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Congratulations to our August 2025 Graduates

Dr. Jordyn Lopez Dubina

• Dissertation in Practice: Athletic Training Preceptors' Awareness, Perceptions, and Integration of Clinical Teaching Models: A Mixed Methods Study

Dr. Ya Li

• Dissertation in Practice: An Investigation of the Effect of Project-based Learning in Physics with the Use of Virtual Lab Technology on Grade 9 Students’ Performance

December 2025 Graduates

Dr. Joseph Dismond

• Dissertation in Practice: How Students of Color Frame the Importance of Social Emotional Learning in One Urban Afterschool Program

Dr. Stephanie Evans

• Dissertation in Practice: Examining the Perceptions of and Barriers to Cultural Competency Training for Division of Student Life Staff at ����ɫ��ҹ University

Dr. Bianka Hausknecht

• Dissertation in Practice: From Bias to Belonging: Promoting Well-being and Inclusion in Higher Education

Dr. Gretchen Jessel

• Dissertation in Practice: Participation of K–12 Students with Disabilities in Extracurricular Activities: Parent and Guardian Perceptions and Experiences Regarding Their Children’s Extracurricular Participation

Dr. Scott McKinney

• Dissertation in Practice: Executive Leader Perceptions of Advocacy by Members of Institutionally Related Foundation Boards

Advice from Our December Graduates

"Remember why you started, tap into your resources, and just keep going. You got this!"
Stephanie Evans, Ph.D.

Start thinking about your dissertation in practice early in the process. This will help you frame other classwork and projects in a way that is beneficial to moving it forward.
Scott McKinney, Ph.D.

"From my experience, the greatest growth comes from staying open to learning and leaning into the support systems available to you. Give yourself grace as you move through the program, stay connected with your faculty and peers, and remember that your perspective and voice truly belong here."
Bianka Hausknecht

"Many times throughout this journey, it may feel like "work, work, work, work, work," with no result. However, the secret is to "work, work, work, work, work, work, work... BOOM!” You will be finished and the entire experience molded you to become your better self."
Joseph Dismond, Ph.D.

"Connect with your cohort members! It is crucial to connect with members from your concentration and your cohort. Use "Teams" to set up meeting times to check in with each other and times to have ongoing group homework and writing sessions. Sometimes there will be 10 of you online, and sometimes only 2 of you will be working. In our cohort, we also had a calendar keeper, a grades keeper (someone who estimates a grade for a course if assignments are missed), a cheerleader who pushed us to do work, and a celebrator who shared/recognized members for career achievements."
Gretchen Jessel, Ph.D.

Where Are We?

Our Ed.D. students are from all over!

U.S. sites include: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, West Virginia

World site include: China, Rwanda, South Korea

News and Achievements

Jamie Rhoads won the ����ɫ��ҹ President’s Award of Distinction this year.

Collin Palmer completed the College Board’s Enrollment Management Institute in July. He was part of the initial cohort of enrollment management professionals across the country to participate in the program, which is designed to develop future enrollment management leaders.

Midori Lebrón was reappointed by Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb to continue serving as a Cleveland Metropolitan School District Board Member for a four-year term. She also received the Rising Star Award at the 2025 Division of Enrollment Management End-of-Year Celebration.

Zoe Wrisley started a new position in June, as a Civic Designer working on the Innovation team for the City of Akron, Mayor’s office.

Dr. Gretchen Jessel is now in her second year as her district’s Adapted Physical Education (APE) Teacher. An APE teacher is similar to an intervention specialist but focused on movement, sport, and physical education. Last school year, Gretchen wrote a grant to obtain a Strider Bike for her middle school students. She is currently teaching three students to ride a two-wheeler using the Strider program. This year, Gretchen wrote three grants to build the APE program in the district and to begin an adapted equipment lending program across the schools to improve inclusivity in the physical education curriculum.

