»Dissertations by Attallah College Ph.D. Graduates

Dr. Tanya Belom. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Kelly Kennedy
Title: The Kids Aren’t Alright: Changes in the Mental Health of Adolescents Post COVID-19

Dr. Brittany Contreras. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Kelly Kennedy
Title: Invisible Strings of Mindset: How Growth Mindset Connects to Student Outcomes

Dr. Michelle Everitt. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Meghan Cosier
Title: Exploring the Impact of Inclusive Education Knowledge on School Administrators’ Attitudes: A Quantitative Analysis of Influencing Factors and Leadership Preparedness

Dr. Tajaun Hall. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Lilia Monzo
Title: Owning the Narrative: Black Working-class Males’ Social Identity and Resistance

Dr. Amelia Holzer. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Scot Danforth
Title: The Art of Disability and Identity: Using Arts-Based Methods to Examine the Relationships Between Disability, Identity, and Identity Development for Young Disabled Women In Higher Education

Dr. Sherilyn Kile. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Amy Jane Griffiths
Title: Exploring Secondary Teachers’ Mental Health Self-Efficacy, Perceptions of Their Role, and Barriers and Facilitators in Supporting Student Mental Health and Well-Being: A Study in an Urban Community

Dr. Sarah Madrid. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Jared Izumi
Title: Examining the Role of Intersectionality with Risk and Protective Factors in Suicidal Ideation: Insights from the 2022-2023 California Healthy Kids Survey

Dr. Elena Marquez. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Lilia Monzo
Title: Narratives of Resistance: Undergraduate Chicanas Navigating the World with Critical Literacy and a Mestiza Praxis

Dr. Daniel Noriega. Dissertation Chairs: Dr. Quaylan Allen and Dr. Whitney McIntyre Miller
Title: Pláticas, Reflexiones, y Resistencia: Exploring How First-Generation Latino Males Leverage Community Cultural Wealth in Education Doctoral Programs

Dr. Miruna Ouatu-Lascar. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Scot Danforth
Title: Educating Queerness: An Exploration of Gender Identity Construction Through the Schooling Experiences of Transgender and Non-Binary Adults 

Dr. Joelle Prate. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Jennifer Kong
Title: The Effectiveness of Science Instruction with Digital Simulations in Elementary Settings for Quantitative Sensemaking

Dr. Nicole Roady. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Lilia Monzo
Title: Progress is Progress: A Collective Narrative Inquiry Exploring the Experiences of Social Justice Educators in a Private, PK-8th Grade School 

Dr. Rachel Torres. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Amy Jane Griffiths
Title: A Qualitative Exploration of Workplace Experiences to Inform Transition Services for Neurodivergent Youth

Dr. Victor Vega. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Scot Danforth
Title: ‘Wait Watch This…What Do You See?’ Conceptualizing Mentor Practice in the Context of a Video Club for Induction Mentors 

Dr. Breána Victoria-Delgado. Dissertation Chairs: Dr. Whitney McIntyre Miller and Dr. Jennifer Kong
Title: Teaching to the Heart: A Grounded Theory Exploration of Elementary Educators’ Journey Toward Teaching Mathematics for Social Justice

Dr. Tom Peterson. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Keith Howard
Title: Equipped for Change: A Grounded Theory Study of White Antiracist School Leaders' Attitudes and Perceptions on Racial Consciousness in Educational Leadership

Dr. Lara Ameen. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Scot Danforth
Title: All Things Weird and Wonderful: A Creative Exploration of Disability Representation

Dr. Darl Park. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Scot Danforth
Title: Phenomenological Study on Veteran Resource Centers (VRC) in California Community Colleges

Dr. Pedro Espinoza. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Whitney McIntyre Miller
Title: Leading Towards Racial Justice: Counterstories of TK-12 Latinx Men Administrators

Dr. Megan Doty. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Meghan Cosier
Title: 'Caught in the Continuum': How Special Educators Facilitate Access for Students with Extensive Support Needs

Dr. Stacy Eldred. Dissertation Chairs: Dr. Whitney McIntyre Miller and Dr. Dawn Hunter
Title: Exploring Community College Faculty and Administrators Work Providing Educational Opportunities for Students with IDD: An Integral Framework for Inclusive Postsecondary Education

Dr. Michael Gorse. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Kelly Kennedy
Title: Experiences of Latine LGBTQ+ High School Students in California

Dr. Ivan Noe. Dissertation Chairs: Dr. Whitney McIntyre Miller and Dr. Dawn Hunter
Title: The Experiences of Postsecondary Students with Disabilities Utilizing One Stop Student Services:  A Grounded Theory Approach

Dr. Nick Irwin. Dissertation Chair: Whitney McIntyre Miller
Title: Peacing it Together: Post 911 Enlisted Student Veterans’ Awakening to Peace Leadership

