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Public notices/dissertation public lecture presentations

Public Notice of Final Defense for Spring/Summer 2025

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Adam Martin

  • Major: Kinesiology
  • Advisor: Dr. Jeffrey Martin
  • Committee: Dr. Mariane Fahlman, Dr. Tamara Hew-Butler and Dr. Smiti Gupta
  • Dissertation: Risk Appraisal: Effects of a Ketogenic Diet Intervention on Affective Valence in Recreational Distance Runners
  • Date: April 23, 2025
  • Time: 1:30 p.m.
  • Location: 2152 Faculty Administration Building (FAB)

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Kimberly Stokes

  • Major: Counseling Psychology
  • Advisor: Dr. Shannon Chavez-Korell
  • Committee: Dr. Francesca Pernice, Dr. Lucetry Dalton-Trusty and Dr. Lauren Mims
  • Dissertation: Centering Sisterhood: An Exploration of Black Mothers' Wellness Experiences Through a Group Therapy Intervention
  • Date: April 11, 2025
  • Time: 3:00 p.m.
  • Location: 423.3 Education Bldg. (Faculty Lounge) and join Zoom meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86422965650

Public Notice of Final Defense for Winter 2025

Doctor of Education Candidate: Enida Anderson

  • Major: Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
  • Advisor: Dr. Ben Pogodzinski
  • Committee: Dr. Sarah Lenhoff and Dr. Mary Neville
  • Dissertation: Understanding the Relationships Between K-12 Teacher Time Use, Workload, Administrative Support, and Job Satisfaction
  • Date: March 21, 2025
  • Time: 10:00 a.m.
  • Join Zoom Meeting: https://wayne-edu.zoom.us/j/98893310717?pwd=4MfaibE2VNtxRQLfimJuVa07ud5NmS.1

Doctor of Education Candidate: Kierstin Fiscus

  • Major: Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
  • Advisor: Dr. Ben Pogodzinski
  • Committee: Dr. Stacey Brockman and Dr. Jerry Johnson
  • Dissertation: Navigating Postsecondary Education: Exploring the Impact of Dual Enrollment of Rural Students' Postsecondary Pathways
  • Date: March 20, 2025
  • Time: 3:00 p.m.
  • Location: 423.3 Education Building (Faculty Lounge) and Zoom meeting: https://wayne-edu.zoom.us/j/91662208514?pwd=4HwpqCHErM86ga65PUAcCVn22uDXba.1

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Rachel Torres

  • Major: Educational Studies
  • Advisor: Dr. Sandra Gonzales
  • Committee: Dr. Christina DeNicolo, Dr. Amanda Miller and Dr. Erica Edwards
  • Dissertation: An Auto-Historia-Teoria of Kismet Encounters: Building the Bridges Between Nepantlas in a Colonial Education System
  • Date: March 20, 2025
  • Time: 1:00 p.m.
  • Join Zoom Meeting: Https://wayne-edu.zoom.us/j/93550354380?pwd=WpMr32t3kYmAIt6oxMdMAzUrLbQf3k.1
    • Meeting ID: 935 5035 4380
    • Passcode: 400552

Doctor of Education Candidate: Tracye Johnson

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Mariam Aboudib

  • Major: Educational Studies
  • Advisor: Dr. Sandra Yarema
  • Committee: Dr. Roland Coloma, Dr. Christina DeNicolo and Dr. Ben Pogodzinski
  • Dissertation: The Impact of Project Based Learning on the Development of English Language Learners in a High School Science Classroom
  • Date: March 20, 2025
  • Time: 10:00 a.m.
  • Join Zoom Meeting: Https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83873289403?pwd=mDrvZBBJqaZb9wYrHnoauog5R5AwXR.1
    • Meeting ID: 838 7328 9403
    • Passcode: 933912

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Tameka Arnold

  • Major: Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
  • Advisor: Dr. Sarah Lenhoff
  • Committee: Dr. Erica Edwards, Dr. Carla Harting and Dr. David Merolla
  • Dissertation: Are Culturally Relevant Practices the Key to Addressing the Disproportionality of African American Males in Special Education?
  • Date: March 20, 2025
  • Time: 9:00 a.m.
  • Join Zoom Meeting: https://wayne-edu.zoom.us/j/9361463093

Doctor of Education Candidate: Althanie Gardner

  • Major: Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
  • Advisor: Dr. Rema Reynolds Vassar
  • Committee: Dr. Erica Edwards and Dr. Terainer Brown
  • Dissertation: There is no Transformation Without Trust: A Qualitative Study Examining the Relationship Between State Education Agents and School Leaders
  • Date: March 19, 2025
  • Time: 11:00 a.m.
  • Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85950863447

