About Dr. Pienta

Rachel Sutz Pienta, PhD
[Mobile] (850) 321-3582
drpienta@gmail.com

Education
Doctorate of Philosophy - Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Social Sciences and Education - 2005
Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida.
Master of Science- Curriculum and Instruction, English Education- 1997
Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
Bachelor of Arts-Liberal Arts and Sciences, English-1994
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida

College Teaching Experience
Assistant Professor, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, Georgia, 2009-Present
Teaching graduate College of Education students for Georgia On My Line (GOML) master’s degree and specialist degree programs. Courses taught include EDAT 6001 Using Assessment to Improve Teaching and Learning, MGMS 7000 Professional Seminar, EDET 8020 Using Assessment and Research Data, 7650 Teaching Practicum, EDET 8030 Developing and Leading a Community of Diverse Learners, 8040 Literature Review.

Visiting Assistant Professor [part-time], Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, 1997 - current.
Began teaching as graduate assistant, became an adjunct, and later given visiting assistant status. Teaching assignments include the following courses Sociology, Education, and Women’s Studies Courses: Introduction to Education, Schooling in American Society, Introduction to Sociology, Social Problems, Family Problems and Social Change, Sex and Gender, Gender and Work, Gender and Popular Culture, Modern Woman Warrior, Introduction to Women’s Studies, Contemporary Women’s Issues: A Global Perspective, Gender and Welfare; Women, Activism, and Social Change; Readings in Oppression; and Women Gender & Power. Courses are web-assisted, using the Blackboard platform.

Methodologist and Professor, Walden University, 2009-current.
Advise doctoral students in Walden University College of Education Ed.D programs. Teach courses in Walden’s Teacher Leadership program.

Adjunct Professor, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Tallahassee, Florida, 2000-2007.
Teaching assignments included the following Sociology courses: Introduction to Sociology, Aging in America, Research Process I, Social Change, and Sociology of Education.

Instructor, Tallahassee Community College, Tallahassee, Florida, 1998 - 2007.
Teaching assignments included the following Education, Sociology, and English courses: Teaching Diverse Populations, Sociology, Social Problems, Freshman English Composition, Writing about Literature, Argument and Persuasion, Creative Writing, and Literary Magazine Production. Course taught on campus, online, and in web-assisted format. As Literary Magazine instructor from 1999-2004, I served as the faculty adviser for the Eyrie, TCC’s student literary art magazine. The Eyrie has won numerous state awards, was named best community college magazine in the nation by the Community College Humanities Association in 2000 and won numerous national awards from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.

Instructor, Keiser University, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, 2010 and Keiser College, Tallahassee, Florida, 2000.
In 2010, taught Education Law online for inaugural doctoral program with national enrollment. In 2000, teaching assignments included the following English and Sociology courses: Sociology on-site, English Composition and American Literature on-line using eCollege platform. The on-line courses had statewide enrollment.




Advising
Committee Member, Interdisciplinary Humanities Program, College of Arts and Sciences, Florida State University, 2010-current.
Committee member on doctoral committee for Genevieve Brackins for dissertation entitled, “Hidden in Plain Sight, Gender(ed) Violence: The Dichotomous Disconnect Effect and the Few Who Understand. A Mixed Methods Approach.”

Instructor, Capstone Class, Master of Education with a Major in Middle Grades Math and Science GOML Program, Department of Middle Grades and Secondary Education, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, Georgia. 2010.
Instructor for MGMS 7650 Teaching Practicum in which students complete the capstone professional portfolio including the Teacher Work Sample to fulfill the requirements to earn the Master of Education with a Major in Middle Grades Math and Science.

Committee Chair, Administrative Leadership Program, College of Education, Walden University, 2009-current.
Committee chair on doctoral committee for Arianna Mitchell for dissertation study entitled, “Single Sex Education.”

Committee Chair, Administrative Leadership Program, College of Education, Walden University, 2010-current.
Committee chair on doctoral committee for Attillah Brookshire for dissertation study entitled, “School Uniforms and Effect on Students.”

Committee Member, Teacher Leadership Program, College of Education, Walden University, 2009-current.
Committee member on doctoral committee for Carolyn Warren for dissertation study entitled, “Developing Academic Vocabulary Proficiency in H.S. ELL Students.”

Committee Member, Honors Thesis, Florida State University, 2009-2010.
Committee member on Honors in the Major Thesis Committee for Marlee McCleary for Honors Thesis entitled, “Microfinance and Women’s Empowerment: Interviews from Kosovo.” Degree awarded April 2010.