Dr. Xochitl Morales. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Lilia Monzó
Title: Language Ideologies and Use Among Latine Children in a Dual Language Program in Southern California: A Qualitative Approach

Dr. Chris Tran. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Scot Danforth
Title: Visit the Imprisoned: A Heuristic Inquiry into the Experiences of Catholic Detention Ministry Volunteers

Dr. Rabab Atwi. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Whitney McIntyre Miller
Title: Rising from the Abyss: A Grounded Theory Exploration on How Afghani and Ukrainian Mothers Navigate Major Milestones After Political Conflict

Dr. Katie Kitchens. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Lilia Monzó
Title: New Ways of Being White: White Families Striving to Cultivate Antiracist Familial Cultures

Dr. Yiying Teng. Dissertation Chairs: Doug Havard and Megan Cosier
Title: Influences of Cultural Capital and Internationalization on Global Competence: Evidence from China’s Higher Vocational Education

Dr. Xiuying Han. Dissertation Chairs: Doug Havard and Whitney McIntyre Miller
Title: Shattering the Glass Ceiling: A Grounded Theory Exploration of Barriers and Facilitators to Women Leaders’ Career Advancement Within Private Universities in China

Dr. Weiyi Xia. Dissertation Chairs: Dr. Doug Havard and Dr. Margaret Grogan
Title: Being an EFL Instructor in a Private University in China: A Mixed Methods Study on Identity Construction

Dr. Limei Cao. Dissertation Chairs: Dr. Doug Havard and Dr. Michelle Hall 
Title: Investigating Factors Influencing Chinese Private College Students’ Engagement in Emergency Online Learning

Dr. Fei Wang. Dissertation Chairs: Dr. Doug Havard and Dr. Tara Barnhart
Title: College Students’ Learning Satisfaction with Educational Videos

Dr. Ying Zhu. Dissertation Chairs: Dr. Doug Havard and Dr. Keith Howard
Title: Fair or Unfair? Chinese Undergraduates’ Perceptions of College Classroom Assessments

Dr. Qian Wei. Dissertation Chairs: Dr. Doug Havard and Dr. Dawn Hunter
Title: A Positive Psychology Perspective on Chinese EFL Students’ Well-Being, Language Mindset, and English Performance

Dr. Yiwei Li. Dissertation Chairs: Dr. Doug Havard and Dr. Margaret Grogan
Title: Influence of Gender Roles and Academic Beliefs on Educational Outcomes in Higher Vocational Colleges of China

Dr. Jiayu Shao. Dissertation Chairs: Dr. Doug Havard and Dr. Carlos Lopez
Title: Personalized Learning for Art Major Students Based on Learner Characteristics

Dr. Chaoran Li. Dissertation Chairs: Doug Havard and Dawn Hunter
Title: Sustainable Development of Private Art Museums in China – A Narrative Inquiry Study

Dr. Abraham Aryadad. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Randy Busse
Title: Generalizability of the Scale of Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Inclusive Classrooms (STATIC) to School Psychologists

Dr. Lauren Dudley. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Brian Alters
Title: Understanding the Relationship Between Organic Chemistry Misconceptions and Students’ Chemistry Self-Efficacy in Higher Education Organic Chemistry Courses

Dr. Julie Fraumeni-McBride. Dissertation Co-Chairs: Dr. Don Cardinal and Dr. Tara Barnhart
Title: Understanding the Relationship Between Sexuality Education in U.S. Public Schools and Women’s Pornography Use

Dr. Krista McMorran-Maus. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Scot Danforth
Title: The Efficacy of a Key Word Signing Program

Dr. Sara Morgan. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Meghan Cosier
Title: Educator Professional Development in Universal Design for Learning and Social Emotional Learning: A Collective Case Study

Dr. Ronica Senores Toyota. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Michael Hass
Title: A Discourse Analysis of Parents' and Teachers' Social Constructions of School Readiness and Transition to Kindergarten for Children With Disabilities

Dr. Huiru Zhu. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Lilia Monzó
Title: How Market-Driven Policies Impact a Private Vocational College Department in China

Dr. Einat Ben Dov. Dissertation Co-Chair: Dr. Dawn Hunter and Dr. Don Cardinal 
Title: Disabled IDF Veterans in Israeli Higher Education: Disability Identity and Use of Support

Dr. Kay Lynn Ceja. Dissertation Co-Chair: Dr. Dawn Hunter and Dr. Don Cardinal 
Title: Preparing Teachers for Inclusion: A Mixed-Method, Multi-State Study of Standards

Dr. Douglas Havard. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Keith Howard
Title: Beta Drift: Forecasting the Manifold Relationships Between Students and Their Pursuit of STEM Careers

Dr. Joey Yung-Jun Liu. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Lilia Monzó
Title: Radical Belonging: School as Communion of People, Place, and Power

