The School of Social Work recently welcomed new members to our staff:
Stefanie Panke, digital pedagogy coach: A lead instructional designer at UNC School of Government for more than 10 years, Panke’s work focuses on complex technology projects and innovative pedagogy initiatives such as the implementation of Canvas as the School’s learning management system, the production of the School’s first open access textbook, the introduction of micro credentialing, and the use of design thinking in course development. Originally from Germany, she holds a Ph.D. in applied linguistics and literature from the University of Bielefeld, Germany. Prior to her career at UNC, she worked as director of e-learning at Ulm University in southern Germany and as an educational technology researcher at the Knowledge Media Research Center. Panke also is a writer and editor for the magazine Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education Review and regularly writes about digital pedagogy topics. As an adjunct instructor, she has taught in-person, online, and blended courses. In 2021, she delivered an asynchronous online class on design thinking at Johns-Hopkins University. Currently, she teaches Afghan refugees in the Master of Education program at the Asian University for Women in a hybrid course setting. Her areas of specialty are online learning, design thinking, open pedagogy, and social media.
Annie Francis, Ph.D. ’22, senior research associate: Francis, who holds three other degrees from UNC-Chapel Hill — a bachelor’s degree in sociology, a Master of Social Work degree and a Master of Public Administration degree — will be working on projects with Research Professor Dean Duncan. Duncan currently leads Project NO REST, an initiative funded by the Children’s Bureau to address the trafficking of youth age 25 and younger in North Carolina. Francis has previously worked in child protective services for the Orange County North Carolina Department of Social Services and as coordinator of student affairs for the School of Social Work. In 2017, she was selected for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Health Policy Research Scholars program. A member of the Haliwa-Saponi tribe of North Carolina, Francis has conducted research on preserving cultural connections for American Indian children placed in out-of-home care.
Daphne Rogers, executive assistant in the dean’s office. Rogers previously worked as an executive assistant in the Division of Business and Finance at North Carolina A&T State University. Rogers holds a Master of Education degree from A&T.
