John Saye is Alumni Professor and Program Coordinator for social science education at Auburn University. He is the Co-Director of the PIH Network and also is Director of the Social Studies Inquiry Research Collaborative, a coalition of university researchers studying the effects of challenging social studies and history instruction on student learning. Prior to his appointment to Auburn University, Saye was a high school history teacher for twelve years. Saye has published in the areas of the promotion of historical inquiry among students and teachers, the professional development of social studies and history teachers, and the use of technology to facilitate problem-based historical inquiry. As Project Director, Saye works with the project co-directors, the steering committee, Auburn University historians, and PIH staff to coordinate project activities and plan summer professional development and the school year retreats as well as the on-line support structure through the PIH Network.

Tom Brush is Professor of Instructional Systems Technology and Associate Dean for Teacher Education at Indiana University. He is the Co-Director of the PIH Network. He has published on technology integration in history education. Prior to his Indiana appointment, Brush held positions in technology education at Arizona State and Auburn and served as instructional technology director for a Michigan school district. Brush oversees the digitization of video and the development and maintenance of the on-line PIH Lesson Study Database, trains teachers in the PIH web-based authoring and communication tools, and provides on-going support for teacher design and implementation of technology-enhanced instruction.

Jada Kohlmeier is Associate Professor in social science education at Auburn University. She is associate director of the PIH Network and was co-director with John Saye of the Auburn Junior High Lesson Study project that piloted the processes that will be used in the PFG project. Her research focuses on historical and ethical reasoning in history and social studies. During her 10-year tenure as a high school history teacher, Kohlmeier was a James Madison Fellow as well as a finalist for Kansas Teacher of the Year in 2002. She was awarded a Milken Family Foundation Excellence in Teaching Award in 2001 and twice has been named an Auburn University Outstanding Professor. Kohlmeier joins Saye in planning and leading Summer Seminar PIH teaching sessions and in facilitating and supporting the five Lesson Study teams in the summers and throughout the academic year.

Theresa McCormick is Associate Professor and Program Coordinator of elementary education at Auburn University. A history specialist, she has been an active contributor to PIH Network professional development. She has published on the use of primary documents to promote historical thinking. She has consulted with the Alabama Dept. of Archives to develop units of study for 5th and 6th grades that incorporate primary source documents. Prior to her appointment at Auburn University, McCormick taught 5th grade history for 11 years. McCormick joins Saye in planning and leading Summer Seminar PIH teaching sessions and in facilitating and supporting the five Lesson Study teams in the summers and throughout the academic year.

David Shannon directs the independent evaluation for this project and serves on the project steering committee. Shannon has a Ph.D. Research Methodology and Statistics and is currently the Humana- Sherman-Germany Distinguished Professor at Auburn University. Over the past 10 years, he has served as an evaluation coordinator for projects including the South Florida Annenberg Challenge and several projects with the Alabama State Dept. of Education. Shannon also currently serves as the evaluation coordinator for two large-scale NSF-funded projects.

David Carter, Associate Professor of history at Auburn University, serves as Executive Historian for the project and on the project steering committee. Carter is a specialist in the civil rights movement, the American South since the Civil War, and U.S. history since 1945. He served as principal Project Consultant and advisory board chair for the NEH-funded PIH grant project, “Reasoning About Critical Issues of the Civil Rights Movement” and plays an ongoing advisory role to the PIH Network. Carter uses his understanding of PIH professional development to orient his History colleagues and coordinate preparation of all historian activities to insure program consistency. He will serve as Lead Historian for the Civil Rights theme and will participate as a contributing historian in Summer Seminars, Lesson Study Workshops, and school year activities for all years of the project.

Kathryn Braund, Professor of history at Auburn University, is a specialist in Native American and early U.S. history and has published extensively in these areas. Braund has extensive experience in public programming, museum and historic site planning, and has worked with numerous TAH grant projects. Braund will serve as Lead Historian for the Expansion and Reform and Revolution and the New Nation themes and participate as contributing historian in other years.

Kenneth Noe, Professor of history at Auburn University, specializes in the history of the American Civil War and Appalachian history. He has published widely. His latest book won the Seaborg Book Award and was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Noe has participated in past TAH projects, consulted with television documentary productions, and shared his expertise with a broad range of public audiences. Noe will serve as Lead Historian for the Civil War and Reconstruction to Great Migration themes and will serve as contributing historian in other years.

Jay Howell, doctoral candidate in social science education at Auburn University, joined the PIH staff in June 2006. Prior to returning to Auburn for doctoral study, Howell taught World History and World Geography for 5 years in Georgia.

Colby Jones, doctoral student in social science education at Auburn University, joined the PIH staff in May 2010. Jones taught high school social studies for 6 years and supervised a number of Auburn University social science education interns. Jones has participated as a teacher in a past TAH grant project.

Lamont Maddox, doctoral candidate in social science education at Auburn University, returned to the PIH staff in August of 2005 after assisting with the project in 2000-2001. Maddox was employed as a social studies teacher at Smiths Station High School in Smiths Station, AL from 2001-2005.