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Nine doctoral students from the College of Education presented their research at the University Council for Educational Administration annual conference, held this November in Puerto Rico. 

The conference focused on education administration and leadership across PK–12 and higher education systems, said Assistant Professor Devery Rodgers, who led the group.

The student presenters included three members of Cohort 17 and six from Cohort 18 of the Educational Leadership program. To be accepted, each student submitted a six-page proposal aligned with the conference theme, Fostering Leadership, Resilience, Collaboration, and Community, and presented on an equity-related topic connected to their professional practice, Rodgers said.

The students also participated in research-focused sessions, engaged with scholars whose work they’d cited, and expanded their networks. A post-conference debrief allowed students to reflect on their experiences and better understand the role of conferencing as scholarly and professional development.

Presenting at a national research conference helps validate students’ work, strengthens their identity as scholars, and prepares them for professional careers through networking and exposure to current research, Rodgers said.

It also reflects positively on ������ when such a large group of its students present, Rodgers said. The strong showing highlights the university’s commitment to equity-focused research and graduate student engagement.

“The whole point of equity work is that you share it so other people can bring equitable practices to their own institutions,” Rodgers said.

������ presentations included:

• Robert Anthony, Factors to Enhance Black Male Students’ Sense of Belonging in K–12 Schools
• Rachelle McClendon-Alexander, Traci Ausby, and Devery Rodgers, Coalition-Building Through Affinity: A Case Study of Black Graduate Student Success
• Lauren Muñoz, Exploring How Early Childhood Educators with Adverse Childhood Experiences Foster Responsive Classrooms Through Transformational Healing
• Rachelle McClendon-Alexander, Beyond the PTA: Reimagining Black Parent Engagement
• Constance Nwanze, The Missing Variable: Leadership’s Impact on Math Outcomes in Juvenile Court Schools
• Douglas Brown, Leveraging Restorative Justice Within MTSS to Foster Leadership, Resilience, and Equity in Urban Schools
• Kim J. Thach, Understanding the Experiences of Teachers of Color
• Candi Marsh, Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number: Addressing Barriers for Foster Care Alumni in Higher Education
• Hilaleh Hamad, Invisible in Plain Sight: The Impact of Limited Arab American Children’s Literature on Student Identity