Dr. Powell spent over two decades as an elementary school teacher prior to arriving at Northern Arizona University. Currently, she is dedicated to helping pre‐service teachers learn to utilize current, inclusive, and developmentally appropriate practices in their classrooms, which promote better learning for all students.

Dr. Powell received her B.S. Degree from Texas Tech University in Elementary Education, her Master’s Degree from Arizona State University in Elementary Education, with a specialization in reading, and a doctorate from Northern Arizona University in Curriculum and Instruction, with a focus on Early Childhood Education.

As an Associate Professor of Literacy and Early Childhood in the NAU College of Education, Dr. Powell and her students frequently participate in practicum experiences in schools in the Flagstaff Unified School District and in child development centers in the area.

In addition, she is very involved in the promotion of quality early learning opportunities for all children in the state of Arizona and our nation. She helped develop summer conferences and institutes in the NAU College of Education for early childhood educators across the state, which have provided a venue for continued conversation regarding quality early learning environments. She also is Northern Arizona AEYC’s policy chair, AzAEYC Board’s member at large, and participates on various early childhood committees and taskforces at NAU, in the Flagstaff community, and the state of Arizona.