This past Saturday, March 4, 130 plus student, faculty, and alumni in the Ed.D. Leadership and the Doctorate in Business Administration programs, participating in both face-to-face and online modalities, took part in a symposium celebrating doctoral scholarship. The day included a variety of workshops, research proposal poster presentations, and inspiring and informational breakouts where students and later faculty presented their research.
All aspects of the symposium were designed with intention of building connections within the community, providing feedback and support in the research, and showcasing the variety and depth of the doctoral research our students are conducting, combining theory, practice, and making positive change in our communities and world. Among the topics shared were studies on Educational Values Ecosystem Services and its Impact on Carbon Footprint in Peru, (Jose Canchaya et al) Use of Knowledge Regarding Adverse Childhood Experiences to Implement a System of Identifying and Supporting Elementary Students Who Experience Trauma (Ashley Sinnen) Efficacy of Servant Leadership on Team Effectiveness (Jason Weber), Gender Equality and Mainstreaming (Arhyel Ngada).
We celebrated the award of the first graduate-level Noyce Grant at Saint Mary’s to Kelsey Philipsek, a student in the MAT program. The Joseph Moss Memorial Scholarship in honor of an Ed.D. student who tragically passed away while in the program was also announced. The Moss Scholarship will be awarded to an Ed.D. students annually to support their learning and research.
The highlight of the day was a panel of alumni and current students who served as the day’s keynote. The panelists explored the value of a doctoral degree in terms of real-life applications, asking better questions, being heard, and challenging the status quo. They stressed also how these programs are propelling them forward to be ethical leaders in their professions.
By Jack McClure