Dr. Dina Mahmood. Dissertation Co-Chair: Dr. Cathery Yeh and Dr. Kris De Pedro
Title: ‘I Just Learn Differently’: The Experiences of Dis/abled Students of Color Interpreting and Resisting Normalizing Forces in the Mathematics Classroom

Dr. Katheryn Munguia. Dissertation Co-Chair: Dr. Anna Abdou and Dr. Kelly Kennedy
Title: The Relationship Between Social and Psychological Inclusion, Marginalized Group Membership, and Student Outcomes

Dr. Christopher Toutain. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Scot Danforth
Title: Higher Education Housing Professionals and Disability: A Grounded Theory Exploration of Resident Directors’ Understandings of Disability

Dr. Jacqueline Xiomara Aparicio. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Kris De Pedro
Title: Understanding First-Generation Latinx Students’ Experiences in a Predominantly White Private Institution: A Grounded Theory Study

Dr. Kandace Nicole Branch. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Lilia Monzó
Title: Fighting an Uphill Battle: Black Undergraduate Women Navigating Higher Education While Acknowledging and Challenging Media Portrayals of Black Women

Dr. Shayne Morgan Brophy-Felbab. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Dawn Hunter
Title: Community College Success of Students with Disabilities

Dr. Laura Ann Burns. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Whitney McIntyre Miller
Title: Searching for Balance: The Reading Choices, Experiences, and Habits of Women in Higher Education Leadership Roles

Dr. Mackenzie Hope Crigger. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Whitney McIntyre Miller
Title: Leading Climate Action Planning: A Case Study of Local Community Practices

Dr. Michael Joseph Doria. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Michael Hass
Title: Bidimensional Assessment of Youth Mental Health: Evaluation of the California Healthy Kids Survey as a Measure of Youth Subjective Well Being

Dr. Courtney Farrell Beatty. Dissertation Co-Chair: Dr. Whitney McIntyre Miller and Dr. Kris De Pedro
Title: Constructing Critical Change: Learning from Elementary Teachers’ Engagement with Gender-Focused Inclusive Critical Education

Dr. Rocio Garcia. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Kris De Pedro
Title: Exploring the Relationship Between Religion and Resilience Among Latina Academics in Higher Education

Dr. Jennifer Lynn James. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Scot Danforth
Title: Systemic Functional Linguistics in the Community Teaching Composition Using the Metalanguage of SFL

Dr. Jodi Ann Ruble LaChance. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Randy Busse
Title: School Psychologists as Leaders in Professional Practice: An Examination of Leadership Roles and Perceived Support

Dr. Li Li. Dissertation Co-Chairs: Dr. Whitney McIntyre Miller and Dr. Kelly Kennedy
Title: An Examination of Chinese Private College Students’ Intercultural Competence

Dr. Wanlu Li. Dissertation Co-Chairs: Dr. Kelly Kennedy and Dr. Angel Miles Nash
Title: Contributing to Engineering College Students’ Development through Out-of-Class Involvement: A Survey of Chinese Private Colleges’ Engineering Students

Dr. Sneha Kohli Mathur. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Scot Danforth
Title: Understanding the Lived Experiences of Autistic Adults

Dr. Zachary Daniel Maupin. Dissertation Co-Chairs: Dr. Kelly Kennedy and Dr. Amy-Jane Griffiths
Title: Using a Dual-Factor Model to Understand the Mental Health of Students with School Refusal Behavior

Dr. Haiying Meng. Dissertation Co-Chairs: Dr. Margaret Grogan and Dr. Keith Howard
Title: The Effects of Internationalization Activities on Undergraduates’ Global Competence: An Exploratory Study at a Chinese Private University

Dr. Brianna Jean Meshke McLay. Dissertation Co-Chairs: Dr. Kelly Kennedy and Dr. Amy-Jane Griffiths
Title: Resilience and Mental Health of Students Attending California’s Continuation High Schools

Dr. Jahan Razzak Naghshineh. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Scot Danforth
Title: ‘Training’ the Body Politic: Essays on the School Reform Orthodoxy

Dr. Cora Galenti Palma. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Kelly Kennedy
Title: Mitigating the Risks of Negative Outcomes for Youth Who Have Faced Adversity: Identifying School-Based Protective Factors

Dr. Allison A. Serceki. Dissertation Co-Chairs: Dr. Margie Curwen and Dr. Meghan Cosier
Title: Seeing the Trees for the Forest: An Analysis of Novice and Experienced Teachers’ Self-Efficacy and Stress

Dr. Ran Tao. Dissertation Co-Chairs: Dr. Randy Busse and Dr. Dawn Hunter
Title: An Examination of Chinese Undergraduates’ Contemplativity and Academic Stress