Doctor of Education Candidate: McKea Cooper-Miller

  • Major: Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
  • Advisor: Dr. Rema Vassar
  • Committee: Dr. Erica Edwards and Dr. Albert Hodge
  • Dissertation: The Effects of Student-Teacher Relationships Between Black Women and Their Black Adolescent Girls on Adult Outcomes
  • Date: March 18, 2025
  • Time: 1:30 p.m.
  • Join Zoom meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89721139110?pwd=0chTMbUYFJrI1kIThlbRe9xhge3oFf.1
    • Meeting ID: 897 2113 9110
    • Passcode: 068911

Doctor of Education Candidate: Rachel Pawlowski

  • Major: Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
  • Advisor: Dr. Ben Pogodzinski
  • Committee: Dr. Carla Harting and Dr. Hannah Schacter
  • Dissertation: The Association Between Mental Health, Stigma, and Academic Probation in Undergraduate Students
  • Date: March 18, 2025
  • Time: 1:00 p.m.
  • Location: 423.3 Education Building (Faculty Lounge) and join Zoom meeting: https://wayne-edu.zoom.us/j/98212955300?pwd=HkfLjJfVOUMbaFZ7GYaOyM4avHbm1s.1

Doctor of Education Candidate: Akelah Reese

  • Major: Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
  • Advisor: Dr. Erica Edwards
  • Committee: Dr. Rema Vassar and Dr. Kess Ballentine
  • Dissertation: The "I" Exists: An Exploration of Intersex Students' Experiences and Persistence Factors Throughout Their Collegiate Journey
  • Date: March 18, 2025
  • Time: 11:00 a.m.
  • Join Zoom Meeting: https://wayne-edu.zoom.us/j/91811656810?pwd=Me95aQrZPbNibFAbXqZd6C0noqwcbn.1
    • Password: 066218

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Iman Harp-Ahmad

  • Major: Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
  • Advisor: Dr. Ben Pogodzinski
  • Committee: Dr. Carla Harting, Dr. Erica Edwards and Dr. Ali Bazzi
  • Dissertation: The Importance of Parental Involvement and Parent-Partnership Strategies to Support Student Academic-Perspectives of Teachers, Administrators, and Parents During the Middle School Years 2024-25 of 6th-8th Grade
  • Date: March 17, 2025
  • Time: 2:00 p.m.
  • Join Zoom Meeting: https://wayne-edu.zoom.us/j/94463404930?pwd=T00j7ab7869lS7CrUE9bYVwAligVsz.1

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Rachael German

  • Major: Kinesiology
  • Advisor: Dr. Jeffrey Martin
  • Committee: Dr. Tamara Hew-Butler, Dr. Jeanne Barcelona and Dr. Tim Bogg
  • Dissertation: Risk Appraisal: An Investigation of Personality Traits and Prior Injury on Thrill and Adventure Seeking Behavior in a High-Risk Modem Circus Performance Art Task
  • Date: March 17, 2025
  • Time: 12:00 p.m.
  • Location: 2152 Faculty Administration Building (FAB)

Doctor of Education Candidate: Tuoanyene Sims

  • Major: Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
  • Advisor: Dr. Ben Pogodzinski
  • Committee: Dr. Rema Vassar and Dr. Darryl Gardner
  • Dissertation: A Look at Black Student Success at Predominantly White Institutions Through the Lens of Student Success at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
  • Date: March 12, 2025
  • Time: 3:00 p.m.
  • Location: 370 Education Bldg. and join Zoom meeting: https://wayne-edu.zoom.us/j/99139765047?pwd=aZJi28deIk6Y2Cl4o1m8RkYibGN0ng.1

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Treyvon Harlin

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Brandon Naylor

Doctor of Education Candidate: Michelle Cureton

  • Major: Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
  • Advisor: Dr. Sarah Lenhoff
  • Committee: Dr. Erica Edwards and Dr. Jay Marks
  • Dissertation: Reneging on the Promise: The Institutionalization of the Equity Administrator in Public and Private Schools (George Floyd and Beyond)
  • Date: February 26, 2025
  • Time: 1:00 p.m.
  • Join Zoom Meeting: https://wayne-edu.zoom.us/j/9361463093

Doctor of Education Candidate: Kimberly Hunter

  • Major: Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
  • Advisor: Dr. Ben Pogodzinski
  • Committee: Dr. William Hill and Dr. Daniel Kashian
  • Dissertation: Examining the Use of Credit-Based Transition Programs (CBTP) Leading to Stem Degrees and Increased Access to Higher Education
  • Date: February 17, 2025
  • Time: 10:00 a.m.
  • Location: 357 Education Bldg.

