����ɫ��ҹ

Student Honors, Achievements, and New Horizons

Daysjia Jeter Black (2020 Cohort) was awarded The Black Women Rocking Madame CJ Walker Award on March 14th and on March 30, 2024, will be receiving the Harriet Tubman Community Service Award from New Progressive Leadership of Tomorrow. She also attended the The New Progressive Leadership of Tomorrow’s (N.P.L.O.T) Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast where she was a recipient of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott-King Community Service Award. She is the youngest honoree to receive this award.

Amanda Colucci (2021 Cohort) presented the following paper with Richard Greene: Using Geographic Methods to Identify Education Deserts for NAAB Accredited Architecture Programs. 2023. Association of American Geographers Annual Conferences. Denver, Colorado.

Donne Copenhaver (2020 cohort) took a new position as Superintendent of a dropout prevention and recovery program called Ashland County Community Academy, in Ashland, OH.

Jeff Corbett (2022 Cohort) was accepted into the Belonging Champions Program at ����ɫ��ҹ University and was selected to teach the new ����ɫ��ҹ University Flashes 101 course teaching three in-person sections in Fall 2023, two online sections in Spring 2024, and is slated to teach three on-line sections in Fall 2024. He was also selected to receive a grant to take the Open Education Librarian certificate to facilitate his DiP topic. He received an additional grant from Solar Eclipse Activities for Libraries (SEAL) to receive 500 eclipse glasses for ����ɫ��ҹ University – Geauga. He is using the scholarship to help create an action plan geared to moving an open education initiative forward on his campus, ����ɫ��ҹ University – Geauga Campus.

Assma Daifallah (2023 Cohort) recently published in the International Journal on Social and Education Sciences.

Jonathan Gates (2022 Cohort) presented at several conferences:

• 2022 Annual Conference for the Ohio Transfer Council (OTC) – June 2022
• 2022 Annual Conference for the National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC) – September 2022
• 2024 Annual Conference for the National Institute of the Study of Transfer Students (NISTS) – February 2024

Bianka Hausknecht (2022 Cohort) will be giving two presentations at the Textile Society of America in November. The abstracts are from a research study she has been working on with colleagues in the ����ɫ��ҹ Fashion department. The research focuses on the effects textile crafting has on the well-being of BIPOC and marginalized women.

Sonia Karkare (2022 Cohort) is a panelist for a virtual session at the Reimagine the Academy conference, collaboration of Miami, Bowling Green, and ����ɫ��ҹ University. As Faculty Advisor to the Kent Indian Student (KIA) Association, she is proud to bring Indian students, past and present, to talk about their experience.

Sarah Kiepper (2022 cohort) presented on assessment and evaluation at a national professional development conference for my employer's accreditor in CA last week. TPT Magazine (an online digital magazine) published her poetry and prose in August. She presented ekphrastic poems in reflection of works of art for Youngstown, OH's YWCA in July. Anomaly Poetry published her poetry and photography in their June Rituals. Jenny Magazine of YSU (an online literary magazine) published her poetry in April.

Paris Lampkins (2021 Cohort) was named to the Top 40 under 40 in Crain’s Cleveland.

Midori Lebron (2022 Cohort) joined ����ɫ��ҹ University as the Associate Director, Strategic Recruitment working in Admissions. She was also appointed to the Board of Education for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) by Mayor Justin M. Bibb.

Audrey Lemmons (2022 Cohort) was promoted in July from Project Director of Regional Campuses to Executive Director of Regional and Workforce Initiatives. She also presented on program analysis at the National Association of Branch Campus Administrators conference in May.

Brenton McNulty (2023 Cohort) was promoted from Assistant Director to Associate Director in the Office of Student Conduct.

Catherine Meredith (2022 Cohort) was commissioned by The University of North Carolina School of the Arts to create a new choreographic work on their 'soon to be graduating' seniors. The name of the piece, Between the Space In Between, premiered September 24th-28 at the DeMille Theater and received standing ovations for several of the performances.