Dr. Jarit Mikal Unrau. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Kris De Pedro
Title: Teachers’ Experiences of a District’s Transformational Leadership Design Program: A Qualitative Study

Dr. Beatriz T. Valencia. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Whitney McIntyre Miller
Title: California Elected City Council Women of Color: Building a Collaborative Vision with Inclusive Voice

Dr. Qin Xiang. Dissertation Co-Chairs: Dr. Meghan Cosier and Dr. Ryan Allen
Title: Equality of Educational Opportunity in China: Factors from Family, School, and Shadow Education

Dr. Jingwen Xing. Dissertation Co-Chairs: Dr. Randy Busse and Dr. Dawn Hunter
Title: An Examination of Chinese Adolescents’ Resilience and Their Perceptions of Parental and Peer Attachment

Dr. Feijun Yu. Dissertation Co-Chairs: Dr. Meghan Cosier and Dr. Ryan Allen
Title: Do Academic Characteristics Predict Chinese Private University Students’ Success in English Language Testing?

Dr. Yuanyuan Zhang. Dissertation Co-Chairs: Dr. Randy Busse and Dr. Dawn Hunter
Title: Empathy among Nursing Undergraduates at a Chinese Private University

Dr. Yuanyuan Zheng. Dissertation Co-Chairs: Dr. Keith Howard and Dr. Margaret Grogan
Title: A Study of Critical Thinking Dispositions of Undergraduates in Foreign Language Discipline at Private Colleges in Mainland China

Dr. Elise Anguizola Assaf. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Dawn Hunter
Title: Hidden Power: Journalistic Representations of Mental Health Labels

Dr. Gregory Barraza. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Anaida Colon-Muniz
Title: Finding Voice from the inside: How Postsecondary Education for Long-Term Incarcerated Juveniles Impacted their Perception of Higher Education

Dr. Daniel Bonilla. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Whitney McIntyre Miller
Title: Experienced Pediatric Oncology Nurses Using Self-Reflective Practices in the Clinical Setting: A Descriptive Phenomenological Investigation

Dr. Lisa Boskovich. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Dawn Hunter
Title: The Labyrinth of Autism: Heuristic Journeys of Father’s Who Have a Child on the Autism Spectrum

Dr. Scott DeLong. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Whitney McIntyre Miller
Title: Developing Trust in a Cross-Functional Workgroup: Assessing the Effectiveness of a Communications Intervention

Dr. Elizabeth Peale Hind. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Scot Danforth
Title: A Place of Yes? Experiences of Educators Participating in Site-based Teacher-led Reform

Dr. Lana Le. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Kelly Kennedy
Title: Vietnamese Resilience Assessment: Exploratory and Confirmatory Analysis for Scale Validation

Dr. Sherika McKenzie. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Michael Hass
Title: School Psychologists and School Counselors’ Perceptions of Preparation Received for the Provision of School Based Mental Health Services

Dr. MaryAnn Seng. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Randy Busse
Title: The Perceived Effectiveness of School Based Accommodations for Students with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Dr. Anne Steketee. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Michael Hass
Title: Secondary Traumatic Stress in Teachers and School Communities Impacted by the Opioid Epidemic

Dr. Yan (Angie) Wang. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Suzanne Soohoo
Title: Performative Possibilities in the Development of Protagonistic Agency Among Graduate Students in China 

Dr. Kinda Abujbarah. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Scot Danforth
Title: Laughing Back: A Phenological Study of Disability Humor Using Culturally Responsive Methodologies

Dr. Eman Almutairi. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Lilia Monzó
Title: Women, Education, and Liberation in Saudi Arabia: Raising critical consciousness in Arabic classes in female high schools in Saudi Arabia

Dr. Diana Baker. Dissertation Chair: Dr. John Brady
Title: Program Evaluation of the Autism Community Toolkit

Dr. Christopher Bishop. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Kris de Pedro
Title: Exploring Gender Roles and Gender Equality Within the Evangelical Church

Dr. Doug Highlen. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Scot Danforth
Title: Minding the Gap: A Grounded Theory Exploration of Transition from Seconardy School to Community College for Students Identified with Autism

Dr. Christopher Jackson. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Kris De Pedro
Title: #BLACKQUEERLIVESMATTER: Understanding the Lived Experiences of Black Gay Male Leaders in Los Angeles

Dr. Amanda Frazier Lozolla. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Scot Danforth
Title: The Power of Partnership: Understanding the Dynamic of Co-Teaching Pairs

Dr. Margaret Vento-Wilson. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Dawn Hunter
Title: The Intersection of Speech-Language Pathologists’ Beliefs, Perceptions, and Practices and the Language Acquisition and Development of Emerging Aided Communicators

Dr. Kyle Williams. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Whitney McIntyre Miller
Title: On the Move: Storying the Authentic Leadership of Development of Millennial Gay Men

