Education Doctorate (Ed.D.) Dissertations

Beth Lattanzi

Searching for equity within children's literature: A professor and students' journey of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. 

Presented April 10, 2024

Dissertation Chair: Dr. Amy Pfeiler-Wunder

Committee Members: Dr. Catherine McGeehan and Dr. Perkins

Marissa Wallace

Connecting Culturally Relevant and Sustaining Competencies in Teacher Preparation Programs to the Experiences of Mixed-Race Learners in K-12 Settings: A Mixed Methods Study 

Presented April 16, 2024

Dissertation Chair: Dr. Amy Pfeiler-Wunder

Committee Members: Dr. Helen Hamlet and Mr. Julian Saavedra 

Melissa Moxley

More than just checking a box: Teachers' experiences of transformation in equity-based professional development. 

Presented March 28, 2024

Dissertation Chair: Dr. Amy Pfeiler-Wunder

Committee Members: Dr. Wolfmeyer and Dr. Shelley 

Christopher Thomas

Exploring Student Experience Through Photovoice: A Transformative Approach to Studying School Climate and Culture at CHS 

Presented March 29, 2024

Dissertation Chair: Dr. Mark Wolfmeyer

Committee Members: Dr. Amy Pfeiler-Wunder and Dr. Edwin Mayorga 

Annie Shrawder

Trauma-Informed Teaching Perspectives of Art and Non-Art Educators: 

A Mixed Methods Study for Transformational Change 

Presented March 18, 2024 

Dissertation Chair: Dr. Helen Hamlet

Committee Members: Dr. Amy Pfeiler-Wunder and Dr. Scott Tracy

Mara Hope Thompson

Mara Hope Thompson

Hidden Meanings in Elementary Instrumental Music Method Books: A Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis 

Presented March 7, 2024

Dissertation Chair: Dr. Mark Wolfmeyer

Committee Members: Dr. Amy Pfeiler-Wunder and Dr. Renee Lapp Norris 

Mallie Culpepper-Yablonsky

Mallie Culpepper-Yablonsky

Culturally Integrating Nuestra Juventud: Understanding Spanish-speaking Multilingual Learners through Culturally Relevant Pedagogy

Presented February 28, 2024

Dissertation Chair: Dr. Helen Hamlet

Committee Members: Dr. Cathy McGeehan and Ms. Katie Sames

Kimberly Kneller

Kimberly Kneller

Misappropriating Self-Care: a Mixed-Methods Analysis ofThe Burnout Experiences of Teachers who Identify as Women.

Presented February 27, 2024

Dissertation Chair: Dr. Helen Hamlet

Committee Members: Dr. Mark Wolfmeyer and Mrs. Beth Guarriello

2022

Headshot of Michele Ehrhart

Michele Ehrhart

Oral Dissertation Presentation by Michele Ehrhart

Student and Teacher Perspectives on Asynchronous Learning during the COVID Pandemic

Presented on Thursday, December 1st, 2022.

  • Committee Chair: Dr. Amy Pfeiler-Wunder
  • Committee Members: Dr. Roseanne Perkins and Dr. Gregory Shelley
Headshot of Shelby Sammartino

Shelby Sammartino

Oral Dissertation Presentation by Shelby Sammartino

Understanding Your Cultural Identities: A Self-Study of the Impact of One’s Cultural Identities on Interpreting Interactions

Presented on Monday, November 21st, 2022.

  • Committee Chair: Dr. Michele White
  • Committee Members: Dr. Brenda Muzeta and Dr. Patricia Tinsman-Schaffer
Headshot of Jane Ammon

Jane Ammon

Oral Dissertation Presentation by Jane Ammon

Decentering Whiteness in Teacher Education Through a Creative Self Study of Womanist Pedagogy

Presented on Wednesday, March 2nd, 2022.

  • Committee Chair: Dr. Brenda Muzeta
  • Committee Members: Dr. Amy Pfeiler-Wunder and Dr. Michele White

View & download dissertation here.

