FTI - Key Persons
In twenty-five years studying, volunteering and working abroad in 109 countries, Adam has magnified the scope of his educational impact from teacher to administrator to his current role shaping educational policy as the Associate Director of Future of Teaching Institute (FTI). After obtaining a Masters in International Affairs from The George Washington University, Adam was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship in Spain. He has taught history and literature in international schools in Japan, Egypt and China, where he also served as Service Learning Coordinator. He founded a non-profit organization that delivers micro-philanthropy grants to efficiently-run community projects around the world since 2009. Before joining FTI, he graduated from Teach-Now, obtained his Masters in Globalization in Education from Moreland University and worked as curriculum developer and Senior Director of Studies for two private academies in China.
Charlotte Danielson is the author of the world-renowned book Framework for Teaching, which millions of educators worldwide have used since it was first published in 1996. The Danielson Group, which Charlotte founded in 2011, has worked with over 1,500 organizations in the US and 15 other countries. Charlotte Danielson has served as a consultant to hundreds of districts, universities, intermediate agencies, and state departments of education in virtually every state and in many other countries. Clients for the development of materials and training programs include ASCD, the College Board, Educational Testing Service, the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Charlotte holds advanced degrees (in philosophy, economics, and educational administration) from Oxford and Rutgers Universities.
Darlene Fisher is an International Accreditation Leader at NEASC; IB Lead Educator; Director at Reshaping Schools, based in Australia. Dr. Fisher has worked for thirty years as a leader and teacher in schools around the globe. Her doctoral studies at University of Bath, UK, focused on social cultures and effective international school leadership. Her research focuses on ‘What constitutes effective leadership - especially in times of crisis? What is the most effective model for Teacher Professional Development? How can professional development programmes be created in schools in order to build ongoing capacity growth? Her work in school leadership and preparation provides many opportunities to explore what is working and how leaders can help teachers provide quality learning.
Job Titles:
- Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Foundation
David Imig is a Senior fellow at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and a Professor of the Practice Emeritus in the College of Education at the University of Maryland. For 25 years, Dr. Imig was the president and chief executive officer for the Washington, DC-based American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) and was later awarded emeritus status. He also served as chair of the NCATE executive committee, the Learning First Alliance, the National Policy Board for Educational Administration, the Forum for Education Organization Leaders, as well as the National Society for the Study of Education. He led the formation of the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate as well as Carnegie's Improvement Leadership Education and Development Initiative (iLEAD). Imig holds three degrees, and received an honorary doctorate in education from Bridgewater State University (MA) and a lifetime achievement award from the UK-based Universities Council for the Education of Teachers (UCET).
Job Titles:
- Education Author and Consultant
Donna Gollnick is an Education author and consultant in teacher education and multicultural education. Between 2013 and 2018, she was the Chief Academic Officer and Vice President for Quality Assurance at the TEACH-NOW Graduate School of Education. Previously, she was Senior Consultant at the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), the Senior Vice President of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), Director of Professional Development for the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) and is a past-president of the National Association for Multicultural Education. Dr. Gollnick is the co-author of numerous books, including Introduction to the Foundations of American Education, now in its 17th edition; Multicultural Education in a Pluralistic Society, in its 11th edition and An Introduction to Teaching: Making a Difference in Student Learning.
Dr. Emily Feistritzer is a longstanding teacher education and certification innovator and entrepreneur. She most recently founded and was CEO of TeachNow, Inc.,which became Moreland University. It has trained nearly 10,000 teachers in more than 150 countries over the past decade. A former nun and high school math and science teacher, Dr. Feistritzer first gained national acclaim in 1979 as the founder of the National Center for Education Information, which published Teacher Education Reports and other newsletters, 48 reports on education, including surveys of teachers, school administrators, school board presidents, state departments of education, university colleges of education, local school districts and individuals interested in becoming teachers. Dr. Feistritzer has testified before Congress and other legislative bodies on the subject of teacher training and certification. She received and directed five grant awards from the U.S. Department of Education, including the establishment of the National Center for Alternative Certification, a one-stop national clearinghouse for information about alternative routes to teaching in the United States, and several studies of teachers who enter teaching through traditional routes and through alternative routes.
