Mary Williams, Ed.D.

My areas of expertise are adolescent character development, social/emotional education, ethical leadership, instructional coaching, interdisciplinary curriculum development, and technology integration into curriculum & teaching. I hold certifications in elementary (N-6), middle level social studies (5-9), and Reading Specialist (K-12) in New York, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. I have taught as a middle and secondary teacher for students in the following subject areas: math, reading, social studies, and English. I entered a doctoral program at Boston University where I hoped to find answers to burning questions about what makes a teacher effective. I graduated from B.U. with an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership: Curriculum, Instruction, and Supervision.

My first tenure-track position was at Pace University in New York, where I taught K-12 teacher education courses in the undergraduate certification program as well as courses in the masters programs in Educational Leadership and Reading Certification.  After leaving Pace as a tenured Associate Professor in 1995, I accepted a position at the University of San Diego, where I was awarded Full Professor status in 2001.  At USD I taught primarily secondary education certification courses, which were cross-listed (graduate and undergraduate), and worked closely with the former Dean of the School of Education, Ed DeRoche to co-author four books. I co-created and co-directed an International Center for Character Education, developed a joint doctoral program with a concentration in educational technology with S.D.S.U., an online doctoral program in educational leadership for Naval Officers at sea, and developed a master’s degree concentration and online certificate program in Character Education.

In 2002, I accepted a position as a Professor at George Mason University, where I led the Secondary Education Department through a successful NCATE accreditation visit.  At Mason I developed blended and online courses, and led an initiative in Best Practice Portfolios as evidence of mastery of teaching and content standards for teachers.  I also created the courses and framework for an online master’s degree program in Character Education. In 2011, I came to La Salle as Chair of Education, where I was attracted to its strong sense of community and support for students and its emphasis on urban education, social justice, and moral/ethical leadership. In addition to teaching courses at La Salle I am the Chair of the statewide PA Deans of Education Forum, and on the executive committee of the Philadelphia Area Teacher Education Alliance.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

• Adolescent Development/Moral and Social Dimensions of Teaching
• Learning Science / Effective Teaching and Learning
• Curriculum Development & Online Learning
• Assessment & Testing
• Ethical Leadership
• Technology Integration

EDUCATION

• Ed.D., Educational Leadership: Curriculum, Instruction, and Supervision, Boston University
• M.S., Reading Specialist, SUNY Albany
• B.S., Education, SUNY Plattsburgh

CERTIFICATIONS

• Reading Specialist (K-12), New York [permanent]
• Elementary Education (N-6), New York [permanent]
• Elementary Education (N-8), New Hampshire and Massachusetts

CURRENT TEACHING

• Adolescent Development
• Differentiating Instruction for Adolescents Using Technology

RESEARCH

Books

Williams, M.M. (Editor) (2002). A Guide for Teaching an Integrated Program in Literature, Social Studies & Character/Values. A Teachers Guide for Dist 7.  NY City Dept of Ed.

DeRoche, E.F. & Williams, M.M. (2001). Character Education: A Primer for Teachers. Allen, TX: Argus Communications [now with New Brighton, MN: TREND Enterprises].

DeRoche, E.F. & Williams, M.M. (2001). Character Education: A Guide for School Administrators. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.

DeRoche, E.F. & Williams, M.M. (2001). Educating Hearts and Minds: A Comprehensive Character Education Framework. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. [2nd Edition]