Headshot of Lori G. Berryman

Lori G. Berryman

Oral Dissertation Presentation by Lori G. Berryman

Another Empty Seat: Educators’ Experiences with Trauma and Grief After a Student Death

Presented on Friday, April 15th, 2022.

  • Committee Chair: Dr. Kathleen Stanfa
  • Committee Members: Dr. Patricia Walsh Coates and Dr. Scott Tracy

View & download dissertation here.

Headshot of Tracy Driehaus

Tracy Driehaus

Oral Dissertation Presentation by Tracy Driehaus

Blinded by Whiteness: Middle-Class White Teachers’ Explorations of Identity and Deficit Discourse at the Intersection of Race, Class, and Perceived Ability

Presented on Thursday, March 10th, 2022.

  • Committee Chair: Dr. Michele White
  • Committee Members: Dr. Brenda Muzeta and Dr. Amy Pfeiler-Wunder

View & download dissertation here.

Headshot of Amanda Holbrook

Amanda Holbrook

Oral Dissertation Presentation by Amanda Holbrook

A Critical Analysis of Cultura in Spanish World Language Textbooks

Presented on Tuesday, March 8th, 2022.

  • Committee Chair: Dr. Brenda Muzeta
  • Committee Members: Dr. Patricia Walsh Coates and Dr. Kathryn Accurso

View & download dissertation here.

Headshot of Karen A. Ladley

Karen A. Ladley

Oral Dissertation Presentation by Karen A. Ladley

Learning to Navigate the Unknown: The Importance of Critical Reflection and Collaboration for Community College Faculty During a Pandemic

Presented on Thursday, April 7th, 2022.

  • Committee Chair: Dr. Brenda Muzeta
  • Committee Members: Dr. Michele White and Dr. Cheryl Doll

View & download dissertation here.

Headshot of Ed Luckey

Ed Luckey

Oral Dissertation Presentation by Ed Luckey

Belonging and Banding Together: Perspectives and Insights of Newly Recruited ELL Musicians

Presented on Monday, June 13th, 2022.

  • Committee Chair: Dr. Kathleen Stanfa
  • Committee Members: Dr. Michele White and Dr. Francis Kumor

View & download dissertation here.

Headshot of Karise Mace

Karise Mace

Oral Dissertation Presentation by Karise Mace

Mathematics is Art: The Impact of a Non-traditional Metaphor on Teacher Mindset and Instructional Practices in Mathematics

Presented on Monday, April 18th, 2022.

  • Committee Chair: Dr. Michele White
  • Committee Members: Dr. Kathleen Stanfa and Dr. Erin Kraal

View & download dissertation here.

Headshot of MaryJo Rosania-Harvie

MaryJo Rosania-Harvie

Oral Dissertation Presentation by MaryJo Rosania-Harvie

Strength, Beauty, and Resilience: The Impact of Self Reflection & Exploration of Memory on Postmodern Feminist Educators, Inside and Outside the Classroom

Presented on Friday, April 8th, 2022.

  • Committee Chair: Dr. Kathleen Stanfa
  • Committee Members: Dr. Amy Pfeiler-Wunder and Dr. Michele White

View & download dissertation here.

Headshot of Melanie A. Turrano

Melanie A. Turrano

Oral Dissertation Presentation by Melanie A. Turrano

The Recovery Coach: An Intentional, Relational Interventionist as a Response to the COVID-19 Incomplete Grade Trend

Presented on Thursday, March 10th, 2022.

  • Committee Chair: Dr. Kathleen Stanfa
  • Committee Members: Dr. Michele White and Dr. Amy Pfeiler-Wunder

View & download dissertation here.

Headshot of Paul Walsh

Paul F. Walsh

Oral Dissertation Presentation by Paul F. Walsh

Writing through Whiteness: Utilizing Personal Narratives to Strengthen the Racial Competency of White Teachers

Presented on Friday, February 11th, 2022

  • Committee Chair: Dr. Kathleen Stanfa
  • Committee Members: Dr. Brenda Muzeta and Dr. Samuel J. Tanner

View & download dissertation here.

