JRCoE Welcomes New Faculty, Staff
This fall the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education welcomed three new tenure- track faculty into the teaching ranks. Additionally, the college added a new face to the undergraduate advising staff. Get to know them below.
Mary Barczak
Assistant Professor, Special Education
Educational Psychology
Barczak comes to OU from Ohio State where she earned her Ph.D. in special education in the spring of 2020. Barczak also holds an undergraduate degree in special education from Austin Peay State University, and a master's degree in instruction and curriculum leadership, concentration in special education and applied behavior analysis, from the University of Memphis.
Her areas of specialization are preparing practitioners to work with students with severe disabilities; and evidence-based vocational education for students with severe disabilities.
Rebecca Borden
Assistant Professor, World Languages Education
Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum
Rebecca Borden teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on the topics of second language acquisition, teaching methods, and English Language Learners.
Prior to her appointment in the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education, she was the first-year Spanish language coordinator in the department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Linguistics at the University of Oklahoma and a high school Spanish teacher in Texas and Oklahoma.
Borden earned her Ph.D. in Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum from the University of Oklahoma in 2017. Her research program focuses on high-leverage teaching practices in world languages education, inquiry-based approaches, and teacher development.
Hometown: Sonoma, California
Academic/Research Interests: Effective practices in world languages education, inquiry-based approaches, teacher development
What are some of your goals for your time at OU?: One of my main goals during my time at OU includes increasing the number of elementary and secondary world language programs in Oklahoma through advocacy and teacher candidate recruitment/mentorship. I am looking forward to connecting with faculty and stakeholders to engage in this work.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself: I enjoy yoga, dance and traveling.
Kari Chew
Assistant Professor, Indigenous Education
Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
Kari A. B. Chew is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, Chikashshanompa' (Chickasaw language) learner, and Indigenous language advocate. Chew earned her doctorate in Indigenous Language Revitalization and Linguistics from the University of Arizona in 2016. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship with the NEȾOLṈEW̱ “one mind, one people” Indigenous Language Partnership at the University of Victoria in 2020.
As an Indigenous Language Revitalization scholar, Chew’s research focuses on adult Indigenous language learners, Indigenous language curriculum, and the role of technology in Indigenous language education.
Hometown: I grew up in southern California. I now live in the Chickasaw Nation, where my family is from.
Academic/Research Interests: I am a learner of my ancestral language – Chikashshanompa’ (Chickasaw language). My work supports Indigenous language revitalization and education.
What are you looking forward to for your time at OU?: I look forward to working with the Chickasaw Nation and other communities to ensure that our languages are spoken for generations to come.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself: My favorite dogs are rottweilers and my family has rescued several of them over the years.
Julie Horn
Undergraduate Academic Advisor
Julie Horn joined the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education undergraduate academic advising staff this fall.
Hometown: Ponca City, Oklahoma
What do you enjoy most about working with students? I enjoy helping students navigate the myriad of opportunities that college offers them. I enjoy learning how different types of students adapt and adjust to different environments and classes and being able to guide them on a pathway to success for their future endeavors.
What are you looking forward to most in your new position? My daughters are both in college now, and I am looking forward to being back on campus after being away for a while. I am excited to join an office staff with a team of colleagues that are invested in helping students succeed.
What is a fun/interesting fact about yourself? I love photography and scrapbooking.