TALE'S ELECTED OFFICERS
Matthew Panozzo
Matthew Panozzo has over five years of experience in the classroom, with his most recent responsibility being to help middle schoolers rekindle their passion for reading and develop their voices as writers. Since July of 2017, Matthew has directed the TALE Community Involvement Committee and helped establish the monthly Literacy Strategy Spotlights. Matthew received a B.A. in Education from the University of St. Thomas, an M.S. in Reading from the University of Houston--Clear Lake, and is currently working on an Ed.D. in Literacy at Sam Houston State University. His research interests include: critical literacy, LGBTQ experiences in schools, and independent/free-voluntary reading.
Tara Wilson
Tara Wilson is a professor of reading at The University of Texas - Permian Basin. She teaches literacy courses for undergraduate and master's students. Prior to working in higher education, Tara taught in Texas public education for 11 years. In addition to serving as a board member for TALE, she is also on Texas Association of the Education Young Children board. Tara presents at the local, state, regional, national and international levels, as well as publishing in Literacy and Early childhood journals. Tara received her Doctorate of Education in Literacy from Sam Houston State University. Tara joined TALE to network with other literacy professionals.
Kelli Bippert
Kelli Bippert is Assistant Professor of Literacy Education at Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi. Dr. Bippert taught grades 4 through 8 for fifteen years in elementary and middle schools where she served as reading specialist, designing and implementing instruction for struggling adolescent readers and writers. She holds both Texas Master Reading Teacher and Reading Specialist Certifications. Dr. Bippert earned her Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Learning & Teaching from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a concentration in literacy education.
Dr. Bippert’s research and scholarship center on adolescent literacy, cultural perceptions of struggling adolescent readers, technology-based reading interventions, and the integration of popular culture/ media texts to support in-school literacies. Her university teaching experience includes content area reading education courses for elementary and secondary students, and diagnosis and support for students identified with reading and writing difficulties.
Dr. Bippert’s research and scholarship center on adolescent literacy, cultural perceptions of struggling adolescent readers, technology-based reading interventions, and the integration of popular culture/ media texts to support in-school literacies. Her university teaching experience includes content area reading education courses for elementary and secondary students, and diagnosis and support for students identified with reading and writing difficulties.
Jackie Ingram
Jackie Ingram is an instructor in the Language, Literacy and Special Populations department at Sam Houston State University where she teaches literacy courses for undergraduate and master's students. Prior to working in higher education, Jackie taught in Texas public education for 15 years. In addition to serving as an Elected Board Member for the Texas Association for Literacy Education, she serves as the chair for Membership Tracking. Jackie maintains an active scholarly agenda publishing and presenting at the local, state, regional, and national levels. Jackie received her bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and her master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Texas A&M University, and her Doctorate of Education in Literacy from Sam Houston State University.
Sonja Gaddy
Sonja Gaddy has over 16 years of teaching experience in both private and public school settings. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with a minor in Mathematics from Texas Woman’s University and a Masters of Education with a concentration in Reading and Writing from Texas Wesleyan University. Her interests include finding solutions to eliminate disparities in reading instruction among socioeconomic and demographic groups, as well as supporting community-based literacy programs and public library services.
Kamshia Childs
Dr. Kamshia Childs is a native of Wichita, Kansas, who resides in Houston, Texas where she obtained a Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction at Texas Southern University. She also holds a BS in Elementary Education (ESL), and MS in Curriculum and Instruction (Reading and Language Arts) from Kansas State University. Dr. K. Childs has been a literacy educator for over 15 years, and worked in rural and urban settings in K-12, and higher education. She has published several articles in peer-reviewed literacy journals, written a self-published book, and she presents at various conferences on topics related to literacy, educator empowerment, parent involvement, and culturally relevant pedagogy. She currently works for Kansas State University in the College of Education’s MAT program (online).
