The Watson College is pleased to introduce new faculty members Ligia Alberto, Nirmal Ghimire, Kimberly Jamison, Zakaria Jouaibi, Crystal Simmons and Carlton Smith. We are also pleased to introduce new staff members Janique Caffie, Kimberly Cheatham, Courtney Harding and Shenicka Williams. Please join us in welcoming them all to UNCW!
Assistant Professor, Educational Leadership
Dr. Ligia Alberto joins the Watson College of Education as an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership. She holds a Doctorate in Education Leadership, Policy, and Management from Seton Hall University, an M.S. in School Counseling from Mercy College, and a B.A. in Spanish Education from Lehman College, City University of New York.
With over two decades of experience in K-12 education, Dr. Alberto has consistently demonstrated excellence in leadership, school counseling, and teaching. Her impact extends into higher education, where she has served as both an Assistant Professor and Program Director of Educational Leadership at Felician University.
Dr. Alberto’s research is at the forefront of educational leadership, focusing on enhancing school leadership practices through the study of mentoring relationships and self-efficacy. Her work has been widely recognized, and she has presented her findings at state, national, and international conferences, significantly contributing to the ongoing discourse on effective leadership in education.
Since 2019, Dr. Alberto has served as a commissioner for the Middle States Association Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools, where she plays a critical role in shaping educational policies and accreditation standards.
Passionate about mentoring, Dr. Alberto is dedicated to inspiring the next generation of educational leaders. She is committed to guiding students toward impactful careers in education, helping them navigate the path to leadership with insight and confidence.
Assistant Professor, Teaching English as a Second Language
Dr. Nirmal Ghimire joins the Watson College of Education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington as an Assistant Professor in Teaching English as a Second Language. Dr. Ghimire earned his Ph.D. in education with a focus on TESOL from the University of Central Florida, where he also held a Research Associate position on multi-million-dollar projects such as the Micro-credentialing of English Learners Teaching Skills (MELTS) and Dual Language Support through Technology-Enhanced Programs and Strategies (DL-STEPS). His work at UCF involved a wide range of tasks, including managing research activities, collecting & analyzing a variety of data, and teaching a course to generalist preservice teacher candidates. Dr. Ghimire further refined his research expertise during his postdoctoral work at the University of Texas at Tyler, where, as Associate Director of the K-16 Literacy Center, he focused on literacy interventions, professional development, and comprehensive data analysis of cross-national studies like PISA, leading to multiple manuscripts that are currently under review.
Dr. Ghimire's research interests lie at the interaction of teacher education, achievement gaps, with a recent focus on leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning in education. He holds numerous advanced certifications, including a MicroMasters in Data Science and Statistics from MIT; Graduate Certification in Advanced Quantitative Methodologies in Educational and Human Sciences from UCF; and a specialization in Data Science form John Hopkins University. Dr. Ghimire is currently exploring how AI and machine learning can be leveraged to enhance teacher preparation and professional development, aiming to develop adaptive models that better prepare educators for the 21st-century classroom. His commitment to research-driven innovation in education reflects a passion for empowering teachers and students through data-informed practices.
Assistant Professor, Educational Administration
Kim Jamison, Ed.D. joins WCE from George Washington University, where she was an Assistant Professor and Program Director of Educational Leadership and Administration. Dr. Jamison earned a B.S. in Education from Towson University, an M.A. in Educational Leadership and Administration from George Washington University, a Postgraduate Certificate in Academically or Intellectually Gifted Education from the University of North Carolina Charlotte, and an Ed.D. in Education Administration and Policy Studies from George Washington University. As a PK-12 practitioner, Dr. Jamison has held positions as a teacher and English as a Second Language Specialist at the elementary and secondary levels, an Instructional Coach for secondary schools, an elementary level school administrator, and a central office administrator in school districts in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina.
Dr. Jamison’s research centers on bridging preparation at the university level to practice and self-efficacy. This central theme manifests through her research on the administrative internship and intern-mentor pair dynamics, the preparation and practice of equity and justice-oriented school administrators, connections between administrator preparation and perceived passion exploitation of practicing school principals, and how dissertation chairs at predominantly white institutions support candidates, especially those from minoritized backgrounds, to persist to finish doctoral degrees across social science fields. Dr. Jamison is also deeply invested in accreditation and program evaluation efforts and currently serves as the Program Chair-Elect of the Accreditation, Assessment, and Program Evaluation in Educator Preparation SIG of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). Outside of academia, she enjoys cooking, boating, reading, and spending time with family and friends.
Lecturer, Workforce Learning & Development
Dr. Zakaria Jouaibi earned his Ph.D. in Curriculum, Instruction, and Media Technology with specialization in Teaching and Learning from Indiana State University in 2015. He has been a learning design practitioner, training developer and facilitator, and instructor for over twelve years. He was a Senior Instructional Designer at UNC-Chapel Hill and NCCU as well as a Learning Design Specialist at Indiana State University where he consulted with and trained faculty and staff members in course/curriculum design, teaching and learning, and educational technology. Dr. Jouaibi has also developed and delivered a variety of professional development initiatives to optimize learning and promote quality training. He is a Quality Matters certified Program Reviewer, Master Reviewer, Peer Reviewer, and Professional Development Facilitator. He also serves as the Professional Development Coordinator for the UNC System Quality Matters Council. His research interests are professional development, online andragogy, and equitable course design and inclusive delivery. In his free time, Dr. Jouaibi enjoys playing soccer, hiking, kayaking, camping, and cooking.
