Appointed assistant professor with the Educational & Clinical Studies department, Tracy Spies is fluent in Spanish and will be engaged with Teaching English as a Second Language. With a master's degree in Educational Leadership from Sam Houston State University and a doctorate degree in Hispanic Bilingual Education from Texas A&M, Dr. Spies has fifteen years experience as a teacher and principal. In 2010, she received the National Milken Educator Award as one out of fifty-five educators in the nation. She has secured more than $3 million in grants. Tracy has been very involved in community service working in the areas of hunger and TESL. Her research agenda includes the following: second language acquisition, the effects of the second language on the native language, effective teacher pedagogy with ELLs in native and second language, and dispositions of school leaders identified as successful with ELLs.