Matthew Grimes was announced as 2025-2026 Obama Foundation Leader. Here is part of the press release:

Matthew Grimes announced his acceptance to The Obama Foundation’s Leaders program, joining more than 200 global changemakers for the 2025-2026 class. Following a competitive selection process, Matt will be one of just 100 Leaders participating in the Leaders USA program, where they will receive training in leadership development and civic engagement to help build their skills and scale their work across public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Matt currently serves as the Head of Engagement and Belonging for the Cleveland Guardians MLB Team where he leads transformative initiatives that foster inclusion, elevate underrepresented voices, and create more equitable systems across sports and community settings. He previously spent a decade working in K-12 public education as a classroom teacher and school systems leader in Ohio, Massachusetts, and New York. Matt is a graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Education where he served as a prestigious Equity & Inclusion Fellow and is a former U.S Fulbright Scholar and Teach For America alumnus. […] Now in its third year, The Obama Foundation Leaders USA Program is guided by the leadership values of President and Mrs. Obama. The program draws on the Foundation’s Hope to Action curriculum to support Leaders in embracing diverse perspectives, harnessing collective power, and driving tangible progress toward a more just and sustainable world. The Leaders USA Program has a particular focus on strengthening democratic culture, and the more than 100 Leaders are working across a broad range of focus areas, including democracy and civic engagement, public health, climate and environmental sustainability, and arts and culture. The Obama Foundation Leaders program is designed to inspire, empower, and connect emerging leaders from Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the United States to change their respective communities and the world. To learn more, visit obama.org/leaders. Congratulations to all of our students and alumni!

Did You Know?

Gretchen Jessel, Ph.D., of the 2020 Ed.D. cohort is a beekeeper!
Gretchen said, “This was my third season as a beekeeper. I started with one small hive at the end of our second year in the Ed.D. program. This fall, I harvested the honey for the first time. I now have four hives that have produced almost 50 pounds of honey.”

Scholarly Practicioners in Action

Bianka Hausknecht presented, "More Than Just a Hobby: Textile Crafting as a Tool for Well-being and Empowerment," which was co-authored with Dr. Michelle Burton and Dr. Ja Young Hwang, at the International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) conference in November. Additionally, their manuscript, "Making to Heal: Well-Being Through Textile Crafting," has been accepted for publication in The International Journal of Social, Political and Community Agendas.

On October 22, program faculty member Dr. Natasha Levinson joined alumni Dr. Debbie Rozner and Dr. Tabitha Messmore in presenting at the annual CPED Convening in Philadelphia. Their session, "Supporting ‘philosophically inclined’ students in CPED programs,” was well-received.

Gretchen Jessel presented, “Adapted Lessons and Adaptive Technologies for Elementary Specials (Art, Music, PE, Media).” The presentation brought together special content teachers (art, music, PE, media, and related services and intervention specialists) to share ideas, collaborate, and plan adapted lessons that support students with high needs and special education plans. Participants explored adaptive technologies, watching video demonstrations of switch technology and of the success and autonomy that moderate-to-intense students gained from their use. Participants also identified current successes and discussed ongoing needs, including potential grant opportunities. The session also focused on strategies for preparing paraeducators to effectively support content delivery, foster student creativity, and guide learners toward success in special content courses.

Universal Design for Learning in Schools and in the Ed.D Program

By program alumni Gretchen Jessel and Valli Stauffer

Gretchen Jessel, Ph.D., and Valli Stauffer, Ph.D., currently work in the Aurora City School District in Northeast Ohio. Dr. Jessel is presently dividing her teaching time between teaching K-12-adapted physical education and first and second-grade general physical education. Dr. Stauffer is currently a 4th-grade teacher and has recently been accepted into the Ohio Teacher Leader Liaison Network. Both have been intentionally working to implement lessons that embrace the principles of UDL (Universal Design for Learning).