K-12 Experience
Classroom Teacher, Wakulla High School, 2005-2009
I taught Freshman English, Freshman Writing, Advanced Placement Literature (12th grade).

JV Girls Soccer Coach, Wakulla High School, Fall 2005 – 2008
Head coach for Girls Junior Varsity soccer team.

Dual Enrollment Instructor, SAIL High School, Spring 2002, Fall 2002
I taught juniors and seniors enrolled in college level sociology. Course was taught on-site at the high school.

Practicum Coordinator, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, 1998.
Coordinated and supervised Introduction to Education school fieldwork experience,
Including classroom observation and volunteer hours for over 200 teacher education students.

Associate Director, School Age Program, Alumni Village Child Development Center, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, 1997- 1998.
Directed after school and summer program for children ages five through ten with 40-student enrollment. Restructured program during tenure and created new curriculum. Supervised paid and volunteer student staff. Duties included substitute teaching in preschool program.

Reading Recovery Teacher, Raa Middle School, Tallahassee, Florida, 1996.
Worked one-on-one with at-risk sixth grade students in reading, according to principles of reading recovery, three times per week during Spring term.

Preservice Teacher, Godby High School, Tallahassee, Florida, 1996.
Completed pre-service internship teaching freshman general and honors English at local public high school under the supervision of a veteran teacher during Spring term.

Poetry Teacher, "Runaway With Words" program, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, 1995.
Taught poetry to at-risk students at PACE Center for Girls [high school level] and Capital City Youth Shelter [ages 11 to 17] in weekly program during Fall term.

Division Leader, Pine Forest Camp, Pennsylvania, 1995.
Supervised 50 campers and 18 staff members during eight- week residential camp. Planned summer curriculum for students ages 8 through 12.

Policy Experience
Research Associate, A Vision for Public Education in Georgia, 2010
Conducted policy analysis and co-authored report on early learning and children’s programs in state of Georgia for the Georgia School Superintendent’s Association (GSSA) and the Georgia School Board’s Association (GSBA). http://www.visionforpubliced.org/

Consultant, Artful Truth Project, Burhans and Curva, 2000
Served as outside evaluator on pilot anti-tobacco education project.

Research Associate, Center for Professional Development, Florida State University, 1999- 2000.
Served as lead evaluator/ researcher on contracted program evaluations.

Policy Analyst, Florida House of Representatives, Academic Excellence Council, Education K-12, 1996- 1997.
Served as researcher and analyst on issues related to public school education. Conducted national and regional research studies on policy issues including school over crowding,
year-round education, and graduation standards. Created bill analysis and drafted legislation for Committee Members.

Legislative Intern, United States Congress, Representative Karen Thurman, 1995
Served as assistant on miscellaneous congressional office duties in Washington, D.C. Processed mail, drafted constituent correspondence, researched legislative issues including foreign policy and human rights and briefed the Congresswoman on legislative issues.

Legislative Intern, Florida Senate, Senator George Kirkpatrick, 1994
Served as part-time legislative research assistant in Gainesville district office. Conducted constituent casework and policy research.

Presentations
Facilitator, “Wise Womyn: Conversations about Gender Expression in Women’s Relationships”, The Oasis Center for Women and Girls, Tallahassee, Florida, 2010.
Facilitated series of forum discussions on how race, class, gender, and sexuality impact the lives of bisexuals and lesbians in particular, and women in general.

Presenter, "Studying Best Practices in Web-Enhanced Instruction: A Mixed Methods Study," Paper presented in roundtable session at Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association in Denver, Colorado, May 2010.

Presenter, "An Examination of Teacher Leadership: A Qualitative Study of Teacher Leaders." Paper presented in poster session at Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association in Denver, Colorado, May 2010.

Invited Chair, “Technology Integration Innovations for Elementary and Middle School Contexts” at the 2010 AERA Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado, April 30 – May 4, 2010.

Moderator, FSU's 1st Annual Sex Symposium, MARC, Tallahassee, Florida, April 2010
Moderated day of education and discussion during Men Advocating Responsible Conduct (MARC) event aimed to educate and empower the Tallahassee community and FSU specifically around rape, the social arrangements that result in it, and prevention efforts.

Invited Keynote Speaker, “The Many Faces of the Modern Woman Warrior: The Contemporary Feminist” Speaker for Zonta International, Tallahassee chapter, Florida, March 2007.

