Co-President: Ariel Chavers

Co-President: Rebecca Memmolo

Rebecca Memmolo is a third year Ph.D. student in the Education program with a specialization in Mathematics Education. She earned a B.S. in Elementary Education from Appalachian State University and an M.A. in Mathematics Education from the University of Maryland, College Park. Previously, she worked as a first-grade classroom teacher in Asheville, North Carolina and a middle school mathematics teacher in Wilmington, Delaware. Her research interests focus on teachers’ beliefs and attitudes in relation to mathematics.

Vice President: Vandeka Rogers

Vandeka is a third-year Ph.D. student in Education and Social Policy, with research interests at the intersection of youth development, community resources, and policy development. She currently focuses her research on housing challenges and holds a Master of Social Work in Management and Policy from Rutgers University’s School of Social Work.

Secretary: Jesse Eze

Jesse Eze is a student in the School of Education’s Educational Statistics and Research Methods program, and this is his third year as a doctoral student. He attended the University of Lagos in Nigeria to earn his Bachelor of Education degree in mathematics education. His areas of interest include the implementation of policies, cognitive development, the identity and anxiety associated with mathematics, and various teacher training schemes.

Treasurer: Thomas Maldonado-Reis

Thomas Maldonado-Reis (he/him) is a second year Ed.D. student in the Educational Leadership program. He earned a B.A. in English and an Ed.M. in Applied Human Development from Boston University. Additionally, he has completed a postbaccalaureate premedical program from Harvard University. Previously, he worked as a substitute teacher in Appoquinimink School District for English and Spanish (grades 9-12) before transitioning to higher education. His higher education experience spans 8 years of progressive enrollment and change leadership at Boston University and Harvard University. Currently, Thomas is an Assistant Director for enrollment at the Harvard Division of Continuing Education and serves as a member of the organization’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging committee. Prior to joining Harvard, Thomas served as the inaugural Director of Enrollment & Data Management at Boston University’s Wheelock College of Education and Human Development. His research focus is twofold: 1) issues of equity and access for multilingual students in postsecondary education and 2) data-driven policy implementation.

Social Events Commitee Member: Elizabeth Wroten

Elizabeth Wroten is a second-year student in the Human Development and Family Sciences PhD program at University of Delaware. She currently holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Services from University of Delaware, and will graduate with her M.S. in Human Development and Family Sciences in May 2023 before continuing in the program. Elizabeth is a lifespan developmentalist with a wide variety of research interests; current and previous work includes historical analysis of working-class families in 20th century France, virtual home visiting in the COVID-19 pandemic, and various topics pertaining to adolescence, emerging adulthood, transitions, maternal health, and death across the life span.

1st Year SOE Ph.D. Cohort Representative & Communications Co-Chair: Amanda Man

Amanda Man is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Sociocultural and Community-Based Approaches (SCA) specialization. She completed her B.A. in English Literature and Secondary Education at Washington University in St. Louis and holds a M.S.Ed. in Education, Culture, and Society through the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. In between her studies, she taught high school English in Trenton, NJ for two years, then taught in and helped develop a secondary school English-language immersion program in Macau S.A.R. for four years. Currently, she supports UD’s Center for Intercultural Engagement in the formation of its basic needs program, Blue Hen Essentials. Her research interests revolve around the interactions between crises, schools, communities, and young people, and is grounded in healing-centered pedagogy, radical empathy, promoting equity, and uplifting student voices.

Social Events Committee Chair: Meg Botello

Meg Botello is a doctoral student in the Learning Sciences program. She graduated with a BA in Psychology and Counseling from Nevada State University where she worked as a Mathematics Course Assistant for 2 years and developed her research interests in student math anxiety, beliefs, and learning. Meg’s research focuses on math learning and motivation.

Educational Workshops Committee Chair: Hojung Lee

Hojung Lee is a Ph.D. student in Education & Social Policy, a joint program between the College of Education and Human Development and the Joseph R. Biden Jr School of Public Policy & Administration. She earned a B.A. in Economics and English Linguistics from the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, and an M.A. in Economics from Seoul National University, specializing in microeconomic theory and axiomatic bargaining. Her research focuses on educational inequality, particularly in terms of the distribution of school resources across different states and levels of governance.

Communications Co-Chair: Amanda Pickett