Staff

Leadership Team

Karen Utter, J.D., Project Director

As CFEC Project Director, Karen has overall responsibility for the work of the Carolina Family Engagement Center, to include managing development and implementation of all CFEC family engagement initiatives. Karen is Associate Director of the SC School Improvement Council (SC-SIC), where she assists in the development of new materials, resources, training, and other initiatives designed to assist local SICs in carrying out their roles and responsibilities. She has a J.D. in Law from the Washington College of Law at the American University in Washington, D.C.

Jordan Rice, M.Ed., CFEC Project Manager

Jordan assists in developing training tools and family engagement resources to provide to districts, schools, teachers, families, and community organizations. She supports development of CFEC organizational practices and procedures, budget management, and aids in meeting U.S. Department of Education and University of South Carolina grant compliance and reporting requirements.

Yasha Becton, Ed.D., Project Co-Director

Yasha Becton’s areas of concentration include multicultural education and student achievement, particularly as it relates to classroom instruction, curriculum design, professional development, and parental involvement. Additional interests include how issues of social class, culture, and race intersect with the aforementioned areas. Becton has more than 15 years of experience serving as a high school teacher and administrator within the South Carolina public school systems.

Gina Kunz, PhD

Gina is the former Director of the University of South Carolina’s College of Education Research Institute, and a former Research Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Studies. A licensed psychologist, she also conducts large-scale research to identify evidenced-based practices for children, families, and educators. She also serves as a content specialist in the area of General Family Engagement for CFEC.

Support Staff

Aïda Rogers, Marketing and Communications Coordinator

Aïda Rogers is a veteran journalist who loves a great story and a salty quote. She serves as the Marketing & Communications Coordinator for CFEC and is responsible for identifying, interviewing, and curating CFEC stories from across the state for dissemination across various media outlets.

College of Education