Invited Presenter, “Project HOPE: Using Service-Learning to Link Classroom to Community,” Paper Session at the Annual Conference of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, Illinois, April 2007.

Presenter, “Making Sense of Teacher’s Work Lives,” Paper Session at the Annual Conference of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, California, April 2006.

Panel Speaker, “An Interfaith Response to Domestic Violence.” Workshop sponsored by the Domestic Violence Coordinating Council, Tallahassee, Florida, October 12, 2004.

Panel Speaker, “No Ugly People Allowed: Body Image in the Age of Plastic Surgery.” Ladies Misbehavior Society, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, October 27, 2004.

Co-Presenter, “Current Trends in Teaching about Gender.” Paper session at the 16th Southeastern Conference on the Teaching of Psychology, Atlanta, GA, February 28, 2004.

Co-Presenter, “Making Sense of Practice in an Era of Accountability: Two Qualitative Studies of Teachers in Florida.” Paper session at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association in Chicaco, Illinois, April 21-25, 2003

Presenter, “Exploring Knowledge Construction Within a Woman-Centered Dissertation Support Group.” Poster session at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association in Chicaco, Illinois, April 21-25, 2003

Co-Presenter, “Integrating Practice and Theory: Helping Teacher Education Students Make Sense of the Classroom Fieldwork Experience.” Florida Association of Teacher Educators (FATE), Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, October 3-5, 2002.

Presenter, “Transforming Norms in a College Town: A Collaborative Project to Combat Sexual Assault.” Workshop session at National Council Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) Conference, Orlando, Florida, August 5-7, 2002.

Discussant, “The Construction of Feminisms of Young Women: Educational Implications” Discussion Session at American Educational Research Association (AERA) 2002 Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, April 1-5, 2002.

Presenter, “You’ve come a long way, baby…but not that far.” Workshop session at Women Extinguishing Barriers Conference, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, March 23, 2002.

Presenter, “Transforming Social Norms in a College Town: A Collaborative Project to Combat Sexual Assault.” Workshop session at Women Extinguishing Barriers Conference, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, March 23, 2002.

Panel Chair, “From the Margins.” Panel Presentation at the annual conference for the Comparative International Education Society (CIES), Kissimmee, Florida, March 6-9, 2002.

Co-Presenter, “Transforming Social Norms in a College Town: A Collaborative Project to Prevent Sexual Assault on Campus.” Presentation at the Eleventh International Safe Schools Coalition Conference on Sexual Assault and Harassment on Campus in Kissimmee, Florida, November 8-10, 2001.

Presenter, “Studying Teacher Preparedness and Performance in Florida,” in paper session entitled: “Understanding Effective Teaching.” American Educational Research Association (AERA) 2001 Annual Meeting, Seattle, Washington, April 10-14.

Presenter, “Teachers and Recent Reforms in Florida,” paper presentation as part of symposium session: “Teachers and Educational Reform: More Demands and Scrutiny, Less Power.” American Educational Research Association (AERA) 2001 Annual Meeting, Seattle, Washington, April 10-14.

Presenter, “Gender, Work, and Family: Cultural Constraints on Constructing a Life” as part of a panel on Women, Work, and Family. South Eastern Women’s Studies Association (SEWSA) 2001 Conference, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, March 16-18.

Presenter, “Proposed Dissertation Study,” Division K Graduate Student Seminar at American Educational Research Association (AERA), April 23-24, 2000, New Orleans.

Panel Speaker, “Explicating Gender Issues in the Paula Vogel play How I Learned to Drive”, November 17, 1999, Theater Department, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida.

Presenter, “Skeletal Sex Symbols: The Media’s Influence on Body Image.” Panel Presentation, Generations of Change: The Fourth Annual Women’s Studies Conference, March 4-6, 1999, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, Georgia.

Co- Author, "The Resurgence of Exclusionary Immigrant Education Policies: An Examination of Practice and Theory." Thompson, Sutz, and Papagiannis. Co-authored paper presented at conference of the Comparative International Education Society (CIES). Mexico City, Mexico, 1997.

Presenter, "Women as Nomadic Subjects in Alice Walker's The Temple of My Familiar." Panel Presentation at the 22nd Annual Conference on Literature and Film "Virtual Reality in Film and Literature." January 30 - Feb 1, 1997, Tallahassee, Florida.

Presenter, "Women as Second-Class Citizens in the Works of Buchi Emecheta: The Double Yoke of Womanhood in Nigerian Society." Panel Presentation at the 21st Annual Conference on Literature and Film "Genre and Gender in Film and Literature." January 25-27, 1996, Tallahassee, Florida.

