Dr. Capehart teaches the first and second field-based courses in the teacher preparation sequence. Through the use of textual materials, class assignments and experiences in local schools, juniors are exposed to real world of urban education.

While much of his time has been devoted to teaching these courses, his primary area of interest lies eleswhere. He is an historian by training and is also interested in teaching courses such as Social Studies and the Arts or Literature, Social Studies and the Arts.

Dr. Capehart is especially interested in issues revolving around migration and immigration. He finds the movement of people across both national and international borders fascinating. His dissertation examined the migration of Africans to Chicago since 1960. Because of the ongoing demographic shifts, he continues to explore this topic.

Dr. Chou's current work addresses how particularities of the urban context should influence literacy education, the education of teachers, and schools of education.

Dr. Cosner's research focuses on the development of organizational capacity within schools. She is particularly interested in the ways that administrative and teacher leadership supports the development of social capital; one important dimension of school capacity. From such a perspective, she is currently examining the development of trust and professional community--two important forms of within-school social capital.

Dr. Cosner is a former school and district-level leader. As a principal, she was hired to develop and open a new 1000 student middle school. As a district-level leader she worked with principals and their school-based leadership teams to strengthen schools' leadership capacity and develop evidence-based systems and approaches for improving student learning.

Dr. Cosner teaches in the Urban Education Leadership Ed.D. and Policy Studies  in Urban Education Ph.D. programs. She also is the Assistant Director of Leadership Research and Development for UIC's Partnership READ .