Dr. Meng Zhao. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Lilia Monzó
Title: The Media, Education, and the State: Arts-Based Research and a Marxist Analysis of the Syrian Refugee Crisis

Dr. Miznah Alomair. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Whitney McIntyre Miller
Title: Collegiate Women in Saudi Arabia: Leading Collectively for the Development of Self, Others and Society

Dr. Timothy Bolin. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Suzanne Soohoo
Title: Reinventing Freire: Ethical Approaches to Studying a Community Organization and the Lesson Learned from Padres Unidos

Dr. Kim Dieu. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Michael Hass
Title: Seekers and Doers: Vietnamese American Mothers Navigating the World of Autism

Dr. Pamela Ezell. Dissertation Chairs: Dr. Kris De Pedro and Dr. Geraldine McNenny
Title: Counter-stories of First-generation Latina Alumnae 

Dr. Michael Fernandez. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Kris De Pedro
Title: Our experiences/Nuestras experiencias: Working-Class Latina/o Students in Urban Public, Secondary Schools

Dr. Giselle Jimenez. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Randy Busse
Title: Teachers’ Perceptions and Self-Efficacy Regarding Social Emotional Curricula

Dr. Jose Paolo Magcalas. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Lilia Monzó
Title: The Transformative Possibilities of a High School Ethnic Studies Class

Dr. Kimiya Maghzi. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Dawn Hunter
Title: The Dance of Motherhood: Exploring the Lived Experiences of Iranian-American Mothers Raising Individuals with Dis/abilities

Dr. Edward Resnick. Dissertation Cochairs: Dr. Whitney McIntyre-Miller and Dr. Kris De Pedro
Title: Practitioner Research in Schools:  Revealing the Efficacy Agency Cycle

Dr. Kevin Ross. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Michael Hass
Title: An Analysis of Mentoring and Job Satisfaction in Public and Private College and University Academic Libraries in California

Dr. Henry Alexander Santos Metcalf. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Lilia Monzó
Title: Disclosure, Life Experiences, and Social Relations of Sexuality: A New Generation of US Latino Queer Men

Dr. Gregory Warren. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Penny S. Bryan
Title: An Exploration of Democratic Leadership Development in City Government 

Dr. Geoffrey Westropp. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Kris De Pedro 
Title: A Quantitative Analysis of Latinx Post-Secondary Aspirations in California: A Community Cultural Wealth Approach

Dr. Elizabeth Yomantas. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Suzanne Soohoo
Title: Curricular Modernity and Traditionalism in Rural Fiji

Dr. Tammy Bachrach. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Scot Danforth
Title: A Different Childhood: Voices of Five Adult Children of Parents with Intellectual Disabilities

Dr. Sara Beggs. Dissertation Chair: Dr. John Brady
Title: Common Core Teaching Strategies in the Inclusive Classroom

Dr. Mina Chun. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Dianne Ferguson
Title: Discerning the Next Steps: Living as Korean Emerging Adults with Developmental Disabilities in South Korea

Dr. Angela Davis. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Kelly Kennedy
Title: Current Practices in School-Based Autism Assessment: A Survey of California School Psychologists

Dr. Jaime Fenton. Dissertation Chairs: Dr. Penny Bryan and Dr. Kris De Pedro
Title: Operation Transition: Post 9/11 Combat Marines Transitioning to Civilian Life and the Role Higher Education Plays in Their Identity Formation

Dr. Cesar Gonzalez. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Randy Busse
Title: Relationships among English Language Learners’ California English Language Development Test (CELDT) Proficiency Scores, Grade Point Average, and Graduation Rates

Dr. Susan Grasse. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Penny Bryan
Title: Perceptions of Parents or Guardians on the Impact of Inclusive Afterschool Arts Programs on Their Children with Disabilities

Dr. Kenia Hernandez-Cueto. Dissertation Chairs: Dr. Anaida Colon-Muniz and Dr. Miguel Zavala
Title: Community-University Partnership: Latin@ Parent Perceptions of an Adult Student University Partnership Experience

Dr. Anat Herzog. Dissertation Chairs: Dr. Kris De Pedro and Dr. Whitney McIntyre Miller
Title: So, you want to start a charter school? La Escuela Freire: A Charter School Case Study

Dr. Rodney Hume-Dawson. Dissertation Chairs: Dr. Philip Ferguson and Dr. Michael Hass
Title: Survivors of Polio: A Phenomenological Inquiry into Their Sources of Resilience

Dr. Monica Killen. Dissertation Chairs: Dr. Anaida Colon-Muniz and Dr. Miguel Zavala
Title: Forging Pathways Towards Food Justice: Four Latina Mothers' Stories

Dr. Justin Koppelman. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Penny Bryan
Title: Expanding the Narrative: Masculinities in Civically Engaged College Men

