Wanda G. Lastrapes

Dr. Lastrapes has taught as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Foundations & Secondary Education (FSE) at the University of North Florida since fall 2007. She also serves as program area leader of the foundations prerequisite and core courses and is FSE’s faculty-in-residence at Sandalwood High School. Her teaching and administrative experiences include the public school, university, and community college settings. From 1998 to 2000, she served as the director of the Office of Teacher Education Services at Old Dominion University where she directed educational field placements, teacher education advising services and the teacher licensure process. More recently, Dr. Lastrapes was program coordinator of urban secondary education initiatives with the University of Florida Alliance from 2001-2006. She worked with six high schools in Miami, Orlando, and Jacksonville, FL. Her teaching and research interests include cultural sensitivity and perspectives of pre-service and in-service teachers, multicultural curricula initiatives in secondary urban schools, and mentoring and retention of urban teachers. She currently serves as a past president of the Florida Association of Teacher Educators, treasurer of the Multicultural Education Special Interest Group of the Association of Teacher Educators (ATE) and is a member of ATE’s Research Committee