KINGSTON, R.I. – Aug. 25, 2021 – Diane Kern, professor and coordinator for the secondary English Language Arts Education program, has been named interim director of URI’s School of Education. The appointment is effective Aug. 30.

The announcement was made by Danielle Dennis, interim dean of the Alan Shawn Feinstein College of Education and Professional Studies.

“Dr. Kern has a wealth of knowledge of teacher education accreditation and our graduate programs, which are both priorities over the next two years,” Dennis said. “Beyond that, she is a strong leader, good listener, and has a vision for the mission of the School of Education.”

In addition to English courses, Kern has also taught education psychology, classroom management, disciplinary literacy, and language arts teaching methods. She is a long-time advocate of nonviolence and has incorporated the concept into her teacher training, integrating the Kingian principles into the literature to pre-service teachers of high school English.

Her research includes comprehension strategy instruction and teacher education in English Language Arts and Literacy, bridging the gap between research and literacy teacher education, developing cultural competence, and increasing access to education programs for marginalized or under-represented people in the profession.

Kern previously taught for 14 years in public schools in urban, suburban and rural school districts in Florida and Rhode Island.

Kern received her Ph.D in Education, M.A. in Reading Education, and B.A. in Secondary English Education/Elementary Education-English, all from URI.