Webster University EdD Program Presents at CPED Convening

Pictured: Front row: Kerri Fair, Chavon Curry 
Back row: Tamara Rodney, Yin Lam Lee-Johnson, Jennifer Ono 

Webster University’s Doctor of Education (EdD) program presented four papers at the peer-reviewed and highly selective Carnegie Project on Education Doctorate (CPED) Convening 2023, held in Florida, from Oct. 4-6. Webster’s EdD program recently joined the CPED as an institutional member after going through a rigorous review process. Last year, Webster was an explorer member.  

“We are very excited about joining CPED as an institutional member after a highly selective application process,” said Yin Lam Lee-Johnson, director of Webster’s EdD program. “CPED offers state-of-the-art journal, convention, webinar, and networking resources for research and practice. Most importantly, it sets apart the definitions and expectations of an EdD from a PhD.” 

CPED is an international consortium with over 135 graduate schools of education which offer a doctorate in education. It launched in 2007 with 25 member institutions and funding from the Carnegie Foundation, with a goal to transform the professional identity of the doctorate in education (EdD) degree and its impact in both scholarship and practice.  

During the CPED Convening, Lee-Johnson, Tamara Rodney, Jennifer Ono, Chavon Curry, and Kerri Fair led a presentation which explored creative modalities for representing doctoral research in digitalized platforms, called “Alternative Dissertation Collaborative: Possibilities and Challenges for Completing the EdD Without Dissertations.” After the session, the presenters received an invitation to submit their corresponding paper to a journal. 

Lee-Johnson, Fair, Rodney, Ono, and Curry presented their researcher positionalities and reflexivity when designing qualitative research, based on a paper titled, "Reflexivity for Restorying the Ontological and Epistemological Truths in Qualitative Research.” The paper was recently published in CPED journal’s themed issue, Reimagining Research Methods Coursework for the Preparation of Scholar-Practitioners (II). 

The most popular session led by the EdD group from Webster was “Can ChatGPT Write Dissertations? Collaborative Review of Quality and Ethics,” authored and presented by Lee-Johnson, Rodney, Ono, and Curry. This presentation attracted an audience so large that there was standing room only.  

Curry was invited to present her dissertation project, “Leading Through Trauma: An Exploration of Social-Emotional Leadership Practices that Optimize Effectiveness in PK-12 Urban School Leaders,” at the Convening. Her topic generated thoughtful questions and overall interest from attendees. 

Webster University’s EdD program strives to create scholar-practitioners who are prepared to challenge the critical issues facing today’s educators. The program seeks to inspire a passion in educators to make a difference through scholarship, practice, and service.  

Learn more about the EdD program at: www.webster.edu/education/academics/doctor-of-education.