Doctoral Candidate Brochures
College of Education, Health and Human Services
Doctoral Candidate Brochures - Fall 2025
Updated: 9/30/2025
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Andrea D. Sanchez (Ph.D.) – 8/13
Unruly Literacies: Silence, Embodiment(s), and Becoming in Kindergarten Documentation Practices
For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Curriculum and Instruction
August 13, 2025 | 10:30 a.m.
This study explores how young children make meaning through digital documentation practices in a public kindergarten classroom. Drawing on post-qualitative inquiry and critical posthumanist theory, 14 child co-researchers used iPads to document moments, materials, and relationships that mattered to them. Read more...
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Bahaa Al Ghraibeh – 8/20
Teacher Perceptions of the Self-Esteem of Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Special Education
August 20, 2025 | 2:00 p.m.
This qualitative interpretive study aimed to understand teachers’ perceptions of self-esteem in students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Specifically, this research sought to understand how teachers perceive and describe the self-esteem of students with EBD, the impact of self-esteem on behavior overall, school performance, and peer interactions. Read more...
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Stephanie L. Evans (Ed.D.) – 8/22
Examining the Perceptions of and Barriers to Cultural Competency Training for Division of Student Life Staff at Kent State University
For the degree of Doctor of Education, Interprofessional Leadership
August 22, 2025 | 9:00 a.m.
This study examined the Cultural Competency Committee (C3) programming for staff members in the Division of Student Life (DSL) at Kent State University. It examined the perceptions of the programming by the staff who have enrolled and participated and the barriers that they face that have inhibited them from participating. Read more...
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Barbara Sherwood Currey (Ph.D.) – 9/26
Third-Grade Girls (and Boys) Who Code: The Effect of a Robotic Coding Intervention on Spatial Cognition
For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Curriculum and Instruction
September 26, 2025 | 9:00 a.m.
This mixed-method quasi-experimental exploratory study had three goals: 1) Determine the main effects and interactions of gender, socioeconomic status, and an intervention on the spatial orientation and mental rotation test scores of third-grade students; 2) Determine if a significant difference exists across genders or SES in the spatial gain of third-grade students after exposure to a robotic coding intervention; and 3) Explore student reflections on the intervention. Read more...
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Gretchen A. Jessel (Ed.D.) – 10/6
Participation of K-12 Students with Disabilities in Extracurricular Activities: Parent and Guardian Perceptions & Experiences Regarding their Children's Extracurricular Participation
For the degree of Doctor of Education, Interprofessional Leadership
October 6, 2025 | 3:00 p.m.
The purpose of this mixed methods embedded design study was to examine the perceptions and experiences of parents of students with disabilities regarding access to and participation in extracurricular activities. Specifically, the study explored how child, family, and activity factors influence opportunities for participation. Data were collected through a Likert-scale survey (N = 82) with open-ended responses at the end of each section to provide qualitative context. Read more...
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Melanie D. Kirin (Ph.D.) – 10/14
Understanding the Language Literacy Landscape of Novice Career Technical Educators
For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Curriculum and Instruction
October 14, 2025 | 1:00 p.m.
This study explored the language literacy landscape of novice Career Technical Education (CTE) teachers in Ohio. It examined how new teachers define their role in teaching literacy, the factors influencing their attitudes, the barriers they face, and the instructional strategies they successfully implement. The goal was to better understand how diverse personal and professional experiences shape literacy integration in CTE classrooms. Read more...
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Luxin Hu (Ph.D.) – 10/16
The Relationship Between Everyday Social Environments and Psychological Well-Being: A Study of a U.S. National Sample Using Structural Equation Model
For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Research, Measurement and Statistics
October 16, 2025 | 10:00 a.m.
This study aims to explore the association between a comprehensively defined social environment and psychological well-being, particularly among the population of middle age and older adults in the United States. In alignment with Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological System Theory and the definition of social environment proposed by Barnett and Casper (2001), the social environment includes the home, workplace, and neighborhood environment factors. Read more...
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Lara Shigo (Ph.D.) – 10/20
The Impact of Speed-Variable Treadmill Training on Gait, Cognition and Motor Function in People with Parkinson's Disease
For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Exercise Physiology
October 20, 2025 | 11:00 a.m.
Aerobic exercise may slow progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD), and augmentation with sensory feedback results in acute improvements in gait and chronic improvements in PD symptoms. However, current equipment inducing sensory feedback is expensive and not widely available. Speed-variable (SV) treadmill training involves constant small fluctuations in treadmill speed, inducing feedback without specialized equipment. 14 people with PD (PwPD) engaged in one bout of SV treadmill training and one bout of standard (N) treadmill training in a counterbalanced order on separate days. Read more...