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Kionna Williams

  • Major: Educational Studies
  • Advisor: Dr. Christopher Crowley
  • Committee: Dr. Min Yu, Dr. Aja Reynolds, and Dr. Erica Edwards
  • Dissertation: Black Joy Chasing: Fighting the Failing School Construct Using YPAR to Investigate Black Joy
  • Date: February 6, 2025
  • Time: 12:00 p.m.
  • Location: 423.3 Faculty Lounge, Education Building

Doctor of Education Candidate: Kenya Maxey

  • Major: Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
  • Advisor: Dr. Carolyn Shields
  • Committee: Dr. Carla Harting, Dr. Monte Piliawsky and Dr. Sarah Lenhoff
  • Dissertation: A Case Study of a Campus Food Pantry, Community and Belonging
  • Date: January 15, 2025
  • Time: 10:30 a.m.
  • Location: 204 Education Bldg.

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Manasseh Cudjoe

  • Major: Educational Studies
  • Advisor: Dr. Jazlin Ebenezer
  • Committee: Dr. Jennifer Lewis, Dr. Roland Sintos Coloma, Dr. Steven Khan, and Dr. Osman Nafiz Kaya
  • Dissertation: Engaging Ghana's Basic School Mathematics Teachers in Relational Conceptual Change Teaching: A Researcher-Teachers Collaborative Inquiry
  • Date: January 14, 2025
  • Time: 10:00 a.m.
  • Join Zoom Meeting: https://wayne-edu.zoom.us/j/94702195233?pwd=Lo7pqNGxpQkNuNRhBgKo6Txn6a17Yi.1
    • Meeting ID: 947 0219 5233
    • Passcode: 542046

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Sahar Aldujaili

  • Major: Curriculum & Instruction
  • Advisor: Dr. Jazlin Ebenezer
  • Committee: Dr. Sandra Yarema, Dr. Lynda Wood and Dr. Osman Kaya
  • Dissertation: Empowering Fifth-Grade Urban Learners in Science Learning: Exploring Earth's Layers Through Claim-Evidence-Explanation Argumentation Embedded in Relational Conceptual Change
  • Date: December 20, 2024
  • Time: 10:00 a.m.

Public Notice of Final Defense for Fall 2024

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Christina DeAngelis

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Megan Price

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Donald Lee

Doctor of Education Candidate: Johnnetta Bell

Doctor of Education Candidate: Christie Zablocki

Doctor of Education Candidate: Sharifa Harvey

Doctor of Education Candidate: Melanie Markwart

Public Notice of Final Defense for Spring/Summer 2024

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Susan Mattingly

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Lakenya Hill

  • Major: Counseling Psychology
  • Advisor: Dr. Francesca Pernice
  • Committee: Dr. Lucetry Dalton-Trusty, Dr. Jasmine Ulmer, Dr. Lauren Mims and Dr. Maria Muzik
  • Dissertation: "I'll Do It Myself" Exploring the Medical Experiences of Black Women During the Prenatal Period Using Sister Circles: A Case Study
  • Date: June 12, 2024
  • Time: 12:00 p.m.
  • Join Zoom Meeting: https://wayne-edu.zoom.us/j/8454788081?omn=93932463141&from=addon

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Michelle Renaud

  • Major: Kinesiology
  • Advisor: Dr. Jeanne Barcelona
  • Committee: Dr. Mariane Fahlman, Dr. Jasmine Ulmer and Dr. Amanda Leggett
  • Dissertation: Examining the Impact of Yoga and Mindfulness on Perceived Caregiver Stress and Burden
  • Date: June 5, 2024
  • Time: 11:00 a.m.
  • Join Zoom Meeting: https://wayne-edu.zoom.us/j/94793411114?pwd=SFNyQUdQWE1GSWhpTlFvMUczdjJ6QT09
    • Meeting ID: 947 9341 1114
    • Passcode: 554391

