Elementary Education major Ashley Solar (left), now a senior, taught in Baylor SOE’s Math for Early Learners Academy, held at La Vega Primary School during the summer school session.
After a 2020 hiatus due to COVID, Baylor University’s Mathematics for Early Learners Academy (MELA), sponsored by the Baylor School of Education (SOE), returned for the summer of 2021. The program, which has helped young students ages 4-6 to achieve or exceed grade level in early math skills and number fluency, also began pilot testing its new curriculum and assessments.
The summer program, designed for students entering PreK or kindergarten and directed by Sandi Cooper, Ph.D., professor of mathematics education, aims to establish a solid foundation in “number sense,” especially for students who have been identified as struggling in mathematics.
Baylor School of Education associate professor Dr. Rishi Sriram has been selected as editor of the Journal of the First-Year Experience & Students in Transition, a semiannual academic journal publishing research about the first year of college and other student transition experiences, such as transferring colleges. Sriram’s appointment is for a renewable three-year term, which began July 1, 2021.
As a researcher in this field, Sriram said he is fascinated by the outsized role that the college experience can play in a person’s life. “Colleges and universities can have a positive or detrimental effect through their policies, programs, places, and people,” he said. “Research in the field can equip institutions to understand and implement programs that are most conducive to helping college students flourish.”
The peer-reviewed journal seeks to blend research and practice in higher education, intentionally catering to two audiences — academic researchers studying higher education and also practitioners who are “living on the front lines” as administrators on college campuses. Continue Reading →
The SOE autism research team in the BRIC MiraColt lab (l-r): Ashley Allison, Ryan Coleman, Alex Plank, and Dr. Julie Ivey.
A team of Baylor School of Education autism researchers is helping evaluate the effectiveness of a Baylor-invented mechanical horse that is designed to treat children with autism. A Baylor interdisciplinary team received a grant of nearly $600,000 from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to study the effectiveness of the MiraColt, a mechanical device that simulates the motion of horseback riding.
Dr. Julie Ivey, Associate Professor of Educational Psychology, is a co-investigator and is leading an SOE research team that includes one Ph.D. level School Psychology student, Ryan Coleman, and two Ed.S. level School Psychology students, Ashley Allison and Alex Plank.
The team is currently recruiting children ages 6-12 to participate in the project to measure the effects of riding the MiraColt, an invention patented by Baylor mechanical engineering Associate Professor Dr. Brian Garner. Through Baylor’s Lab To Market Collaborative, Garner formed Chariot Innovations, LLC, to develop and market the product. Continue Reading →
The spring 2021 issue of Baylor Impact newsletter is now online and in the mail to alumni. If you do not receive a newsletter in the mail soon, please let us know by emailing BaylorImpact@baylor.edu. To make sure you don’t miss any future communications, you can also update your information online at this link: Update Your Information
The Spring Impact issue features the work of faculty, students, and alumni who are making a difference through education. This issue is notable for the number of award-winning faculty and students we are celebrating — people you’ll want to know about!
Read about exciting and impactful new grants helping children with developmental disabilities like autism and their families and teachers, new leaders in K12 education, national professional roles for faculty, and so much more!
Great news includes:
• The cover story shares the work of Dr. Stephanie Gerow, who has received a prestigious national grant to design a system to help agencies provide effective behavior interventions for children with developmental disabilities.
• SOE faculty members received three of the university’s Outstanding Faculty accolades this spring.
• Dr. Trena Wilkerson is serving is a significant national role as president of NCTM, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, working to bring equity in math education.
Maryann Hebda, a PhD student in the Department of Educational Psychology focusing on Gifted and Talented Education, received first place in the Non-Doctoral Completed Research Award from the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) at the fall 2020 Research Gala, part of the NAGC annual conference.
Hebda began her PhD program last summer and was encouraged by Dr. Todd Kettler, associate professor of Educational Psychology, to begin research and academic writing prior to starting the program. Her paper, titled Comparing Identification of Gifted and Talented Students in Two States with Different Policy Mandates to Identify, examined public record data to compare populations within gifted and talented programs between two states with different student-identification mandates. Continue Reading →
Dr. Laila Sanguras, a lecturer in the School of Education’s Department of Curriculum & Instruction, received the Baylor University Outstanding Faculty Award for Teaching / Non-Tenure Track. Sanguras teaches primarily in the EdD Online in Learning and Organizational Change. While carrying a full teaching load, Sanguras also mentors students, directs dissertation projects, and takes the lead in revising course sequences and in developing new initiatives.
