Cathy Cavanaugh, associate professor of educational technology at the University of Florida’s School of Teaching and Learning, will participate in the National Center for Research on Rural Education’s Creating Rural Connections Speaker Series on Oct. 3.

Cavanaugh will present “Evidence-Based Practices for Online Teacher Professional Development” from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in Room 212 of the Nebraska Union’s Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center. The event is free and open to the public.

The presentation will highlight promising, online-based efforts to enhance the knowledge and practice of K-12 educators. Cavanaugh will also provide specific guidelines, recommendations and examples for developers and facilitators of online professional development programs.

Cavanaugh’s primary research interests include indicators of quality in online and blended education and equitable access to quality education through technology. She has conducted studies of classroom technology and professional development in Florida schools, effective practices in virtual schools, online professional development, and design of online and blended courses.

Cavanaugh has served as co-director of the Northeast Florida Science, Technology and Mathematics Center, as assistant director of the Florida Center for Instructional Technology, and as a classroom teacher in Florida and the Caribbean. She holds a bachelor’s in education from the University of the Virgin Islands, a master’s in education from the University of Central Florida, and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of South Florida.