Associate Professor, Secondary Education
Crystal Simmons, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Secondary Social Studies Education. She previously held a position at SUNY Geneseo where she was an Associate Professor of Social Studies Education. She earned her doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in Social Studies Education from NC State, M.Ed. In Social Studies Education from UNC-Chapel Hill, and her B.A. in History and International Studies from UNC-Chapel Hill. Dr. Simmons was a former middle school social studies teacher in NC before entering higher education. Her research interests include Black History K-12 curriculum and antiracist pedagogy. Most of her research has examined the ways both traditional and Black history textbooks and state standards have addressed race, racism, and blackness. Her work has been published in Social Education and Journal of Education along with several book chapters. Crystal enjoys traveling and spending time with family and friends. She is excited to be back in North Carolina!
Visiting Assistant Professor, Higher Education
Carlton Smith is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Higher Education in the Department of Educational Leadership. Dr. Smith served as a practitioner in both Higher Education and Student Affairs for nearly 10 years before joining the department. He received his Ph.D. in College Student Affairs Administration from the University of Georgia. He received his B.A. in Government from the College of William & Mary where he also received his M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration with a concentration in Multicultural Affairs.
His research interests focus on the development of sense of belonging in various student populations, virtual campus environments, and the impacts of technology on the student experience. Through these interests, he hopes to better understand the students of today while providing resources and guidance for practitioners to best support the next generation of students.
Outside of his academic interests, Carlton enjoys coffee, cooking, video games, and reading detective fiction.
Academic Advisor, Student Success Center
Janique “Jan” Caffie attended Seton Hall University, earning her B.A. in Psychology and Master’s in Psychological Studies. Jan has spent three decades working in higher education. Prior to coming to UNCW, Jan “retired” from the County College of Morris, where she was the Dean of Student Success. In this role, Jan spent many hours working with students to resolve many issues, but she most enjoyed the opportunity to advise students.
Retirement allowed Jan to relocate to North Carolina, a move she had been dreaming of for quite some time. She retired for all of five days when she realized that higher education was not done with her yet. She accepted a position within the UNCW Graduate School as a Graduate Admissions Specialist. After a year, she joined the Watson College of Education in September of 2024 as an academic advisor.
Jan has a son who plays soccer for his college and two fur babies. When she isn’t cheering on her son’s college team, she can be found binge-watching Netflix or out on the town in search of a good band. She is also proud to be part of the first cohort of the Ed.D. Community College Leadership program. You can call her “Dr. Jan” in a few years if all goes well.
Academic Advisor, Student Success Center
Kimberley previously worked in the Office of Institutional Diversity & Inclusion as the Outreach Coordinator. She aided community efforts to address social determinants of health and facilitated campus initiatives designed to cultivate welcoming environments for students, faculty, and staff. One such initiative is the JUST US art and resiliency program in 2020, a collaboration with area public and independent schools, community organizations, and WCE, to support area elementary and middle school youth.
In prior roles within the Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid, she managed the Federal Work Study program and led the university’s transition from individual departmental scholarship applications to the university-wide Next Gen scholarship software. She is most proud of having designed the Seahawk Scholar program, a comprehensive, four-year scholarship program to prepare recipients for life beyond graduation, now known as the SOAR Ambassador Program.
In most of her professional experiences, Kimberley served in an administrative or program development capacity, utilizing her first graduate degree in Organizational Management. She is currently completing her second master’s degree, M.S. in Agriculture Education and Human Sciences, with a concentration in Family and Community Sciences. She is excited to embark upon this new aspect of supporting students, a complement to her current academic pursuits and professional interests.
Operations Coordinator, APS
Courtney Harding joined the WCE Office of Academic Affairs, Program Support & Student Success in June as the new Operations Coordinator. She is a Wilmington native, with a B.A. in Theatre Education and is so excited to start her new journey with her new UNCW family, after being a high school educator for the last nine years. In her free time, Courtney can be found working in a theater in downtown Wilmington, either on stage or behind the scenes. If not in the theater, she is probably walking her dogs, baking a new dessert, or doing some arts and crafts.
CMC Lead Coach
Shenicka Williams is the Lead Coach in the Curriculum Materials Center. Shenicka comes to us from Pine Valley Elementary School. With 26 years of experience teaching and coaching teachers in public schools, she is excited to lead the growth of the CMC into the future! Her undergraduate degree is in Elementary Education from Livingstone College in Salisbury, NC, and she holds a Master of Instructional Technology (MIT) degree from UNCW’s Watson College of Education. She is a mother of three and grandmother of three. Shenicka enjoys outdoor life…camping, spending time with family, and sporting events, among many other hobbies. She is also very active in community service in Brunswick, New Hanover and Pender counties.
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