NEWS

Eleven students in Louisiana Tech University’s doctoral program in Educational Leadership have been chosen to present their research at the Mid-South Educational Research Association’s (MSERA) upcoming annual meeting.

“Throughout their doctoral programs, these students have worked to connect their coursework and research with practical application in our educational systems,” said Dr. Lindsey Keith-Vincent, Associate Dean for Research, Outreach, and Innovation in the College of Education. “Their presentations will show our region the strength of Louisiana Tech’s programs in Educational Leadership and how these current and future leaders will contribute positively to their institutions.”

Many of the presentations will allow the students to share their doctoral research and receive feedback that will be helpful as they proceed to the final stages of their academic programs.

“The various leadership-related projects demonstrate the research capacity of the doctoral candidates and their commitment to the success of the institutions they serve,” said Dr. Don Schillinger, Dean of the College of Education. “Our education leadership team is proud of the achievements of these students, and we’re very pleased about their acceptance as presenters at this prestigious research conference.”

Students selected to present their research are:

• Kane Allen of Choudrant, Associate Director of Recreation at Louisiana Tech. Her presentation is titled “Leadership Development in Collegiate Club Sports.”
• Kisha Brown of Bossier City, Gifted Education Teacher with the Bossier Parish School Board. Her presentation is titled “Examining Representation of Gifted Students in an Urban School District From the Lens of Social Capital Theory and Culturally Relevant Leadership.”
• Bethany Ferguson of Minden, Assistant Principal with the Bossier Parish School Board. Her presentation is titled “Impact of Instructional Leader Teams on Teacher-Leader Efficacy.”
• Rebecca Hamm of Rayville, Associate Professor at the University of Louisiana Monroe. Her presentation is titled “Development of a Rubric Using the Modified Delphi Methodology.”
• Lillian Holley of Bossier City, Special Education Director for Bossier Parish Schools. Her presentation is titled “School Leadership Initiatives and the Concerns-Based Adoption Model: Measuring the Process of Change to Promote Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity for English Language Learners and their Families.”
• Courtney Jarrell of Quitman, Executive Director of Innovation and Commercialization at Louisiana Tech University. Her presentation is titled “Institutional and Leadership Factors Associated with Generating Funding for Research.”
• Kasie Mainiero of Shreveport, Child Well-Being Specialist in Caddo Parish Schools. Her presentation is titled “Inviting and Inclusive Practices Through a Culture of Caring: Building Relationships in a Diverse Elementary School. Teacher and Student Perspectives in Forming Positive Relationships Based on Care and Equity from Leadership: A Retrospective, Auto-Ethnographic Case Study.”
• Alyson Perry of Haynesville, Principal at Homer Elementary School. Her presentation is titled “How Critical Incidents Shape School Leaders’ Knowledge and Dispositions to Become More Effective Leaders in Inclusive Settings.”
• Joseph Rossum of Shreveport, Teacher at Woodlawn Leadership Academy. His presentation is titled “Advancing Social Justice Leadership in K-12 Public Education.”
• Christopher H. Smith of Lake Providence, Principal at Griffin Middle Academy. His presentation is titled “Charter School Leadership Practices in the Context of an All-Charter System: A Quantitative Descriptive Study of Post-Katrina New Orleans Academic Performance.”
• Tonya Oaks Smith of Choudrant, Executive Director of University Communication and Marketing at Louisiana Tech University. Her presentation is titled “Guiding Organizations Through Transformational Change and Crisis.”

The MSERA event will be held in November in Little Rock, Arkansas.