Radford University Doctor of Education students publish in prestigious academic journals
Two students in Radford University’s Doctor of Education program (Ed.D.) have written essays that will soon be published in prestigious peer-reviewed academic journals.
Courtney Browning and Kelly Huff, both of whom are part of the Ed.D. program’s first cohort, wrote their respective essays as a final project assignment while enrolled in Social and Cultural Foundations of Place-based Education (EDEF800), taught by Radford University Professor Theresa Burriss, Ph.D.
In the essays, “the two scholar-practitioners, who are public K-12 administrators, address the challenges of educating students as the pandemic hits and lace that narrative with their own personal struggles,” said Burriss, who teaches undergraduate and graduate multidisciplinary classes on Appalachia and place-based education and serves as the University’s director of Appalachian Studies and Academic Outreach for the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in Abingdon, Virginia.
“The publication of two of our Ed.D. students’ papers in reputable peer-reviewed national and international journals serves as testament to the quality of scholar/practitioners enrolled in the Radford University School of Teacher Education and Leadership’s first cohort,” Burriss continued. “As the professor of the place-based education class in which Courtney and Kelly penned their work, I am honored to be part of a dynamic and creative faculty group dedicated to graduating innovative education changemakers.”
Browning’s paper, “Journey into COVID 19: A Path of Reflection and Self Discovery,” will be published in the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) journal, “Impacting Education: Journal for Transforming Professional Practice.” Browning currently serves as an assistant principal in Buckingham County Public Schools.
Huff wrote “Space v. Place for Learning," which will be published in the international journal “Bulletin for the Transilvania University of Brasov,” which is located in Romania.
Huff, the regional director of Mountain Vista Governor's School in Warrenton, Virginia, said the applied experience and potential for career development is one reason she chose to enroll as part of the Radford University Ed.D. program’s first cohort.
“I am working toward improving my school as I earn my degree,” Huff said. “I can apply what I learn from the doctorate degree directly to my students, teachers, staff, parents and community.”
Radford University's Doctor of Education degree prepares practicing professional educators to fill positions as educational leaders at the district level in Virginia. Successful completion of the fully online program qualifies individuals who complete the program for licensure as a superintendent.
Administered by the College of Education and Human Development, this 63-credit hour program includes courses in educational foundations, educational leadership, applied research, field experiences and elective choices. The program is designed to be completed in three years as a part-time student.
“Students in Radford University’s Ed.D. program work to solve a complex problem of practice in their school or school division,” said Ed.D. program coordinator Brad Bizzell, Ph.D. “They begin this work as soon as they enter the program. It’s a testament to the program’s strength that two students in their first year have already had articles accepted for publishing describing their work to solve these problems while working on their doctoral degree, all in the midst of a pandemic.”
To learn more about Radford University's Doctor of Education degree program, contact Brad Bizzell, Ph.D., at 540-831-5140 or bbizzell@radford.edu.