UNITE Staff

The principal investigator for this program is Dr. Terri Purcell, additional principal investigators include Dr. Markita Warren, Dr. Laura Northrop, Dr. Beth Nagy, and Dr. Marius Boboc.

Dr. Terri Purcell
Dr. Purcell teaches literacy courses at the Levin College of Public Affairs and Education at Cleveland State University and serves as literacy education program coordinator. She specializes in early literacy—examining the factors influencing reading development, vocabulary acquisition, and writing. With a strong commitment to the community, Dr. Purcell has supported early childhood centers and school districts through program evaluation, literacy program design, professional development, and literacy coaching.

In recent years, Dr. Purcell has expanded her research interests to explore the intersection of literacy, teacher preparation, racial justice, and urban education.

Dr. Laura Northrop
Dr. Northrop is an Associate Professor of literacy and education policy at Cleveland State University. Her research focuses on middle school literacy, literacy for English learners, and education policy. Prior to joining CSU, Laura worked as a middle school teacher and a K-12 literacy specialist.

Dr. Markita Warren
Dr. Warren is an Assistant Professor of Practice in the School of Education. Her research focuses on the linguistic needs of African American students, culturally relevant and sustaining pedagogies, and the experiences of Black or urban students in educational settings. She has served as a practitioner, coach and leader in multiple school districts and non-profit educational institutions.

Dr. Beth Nagy
Dr. Nagy is an Associate College Lecturer of Planning Practice for the Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs at the Levin College of Public Affairs and Education. Dr. Nagy holds a Bachelor of Urban Planning (BUP) and Master of Community Planning (MCP) from the College of Design, Art, Architecture, and Planning (DAAP), and Ed.D. in Urban Educational Leadership from the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services, all housed at the University of Cincinnati (OH). Before becoming full-time faculty at CSU, Dr. Nagy spent 18 years as a planning & development practitioner in the public and nonprofit sectors in Cincinnati, Ohio, and adjunct faculty at the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University, Dr. Nagy's teaching interests are urban planning, community development, and geospatial analysis, driven by urbanism, critical planning theory, spatial justice, professional ethics, action research, and engaged learning.