“Dr. Sanguras’s student evaluations are consistently strong,” said Dr. Brooke Blevins, Associate Professor, department chair, and Conwell G. Strickland Endowed Chair. “Students frequently comment on the thorough and meaningful feedback provided by Dr. Sanguras . . . and how genuine and engaging Dr. Sanguras is during live sessions of the course and how she takes the time to get to know each student.” Students also describe her as “firm but fair,” Blevins said. Sanguras’ areas of teaching include educational evaluation and mixed methods research. Continue Reading →
Dr. Stephanie Gerow, Assistant Professor in the School of Education’s Department of Educational Psychology, received the Baylor Outstanding Faculty Award for Research / Tenure-Track Faculty. Gerow has earned $1.8 million in competitive grant awards and received the Early Career Award from the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES).
Gerow’s research explores interventions for children with autism and other developmental disabilities, addressing problem behaviors and teaching intervention strategies to parents and teachers to improve educational and social outcomes for children. Her external grant awards have funded five PhD students and a post-doctoral fellow. With 30 publications since 2015, she has involved 12 SOE students as co-authors on scholarly publications and presentations.
SOE Dean Dr. Shanna Hagan-Burke said Gerow’s professional accomplishments and service exemplify Baylor’s high standards. “Her service and outreach to children with disabilities and their families — particularly those who have limited access or means to support — reflect the intersection of her Christian commitment, her gifts of helping others, and her professional expertise,” Hagan-Burke said. She also noted that Gerow’s research citation levels surpass those of other assistant professors in the nation’s top ranked psychology programs, using metrics from Holosko & Barner’s analysis of research productivity. Hagan-Burke said Gerow’s research is both needed and consequential. Continue Reading →
April 28, 2021
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Dr. Ryann Shelton, PhD ’20, was recognized by the School Science and Mathematics Association (SSMA) with the SSMA Dissertation Award at the virtual convention this past fall.
Shelton was nominated for the award by her mentor and dissertation chair, Dr. Trena Wilkerson, Professor of Mathematics Education in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction.
The purpose of Shelton’s study was to examine the practices of mathematics teacher educators (MTEs) — in this case, university and college instructors who prepare future mathematics teachers, specifically those who will teach in grades 9-12 — and how they design curriculum and plan for teaching content within a secondary mathematics methods course. She examined course content through the lens of the Mathematics Teaching Practices described by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) 2014 publication, Principles to Actions: Ensuring Mathematical Success for All. The dissertation was titled “An Examination of Designing and Planning for the Teaching of Secondary Mathematics Methods Courses through the Lens of Mathematics Teaching Practices: A Multiple Case Study.” Continue Reading →
April 15, 2021
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Baylor SOE Alumni Week video “The Heart of a Baylor Educator” features (l-r) Dr. Shanna Hagan-Burke, Dr. Brooke Blevins, Dr. Tonya Davis, Dr. Jon Eckert
Baylor School of Education is celebrating Alumni Week and Giving Day this week. The SOE’s “Lunch & Learn” video for Alumni Week is available on demand now at this link:
Dr. Brooke Blevins, chair of Curriculum & Instruction
Dr. Tonya Davis, professor of Educational Psychology
Dr. Jon Eckert, professor of Educational Leadership
During Giving Day on April 14, the School of Education reached its goal of 100 donors, unlocking a challenge gift from Bobby Nail, 1976 graduate of Baylor School of Education. The challenge gift provides $20,000 in student scholarship funds, in addition to the $5,825 raised from 111 gifts on Giving Day.
Baylor School of Education PhD student Marie Kirkpatrick
Baylor School of Education doctoral student Marie Kirkpatrick has received recognition from the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and the Organization for Autism Research (OAR) for her research related to autism.
CEC chose Kirkpatrick as an Outstanding Scholar to join the Division for Research Doctoral Student Scholars Cohort 13. Students are selected through an internationally competitive review process based on proposals and nominations. Kirkpatrick was nominated by Dr. Jessica Akers, her mentor and an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, specializing in Applied Behavior Analysis.
The CEC program provides professional development and networking for advanced doctoral students who are conducting research in special education. Kirkpatrick said the program has provided guidance in publishing articles, collaborating within Baylor and across universities, obtaining grant funding, and mentoring and advising students.
The Organization for Autism Research (OAR) awarded Kirkpatrick a grant of $1,730 for her doctoral dissertation research. A record number of proposals was reviewed by the OAR Scientific Council, a panel of experts, and awarded based on alignment with OAR’s research priorities, methodological soundness, and relevance for those affected by autism. Continue Reading →
