The Team

Dr. Monty Jones is an Associate Professor of Instructional Technology and Design at Virginia Commonwealth University. His research includes pre-service and in-service K-12 teacher learning of technology integration, technologies supporting maker-based learning, and utilizing digital art and music composition to teach computer science.

He received his Ph.D. in Instructional Technology from the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia in 2014 where he was awarded a research fellowship in the Center for Technology and Teacher Education and an Outstanding Curriculum Award from the National Association of Gifted Children. He has been awarded the Charles P. Ruch Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the McLeod Faculty Development Award from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Education. He won two Outstanding Performance Awards as both a classroom teacher and an instructional technology resource teacher in Hopewell City Public Schools, and has given presentations globally.

Dr. Katherine Hansen is a bilingual (German) educational specialist in adult learning who leads communications, community engagement, and program development efforts through equitable practices for Virginia’s adult education and literacy programs in collaboration with WIOA workforce development partners for the Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). She is also faculty with the School of Education in adult learning and has been instrumental in the development and implementation of curricula, most recently for the B.A. in Human and Organizational Development in which she teaches multiple courses.

Dr. Hansen received her Ed.D. in educational leadership and her M.Ed. in adult learning with a human resource development specialization from VCU. She is a certified project management professional (PMP®) with experience in leading development teams and an English as a second language instructor who taught for many years in VCU’s English language program and abroad. She has worked directly with community-based organizations and educational institutions to develop programs and implement contextualized training materials according to adult learning principles and academic standards.

Further, Dr. Hansen has served as the Director of Training and Organization Development for a global group of companies as well as a corporate trainer for numerous global organizations in a variety of fields. Her research interests focus on culturally sustainable andragogy and systems-informed equitable practice in human and organizational development, which includes career-connected learning for equitable career pathways particularly in computer science and technology as well as the intersection of humanist practices in education and community-based nonprofit organizations.

Dr. Hansen has presented internationally at conferences and more recently been recognized by VCU SOE with an award for her research in equitable nonprofit grant funding and capacity building processes. She has also served as the principal investigator (PI) and project manager of a grant, Career Pathways for Minority Under-Represented Adult Learners in Computing, which is a multi-discipline, cross-departmental project (e.g., Education, Computer Science, Arts/Music) that creates an innovative pathway into computer science careers for underrepresented adult populations.

Felipe Jimenez is a Ph.D. student in the Curriculum, Culture, and Change program. He is a professional musician and artist who has dedicated his work to understanding how arts, music, and playing can bond together to serve as pedagogical tools for education.