2021

Headshot of Denise Bosler

Denise Bosler

Oral Dissertation Presentation by Denise Bosler

How Will I Thrive? Developing Designer Professional Identity Among Undergraduate Communication Design Students

Presented on Monday, February 15th, 2021

  • Committee Chair: Dr. Catherine McGeehan
  • Committee Members: Dr. Mark Wolfmeyer and Dr. Amy Pfeiler-Wunder

View & download dissertation here.

Headshot of Richman Mathis II

Richman Mathis II

Oral Dissertation Presentation by Richman Mathis II

The Impact of Relationships on School Culture From Perspectives of Faculty at a Philadelphia High School

Presented on Thursday, May 20th, 2021

  • Committee Chair: Dr. Andrew Miness
  • Committee Members: Dr. Flannery O'Connor and Dr. Mark Wolfmeyer

View & download dissertation here.

Headshot of Daniel E. McClary

Daniel E. McClary

Oral Dissertation Presentation by Daniel E. McClary

In Search of Kinship: Traveling into new worlds through conversation and the impact on building community

Presented on Thursday, May 13th, 2021

  • Committee Chair: Dr. Andrew Miness
  • Committee Members: Dr. Catherine McGeehan and Dr. Brenda Muzeta

View & download dissertation here.

Headshot of Daniel J. Metzger

Daniel J. Metzger

Oral Dissertation Presentation by Daniel J. Metzger

Journaling on the Transition to College: Foucauldian Approaches in the First-Year Writing Classroom

Presented on Friday, March 19th, 2021

  • Committee Chair: Dr. Mark Wolfmeyer
  • Committee Members: Dr. Catherine McGeehan and Dr. Amy Lynch-Biniek

View & download dissertation here.

Headshot of Heather Elizabeth Osborn

Heather Elizabeth Osborn

Oral Dissertation Presentation by Heather Elizabeth Osborn

The Writing for Healing and Transformation Project

Presented on Monday, March 22nd, 2021

  • Committee Chair: Dr. Mark Wolfmeyer
  • Committee Members: Dr. Andrew Miness and Dr. Amy Pfeiler-Wunder

View & download dissertation here.

Headshot of Samantha G. Piller

Samantha G. Piller

Oral Dissertation Presentation by Samantha G. Piller

Stakeholder Perspectives: How Participation in a Work-Based Learning Program Affects Perceptions

Presented on Thursday, April 1st, 2021

  • Committee Chair: Dr. Mark Wolfmeyer
  • Committee Members: Dr. Andrew Miness and Dr. Diane King

View & download dissertation here.

Headshot of Brittany Purr

Brittany Purr-Brehony

Oral Dissertation Presentation by Brittany Purr-Brehony

Transforming the Urban Educator: The Power of Reflection and Its Effect on Teacher Perception, Essential Teaching Dispositions, and Teacher Leadership

Presented on Friday, April 9th, 2021

  • Committee Chair: Dr. Andrew Miness
  • Committee Members: Dr. Catherine McGeehan and Gina Beaver

View & download dissertation here.

Headshot of Elizabeth Ehrig Schucker

Elizabeth Ehrig Schucker

Oral Dissertation Presentation by Elizabeth Ehrig Schucker

Changed Agents: Cultivating Students’ Civic Identity Through Participation in a Social Justice-Themed Book Club as a Subversive Approach to Critical Literacy in Education

Presented on Monday, March 8th, 2021

  • Committee Chair: Dr. Catherine McGeehan
  • Committee Members: Dr. Andrew Miness and Dr. Terre Sychterz

View & download dissertation here.

Headshot of Cathy A. Shappell

Cathy A. Shappell

Oral Dissertation Presentation by Cathy A. Shappell

Breaking Barriers and Bread to Build Bridges: How do Latina/o families and schools develop meaningful home-school relationships?

Presented on Monday, March 29th, 2021

  • Committee Chair: Dr. Catherine McGeehan
  • Committee Members: Dr. Andrew Miness and Dr. Roula Elliker

View & download dissertation here.

