New Faculty

Simone Fried is an assistant professor of education administration and comes to the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy after earning her PhD at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Her research is focused on U.S. public schools in crisis, and how a complex constellation of stakeholders navigates relational dynamics and external pressures to heal wounds inflicted on communities. Her work in K-12 education spans more than a decade. She’s looking forward to using her skills to ensure that a diverse pool of excellent and equity-driven education leaders positively impacts Western New York and beyond.

Rebecca Jacob is a clinical assistant professor of rehabilitation counseling in the Department of Counseling, School and Educational Psychology. She is from the Buffalo area and is a UB alumna. Jacob is a licensed mental health counselor, a certified rehabilitation counselor and a certified New York State school counselor. She earned her doctorate in counselor education and master's degree in rehabilitation counseling at UB. She brings more than 30 years of field experience to GSE. 

Brittany Jones joins the Department of Learning and Instruction as an assistant professor of social studies education. A marathon runner from Richmond, Virginia, Jones will also serve as the assistant director of the Center for K-12 Black History and Racial Literacy Education. Her research, which is informed by her experiences teaching secondary social studies, explores the teaching and learning of critical Black histories, with a specific focus on Black emotions and affect. Jones's work also interrogates the intersections of race, power, emotions and discourse within social studies curricular materials and state standards. 

Ian Mette joins the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy as an associate professor of education administration. An outdoorsman, Mette is originally from Maine. Mette’s research focuses on culturally responsive instructional supervision and developing equity-oriented educational leaders in predominantly white rural spaces. Part of his work looks at examining internal physiological stimulation when providing difficult feedback about instructional practices, specifically by measuring biometric data using high-quality wearable watch technology. 

Carla Pattin is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Learning and Instruction. Pattin earned her PhD from the University of Toledo in educational leadership and social foundations of education. Her research centers on Black women’s voices, challenging racial and gender stereotypes through a social justice lens, and ways to implement Black feminist pedagogies in classrooms. Pattin is a gardening educator also known as the "Harvest Doctor" and wrote a gardening book titled "Grow Through It: Yourself Into a Gardener and Magnify Your Ability to Grow Food." Her Instagram @theharvestdoctor features gardening recommendations, especially for those living in urban communities.

Tangela Roberts is an assistant professor in the Department of Counseling, School and Educational Psychology. Roberts received her PhD in counseling and psychology from the University of Massachusetts Boston. Her research focuses on experiences of stigma and marginalization encountered by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) individuals, as well as the negative health outcomes of prejudice. Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, Roberts feels she brings a critical mass of research related to Black, LGBTQ+ mental health topics to GSE.

Saguna Shankar is an assistant professor in the Department of Information Science. Originally from Vancouver, British Columbia, Shankar was drawn to GSE because of its scholarly communities. Her research focuses on information practice, specifically how groups negotiate their activities with information and technologies, as part of a theoretical approach that emphasizes the agentic, cultural and social aspects of these activities.

Paris Wicker joins the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy as an assistant professor of higher education. A classically trained vocalist and chorus singer, Wicker is originally from Chicago and is a proud product of Chicago Public Schools. Prior to her doctoral journey, she worked for ten years as a higher education practitioner within college admissions and student affairs. Her field of research applies sociological and equity-based perspectives on the study of health, well-being and success in higher education.