Matthew Mills (2021 Cohort) has several new publications and conference presentations:

• Mills, M., Winston, B. (2021). Administering Interactive Simulations to Supplement Traditional Clinical Placements in C Ford. K Garza (Eds.) Updating and Innovating Health Professions Education: Post-Pandemic Perspectives. IGI Global
• Mills, M., Ferdig, R. & Gandolfi, E. (2023). The Utility of Asynchronous Low-Fidelity Simulation for Student Self-Efficacy and Anxiety: A Preliminary Analysis. In E. Langran (Ed.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference (pp. 569-573). New Orleans, LA, United States: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).
• Mills, M. (2024, January 6). Lessons from Silicon Valley: Human-Centered Design for Athletic Training QI [Conference Session]: 76th EATA Annual Conference, Ledyard, CT, United States
• Mills, M. (2024, January 5). Using Learning Outcomes to Guide Simulation Mode Choices [Featured Presentation]: 76th EATA Annual Conference Educator Summit, Ledyard, CT, United States
• Mills, M. (2023, June 23). When Nonspecific Low Back Pain Goes Sideways: Fibromyalgia in the College Student Athlete [Conference Session]: 74th National Athletic Trainers’ Association Clinical Symposia & AT Expo, Indianapolis, IN, United States
• Mills, M (2023, May 23). Evidence-Based Concussion Assessment and Return to Life: An Update[Conference Session]: Rhode Island Athletic Trainers’ Association Annual Symposium, Providence, RI, United States
• Mills, M. (2022, November 5). Use of an Unfolding Case Study to Facilitate Interprofessional Collaboration in Athletic Training and Athletic Counseling Students [Conference Session]: Athletic Training Educators Conference, Virtual
• Mills, M. (2022, October 20). Using an Unfolding Case Study to Facilitate Interprofessional Collaboration [Conference Session]: Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions Annual Conference, Long Beach, CA, United States
• Mills, M., Winston, B (2021, October 20). Designing and Implementing Problem-Based Learning Techniques to Supplement Clinical Experiences [Conference Session]: Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions Annual Conference, Virtual

Amanda Paulus (2022 Cohort): The CommUNITY Lab living-learning program that Amanda oversees in Community Engaged Learning won three national awards this year.

• Ohio College Personnel Association Innovative Program Award (2024)
• NASPA Silver Award for Equity, Diversity, and Social Justice Programs (2024)
• NASPA Orientation, Transition, and Retention Knowledge Community Collaboration Award (2024)

Jamie Rhoads (2020 Cohort) presented at the Quality Matters Ohio Consortium 12th Annual Member Meeting and at the annual Ohio CanvasConnect Conference. Jamie is the creator and chair of a committee for Instructional Designers across all Kent campuses: Instructional Design Inquiry and Innovation (ID&I). She is also consulting the North East Ohio Medical University on their new executive education program for Lean Six Sigma.

Debbie Rozner (2020 cohort) was a finalist for the Carnegie Project for the Education Doctorate (CPED) Dissertation of the Year Award.

Lana Whitehead (2022 Cohort) started a new position in August: Vice President for Enrollment Management at Westminster College.

Congratulations all!

Where Are We Located?

STATES: California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas

COUNTRIES: U.S., China, South Korea, & Rwanda

Congratulations to our December Graduates!

Advice

We asked our December graduates for advice… here is what we heard:

"Pick a topic that you're passionate about or that is a part of what you're doing on a daily basis. Seek value and believe in your work. Lastly, take your time and remember that this is a learning experience, so keep moving forward!"
 --Tiffany Tyree

"Stay organized and keep everything! Keeping all of your course materials and assignments stored and organized will of course be helpful during your classes, but doing so will also be invaluable when it's time to utilize them for developing your portfolio and proposal. Lean on your cohort! Online learning has many advantages, but it can be very isolating. Setting up a Teams group so you can chat and interact with your classmates is a great way to build community. And a weekly 'study stream' is a great way to stay motivated and accountable, especially when you're working on your dissertation."
 -- Ann Walter

Get to know your advisor! Meet with your advisor on a regular basis. Building a relationship with them early on in the program will make navigating the portfolio, proposal and dissertation process easier and smoother.

Publishing from the Dissertation in Practice: An Interview with Alumna, Lashonda Taylor, Ph.D.