Headshot of Nicole M. Wack

Nicole M. Wack

Oral Dissertation Presentation by Nicole M. Wack

Bridging barriers in inclusive classrooms: Avenues for communication between general education teachers and families

Presented on Monday, March 29th, 2021

  • Committee Chair: Dr. Mark Wolfmeyer
  • Committee Members: Dr. Catherine McGeehan and Dr. Amy Pfeiler-Wunder

View & download dissertation here.

2020

  • Erin Brown

    The Effect of Differentiated Instruction Training on the Instructional Strategies of Education Trainees at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary

    Presented on Thursday, March 19th, 2020

    • Committee Chair: Dr. Helen Hamlet
    • Committee Members: Dr. Kathleen Stanfa and Dr. Heather Fountain

    View & download dissertation here.

  • Jaime Linn Brown

    Socially Just Artmaking: A Practitioner's Inquiry of Passionate Teaching for Compassionate Action

    Presented on Monday, April 13th, 2020

    • Committee Chair: Dr. Helen Hamlet
    • Committee Members: Dr. Amber Pabon and Brian Lehman

    View & download dissertation here.

  • Marlene Nanouh Fares

    The Relationship Between Academic Advising and Student Motivation on the Persistence of Freshman Exploratory Studies Students

    Presented on Thursday, April 2nd, 2020

    • Committee Chair: Dr. Kathleen Stanfa
    • Committee Members: Dr. Helen Hamlet and Dr. Edwin Nieves

    View & download dissertation here.

  • Andrew Healey

    Community-Based Learning: Face-to-Face Tandem Language Exchanges as a Complementary Course Component for Acquisition of Spanish

    Presented on Tuesday, April 14th, 2020

    • Committee Chair: Dr. Kathleen Stanfa
    • Committee Members: Dr. Amber Pabon and Dr. Ericka Parra

    View & download dissertation here.

  • Leila Little

    How We Got Here: Testimonios of Secondary Latina Educators

    Presented on Monday, March 30th, 2020

    • Committee Chair: Dr. Amber Pabon
    • Committee Members: Dr. Helen Hamlet and Dr. Amy Pfiler-Wunder

    View & download dissertation here.

  • Emily A. Pisco

    “I guess somebody already told you”: LGBTQ+ Students’ Experiences in Secondary School Contexts

    Presented on Friday, March 20th, 2020

    • Committee Chair: Dr. Amber Pabon
    • Committee Members: Dr. Kathleen Stanfa and Dr. Mark Wolfmeyer

    View & download dissertation here.

  • Lisa M. Skiadas

    Proactive Prosocial Strategies Employed by First-Grade Teachers

    Presented on Tuesday, March 31st, 2020

    • Committee Chair: Dr. Helen Hamlet
    • Committee Members: Dr. Amber Pabon and Dr. Susan Ursprung

    View & download dissertation here.

  • Philip L. Specht

    Teacher Perception: Secondary Level Skill Development Support for Students with Specific Learning Disabilities

    Presented on Monday, April 13th, 2020

    • Committee Chair: Dr. Kathleen Stanfa
    • Committee Members: Dr. Amber Pabon and Dr. George Fiore

    View & download dissertation here.

  • Anthony M. Tartaglia

    The Potential Impact of Online Learning on Economically Disadvantaged Students

    Presented on Monday, April 6th, 2020

    • Committee Chair: Dr. Helen Hamlet
    • Committee Members: Dr. Kathleen Stanfa and Dr. Scott Tracy

    View & download dissertation here.

  • Patricia J. Tinsman-Schaffer

    Making the Journey Personal: A Self-Study of the Intersections of Curriculum, Practice, and Identity

    Presented on Thursday, March 26th, 2020

    • Committee Chair: Dr. Amber Pabon
    • Committee Members: Dr. Kathleen Stanfa and Dr. Amy Pfeiler-Wunder

    View & download dissertation here.

 

HOW CAN I RECEIVE MORE INFORMATION?

If you would like more information regarding the Ed.D. program, please request information via the Office of Graduate Admissions or email inquiries to edd@kutztown.edu.