Job Titles:
- Chief Evaluation and Compliance Officer
Jean-Louis Ikambana is Chief Evaluation and Compliance Officer at Friendship Place, having served as Director of Partnerships at TEACH-NOW Graduate School of education 2017-2020. He has extensive experience in nonprofit program design and management, human rights education, community organizing, education, democracy, youth civic engagement, and social justice advocacy. Dr. Ikambana served in several capacities in causes for the advancement of human dignity in different international, national and local organizations. He holds five degrees from three continents, including a Ph.D. in African American Studies from Temple University, Philadelphia (USA). He is the recipient of the 2010 Community Human Rights Award, the 2014 President's Volunteer Service Award and the 2016 Edward O'Brien Award of Human Rights Educators USA, and 2017 Community Human Rights Award from the US Human Rights Network.
Job Titles:
- Distinguished Professor and Dean Emeritus of Michigan State University 's College of Education
Robert Floden is University Distinguished Professor and Dean Emeritus of Michigan State University's College of Education, which has been ranked No. 1 in the nation for 27 consecutive years. Floden's degrees include A.B. with honors in philosophy (Princeton), M.S. in statistics and Ph.D. in education (Stanford). Publications address the cultures of teaching, teacher education's character and effects, and links between policy and practice. Floden is a member of the National Academy of Education, and fellow of both the American Educational Research Association and the American Psychological Association (Division 15). Board memberships include American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate, and Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation.
Troy Regis is a Graduate Instructor at Moreland University and an International educator in Mathematics and Science. Dr. Regis is an experienced lecturer, administrator and teacher with 26 years of experience with three degrees in education, including a Ph.D. from the University of Missouri-Columbia (Mathematics Education). Dr. Regis also holds a Certificate of International School Leadership from the Principals' Training Center (PTC) and has been teaching abroad since 2009. Dr. Regis was a member of the Administrative Coordination team at NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands from 2018 to 2021 which worked in the International Teacher Education for Primary Schools (ITEps) program preparing preservice teacher candidates to receive a 4-year Bachelor's Degree in International Education. Dr. Regis has several publications and has served as a coach and mentor teacher to both preservice and in service educators in the US and abroad.
Job Titles:
- Foundation Distinguished Professor
Yong Zhao is a Foundation Distinguished Professor in the School of Education at the University of Kansas. Yong Zhao is also a professorial fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Health and Education Policy, at Victoria University in Australia. He previously served as the Presidential Chair and Director of the Institute for Global and Online Education in the College of Education, University of Oregon, where he was also a Professor in the Department of Educational Measurement, Policy, and Leadership. His work focuses on the implications of globalization and technology on education. He is also an elected fellow of the International Academy for Education and was a University Distinguished Professor at the College of Education, Michigan State University. Zhao was born in China's Sichuan Province, but educated in China and USA; he received his Ph.D. in Education from University of Illinois.
Kristina Brimer is a Graduate Instructor and Mentor at Moreland University. She has run over 50 worldwide professional development courses for educators to help better prepare them for a changing world. Kristina has served on accreditation committees for Cognia to ensure the quality of education for schools worldwide. Kristina obtained a M.Ed. in Globalization in Education from Moreland University, and is working towards a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from Capella University. She has 12 years of experience teaching throughout Africa and 5 years experience in leadership positions. Kristina is an active member of The National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS), International Honor Society in Psychology (Psi Chi), and International Honor Society in Education (Kappa Delta Pi). She has published several journal articles focusing on the emotional intelligence (EQ) of third culture kids (TCKs).
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer of Mursion, Inc
Mark Atkinson is the Chief Executive Officer of Mursion, Inc. which deploys its virtual reality simulation platform to hundreds of Fortune 1,000 corporations, non-profits and schools. He is also the Founder of TeachForward, LLC, a virtual coaching platform for K-12 educators that offers programs for alternative certification and professional licensure. Mr. Atkinson serves on the Board of Directors of the Achievement Network and the Oracle Education Foundation. He also founded and served as CEO of Teachscape Inc. Prior to launching a career in educational technology and workforce development, Mr. Atkinson served as Senior Producer for CBS News and ABC News. He is a recipient of the Alfred I. DuPont Columbia University "Gold Baton" for his work in Bosnia. Mr. Atkinson is a graduate of Yale College.