LWI Faculty Thought Leaders

LaSonja Roberts, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of educational leadership at WMU She has had the privilege to serve as a teacher, administrator, and district and university consultant in California, Mississippi, and Florida. LaSonja teaches leadership and dissertation courses in the Educational Leadership, Research, and Technology department.

Dr. Elizabeth Isidro is an Associate Professor of Literacy Studies and the Director of the McGinnis Reading Center, an innovative after-school literacy program that provides preservice teachers with literacy teaching experiences and offers reading enrichment opportunities to PreK-6th grade youth from the community.

Brianne R. Pitts, Ph.D. is in her fourth year at WMU, and is pleased to be joining FTL at Lewis Walker Institute. A former elementary teacher turned assistant professor, Brianne coordinates the Elementary Education Program and teaches social studies methods for Pk-6th grade educators.

Summer Davis is an assistant professor of secondary education within the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Educational Studies at Western Michigan University. Her research is published in journals such as Teachers College Record, the Journal of Teacher Education, the Journal of School Leadership, and Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation.

Dr. Regina Garza Mitchell is a professor in the Department of Educational Leadership, Research, and Technology at Western Michigan University where she teaches in the Evaluation, Measurement, and Research program. Her specialty areas include qualitative inquiry and higher education leadership.

Dr. Lauron J. Kehrer is an Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology and Musicology in the Irving S. Gilmore School of Music at Western Michigan University, where they teach courses in global music cultures, popular music, and western art music, with an emphasis on musics of the African diaspora.

Lisah Crall is a dedicated training specialist for the College of Arts and Sciences. She holds a BA in Organizational Communication and a Master's in Public Affairs and Administration, both from WMU, reflecting her strong commitment to education and community development.

Dave Paul is a Master Faculty Specialist and Chair of the Philosophy Department at Western Michigan University. Over more than 30 years, he has taught over 175 courses to more than 6,800 students at WMU, including 65 sections of biomedical ethics reaching over 3,000 students—a standout area of his teaching.

Dr. L. Lusike Mukhongo is an Associate Professor of Communication specializing in digital media, participatory cultures, open-source technologies, and community-engaged digital storytelling. With extensive research experience, Dr. Mukhongo's work focuses on using digital tools to document stories of historically underserved communities through non-extractive and non-intrusive digital media techniques.

Dr. Matthew Cavalli is a professor of mechanical engineering and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education in the WMU College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. He joined WMU in 2018 after 14 years in various faculty and administrative roles at the University of North Dakota.

Dr. Jacob Berglin is a choral teacher education specialist with an interest in access and diversity in the classroom and beyond. He earned degrees from Valparaiso University (BM, Vocal Performance), Western Michigan University (’08, Teaching Certification), the University of Michigan (MM), and Northwestern University (PhD).

Professor Amy Bocko (she/her) is a digital projects librarian and associate professor in the University Libraries. Her research interests and specialties include interdisciplinary digital scholarship collaborations, dynamic digital storytelling, cross-institutional digital partnerships, creating archival streaming video collections, and community-driven archives