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Dr. Tolley received her Ed.D. in 1998 from the University of Georgia. Prior to joining the faculty at UGA she taught public school in Athens, GA for 30 years. At UGA she typically is assigned a 4-4 teaching load, teaching undergraduate early childhood education courses and supervising teacher candidates. With no budgeted time for research, she incorporates informal research practices into her teaching with the purpose of guiding, informing, and improving her teaching practice. From 2011-2019 she served as the Professor-in-Residence at Fowler Drive Elementary School in Athens, GA as part of the professional development school partnership between the University of Georgia College of Education and the Clarke County School District. Her role there furthered her inquiry work with her students and resulted in several published articles and 6 conference presentations, both in the US and abroad. She is the recipient of several excellence in teaching awards. In 2017 she was recognized for her excellence in teaching for her first year odyssey course So, you think you want to teach, a seminar offered to first year students who are interested in pursuing an education degree. In 2009 she launched the UGA/Modena Schools study abroad program in Modena, Italy. In 2015 Tolley was recognized by the University of Georgia Office of International Education for her outstanding efforts in creating and leading the study abroad program. She has recently published an edited book of student, Italian host family, and Italian teacher testimonials about the power of the program. The book, Studying abroad: What we didn’t we coming, offers insightful and personal documentation of the impact of cross-cultural experiences on all participants.