and researches the history of Christianity and world religions, including beliefs, religion and politics. 

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Talbot researches history and interdisciplinary gender studies, with a focus on feminist and queer theory. She focuses on gender and sexuality in the Mormon tradition as well. She has published work on the national controversy over plural marriage in nineteenth-century America, on gender, sexuality and commercial entertainments in the early twentieth century, and on Mormon feminism in the 1970s and 1980s. 

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Terranova’s expertise covers pretrial decision-making and correctional program evaluation. She has researched pretrial risk assessment and the tools used by judges to make decisions about releasing defendants from jail on bail or bond. This led to a statewide project revising Colorado’s current pretrial risk assessment tool, the CPAT-R.

This multi-county study resulted in the construction of a more accurate risk assessment tool that was also balanced to mitigate any biases across race/ethnicity, sex and residential status (e.g., housing security). Terranova has also led large-scale strategic planning and program evaluations for offender community reentry funded by the Second Chance Act. 

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Toewe specializes in costume design, serving as the head of design and technology and resident costume designer for the School of Theatre and Dance. Since arriving at UNC, Toewe has designed costumes for more than sixty productions. Her favorite designs include Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Jekyll and Hyde, Titanic, My Fair Lady and The Elephant Man. 

Outside of UNC, Toewe has designed for a variety of venues, including theatre, opera, film, print and television.  

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Ursyn’s expertise focuses on transferring knowledge that is easier to grasp. For example, she researches how abstract thinking, cognitive thinking, creativity and inventiveness are connected to knowledge gained. Ursyn uses art, graphics, writings, stories and performance that deliver knowledge for a layperson. 

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Ward’s research interests include program evaluations with criminal justice agencies, answering questions relating to the effectiveness of programs in the fields of reentry, risk and threat assessment, community corrections, and pretrial justice. Ward also studies rural crime and issues around rural and urban jails. 

Recently, he started working in the field of behavioral threat assessment in higher education. In his research, he is reviewing threat assessment models throughout the U.S. and evaluating UNC’s practices and policies to prevent violent crime on campus. Ward also researched the impact that legalization of cannabis has had on law enforcement, dispensary owners/managers and Colorado as a whole. 

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Wood studies writing and rhetoric. Her research focuses on best practices for teaching writing in a college setting, as well as disability, access, inclusivity and ableism. 

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Zia is a political anthropologist, poet, short fiction writer and columnist. Her expertise includes examining gendered agency through feminist frameworks, collective protest, memory and identity. She also explores the construction of gender and sex across cultures and gender aspects of development, modernity, feminism and climate change in neoliberal societies. 

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Zimmerman’s expertise revolves around poetry and creative writing. She is a coach for the national high school recitation contest Poetry Out Loud, and has facilitated writing workshops at all Colorado K-12 school levels as well as in senior centers and libraries.

Zimmerman’s poetry and short fiction have appeared in many anthologies and magazines, including Cave Wall, Poet Lore, Colorado Review, The Sun, and Apple Valley Review. 

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