How Portland Learns

Megan Gill (Education)

Megan is a Pilot alumna who has worked with the School of Education since Fall of 2022. Her career in education started 15 years ago as a high school English teacher in North Portland but pivoted to special education after receiving her Master's degree in Intellectual Disabilities and Autism from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is presently a doctoral candidate whose research is focused on differentiated instruction and teacher preparation for inclusive practices. Megan is passionate about the empowerment and inclusion of our most marginalized voices and is thrilled to put this passion to work in this PRF project.

Anna Myers (Education)

Anna Moriah Myers is an assistant professor in the School of Education at the University of Portland. Prior to coming to the University of Portland she received her PhD in Special Education from the University of Virginia in 2022. Her previous experience includes 18 years as public-school special education teacher in Virginia, teaching and coaching in urban, suburban, and rural schools, and teaching undergraduate courses at the University of Virginia and Mary Baldwin College. Dr. Myers is a certified dyslexia therapist through the International Dyslexia Association. Her research and work focus on dyslexia and teacher preparation. She is specifically interested in dyslexia interventions that use multimodal instructional strategies. Dr. Myers is also an active presenter and has presented her work across the nation for the International Dyslexia Association, The Council for Learning Disabilities, The Council of Exceptional Children, and The Teacher Education Division of the Council for Exceptional Children. Dr. Myers teaches courses in both the reading and special education endorsement programs at the University of Portland. Additionally, she provides continuing education Level 1 training in the Wilson Reading System at the University of Portland.

Lisanne (Lola) Dobson

Year: Sophomore
Major/Minor: Social work major, Psychology and Sociology minors.
Hometown: Tigard, OR

Why PRF: I am interested in working on How Portland Learns because I believe in the power that education has on kids' lives. Understanding how learning differs across Portland and connecting the experiences to real students paints a good picture of how our education system has evolved. I love talking to new people and this research project gives us an amazing opportunity to tell the stories of so many folks who we would otherwise not get to hear from.

Sophia McLellan

Year: Junior
Major/Minor: Psychology/Sociology major, Spanish minor
Hometown: San Diego

Why PRF: I am glad to be working on the How Portland Learns project as I want to continue to discover more about the Portland community. As a non-native to Portland, I am excited to be part of a team that is dedicated to engaging with the city's past, present, and future. I believe that education is a vital and important part of our society and only good things can arise from learning more about how it has impacted and continues to impact Portlanders today.

Iye Onoja

Year: Freshman
Major: Biology
Hometown: Nigeria

Why PRF: I am interested in working on this project because I'll gain a unique opportunity to contribute to being an active agent of change, amplify diverse voices, and help to improve education in our community. It's a chance to learn, grow, and be part of something meaningful that can positively shape the future in Portland.