Dr. Corrine Li. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Dianne Ferguson
Title: Memoir Pedagogy: Memoirs Written by Mothers Who Have a Young Child with a Disability

Dr. Rachel Round. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Kelly Kennedy
Title: Mitigating the Risk of Suicidal Ideation for Transgender Youth: Identifying School-Based Protective Factors

Dr. Kevin Stockbridge. Dissertation Chairs: Dr. Suzanne SooHoo and Dr. Peter McLaren
Title: Queer Teachers in Catholic Schools: Cosmic Perceptions of an Easter People

Dr. Elizabeth Zarkos. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Peter McLaren
Title: The Pathway to Continuation High Schools: Decisions of School Counselors

Dr. Sarah Charlotte Achieng-Evensen. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Suzanne SooHoo
Title: Young, Urban, Professional, and Kenyan?: Conversations Surrounding Tribal Identity and Nationhood

Dr. Michelle Amoah. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Randy Busse
Title: School Psychologists’ Knowledge and Experience with Students who have Bipolar Disorder

Dr. Mindi Benditson. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Penny Bryan
Title: Inside/Outside/In-between: Understanding how Ashkenazi Female Teachers Navigate their Multiple Identities in Public Education.

Dr. Nicole Bennett. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Penny Bryan
Title: The Repatriation Experiences of American Third Culture Kids

Dr. Deborah Bradley. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Quaylan Allen
Title: Managing the Transition from Foster Care to Adulthood: An Ethnographic Critical Case Study from How Context and Experiences Inform Choices of a Young African American Man

Dr. Leticia Cornejo. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Randy Busse
Title: School Psychologists’ Training and Knowledge of Tourette Syndrome

Dr. Janae Dimick. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Peter McLaren
Title: A Hundred Echoes: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Farm Animals in Children’s Picture Books

Dr. Meredith Dorner. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Brian Alters
Title: Academic Factors that Predict Community College Students’ Acceptance of Evolution

Dr. Christine Ellis. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Randy Busse
Title: Selective Mutism: A Survey of School Psychologists' Experience, Knowledge, and Perception

Dr. Sabina Giakoumis. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Randy Busse
Title: Associations among a Science Education Professional Development Training Program and Science Course Enrollment of 11th Grade English Language Learners and Females

Dr. Audri Gomez. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Dawn Hunter
Title: The Shift from Research to Action: Transforming the Nature of Professional Development to Support Inclusive Education

Dr. Carol Hines. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Dawn Hunter
Title: A Place to Flourish: The Experiences of Families Whose Children have Moderate to Severe Disabilities as They Interact with Their Communities of Faith

Dr. Christopher Hutchison. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Penny Bryan
Title: Town and Gown Pedagogy and Civic Engagement: An Action Research Exploration of Democratizing the Undergraduate Classroom with a Focus upon University-Community Tension and Civic Learning

Dr. Joanne Kim. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Dianne Ferguson
Title: Towards a New Understanding: Complex Familial Constructs of Autism

Dr. Maryann Krikorian. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Dawn Hunter
Title: Contemplative Practices in Higher Education: The Development of a Rating Scale

Dr. Christopher Lewis. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Suzanne SooHoo
Title: The Spaces between Dystopia and Utopia: Youth Perspectives on Identity, Education, and Resistance

Dr. Maria Martinez. Dissertation Chairs: Dr. Penny Bryan and Dr. Whitney McIntyre Miller
Title: Bridgers in the Third Space: An In-Country Investigation of the Leadership Practices of US-Educated Chinese Nationals

Dr. Ashley McAdams. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Michael Hass
Title: The Experiences of Siblings of Individuals with Disabilities: A Holistic View

Dr. Aja McKee. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Dawn Hunter
Title: The Voices of Those We Serve: Examining the Educational Experiences of Individuals with Autism Who Are Non-Speaking

Dr. Marie Nubia-Feliciano. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Anaida Colon-Muniz
Title: Donde Pertenecemos? Narrative Analysis of Afro-Boricua Women’s Experiences of Belonging Within and Beyond College

Dr. Tammy Pao. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Randy Busse
Title: Nontraditional Student Risk Factors and Gender as Predictors of Enrollment in College Distance Education

Dr. Holly Pearson. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Philip Ferguson
Title: Spatiality of Racial and Ethnic Minorities with Disabilities in Higher Education

Dr. Edwardo Sevilla. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Penny Bryan
Title: In Search of Common Ground between Emergent Generational Expectations and Established Organizational Realities: Defining a New Employment Model

Dr. Kelly Skon. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Dawn Hunter
Title: Unique Intimacy: A Phenomenological Study of Adult Twin Attachment when One Twin has a Chronic Illness/Disability

