She is the social studies program coordinator and methods instructor for undergraduate and graduate programs in the Department of Middle, Secondary, K-12 Education. She received her Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in Curriculum and Instruction, and her research interests include K-12 social studies education, comprehension strategies for 6-12 social studies, and technology integration in the 6-12 social studies curriculum. Dr. Heafner is the President-Elect for the North Carolina Professors of Social Studies Education (NCPSSE) and currently serves as a third-year director on the North Carolina Council for the Social Studies Board of Directors. Contact information: theafner@email.uncc.edu, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.