Goodling Institute Staff

 Barbara Van Horn, Co-Director

Prior to joining the Institute, Barbara taught high school English and reading, developmental reading and GED preparation at a community college, and adult basic education (ABE) and GED preparation at a community education center. She also developed and ran a library-based literacy program. With the Institute since 1986, Barbara's work focuses on adult learning and literacy in family literacy, health/nutrition, and work contexts. In these areas, she has experience in designing and evaluating programs, curricula, and instructional materials for adult learners. Barbara also consults with various agencies and organizations on the design and development of educational programs and of informational and instructional materials for adults.

Barbara Van Horn
Bachelor of Arts, English
Master of Education, Reading Education

Dr. Esther S. Prins, Co-Director

Esther provides leadership and research in adult and family literacy. Her research examines the ways in which social class, culture, race/ethnicity, and gender influence how learners participate in, and benefit from, adult education. Her other research interests include gender and adult education, civic engagement, and participatory approaches to education, community development, and research. Esther previously coordinated an adult education program and taught ESL classes to Latino/a immigrants in Chicago. She has conducted research and worked in rural and urban educational and community settings in the U.S., Belize, El Salvador, and Ghana. She also teaches the following graduate courses: Family Literacy; Language, Literacy, Identity, and Culture in Global Contexts; and Politics, Language and Pedagogy: Applying Paulo Freire Today.

Dr. Esther S. Prins
Bachelor of Arts, Sociology, Summa Cum Laude
Master of Science, Adult Education
Ph.D., Adult Education

Dr. Sheila M. Sherow, Research Associate

Sheila has a doctorate in adult education with an emphasis on distance learning. She has been at the Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy since 1987 and has directed the statewide PA Literacy Corps since 1988. She has been an Even Start Local evaluator for 14 years and teaches the Goodling Institute's Family Literacy Certificate's Adult Literacy course. In addition to her work in family literacy, she has developed, implemented and evaluated a variety of adult literacy programs, and has provided professional support to PA's Adult Basic and Literacy Education Interagency Coordinating Council since 1997.

Dr. Sheila M. Sherow
Bachelor of Arts, Fine Arts
Master of Education, Education
D.Ed., Adult Education

Drucie Weirauch, Family Literacy Specialist

Drucie Weirauch has a B.A. in English with a teaching certificate and an M.Ed. in Adult Education from Penn State. She taught language arts in public schools for 7 years and was a museum educator/coordinator for literature and music at The Carnegie in Pittsburgh for five years. In the five years prior to coming to Penn State, she was on the faculty in the College of Education at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, directing two programs to recruit and train teachers to work in urban schools. Her current work involves identification of high quality resources for adult educators, professional development, and practitioner action research.  She teaches the on-line course, "Introduction to Family Literacy," for Penn State's World Campus.  Her reserach interests include social value of adult learning, self-efficacy, and action research.

Drucie Weirauch
Bachelor of Arts, English
Master of Education, Adult Education