Dr. Jillian Wood. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Penny Bryan
Title: The Glass Ceiling is Not Broken: Gender Equity Issues among Faculty in Higher Education

Dr. Ahmed Younis. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Suzanne SooHoo
Title: American Muslim Conscientização: A Philosophy for Liberation

Dr. Uma Alahari. Dissertation Chairs: Dr. Dawn Hunter and Dr. Michael Hass
Title: Being in the Moment, Being in the Present: Early Childhood Teachers' Experiences with Mindfulness Practice

Dr. Zoe Alvarez. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Michael Hass
Title: Gender Similarities as Perceived by Students, Parents, and Teachers on the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition

Dr. Kristin DeMicco. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Keith Howard
Title: Cliques, Clothes, and Consciousness Raising: What Can Online Fanfiction Teach Us About Adolescent Female Identity Formation?

Dr. Teresa Hess. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Dawn Hunter
Title: Family Quality of Life: Parents' Experiences of Team Sport Participation for their Child with a Disability

Dr. Nicol Howard. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Randy Busse
Title: The Influences of Mathematics Self-Efficacy, Identity, Interest, and Parental Involvement on STEM Achievement in Algebra for Female High School Students

Dr. Jon Levin. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Randy Busse
Title: The Effectiveness of Videoconferencing for Teaching Life Science to Chinese Elementary Students

Dr. Jennifer Radie. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Randy Busse
Title: The Effects of Military Deployment on the Children of Military Families

Dr. Marisol Rexach. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Lilia Monzo
Title: Sudanese Children of Immigrants: Black Angels Navigating Cultural Worlds

Dr. Monica Shukla. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Keith Howard
Title: Social Media Use within Higher Education: Communication Outreach and Branding

Dr. Norma Valenzuela. Dissertation Chairs: Dr. Anaida Colon-Muniz and Dr. Lilia Monzo
Title: Platicame de tu Vida: Narratives of Latina Young Adults who Attended Dual Language Immersion Programs as Children

Dr. Stephanie Domzalski. Dissertation Chair: Dr. John Brady
Title: The Evolution of Expertise: Case Studies in School Psychology

Dr. Jaime Flowers. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Randy Busse
Title: Development of a Rating Scale for the Measurement of Other-Esteem: The Other-Esteem Rating Scale (OthERS)

Dr. Jacqueline Gomez. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Dianne Ferguson
Title: Latino Families and the Disability Maze: Using Parent Organizations to Navigate Culture, Class, and Special Education

Dr. Tricia Kasamatsu. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Michelle Cleary
Title: Understanding Athletic Trainers’ Concussion Management and Return to Learn Recommendations in Secondary Schools: A Mixed Methods Study

Dr. Courtney Matz. Dissertation Chairs: Dr. Kelly Kennedy and Dr. Michael Hass
Title: Advocates and IEPs: Parental Perspectives and Solutions Schools Can Offer

Dr. Cheri Melancon-Whitehead. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Phil Ferguson
Title: Looking Back and Speaking Out: Young Latino Men Reflect on Their High School Experiences

Dr. Andrew Ndiforngwa. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Phil Ferguson
Title: An Interpretivist Study of Inclusive Education in Ghana

Dr. Denise Reid. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Dianne Ferguson
Title: Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Exploring the Lived Experiences of College Students who Do Not Request Accommodations

Dr. Christine Toleson. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Randy Busse
Title: Beyond Resilience: A Retrospective Study of the Personal Strengths and School-Based Protective Factors that Promote Positive Outcomes for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Questioning/Queer Youth

Dr. Kellie Albrecht. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Kimberly White-Smith
Title: Beyond Bonded Voices: A Qualitative Study with Adult Monozygotic (Identical) Twins

Dr. Veronica Bloomfield. Dissertation Chairs: Dr. Penny Bryan and Dr. Suzanne SooHoo   
Title: Personal and familial performances of whiteness

Dr. Francis Dizion. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Kelly Kennedy   
Title: School Psychologists’ Reported Perspectives on the Larry P. Ban and Related Practices

Dr. Marni Fisher. Dissertation Chairs: Dr. Penny Bryan and Dr. Suzanne SooHoo
Title: Here There Be Dragons: The Development of Prism Theory and Prismatic Inquiry

Dr. Andrew Granite. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Phil Ferguson
Title: Run whatcha brung: A phenomenological study of the gender construction of men with intellectual disabilities

Dr. Amy Hanreddy. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Dianne Ferguson  
Title: Forced Choices and Limited Options: Parent Perspectives on High School for their Children with Significant Disabilities

Dr. Sarai Koo. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Randy Busse
Title: College Access Program Evaluation on College Attendance Rate, Intrinsic Motivation, and Community Connectedness of At-Risk and Minority Youth

Dr. Ryan McGill. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Randy Busse
Title: Beyond g: Assessing the Incremental Validity of Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) Broad Ability Factors on the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities