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for inclusive classroom instruction—but its value extends far beyond teaching. When applied as an organizational lens, UDL encourages leaders to design systems, policies, and environments that anticipate variability and remove barriers before they arise. This means creating processes that offer flexibility, transparency, and multiple ways for people to engage, contribute, and succeed. By grounding decisions in UDL principles, institutions can foster greater accessibility, support equity-minded practices, and ensure that all members of the campus community feel seen and supported. In this way, UDL becomes not just a tool for instruction, but a foundation for fair, human-centered leadership. 

The three principles of UDL provide a framework that includes offering learners multiple means of engagement, representation, and expression. Each principle addresses the Why, What, and How of each lesson, allowing learners to demonstrate active learning through choices provided by the teacher or facilitator. UDL is highly motivational for learners as it provides them with “challenge by choice” through flexible levels of support and rigor that meet learners where they are. By proactively designing lessons that remove predictable barriers and embed supports from the start, UDL creates accessible pathways  for participation and success. Learners take ownership of the lesson and, with the facilitator's help, take action through goal-setting and self-expression. You can  to access information about the principles of Universal Design for Learning.

UDL, CPED, and EdD (How UDL aligns with the six CPED principles)

The Universal Design for Learning and the Carnegie Project on the Educational Doctorate fit naturally together. The CPED framework focuses on preparing scholars to solve real-world problems, use practical and research knowledge, collaborate and lead for change, and serve with equity, ethics, and social justice. UDL’s focus on proactively removing barriers in curriculum, instruction, and assessment directly reflects CPED’s commitment to social justice, evidence-based practice, and continuous improvement. For example, a dissertation investigating reading or math outcomes might lead to the implementation of UDL. The investigator may explore how learners engage with the lesson, how information is presented to them, and how each learner is expected to act strategically and express themselves using the provided options. Beyond the educational doctorate, teachers using the UDL framework are equipped with tools that enable them to offer learners multiple choices, multimodal resources, and explicit executive-function supports, as well as to help align district curriculum maps with UDL checkpoints.

As Dr. Jessel and Dr. Stauffer continue to bring UDL principles to life in their classrooms and professional communities, their work serves as a reminder that inclusive design is not a destination, but a mindset—one that strengthens learning, leadership, and belonging for everyone. Their efforts highlight the power of educators who not only teach with intention but also lead with vision, helping to shape schools where every learner has the opportunity to thrive. Aurora City Schools and the broader educational community are fortunate to benefit from their ongoing commitment to innovation, equity, and student-centered practice. As EdD-trained leaders, they make learning environments more accessible, equitable, and effective for all students.  If you are interested in learning more about UDL in action, contact gjessel1@kent.edu or vstauffe@kent.edu. 

Did You Know?

Matt Grimes of the 2024 cohort is Head of Engagement and Belonging with the Cleveland Guardians Baseball Team. His organization earned a prestigious award related to his work. Here is part of the press release:
Cleveland Guardians Baseball Receive the Governor's Inclusive Employer Award

Today, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) announced Cleveland Guardians Baseball as the 2025 Governor’s Inclusive Employer Award winner for their commitment to individuals with disabilities in the workplace.
Moments after taking the oath of office, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed , which established Ohio as a Disability Inclusion State and a Model Employer of Individuals with Disabilities. To reinforce his commitment to Ohioans with disabilities, H.B. 110 included presenting an award during October’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) to employers who meet the criteria for having a workplace inclusive of individuals with disabilities.
“Congratulations to Cleveland Guardians Baseball” said Governor DeWine. “By valuing the contributions of skilled workers with disabilities and fostering disability-inclusive workplaces, we can demonstrate what it means to ensure that no Ohioan is left behind.”

Cleveland Guardians Baseball has integrated disability inclusion into its workplace culture and community engagement. Through strategic planning and partnerships with disability organizations, the Guardians prioritize accessibility in hiring, employee support, and public representation. A representative participated as a panelist at the Accessible Ohio Conference & Expo on August 14, 2025, where they showcased the organization's initiatives to enhance accessibility and create an inclusive game-day experience for guests with disabilities.