Stephanie Gardner, Ph.D.
Stephanie Gardner, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the College of Education and Human Studies at Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania (Bloomsburg Campus), where she serves as a faculty member in the Department of Exceptionality Programs’ Special Education Program. She is also a certified QPR Institute instructor providing suicide prevention training through the McDowell Institute and serves as undergraduate program coordinator for the Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Wellness PDE Endorsement at Commonwealth University. Dr. Gardner currently teaches courses focused on positive behavior supports and supervises dual-certification student teachers. She has a rich research background including evidence-based practices for individuals with autism spectrum disorder, socio-sexuality education for individuals with intellectual disabilities, and in recent years, has worked on several projects and publications focused on training preservice teachers in trauma-informed practices as well as using multimedia technology to improve classroom management practices and self-reflection skills. Prior to transitioning into higher education, Dr. Gardner worked with some wonderful students in her roles as an elementary learning support teacher and middle school life skills teacher.
In addition to impacting her field through teaching and scholarship, Dr. Gardner values her active role in PAC-TE, currently serving her second term as an At-Large Board Member. Through her involvement in PAC-TE, she was appointed to serve on the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Committee on Education Talent Recruitment to address the teaching shortage and develop a new Career & Technical Education Pathway for Pennsylvania schools to help strengthen the future pipeline of secondary students pursuing careers in the education field. She has been awarded several McDowell Institute Faculty Fellowships and the Provost’s Award for Excellence in Research/Scholarly Activity on her campus, as well as honored with a statewide recognition by PAC-TE for Teacher Educator of the Year in 2021.