Publications and Reports
Invited Author, Chapters on “Million Mom March”, In press,. Ed., Andrea O’Reilly, You Say You Want a Revolution: The Motherhood Movement of the 21st Century, 2011, Demeter Press.

Co-Author, “Using In-Class Debates to Teach Gender Issues in Psychology.” E-xcellence in Teaching, August 2004, Volume 6, Essays from Excellence in Teaching, 2004, Volume 4.

Co-Author, Electronic Book Review, Fischman, Gustavo E. (2000). Imagining Teachers: Rethinking
Gender Dynamics in Teacher Education. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield. Reviewed in 2001 by Karen Monkman and Rachel Sutz, Florida State University, http://coe.asu.edu/edrev/

Researcher and Co-Author, “Review of Florida teacher preparation: a study conducted in response to the teacher quality act of 1999 section 231.0002, Florida Statutes.” Tom Gallagher, Commissioner, Florida Department of Education, Tallahassee, Florida, January 1, 2000.

Co-Author, "How to Break Through Techno-Shock and Build Multi-Media Units." Published in January 1998 issue of the English Journal, The Journal of the Secondary Section of the National Council of Teachers of English, Volume 87, Number 1.

Professional Service
Committee Member, Task Force to Address Bullying and Teen Suicide Prevention, 2010-2011
Task force formed to inform the community on how the anti-bullying state policy is being enforced/implemented at the local community level and a campaign to let students know that being yourself is okay. Chaired steering committee for Tallahassee premiere of Southern Poverty Law Center film “Bullied” with a panel discussion for community in partnership with Tallahassee Community College.

Committee Member, State Instructional Materials Committee, 2008
Served on State of Florida Department of Education Committee to review and select approved materials for Advanced Placement English Literature and Language courses.

Advisor, Interact Service Club, 2006-2009, Wakulla High School
Served as faculty advisor for Rotary Interact Service Club at Wakulla High School. In Fall 2006, the group led a food drive in partnership with America’s Second Harvest that collected over 1000 lbs of food in one night.

Co-Chair, American Cancer Society Relay for Life Committee, Wakulla High School, 2005-2006, 2006-2007, 2007-2008.
Led faculty and student efforts for Relay for Life event in Wakulla county. In first year, involved over 150 students and 20 faculty members. Efforts raised over $9000. Served on county committee as Team Development Chair. Slated to become Publicity Chair in 2008.

Committee Member, Positive Behavior Support Committee, 2006-2007, Wakulla High School
Served as committee member to foster positive behavior among students and faculty.

Committee Member, Women’s History Month 2003, Tallahassee Community College
Served as committee member to commemorate Women’s History Month with celebration honoring pioneering community professionals and college students.

Student Representative, Dean’s Search Committee, Florida State University, July 2000 – May 2001
Appointed by Provost to serve as search committee student representative from the College of Education

Chair, [Women’s] Dissertation Support Group, Florida State University, 1999- 2003.
Co-founder and chair of university-wide women’s dissertation writing group. Group became co-educational in Spring 2000.

President, College of Education Student Advisory Council, 1999-2000, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida.
Represent College of Education concerns to university at large. Planned first annual college-wide new student orientation.

Chair, Student Advisory Committee, Educational Foundations and Policy Studies Department, May 1999-December 2000.
Represent student concerns to department faculty, dean of College of Education, and Congress of Graduate Students.

Student Representative, Educational Foundations and Policy Studies Department Admissions Committee, 1998.
Served as student representative on departmental admissions committee.

Student Representative, Educational Foundations and Policy Studies Department Faculty Search Committee, 1998.
Served as student representative on faculty search committee.

Festival Organizer, International Student Center, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, 1996 and 1997.
Planned first and second annual International Food Festivals. Coordinated food service and entertainment for 2000+ attendees.

Campus Organization Committee Chair, "Women As Leaders Conference" Planning Committee, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, 1995- 1996.
Coordinated one-day campus leadership conference for 100+ university women. Recruited campus organizations for conference participation.

Professional Affiliations
American Educational Research Association
Proposal Reviewer, American Education Research Association
Served as proposal reviewer for 2001, 2002, 2003, 2010, and 2011 conferences.

National Women’s Studies Association, 2009-2011.
Member.

Volunteer Experience
Steering Committee Member, League of Women Voters, 2011
Serving on planning committee for annual gala to fundraise for League of Women Voters of Florida.

