Dr. Dena Dossett
Dr. Dena Dossett is currently the Chief of Data Management, Planning, and Program Evaluation for Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS), Louisville KY. She manages the district offices of planning and program evaluation, research, testing, resource development, student assignment, attendance and data control. Her department's vision is to provide reliable, valid and useful information to decision makers in a timely manner. She has served the district in various roles for 18 years. Dr. Dossett earned her doctorate from the University of Louisville in 2001.
Dr. Michele Foster
Henry Heuser Jr Endowed Chair for Urban Education Partnerships and Professor
Prior to joining the University of Louisville, Dr. Foster was Professor and Sherman Family Endowed Chair in Urban Education Research the Executive Director of the Urban Education Research Center at University of Missouri, Kansas City. Fluent in French and Haitian, she has taught at several universities and colleges throughout the country, including Roxbury Community College, University of Massachusetts-Boston, The University of Pennsylvania, the University of California-Davis, and Claremont Graduate University. She worked in K-12 as a teacher and program administrator in both urban and suburban communities and served on a county board of education in California.
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Dr. Jason Immekus
Associate Professor
Department of Educational Leadership, Evaluation and Organizational Development
Educational Background
PhD, Educational Psychology, Specialization: Educational and Psychological Measurement, Quantitative Methods, Purdue University, West Lafayette IN | MS, Educational Psychology, Purdue University, West Lafayette IN | BA, Psychology, Minors: Sociology and Philosophy, La Roche College, Pittsburgh, PA
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Dr. Cumings Smith
Dr. Cumings Smith started her career as an elementary and reading resource teacher in JCPS, where she
helped design and lead curriculum work in literacy and formative assessment benchmarks. She holds an
Ed.D. in Instruction and Administration from UK, a Master of Education, K–12 Reading Specialist, and a
Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from the University of Louisville. She rejoined JCPS on
October 9, 2017 and currently serves as the Assistant Superintendent of Academic Services.
Dr. Cumings Smith was a senior program officer of K–12 Education at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In this role, she has led portfolios focused on transforming state and district systems to improve college and career outcomes for students and leadership development. Prior to joining the foundation, she directed the Kentucky field work for the National Institute for School Leadership and the National Center for Education and the Economy. Dr. Cumings Smith served as an associate commissioner of education and chief academic officer for the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) from 2009 to 2014. She led the work of three branches of KDE focused on improving teaching and learning opportunities for all students (preschool through college entry), professional learning for educators, and increasing teacher and leader effectiveness. Her experiences in the P–12, higher education, nonprofit, and philanthropic communities bring a wealth of expertise to the district.
Dr. Cumings Smith previously served as the executive director of the Collaborative Center for Literacy Development at the University of Kentucky (UK), where she led a multi-million-dollar center focused on research and professional development in literacy education for early childhood through adulthood. Additionally, she was a part of the faculty in the teacher preparation program focused on literacy education.