Membership

Laura E. Slay is an Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction at East Texas A&M University, where she teaches courses in reading, bilingual education, and doctoral research methods, applying complexity theory as an exploratory lens for intractable issues in education. Her scholarship investigates complex adaptive systems, the conditions that foster equitable writing instruction, and emerging AI-mediated literacy practices. She is a founding member of the North Star of Texas Writing Project (NWPNET) at East Texas A&M and the International Complexity Research Association for the Social Sciences (ICRASS), where she serves as membership chair.

Daryn Dever is an Assistant Professor in the School of Teaching and Learning and a researcher with the Institute for Advanced Learning Technologies at the University of Florida’s College of Education. Dr. Dever's research explores self-regulated learning (SRL) within advanced learning technologies by analyzing multimodal, multichannel data, including eye-tracking, log-files, facial expression analysis, physiological signals, and concurrent verbalizations. Her recent work focuses on using game-based learning environments to examine how students apply SRL strategies during STEM learning and how the complexity of their SRL behaviors influences learning outcomes. By gaining insights into learners' SRL processes, Dr. Dever’s research aims to inform the design of adaptive, personalized scaffolds that enhance learning outcomes, foster SRL skills, and support human-computer interaction in educational settings. In addition to her research, Dr. Dever serves as the AERA SIG17 Complexity Theories in Education chair.

Bruce Graham is a third-year doctoral candidate and graduate teaching/research assistant in STEM Education at NC State University (NCSU). His research interests include sustained professional learning for secondary mathematics teachers, examining PLTs as Complex Adaptive Systems, and Mathematics Pre-service Teacher Preparation. He is currently serving as the junior graduate student representative for the Complexity Theories in Education SIG within the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and as the Chair of the planning committee for the STEM Ed Graduate Research Symposium at NCSU. Bruce received his Bachelor's of Arts degree in Secondary Mathematics Education from Eastern Washington University and his Master's of Science degree in Mathematics Education from NC State University.

Cheryl Poth is a Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta (Canada) and a leading scholar in mixed methods research, known for advancing integration in the study of complexity and complex social systems. Her work emphasizes design innovation, visual approaches, and ethical, competency-based practices that help researchers generate insights from the integration of qualitative and quantitative components in complex, real-world contexts that would not be accessible by either approach alone.

Dr. Sharon Woodill is an Associate Lecturer in Interdisciplinary Studies in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Central Florida. She holds a BA in Music (jazz piano), an MA in Gender and Women's Studies (feminist science studies), and a PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies grounded in science and technology studies from Dalhousie University. Her research explores complexity theory and interdisciplinary methodologies as frameworks for knowledge creation and human connection. She is the author of Interdisciplinarity and the Art of Human Connection (Bloomsbury, 2025) and publishes on educational technology and environmental stewardship.