Membership Committee, Business and Professional Women of Florida, 2010-11
Serving on planning committee to host inaugural “Support the Girls” charity event in midtown business district to highlight women business owners while also replenishing depleted statewide breast cancer relief fund.

President, Wakulla Democratic Women’s Club, Crawfordville, Florida, 2010-2011.
Member, National Federation of Democratic Women and Democratic Women’s Club of Florida.

President, PTA, Kate Sullivan Elementary, Tallahassee, Florida 2010-2011.
Serve as leader for local elementary school parent-teacher association.

Mentor, Kate Sullivan Elementary, Tallahassee, Florida, 2009-2010, 2010-2011
Mentor two kindergarten students weekly during the school year.

Committee Member, Phi Sigma Sigma Alumnae Development Task Force, 2008-Current.
Serve on national committee to determine best practices for engaging sorority alumnae after college graduation.

Public Relations Chair, Relay for Life Wakulla County Committee, 2008-2010
Write and distribute press releases for local Relay for Life event serving Wakulla County, Florida.

Team Recruitment Chair, Relay for Life Wakulla County Planning Committee, Wakulla, Florida, 2006-2007, 2007-2008.

Regional Programming Coordinator, Phi Sigma Sigma International, Inc. 2004-2005.
Served as programming coordinator and facilitator for national sorority. Past service included work on National Risk Management Committee and Judicial Board Committee.

Relay for Life Team, American Cancer Society, Tallahassee, Florida, 2004, 2005
Served on team as fundraiser and walker for relay group that raised $3000 for 2004 event. Group is currently in process of raising funds for the 2005 event.

Disaster Services Volunteer, Capital Area Chapter American Red Cross, Tallahassee, Florida, 2004
Served as a shelter manager and damage assessment volunteer for Big Bend region of Florida during hurricanes in 2004.

Vice President, American Association of University Women, Tallahassee, chapter 2007-2008.

Secretary, American Association of University Women, Tallahassee chapter, 2004-05.

Vice-President, Alumnae Panhellenic Council, Tallahassee, Florida, 2002-03, 2004-05, 2010-2011.
Serve as officer for local Greek alumnae organization devoted to the advance of service and scholarship among Greek collegiate organizations. Served as Alumnae Representative representing Phi Sigma Sigma, 2001-Present.

Community Volunteer, Refuge House, Tallahassee, FL, 1999- 2005.
[1999-2001] Advocate for and counsel survivors of sexual violence in coordination with local law enforcement officials and medical personnel at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital. [2002-2005] Served on fundraising event committees.

Grants
Center for Faculty Scholarship Grant, Valdosta State University, 2010
Awarded grant to fund participation in AERA 2010 by the Center for Faculty Development & Instructional Improvement.

National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Grant(s), 2008
Awarded two study grants for summer 2008. Grants provide stipend for housing and living expenses to engage in study of Zora Neale Hurston and Eudora Welty.

Service Learning Mini Grant, Wakulla County School District, 2005-2006, 2006-2007, 2007-2008.
Awarded a grant to create service learning project that taught students to do peer and community education about cancer in partnership with the American Cancer Society.

Travel Grant, Awarded by CORE, College of Education, Florida State University, 2003

Dissertation Research Grant. Awarded by Office of Graduate Studies, Florida State University, 2002.

Travel Grant. Awarded by CORE, College of Education, Florida State University, 2002.


Honors
Invited Participant, AERA Division D Mentoring Luncheon for New Professionals, AERA, Denver, Colorado, 2010.
Invited participant to work with discourse analysis methods group.

Invited Participant, Boyd Workshop, co-sponsored by the Politics of Education Association and UCEA, AERA, Denver, Colorado, 2010.
Invited participant to work with Dr. Marilyn Grady from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.

Teacher of the Year Nominee, Wakulla High School, 2008.
One of six teachers nominated by colleagues out of 90 staff members.

Outstanding Volunteer Award, Big Bend Victim Assistance Coalition, Tallahassee, Florida, 2002
Recognized by regional coalition for volunteer work as victim advocate.

Tallahassee Democrat Volunteer of the Year Award Nominee, Refuge House, 2002
Nominated by Refuge House as outstanding community volunteer of the year.

Graduate Student Citizenship Award, Department of Educational Foundations and Policy Studies, Florida State University, 2001
Nominated by department chair for campus award honoring graduate students who have made outstanding contributions to the academic life of other graduate students.