Introducing Our Second Round of Graduate Fellows
Meet our second round of our Graduate Fellows. Their academic expertise and lived experiences deepen MILE’s commitment to interdisciplinary, community-centered scholarship. We look forward to collaborating with them as part of our team.
Dashia Pennington • Department of Information Science & Systems
Morgan State University
Dashia Pennington is a master’s student focusing on Data Analytics and Visualization at Morgan State University. She sees literacy as a form of healing and power, with the ability to tell our stories, reclaim our truths, and create space for others to do the same. Her interests focus on using writing, storytelling, and education to uplift voices that are often unheard. For Pennington, equity means making sure no one’s story is left out of the larger narrative of progress and humanity.
Binod Bhattarai • School of Education and Urban Studies
Morgan State University
Binod Bhattarai is a doctoral student in the Department of Advanced Studies, Leadership, and Policy at Morgan State University. Bhattarai has a keen interest in graduation rates relating to household income, student demographics, and other social and economic indicators. Bhattarai’s research interests focus on exploring the importance of literacy in promoting human development.
Anne Karabell • Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education
University of Maryland
Anne (Annie) Karabell is a doctoral student focusing on special education at the University of Maryland. Her dissertation explores the effects of aligned reading instruction across core and intervention settings, and she is particularly focused on the outcomes for students who are developing readers in second grade and/or receive specialized instruction.
Raimey Parker • School of Social Work
Morgan State University
Raimey Parker is a master's student at Morgan State University. Parker is interested in examining how systemic inequities, particularly unequal school funding, contribute to higher rates of illiteracy in economically disadvantaged school districts.
Larry Moore • School of Education and Urban Studies
Morgan State University
Larry Moore is a doctoral student focusing on Higher Education and Student Affairs at Morgan State University. One of his primary interests is literacy as it relates to digital and online behaviors, including social media and online harassment. Moore understands the importance of students comprehending digital footprints, privacy, and responsible online engagement.
Olisa Menakaya • School of Computer, Mathematical & Natural Sciences
Morgan State University
Olisa Menakaya is a doctoral student in the Bioenvironmental Sciences program at Morgan State University. His literacy interests center on disciplinary, digital, and data literacies that help Maryland learners, especially students with disabilities and historically marginalized students, by supporting them as they grow their skills to use reading and writing to solve real problems. Menakaya treats literacy as a set of equitable practices: content enhancement routine (CER) writing, data storytelling from local environmental datasets (e.g., water quality), and multimodal composition that invite students to author knowledge, not just consume it. Menakaya designs units with Universal Design for Learning, culturally sustaining texts, and multimodal supports, and integrates artificial intelligence as a scaffolded tool to expand access but seek to never replace student thinking.
Jamie Smith • Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education
University of Maryland
Jamie Smith is a doctoral student focusing on special education at the University of Maryland. Smith studies adolescent literacy and looks for ways to ensure improved outcomes for all learners. Smith’s background is in working with underserved schools and her interests are not only helping the students in those schools, but also the educators that work there.
Makale Moore • Department of English & Language Arts
Morgan State University
Makale Moore is a doctoral student working towards his Doctor of Philosophy in English at Morgan State University. His research interests include combining multiple art forms — such as prose, poetry, and music — to produce literary works that accurately portray lived human experiences and highlight the importance of preserving place, culture, and the people of inner cities who call their beloved city home. This research will contribute to the scholarly field of writing to advance literacy and equity because it allows current and future generations a chance to connect with a history specific to their communities and culture.