Dr. Heather Mills. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Suzanne SooHoo 
Title: A Case Study of Teachers Navigating Between NCLB and the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme in an Urban, Low-Income Public School

Dr. Victoria Morris. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Kimberly White-Smith
Title: Wingspan Beyond the Reservation: Native American Women Cultural Mediation Outside the Demarcation of Sovereignty

Dr. Cammie Nguyen.  Dissertation Chair: Dr. Kelly Kennedy
Title: Trends in Special Education Due Process Hearings Involving Students with Autism in the State of California

Dr. Debora Nodelman. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Suzanne SooHoo
Title: Making Space for Possibility:  Transformative Practice in an Elementary Visual Arts Studio

Dr. Kelly Rogers. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Lilia Monzo
Title: A Cross Generational, Narrative Study of Three Generations of Women: Money Management and the Ties to a Women-Owned Family Business

Dr. Michele Ramstetter. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Randy Busse
Title: On-campus prevention: How well school-based offerings predict the dropout rate at continuation high schools

Dr. Christopher Strople. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Penny Bryan and Dr. Suzanne SooHoo
Title: Grey: An Emergence of Postmodern Autoethnography

Dr. Shawna Draxton. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Dianne Ferguson
Title: The Impact of Student Voice on the Teacher's Approach to Pedagogy

Dr. Darla Hagge. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Judy Montgomery
Title:  Partners of persons with aphasia: Communication Training Series and quality of life

Dr. Joanne Murphy. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Dawn Hunter
Title: Developing Self-Determination of High School Students with Disabilities to Foster College and Career Goal Setting

Dr. Trisha Nishimura. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Dawn Hunter
Title: Effects of Inclusive Professional Development on Teacher Attitudes towards Students with Disabilities

Dr. Carlos Perez. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Lilia Monzo
Title: The Experiences of Immigrant Families from Mexico who speak Indigenous Languages: A Sociocultural and Postcolonial Perspective of Language, Culture, and Identity

Dr. Kirstee Radley. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Philip Ferguson
Title: The Social Construction of Personhood: Family Perspectives on the Essence of People Identified as Significantly Disabled

Dr. Jennifer Shubin. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Dawn Hunter
Title: High School Student Perceptions of their Labels and their Special Education Services

Dr. Lawrence Taniform. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Philip Ferguson
Title: The Social Construction of Albinism in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Transformative Mixed Methods Study of Ghana and Tanzania

Dr. Stephanie Brown. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Dawn Hunter
Title: Transition to Preschool: Hearing the Voices of Families

Dr. John Erratt. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Philip Ferguson
Title: Social Regularities Influencing International Policy on Special Education: A Post-Structuralist Policy Analysis

Dr. Melanie Kamae. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Dawn Hunter
Title: A Teacher's Perspective on Native Hawaiian Children: A Case Study of a Rural School

Dr. Christy Neria. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Philip Ferguson
Title: Emerging Adults with Cochlear Implants: Their Experiences and Lifeworlds

Dr. Alaine Ocampo. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Joel Colbert
Title: The Relationship of Collaboration and Job Satisfaction between Speech-Language Pathologists and School Psychologists

Dr. Lila Samia. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Michael Hass
Title: Screening for Internalizing Problems in Middle School Students Utilizing a Positive Indicator of Mental Health

Dr. Angela Viencek. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Philip Ferguson
Title: Autismo Families' Perspectives and Their Children with Autism

Dr. Melody Yi. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Randy Busse.
Title: Evaluation of Therapeutic Progress in At-Risk Youth in a Behavioral Day-Treatment School Program

Dr. Stefani Boutelier. Dissertation Chairs: Dr. Penny Bryan and Dr. Anna Wilson
Title: Translated Identity: Multilingual Reality of Tween Identity Formation

Dr. Jeanne Anne Carriere. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Michael Hass
Title: Teachers Perceived Effectiveness of Psychoeducational Report Writing Models

Dr. Dina Eletreby. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Suzanne SooHoo
Title: Conversion Experiences of Three White American Muslim Males: Moving TowardsJustice by the Decentering Power of Faith
Read an abstract of Dr. Eletreby's dissertation.

Dr. Ndindi Kitonga. Dissertation Chairs: Dr. Suzanne SooHoo and Dr. Anna Wilson
Title: Postcolonial Construction of Self: Two Immigrant Secondary Science Teachers from Nigeria and Kenya Explore the Role of Cultural and Indigenous Beliefs in their Teaching
Read an abstract of Dr. Kitonga's dissertation.

Dr. Colette Marie O’Bannion. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Anna Wilson
Title: Naughty or Not?: Exploring Controversial Content and Core Universal Themes in Contemporary Young Adult Literature
Read an abstract of Dr. O'Bannion's dissertation.