Shelley Fairbairn, associate professor of education, recently co-authored Engaging English Learners Through Access to Standards: A Team-Based Approach to Schoolwide Student Achievement. She wrote the book with alumna Stephaney Jones-Vo, LA’73, who is also an adjunct professor in the School of Education.

Fairbairn’s teaching foci include preparing pre-service teachers to design effective lesson plans and assessments for K-12 students and empowering both pre- and in-service teachers to meet the needs of English language learners through linguistically and culturally responsive practice. She also directs on- and off-campus English as a Second Language (ESL) teaching endorsement programs. Prior to joining the Drake University School of Education faculty, Shelley concurrently taught ESL courses for the Drake University International Center and served as a K-12 ESL teacher in two Des Moines area school districts. She has recently conducted teacher professional development sessions and workshops in China, Canada, and across the U.S.

—Submitted by Shelley Fairbairn

Eleanor Zeff, associate professor of politics and international relations and University coordinator for post-graduate international scholarships, recently published The European Union and the Member States. She co-edited the book with Ellen Pirro, a lecturer in political science at Iowa State University. The book looks at the relations between the current 28 member states of the European Union (EU) to each other and to the overarching Union administration. It is the third book in the series, which started when there were only 15 member states.

She also recently joined the executive board of the Iowa International Center (IIC).

Eleanor specializes in studying European and EU politics and the politics of democratization and developing areas. She publishes on African politics, women in politics, teaching issues, and European politics.