It is a season of exciting change here at the Teaching Fellows Institute! As April winds
down and May begins, we offer hearty retirement congratulations to Barbara Caldwell, who was the
heart, mind and soul of TFI for 13 years. We will miss her dearly, but are grateful she
has agreed to stay on in an advisory role through the month of May as she works to
ease the transition for our new Executive Director.
On May 1, we will welcome Dr. Barbara Evans to the helm of TFI (you read that right –
another Barbara is coming to fill Barbara’s shoes!). Dr. Evans holds her Bachelor’s in
English Writing, Master’s in Secondary Education, and Doctorate in Policy, Planning,
and Evaluation, all from the University of Pittsburgh. She has worked in a variety of
areas of education, from leading teacher development programs in public schools to
serving as Chair of the Teacher Education Department and Associate Dean of
Academic Affairs at the community college level.
She recently moved to Charlotte, where she jumped right into our city by serving as
Project Director for “The Big Read,” a 5-month community engagement project, funded
by a grant she wrote to the National Endowment for the Arts and in collaboration with
the Harvey B. Gantt Center, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library and UNC Charlotte’s
Atkins Library.
We’re delighted Dr. Evans has signed on to join us in leading TFI, and look forward to
her continuing TFI’s tradition of honoring, engaging and inspiring our community’s
outstanding teachers in new and creative ways.
We hope you will save the date for a casual meet-and-greet where you may stop by to
bid farewell to Barbara Caldwell and welcome Barbara Evans on Saturday, May 31
from 9-10:30 am (more information available soon and location TBD).
On behalf of the TFI board, and with much gratitude for your support,

Ariana Shahinfar, TFI Board Chair