
Faculty

- Name
- Beth Rajan Sockman
- Title
- Professor of Professional & Secondary Education, Department Chair
B.A., 1991, University of Pennsylvania
Ph.D., 2007, The Pennsylvania State University
- bsockman@esu.edu
- Phone
- (570) 422-3621
- Campus Address
- Stroud Hall 209G
Specializations: Instructional Design, Technology Integration, Systemic Change, Assessment. Research: Educational Change with Technology.

- Name
- Diane Holben
- Title
- Assistant Professor of Professional & Secondary Education
B.S., 1987, Muhlenberg College
M.S., 1993, East Stroudsburg University
M.Ed., 2000, Arcadia University
Ed.D., 2009, Lehigh University
- dholben1@esu.edu
- Phone
- (570) 422-3361
- Campus Address
- Stroud Hall 209 O
Dr. Holben instructs both undergraduate and graduate level courses in educational practice and research methodology. Her research focuses on school law and public policy issues. Currently, she is engaged in projects related to litigation connected to peer-to-peer bullying in schools as well as an analysis of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) with respect to Title IV requirements for anti-bullying efforts.
Teaching Interest
Quantitative Research Methodology
Education Law
Policy and Politics in Public Education
Assessment Design
School Accountability Processes
Research Interest
Peer-to-Peer Bullying Litigation
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Title IV Impacts on Bullying Prevention
Title IX Gender/Sexual Orientation Harassment Litigation
Effective School Accountability Systems
Service
University Senate Member
Special Education Law Conference Planning Committee, Lehigh University
Education Law Association Member
AERA Member
Publications & Presentations
Publications:
Holben, D. M. and Zirkel, P. A. (in press). Bullying of students with disabilities:
An empirical analysis of legal bases for claims. West’s Education Law Reporter, ___,
____.
Holben, D. M., and Zirkel, P. A. (in press). Bullying of students with disabilities:
An empirical analysis of the case law. Ethical Human Psychology & Psychiatry, ____,
_____.
Zirkel, P. A., and Holben, D. M. (2017). Spelunking the Litigation Iceberg: Exploring
the Ultimate Outcomes of Inconclusive Rulings. Journal of Law and Education, 46(4),
195-217.
Holben, D. M., and Zirkel, P. A. (2016). School bullying case law: Frequency and outcomes
for school level, protected status, and bullying actions. Ethical Human Psychology
& Psychiatry, 18(2), 1-23.
Holben, D. M., and Zirkel, P. A. (2014). School bullying litigation: An empirical
analysis of the case law. Akron Law Review, 47(2), 299-328.
Holben, D. M., and Zirkel, P. A. (2011). Empirical trends in teacher tort liability
for student fights. Journal of Law and Education, 40(1), 151 – 169.
Holben, D. M., Zirkel, P. A., & Caskie, G. I. L. (2009). Teacher fear of litigation
for disciplinary actions. Journal of School Leadership, 19, 559 – 577.
Holben, D. M., and Baird, W. J. (2009). Streamlining Response to Intervention screening.
ASCD Express, retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol4/406-holben.aspx.
Holben, D. M. (2003). Preliminary “We the People” study on academic growth. On file
with author and available from the Center for Civic Education.
Presentations:
Education Law Association Conference, Cleveland, OH (November 2018): co-presented
conference session on litigation specific to the bullying of students with disabilities.
Education Law Association Conference, Orlando, FL (November, 2016): co-presented conference
session on school bullying litigation settlements of claims.
Education Law Association Conference, Cleveland, OH (November, 2015): co-presented
conference session on school bullying litigation frequency and outcomes.
Pennsylvania School Boards Association Conference, Hershey, PA (October, 2015): panel
discussion on the use of value-added data for school and district improvement.
PA Literacy Conference, Hershey, PA (2015): panel discussion on the use of value-added
data for school and district improvement.
PA Literacy Conference, Hershey, PA (2014): panel discussion on the development of
a local comprehensive literacy plan.
Tetradata Annual Users’ Conference, Greenville, SC (April, 2009): co-presented conference
session on using data warehouse technology to facilitate Response to Intervention
screening.

- Name
- (Mary) Elizabeth Azukas
- Title
- Assistant Professor Professional and Secondary Education
B.A., 1991, The Pennsylvania State University
M.A.T. 1994, The College of New Jersey
Ed.D., 2018, Arizona State University
- mazukas@esu.edu
- Phone
- (570) 422-3352
- Campus Address
- Stroud Hall 209 P
Dr. Azukas is an Assistant Professor at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania. She has been an educator for more than 25 years, with experience teaching at the elementary, middle, high school, and post-secondary levels.
Dr. Azukas has held a number of different leadership roles including working as a special education coordinator, curriculum supervisor, principal, curriculum director, and assistant superintendent. Most of her experience is focused on leading innovation in education including working for the Office of Innovation for the New York City Department of Education, holding several leadership roles with the ground-breaking Florida Virtual School, and most recently, cultivating communities of practice to promote teacher self-efficacy in the implementation of P-12 personal learning. Other areas of interest/expertise include curriculum development, alignment, and evaluation, teacher staffing, coaching, and supervision, strategic planning, online and blended learning, and communities of practice.
Teaching Interest
Dr. Azukas is interested in preparing education leaders to promote the development of innovative schools that engage students and meet the needs of all learners. She is also interested in fostering entrepreneurship in education or edu-preneurship. Dr. Azukas also works with pre-service teachers to prepare them to become innovative practitioners and change agents.
Research Interest
Educational Change and Innovation
Education Leadership
Personal Learning
Online and Blended Learning
Flexible Learning Spaces
Service
Teacher Education Council
Author's Recognition Committee
PSED Evaluation Committee
ISTE Research Paper Reviewer
MACPL Conference Proposal Reviewer

- Name
- Carolyn Cooper-Chambliss
- Title
- Professional & Secondary Education, Secretary
B.A. 1986, Herbert H. Lehman College
- ccooper12@esu.edu
- Phone
- (570) 422-3363
- Campus Address
- Stroud Hall 209
Professor Emeritus
Patricia Smeaton
B.S., 1971, SUNY at Brockport
M.Ed., 1977, Millersville University of Pennsylvania
Ed.D., 1993, Lehigh University
Adjunct Professors
Amaal Awadalla, (aawadalla@esu.edu)
William Hoy (whoy@esu.edu)
Jessica Loverdi (jloverdi@esu.esu)
Angelo Senese (asenese@esu.edu)
(Please contact Carolyn-Cooper Chambliss for Contact Information)
Contact Us
Contact Information
- Campus Address
- Stroud Hall 209
- Phone:
- (570) 422-3363
- Fax:
- (570) 422-3942 (Fax)
- Title of Department Leader
- Department Chair
- Name
- Beth Sockman
- E:
- bsockman@esu.edu
- Phone:
- (570) 422-3621