Professional Development Faculty

Beth Campbell has over 20 years of experience as an educator, and has taught at the preschool, elementary, middle and high school levels. She is currently a CTE teacher at a public alternative school in Raleigh and she is a National Board Certified Teacher. Her 2016-17 Kenan Fellowship was part of a Students Discover NSTA Grant and she worked in the paleontology lab at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences.

Alphonso Donaldson is a high school English teacher in his fifth year at Durham School of the Arts in Durham Public Schools. He is a 2019-2020 Kenan Fellow whose project focused on diversity and equity in teacher leadership. Mr. Donaldson’s commitment to equity in education has been critical to his professional development and his work in public schools to found equity teams for students and staff.   

Paul Cancellieri started his professional career as a marine biologist before recognizing a passion for teaching. He has spent over 20 years teaching middle school science, and working to improve assessment and grading in classrooms all over the state. He is co-author of the book “Creating a Culture of Feedback” and a 2011-2012 Kenan Fellow.

Andromeda Crowell is the Science Department Chair at Orange High School in Hillsborough, NC. She earned her National Board Certification in 2019 and her M.S. in Biology from Clemson University in 2017. She completed her undergraduate studies at UNC-Chapel Hill in 2012, earning her Biology (B.S.) degree and teaching license. She loves learning and continually seeks opportunities for personal and professional growth, which led her to become a Kenan Fellow (2016-17) and an NCMNS Educator of Excellence (Peru 2019).

Amanda Clapp teaches middle grades science at the Catamount School, Western Carolina University’s laboratory school. A National Board certified teacher, she has taught science for 20 years, using grant funding to implement experience and project based learning in her classrooms. Amanda is a 2021 recipient of the BWF Career Award for STEM Teachers and facilitates STEM Bridge, a program for teachers from across North Carolina to connect students from different communities to solve problems.

Keith Burgess is a middle grades science teacher at Druid Hills Academy in Charlotte, NC. He balances his teaching responsibilities with his duties as a doctoral student at UNC-Charlotte. Keith has received numerous awards for his efforts in providing STEM opportunities to Charlotte students, including the Honeywell Distinguished Science Teacher Award and the Burroughs-Wellcome Career Award for Science and Math Teachers. He was a member of the 2019-2020 Kenan Fellowship cohort.

Dr. Jamie Lathan is a secondary social studies teacher who received his Ph.D. in Education from UNC-Chapel Hill. A National Board Certified teacher, he has worked with high school students of diverse abilities and backgrounds during his nearly 20-year career. He is a 2019-20 Kenan Fellow and is Vice Chancellor for Extended Learning at the NC School of Science and Mathematics. 

Eric Eaton, a 2023-24 Kenan Fellow, brings 30 years of experience in teaching middle grades social studies. He is a North Carolina Teaching Fellow and a National Board Certified Teacher. Eric has served in various roles including on the N.C. Museum of History Teacher Advisory Board and the NCDPI Social Studies Standards Revision group. He was Polk County Schools Teacher of the Year in 2013-2014 and the NC VFW District 16 Teacher of the Year in 2024.

DaChelle Gupton is a STEM Coordinator at Wellcome Middle School in Pitt County Schools. She is a North Carolina Science Leaders Association (NCSLA) Fellow and serves on the North Carolina Science Teachers Association (NCSTA) board. N.C. Department of Public Instruction sponsored her 2023-24 Kenan fellowship and she had the opportunity to learn all about Hitachi Astemo.

Dr. Jennifer Stalls is a graduate of the N.C. School of Science and Mathematics with her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Middle Grades Education from East Carolina University, and a doctorate in Education in Curriculum and Instruction from UNC-Wilmington. As a middle school science educator in Pitt and Greene counties, she fostered a profound love for science among her students. Jennifer holds key roles on the NCSTA Board as the District One Director and NC Space Education Ambassadors planning committee. She is a 2015-16 Kenan Fellow and is currently the director of STEM Education for Pitt County Schools.

Taylor Waters, a 2019-20 Kenan Fellow, is the academically and intellectually gifted specialist and the Multi-Tiered System of Support Chair at B.T. Bullock Elementary School. With nine years of teaching experience and National Board Certification, she has garnered accolades, including Teacher of the Year for her school and the Lee County District in 2023-2024. During her fellowship supported by Fidelity Investments, Taylor developed a financial literacy curriculum for elementary students and a guide for Fidelity employees.

Nicole Efird is a 2022-23 Kenan Fellow. She teaches at Cherokee Elementary School in the Qualla Boundary. She has a degree in Birth to Kindergarten Education
from Western Carolina University and has her certification as an Indigenous National Board Certified Teacher.