Meet the 2018 Fellows
Patricia Adams is a psychology instructor at Pitt Community College. She has been teaching in the community college and university classroom for more than a decade. She holds a master’s degree in clinical psychology from East Carolina University and undergraduate degrees in psychology from Peace College and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. She maintains a psychology practice in addition to her teaching, and provides regular professional development and consultation on active learning and engaged teaching. She has been honored with a number of nominations and awards, and proudly serves on the board and as an active member in state and national professional associations.
Janis Antonek is a Spanish teacher at the Middle College at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. She holds a doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh. Though she currently teaches high school, Janis has taught every single grade level from kindergarten to graduate school. For ten years, she was the world language and ELL methodologist at UNCG. Having visited nearly 50 countries, not only is Janis global-minded, she is passionately committed to helping her students become more global-minded, especially with respect to social justice and environmental issues.
Lisa Brewer is an instructional coach with the Onslow County School System. As a coach it is her goal to serve and support classroom teachers with curriculum, instruction and assessment needs. Over her 30 plus years in the system, Lisa has been an elementary teacher and K-12 administrator. In the fall of 2017, Lisa was awarded the North Carolina Global Educators Digital Badge. She loves to travel and work in the schools associated with the school system’s global partnerships.
Meghan Davis is currently a biotechnology instructor at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, where she is a member of the college’s North Carolina Global Distinction Program committee. She earned a B.S. degree in biology from Middle Tennessee State University and a M.S. in biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University. She worked as a research technologist at Johns Hopkins University where she assisted in the development of a novel cancer vaccine for head and neck squamous cell carcinomas in addition to studying other types of immunotherapeutic strategies to treat cancer patients. Meghan has collaborated with NC Bionetwork in creating a number of interactive eLearning tools and science training videos that can be used in the biotechnology classroom. Outside of work, Meghan enjoys volunteering with the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation.
Jack Hudson is an Upper School English teacher and environmental sustainability coordinator at Providence Day School in Charlotte. He teaches a variety of required and elective English courses, and co-teaches an interdisciplinary environmental studies course. He also serves as the project manager for the school garden and a faculty leader for two student service clubs: PDSustainability and Sow Much Good. When not at school, Jack enjoys spending time with his wife, daughter and dogs and doing pretty much any outdoor activity.
Jacey Macdonald is from Minneapolis, Minnesota and graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2012 with a B.A. in German and anthropology. After moving to North Carolina in 2013, Jacey earned her master’s degree in middle grades education from East Carolina University. Jacey currently teaches seventh grade language arts and global studies at Daniels Middle School in Raleigh. Outside of teaching, Jacey has a passion for reading, travel, baking and spending time outdoors.
Stephanie Morgan just completed her tenth year as a math teacher. She did her undergraduate and graduate work at UNC-Chapel Hill, obtaining a B.A. in mathematics in 2007 and an MAT in 2008. Since then, she has worked at Pisgah High School, a place near and dear to her as it is the school from which she graduated. She received National Board Certification in 2012 and for the last several years has worked to incorporate global education into the math curriculum. Outside the classroom, she enjoys reading, biking and making t-shirt quilts.
Heather Oswald is an Upper School science teacher at the Cannon School in Concord, NC. Over her seven years as an educator, she has designed and implemented science curriculum for students from middle school through college. She has taught classes in biology, chemistry and environmental science. Beyond her teaching experience, she received a master’s of science in biology from the University of South Carolina. Her research focused on understanding the effects of environmental stressors on animal populations and it helped her develop a strong background in biology and environmental ecology. She lives in Charlotte, NC with her husband and daughter. She enjoys spending time in her garden and cooking for friends and family.
Annie Polashock has taught middle and high school mathematics and middle school social studies for seven years. She is currently a seventh and eighth grade math teacher at Peak Charter Academy in Apex. Prior to being named a World View Fellow, Annie has been a Kenan Fellow, interning at the NC State Advanced Self-Powered Systems of Integrated Sensors and Technologies Center, and an NC State Science House Statistics Fellow. In her free time, she enjoys running, being outdoors, seeing movies and spending time with her family and friends.
A hiker, biker, full-time nature-lover and librarian/media specialist, Lee Ann Smith has blended her passions by collaboratively developing Eco-Readers, a hands-on environmental and reading program. Subsequently she received the Asheville GreenWorks 2017 Environmental Excellence Award in Education. As a community activist, she is co-founder and chair of Protecting Our Water and Environmental Resources (POWER) Action Group, which successfully advocated for cleanup of a highly toxic Superfund site in Asheville. This resulted in Lee Ann being named the Governor’s 2016 Water Conservationist of the Year by the NC Wildlife Federation. She is designated as a Global Educator by NCDPI and is a National Board Certified Teacher. As “Tree-Hugger Techies,” she and a colleague present workshops on how to integrate tech tools into environmental education. Lee Ann is a traveler, adventurer and dreamer who firmly believes that our students will one day make this world a more beautiful place.
Lori Townsend is entering her seventeenth year at Charlotte Country Day School. She teaches kindergarten, second and fourth grade science in the Lower School. Lori also serves as the Lower School science department head, new faculty and staff mentor coordinator and special area coordinator. In addition to teaching a hands-on science curriculum, Lori serves as a co-leader of two after-school clubs that each provide students extended learning opportunities and active servant leadership experiences. Outside of the classroom, Lori also serves on the Academic Council and Curriculum Leadership Team. Lori’s personal interests led her to pursue an experience with an intensive coral reef restoration project in San Salvador, Bahamas. Initially, Lori attended the project as a volunteer, and was then asked to return as an instructor for other research teams.
Holly Grant Whistler is an English instructor, writer and mother of two. When she’s not teaching, she enjoys a good pot of coffee, comedies, interval training and reading a variety of books from Thomas Hardy to Eric Carle. Her inspirations for writing and research are the intersection of humanity and technology, pop culture, women in leadership, human rights and the environmental stewardship. She is currently working on her dissertation with the University of North Carolina Wilmington on mentoring and coaching in digital spaces.