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Christine Pedder

  • Major: Kinesiology
  • Advisor: Dr. Jeanne Barcelona
  • Committee: Dr. Mariane Fahlman, Dr. Jasmine Ulmer and Dr. Erin Centeio
  • Dissertation: Sustaining Comprehensive Health and Wellness Initiatives in the Elementary School Setting
  • Date: June 4, 2024
  • Time: 10:00 a.m.
  • Join Zoom Meeting: https://wayne-edu.zoom.us/j/91069863037?pwd=SzNMWDI5QVozZ3hrcWpJd2dqTWJjdz09
    • Meeting ID: 910 6986 3037
    • Passcode: 618087

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Anthony Webster

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Liza Hinchey

  • Major: Counseling Psychology
  • Advisor: Dr. Francesca Pernice
  • Committee: Dr. Arash Javanbakht, Dr. Holly Feen-Calligan, Dr. Shannon Chavez-Korell and Dr. David Merolla
  • Dissertation: Not Small Men: A Study of Sex-Specific Dynamics in Cortisol Reactivity to Psychosocial Stress Following Trauma, and the Value of Subjectivity in Assessing Trauma-Related Neurobiology
  • Date: April 25, 2024
  • Time: 2:00 p.m.
  • Location: Faculty Lounge 423.3 Education Bldg.

Public Notice of Final Defense for Winter 2024

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: James Hearn

  • Major: Educational Studies
  • Advisor: Dr. Thomas Pedroni
  • Committee: Dr. Erica Edwards, Dr. Christopher Crowley and Dr. Jasmine Ulmer
  • Dissertation: Case Study: Culturally Responsive School Leadership Employed During a Massive School Merger/Consolidation in a Large Southeastern Michigan Urban School District During Austere Times
  • Date: March 22, 2024
  • Time: 2:30 p.m.
  • Location: 179 Education Bldg.

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Michelle Taylor

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Therese Marz

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Jawahir Alsawat

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Melinda Lanni

  • Major: Curriculum & Instruction
  • Advisor: Dr. Asli Ozgun-Koca
  • Committee: Dr. Thomas Edwards, Dr. Jennifer Lewis and Dr. Jasmine Ulmer
  • Dissertation: Lesson Study as a Form of Professional Development for Mathematics Faculty in Higher Education
  • Date: March 19, 2024
  • Time: 10:00 a.m.
  • Location: Faculty Lounge, 423.3 Education Bldg.

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Sara Mashat

  • Major: Educational Evaluation and Research
  • Advisor: Dr. Whitney Moore
  • Committee: Dr. Kevin Carroll, Dr. Jasmine Ulmer and Dr. Monte Piliawsky
  • Dissertation: Psychometric Properties of an Arabic Translated Vergin of the Adult Inventory of Procrastination Scale
  • Date: March 18, 2024
  • Time: 11:00 a.m.
  • Location: 357 Education Bldg.

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Fadhah Alasiri

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Franziska Loetzner

  • Major: Kinesiology
  • Advisor: Dr. Leah Ketcheson
  • Committee: Dr. Tamara Hew-Butler, Dr. Bo Shen, Dr. E. Andrew Pitchford and Dr. Theodoto Ressa
  • Dissertation: Health-Related Physical Fitness in Special Olympic Athletes and Unified Partners: An Examination into Health Profiles and Physical Activity During Elite Level Soccer Competition
  • Date: March 11, 2024
  • Time: 11:00 a.m.
  • Location: 106 Matthaei Building

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Anglesia Brown

Doctor of Education Candidate: Semaa Shlebah

Doctor of Education Candidate: Matthew Geoghegan

  • Major: Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
  • Advisor:Dr. Ben Pogodzinski
  • Committee: Dr. Erica Edwards and Dr. Christopher Crowley
  • Dissertation: Supporting on the Rise Pre-Service Teacher Mentors in Detroit Public Schools Community District
  • Date: February 7, 2024
  • Time: 11:00 a.m.
  • Location: 370 Education Bldg.

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Linda Yatooma

  • Major: Counseling
  • Advisor: Dr. Anita Welch
  • Committee: Dr. Shadin Atiyeh, Dr. Thomas Michalos, Dr. Francesca Pernice and Dr. Do-Hung Kim
  • Dissertation: Virtual Supervision Verse Face-to-Face Supervision and How it Impacts Self-Efficacy for Counselors-in-Training
  • Date: January 24, 2024
  • Time: 3;00 p.m.
  • Join Zoom Meeting: https://wayne-edu.zoom.us/j/5593162139?pwd=V3Z6emhERkVPN2R2dUpjVEkyNWZEQT09
    • Meeting ID: 559 316 2139
    • Passcode: 958560