Alumna Lashonda Taylor recently published an article based on her dissertation in practice:

"" is featured in The Journal of Higher Education Management, Volume 39, Number 2, pages 37 – 52.

Graduate student, AJ Ramirez-Picacho, interviewed Dr. Taylor about publishing from her dissertation in practice. Read on for AJ’s write-up of the interview:

Joys and Challenges: Publishing from the Dissertation in Practice

By AJ Ramirez-Picacho

Dr. Lashonda Taylor graduated in 2023 with a Doctorate of Education in Interprofessional Leadership. She shared that publishing an article based on her dissertation was always a goal. She views publishing as a way to bring closure to her doctoral work while opening up new opportunities for future research and publications.

“Publishing was a way to close the chapter to my doctoral work. Still, it opened up the opportunity for me to consider continuing research and publishing. So, in one way, it closed one chapter, but in another, it just kind of reignited the joy I got in writing the dissertation.”

When discussing and deciding what information to include and exclude when condensing her dissertation into a shorter article, she emphasizes the importance of retaining the value and impact of her research. Dr. Taylor focused on highlighting the key findings of her dissertation, prioritizing the new knowledge generated by her study over the literature review and methodology provided in more detail in her dissertation-in-practice.

“Dr. Christa Porter (associate professor of Higher Education Administration) and I sat down… just to talk about, you know, ‘I want to publish.’ You know, ‘What do you think?’ She met with another colleague and me, who was also interested in publishing. Her insights and advice helped prepare me for publishing so much that I don't necessarily think I needed to know anything anymore.”

Dr. Taylor’s dissertation-in-practice research focused on how university presidents build senior leadership teams, particularly the factors influencing their selection process. Her findings revealed the significance of collaboration, communication, trust, and honesty. However, Dr. Taylor acknowledges that the emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in leadership selection has likely shifted since she conducted her research in 2022.

She believes this shift may have influenced how university presidents approach diversity in leadership selection.

Dr. Taylor encouraged individuals who have completed dissertations to consider publishing their work. She highlights the sense of accomplishment and closure that comes with publishing and that it's a valuable way to share research findings with a broader audience.

“I think it's just the perfect way to close out that chapter. And so I would certainly recommend it… Dr. Tricia Niesz’s mentorship as my dissertation committee chair helped me to think more about ways to condense the dissertation into an article.”

Dissertations in Practice

Did you know that you can

Athletic Training concentration

Black, D. (2023). “Underrepresented Minority AT Students: A Mixed Methods Research Approach to Identifying Their Experiences and Perceived Factors Affecting Successful Program Completion” (Advisor: Kimberly Peer).
Bradley, D. (2023). “Assessing Confidence in an Early Professional Athletic Trainer Through an Onboarding Program: A Case Study” (Advisor: Kimberly Peer).
Companey, J. (2023). “Athletic Training Students’ Achievement Goal Orientation Effect on Evaluation Scores and Transition to Practice” (Advisor: Kimberly Peer).
Pietz, K. (2023). “Use of Simulated Patient Experiences in AT Education: Incorporating an Action Research Approach” (Advisor: Kimberly Peer).
Presler, K. (2023). “Does pedagogical Education facilitate Best Practices in AT Education? Exploring Pedagogical Knowledge, Experiences, and Opinions of AT Education Faculty members” (Advisor: Kimberly Peer).
Simmons, M. (2023). “The Effectiveness of a Mental Health Literacy Webpage for Parents, Coaches and Athletic Trainers” (Advisor: Kimberly Peer).
Cummings, R. (2024). “Athletic Training Preceptor Feedback Effects on Athletic Training Student Intrinsic Motivation” (Advisor: Kimberly Peer).
Mella, R. (2024). “Professional Identity in Atheltic Trainers: A Mixed Methods Approach to Understand Factors that Influence the Perceptions of Professional Identity Formation in Atheltic Trainers Across a Variety of Employment Settings” (Advisor: Kimberly Peer).
Mullett, S. (2024). “Interactions and Values in IP Education and Collaborative Practice for Athletic Trainers: A Mixed Method Exploration of IP Competency in Employment Settings” (Advisors: Kimberly Peer and Hannah Harnar).
Cultural Foundations of Education concentration
Chapman, C. (2023). “Teacher and staff perceptions of the roles of dialogue and self-reflective practice in an equity training program” (Advisor: Tricia Niesz).
Elkins, S. (2023). “Becoming a weak educational leader in neoliberal corporate culture” (Advisor: Natasha Levinson).
Hughes, N. (2023). Competencies of a collective school leader: A Teach Plus case study (Advisor: Natasha Levinson).
Rozner, D. (2023). “Institutional linguistic responsiveness in higher education. A pracademic appeal for university wide support for multilingual students” (Advisor: Natasha Levinson).
Taylor, L. (2023). “Building the senior team after a presidential transition: A qualitative study of senior leaders in higher education” (Advisor: Tricia Niesz).
Harris, S. (2024). “Becoming a coconspirator: Balancing antiracist teaching and school wide behavior management plans to create and nurture Black joy” (Advisor: Natasha Levinson).

