Dr. Sheena Lawson began her career in education as a high school science teacher, where she taught Chemistry, AP Chemistry, Physics, and Earth and Space Science. During her time in the classroom, she also served as a department chair, PLC lead, National Honor Society sponsor, and academic team coach. Her experiences teaching secondary science and supporting students both inside and outside the classroom helped develop a strong interest in supporting teachers and sparked a deeper passion for educator preparation, instructional systems, and helping future educators successfully enter the profession.
Much of Dr. Lawson’s work at University of the Cumberlands has centered on strengthening undergraduate educator preparation programs. She has taught introductory and capstone education courses, prepared students for Praxis licensure exams, and guided candidates through the development of Pillar checkpoint artifacts throughout their programs. She supported major undergraduate program operations through assessment management, handbook and rubric revisions, completer tracking, and the development of data collection systems used throughout student teaching and educator preparation processes. She served as director of the Option 9 program, where she coordinated partnerships with Kentucky school districts and educational cooperatives, led candidate recruitment and placement efforts, and helped expand workforce-aligned pathways into the teaching profession across the state. In recognition of her commitment to educator preparation and student success, she received the Excellence in Teaching Award in 2023.
She currently serves as a professor in the graduate program. In addition to teaching and supervising student teachers, she supports accreditation and assessment initiatives through CAEP reporting, data analysis, survey development, and program operations. Dr. Lawson has also contributed extensively to instructional design, advising systems, and Pillar assessment processes within the School of Education.