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Marion Tate

  • Major: Curriculum & Instruction
  • Advisors: Dr. Navaz Bhavnagri and Dr. Kathryn Roberts
  • Committee: Dr. Sandra Gonzales, Dr. Min Yu and Dr. Diana Abouali
  • Dissertation: Social Interaction Styles Contributing to Ethnic Identity of Pakistani Immigrant Mother-Daughter Dyads in Virtual Museums
  • Date: December 19, 2023
  • Time: 2:30 p.m.
  • Join Zoom Meeting: https://wayne-edu.zoom.us/j/96793830666?pwd=U0p0M3IrR1ZzSUwybGpJeG0zblQ4Zz09

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Marisa Palance

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Lisa Westbrooks

  • Major: Curriculum & Instruction
  • Advisor: Dr. Sandra Gonzales
  • Committee: Dr. Christopher Crowley, Dr. Christina DeNicolo and Dr. Janice Hamlet
  • Dissertation: Recovering and Reclaiming Linguistic and Cultural Identities: Revealing Haints with Black Storytelling Tradition and Casting Them Out with Theatre of the Oppressed
  • Date: December 11, 2023
  • Time: 12:00 p.m.
  • Location: 423.3 Education Bldg.

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate: Charlene Jones

  • Major: Curriculum & Instruction
  • Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Lewis
  • Committee: Dr. Asli Koca, Dr. Carolyn Shields and Dr. Deborah Zopf
  • Dissertation: Effects of Place-Based Education Professional Development on Adapting Mathematics Lessons
  • Date: December 11, 2023
  • Time: 10:00 a.m.
  • Location:425 Education Bldg., Dean's Conference Rm.

Conduct of the Doctoral Dissertation Public Lecture Presentation and Defense

The Doctoral Dissertation Public Lecture Presentation and Defense has three phases: the public lecture presentation and defense; a private meeting of the dissertation committee with the candidate; and the evaluation of the candidate's performance by the dissertation committee, in the absence of the audience and the candidate.

The Public Lecture Presentation and Defense

In the public presentation and defense, the candidate is expected to share the results of his/her dissertation research with the audience and the dissertation committee. This lecture or presentation may vary in length depending on the circumstances or discipline. Its conduct shall be under the jurisdiction of the candidate's dissertation advisor, serving as the Graduate Examiner. At the end of this public lecture or presentation, the dissertation committee members, as well as members of the audience, are encouraged to direct to the candidate questions pertaining to the presentation or research.

The Dissertation Advisory Committee's Meeting with the Candidate

At the conclusion of the public presentation and defense, the dissertation committee members meet privately with the candidate to pose further questions about the candidate's research or to address issues related to the dissertation manuscript. The Graduate Examiner presides at this meeting.

The Evaluation of the Candidate's Performance

Following completion of the public presentation and defense and the private meeting of the candidate with the committee, the dissertation committee members, in the absence of the candidate and audience, discuss the candidate's performance and decide whether or not he/she has passed the defense. If the candidate will need to make extensive corrections to the manuscript (ones requiring more than ten days), he/she should not be passed. The Graduate Examiner chairs the discussion and communicates the result to the candidate.

Graduate Examiners

The Graduate Examiner is usually the major advisor and chair of the Committee. The doctoral candidate reserves the right to request from the Graduate Director of the College, the appointment of a Graduate Examiner. All such requests must be made in writing at least two weeks in advance of the final defense. A Graduate Examiner may also be appointed at the discretion of the Graduate Director of the College.

The Graduate Examiner is the presiding officer and is responsible for the conduct of the examination. The Dissertation Public Lecture Presentation and Defense may not be convened until all members of the Committee are present, nor may any committee member leave until the presentation is concluded. After the examination, the Graduate Examiner shall excuse the candidate until the committee has prepared its report. If the candidate has failed, the Graduate Examiner Graduate Examiner shall indicate to the candidate and to the Graduate Education Office (under "Recommendations") what additional work the candidate must do before a second examination is held. The second examination may not be held until at least one academic term had elapsed, but must be held within one calendar year following the first examination. Results of the second examination are considered final.

If during the Dissertation Public Lecture Presentation and Defense, any inappropriate incident occurs, or if any serious controversy between members of the Committee develops, or inappropriate informality is evident, the Graduate Examiner shall intervene, excuse the candidate, resolve the issue, and secure assent as to procedure before recalling the candidate and resuming the examination. If the issue cannot be resolved satisfactorily, the examination shall be recessed or postponed, and the problem referred to the Graduate Director of the College.