Directory

CREDENTIALS

• Ed.D., Instruction and Curriculum Leadership, Reading Concentration, University of Memphis
• M.Ed., Elementary Education, Lesley University
• Bachelor of Science - Human Resources Management, Boston College
• Strategic Data Project Fellow, Center for Education Policy Research, Harvard University

ABOUT

Theresa Magpuri-Lavell, Ed.D, joined the School of Education as an associate professor in January 2025. 

Dr. Magpuri-Lavell's professional experience spans from K-6th grade and higher education teaching to conducting multi-disciplinary research studies and leading capacity-building initiatives from development to evaluation. She served in a variety of leadership roles, including as the Executive Director of the Sandra Dungan Deal Center for Early Language and Literacy as a tenured faculty member at Georgia College & State University, Associate Dean of Outreach at Bellarmine University in Kentucky, and, most recently, Department Chair of the Education Department at Prince George's Community College in Maryland. 

Her research interests include scientifically based reading instruction for underserved populations and related research studies with publications in peer-reviewed journals. 

The mission of her work is to empower educators with an expansive knowledge of evidence-based literacy and the capacity for building transformative learning experiences for others to improve K-12 literacy achievement.

ABOUT

Dr. Dean Olah is a professor of education in the School of Education at the University of Guam, where he prepares and mentors teacher candidates and develops Moodle-based instructional materials and AI integration strategies for undergraduate and graduate programs. A former elementary school principal, Dr. Olah draws on extensive K–12 teaching experience, including degrees in music education and school administration and a doctorate in technology education from North Carolina State University’s College of Engineering and Design. To support his focus on educational technology, he holds numerous industry credentials, including Google, Microsoft, and Apple Certified Educator statuses, as well as MCSE and MCT certifications. He has also served as a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and as a research fellow with Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), extending his work into national and international arts and education policy.

INTERESTS

In his spare time, Dr. Olah enjoys playing the trombone. He has performed professionally with numerous classical, theatrical, and jazz ensembles in Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina, South Carolina, and internationally in Europe and the Middle East. He and his wife, Molly (an educator and professional violinist), enjoy traveling and outdoor activities such as scuba diving, hiking, and tennis.

CREDENTIALS

• B.A., M.A., Music Education, The University of Toledo (Ohio)
• MSA, Campbell University (N.C.)
• Ed.D., Technology Education, North Carolina State University

CREDENTIALS:

• Ed.D., Educational Leadership (PK-12), Trident University International (Ariz.)
• Dissertation: “Teacher Efficacy and Teaching with Enthusiasm in Relationship to Student Engagement During a Global Pandemic”
• © 2022 Zena Sablan-Enthused Instruction: Practitioner Guidelines to Assist Teachers in Student Engagement
• MATL, Literacy and Language (K-6), Kaplan University (Ill.)
• Action Research: “Best Practices for Teaching English as Second Language Students in the Mainstream Classroom”
• B.A.Ed., Elementary Education (K-5), University of Guam