Curriculum and Instruction concentration

Baker, C (2023). “Examining the Leadership Experiences of Campus Recreation Student Employees Utilizing Non-Peer Leadership” (Advisor: Douglas Ellison).
Bolino, N. (2024). “Teachers’ Understanding of Scripted and Narrowed Curricula Impacts on Curriculum Autonomy: A Mixed Methods Study” (Advisor: Scott Courtney).
Bradley, L. (2023). “Improving Transparent Assignment Design Workshops: Heling Faculty to Communicate Expectations for Student Success” (Advisor: Shannon Navy).
Clark, K. (2023). “Barriers and Opportunities Faced by Women Educational Leaders: A Study ����ɫ��ҹ Lived Experiences” (Advisor: Brian Barber).
Copenhaver, D. (2023). “Using Q Methodology to Understand School Discipline Philosophies” (Advisor: Brian Barber).
Fritsche, B. J. (2024). “Understanding The Unique Perspectives of Caretakers of Transition-Aged People with Disabilities: A Case Study to Explore Competitive Integrated Employment Rates for Students in a Job Training Coordination Program” (Advisor: Jennifer Walton-Fisette).
Kellerman, M. (2023). “Understanding the Ways Teachers are Influenced in their curricular and instructional decision-making in a freshman level Mathematics Class” (Advisors: Scott Courtney and Todd Hawley).
Lemon, D. R. (2024). “MBA Programs and Ethics: Does Business Ethics Instruction Create More Ethical Business Leaders” (Advisor: Scott Courtney).
Moses, J. A. (2024). “Better Together: Expanding Ideas of Anti-Bias Education through Early Childhood Educator Professional Development” (Advisors: Elizabeth Kenyon and Marty Lash).
Paradise, A. (2024). “Unlocking Key Leadership Competencies for Women in Business: A Curricular Framework” (Advisor: Scott Courtney).
Rhoads, J (2023). “Student Perceptions of Quality Learning Experiences in an Online Environment” (Advisor: Elizabeth Kenyon)
Schwartz, K. (2024). “What Matters: A Case Study of Youth and Mentors at Big Brothers Big Sisters” (Advisor: Scott Courtney).
Stauffer, V. (2023). “Meeting the Unique and Individual Needs of Learners in a Diverse Fourth Grade Classroom: An Action Research Study in the Area of Spelling” (Advisor: Tricia Niesz).
Stoddard, J. (2023). “Project Based Learning: Effects on Student Learning and Engagement Levels in a Small, Predominantly White, Rural Elementary School” (Advisor: Scott Courtney).

Educational Technology concentration

Mills, M. (2024). “The Effect of Debriefing After Low Fidelity Simulation on the Self-Efficacy and Anxiety of Athletic Training Students” (Advisors: Enrico Gandolfi and Richard Ferdig).
Special Education concentration
Zargas, K. (2024). “The Sages Academic Coaching Pilot Program for Students with Disabilities: An Action Research Study” (Advisor: Tricia Niesz).

Don't Forget These Resources!

The Ed.D. student handbook has answers to many of your questions. Be sure to check it out.
 You can find the student handbook and many other helpful resources on our student Canvas resource site.