Doctor of Education Program Invited to Present at the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate Webinar

Two candidates from Webster’s Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) program, a program graduate, and the program director were invited to present at the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) webinar, upon having a successful presentation at the CPED Convening 2022. 
 
The webinar, titled “Transforming Ed.D. with Equity-Centered Scholarship and Practice: A Dissertation Showcase,” featured an overview of the program’s history and showcased dissertation projects that foregrounded equity-centeredness. 
 
Yin Lam Lee-Johnson, Webster’s director of Ed.D., first gave an overview of the program’s history, ethos, mission, and a review of the definition of equity-centeredness. Trezette Dixon, a recent graduate of the program, spoke on identifying and addressing systemic barriers and promoting equitable internship access for all students while amplifying the voices of underrepresented scholars. 
 
Current doctoral candidate Tamara Rodney spoke about the effects of white epistemology on the educational experiences of Black/African American students in predominantly white spaces. Rodney selected the topic with the hope of making an impact.  
 
“My dissertation seeks to uplift my own humanity, proclaiming loudly that people who look like me are human and that African America knowledge/Black knowledge is valid and legitimate knowledge,” said Rodney. 
 
Jennifer Ono, another current doctoral candidate, presented her dissertation about linguistic equity. She focused on how to provide support to children who speak a different language at home than at school. Ono specifically outlined strategies for teachers to utilize that support the retention of home languages. When asked about why she chose this topic, Ono cited personal experience.  

"My own children grew up speaking Hawaiian Pidgin and when we moved to an educational system where teachers are not trained to work with diverse students with diverse languages, my children lost their home language," explained Ono. "The impact that I hope will happen [as a result of the dissertation] is continued educational resources and training for teachers to support children that speak a variety of languages and dialects."
 
In reflecting on the Webinar, Lee-Johnson expressed gratitude – not only that she had the opportunity to speak, but that her students, current and former, had a chance to present.  
 
“The CPED Webinar offered a unique opportunity for our doctoral students to present their dissertations to a professional audience. It attests to the academic rigor of our program and reaffirms our commitment to equity-centered research and practice,” said Lee-Johnson. 

Yin Lam Lee-Johnson 
Yin Lam (Nicole) Lee-Johnson, Ph.D., is director of the Ed.D. program at Webster University and a member of the School of Education Leadership Council. As a first-generation immigrant in the U.S., Lee-Johnson’s mission is to advocate for the rights of marginalized populations via research, teaching, and service.

 

Trezette Dixon 
Trezette Dixon completed her Ed.D. in Transformative Learning in a Global Community at Webster University. Her doctoral research is a qualitative study examining how the experiences of African American undergraduate students at a predominately white institution (PWI) influence their decision on whether to participate in an academic internship.  

Tamara K. Rodney  
Tamara Rodney is an Ed.D. student and doctoral candidate at Webster University with an emphasis in Transformative Learning in the Global Community. Rodney has worked as a high school English teacher for 18+ years and as an adjunct faculty member at Webster University since 2011. Rodney’s work examines the implications of unnamed whiteness and white epistemology on research and studies about the performance of students of color in academic spaces, whether those spaces are predominantly white institutions or otherwise.  

Jennifer Ono 
Jennifer Ono is an Ed.D. student and doctoral candidate at Webster University with an emphasis in Transformative Learning in the Global Community. She has been an educator for 30+ years working with children and adults. Her educational research interests include the impact of a culturally responsive teaching curriculum, the best methods for supporting social justice in the elementary setting, and how to provide equity for children who speak non-identified languages.  

To learn more about Webster University’s Doctor of Education program, visit www.webster.edu/education/academics/doctor-of-education.