Student Dissertations

The dissertations below were written by Lifelong Learning and Adult Education Students.

2021

Doctoral Graduates Dissertations

Spring 2021

Tabitha Stickel

Stories of Belonging: Western Apache Student Experiences in an Adult Basic and Vocational Education Program.

Chair: Esther Susana Prins

Campus: University Park

Collen Elizabeth Unroe

Social Movement Learning About Just Transition in Central Appalachia.

Chair: John Holst / Rebecca Tarlau

Campus: University Park

2020

Doctoral Graduates Dissertations

Spring 2020

Shannon Frey, Ph.D.

Success in Learning, Literacy, and Life: Views of Adult Basic Education Students and Federal Policy.

Chair: Esther Susana Prins

Campus: University Park

Erin Long, Ph.D.

An Exploration of Factors Associated with Student Activity in a Massive Open Online Course.

Chair: David Lynn Passmore

Campus: University Park

Carol Rogers-Shaw, Ph.D.

Performing Disability: An Autoethnography of Persevering and Becoming.

Chair: Adnan Qayyum

Campus: University Park

Xiaoqiao Zhang, Ph.D.

Comparing Two Generations of Chinese International Students Studying in the United States

Chair: Adnan Qayyum / Craig A. Campbell

Campus: University Park

Fall 2020

Jinhee Choi, Ph.D.

Learning through work: How North Korean migrants learn to interact, manage emotions, and develop coping strategies at social enterprises in South Korea.

Chair: Esther Susana Prins

Campus: University Park

2019

Doctoral Graduates Dissertations

Spring 2019

Pei Wei Lee, Ph.D.
Using Social Media to Access and Support Informal Learning in Museums of Taiwan and the U.S.
Chair: Ladislaus M. Samali
Campus: University Park

2018

Doctoral Graduates Dissertations

Fall 2018

Nakita Dolet, Ph.D.
A Phenomenological Study of Adult Learners Navigating the College Application Process
Chair: Craig Campbell
Campus: University Park

Joshua Eric Long, Ph.D.
Sustained Adult Community Band Participation: Influences and Emotions of Music Making
Chair: Esther Prins
Campus: University Park

Anne Odele, Ph.D.
MEANING, USES, AND OUTCOMES OF ADULT LITERACY IN A FUNCTIONAL ADULT LITERACY PROGRAM IN UGANDA
Chair: Esther Prins
Campus: University Park

2017

Doctoral Graduates Dissertations

Spring 2017

Sylvia A. Owiny, Ph.D.
Adult Education as a Strategy to Engage People-Centered Social Development in Uganda and Tanzania
Chair: Landislaus M. Semali
Campus: University Park

Jinjie Wang, Ph.D.
Exchange Teachers' Professional Development and how their Experiences in the USA and China Influence their Global Teacher Identity
Chair: Landislaus M. Semali
Campus: University Park

Summer 2017

Annette Hestres, Ph.D.
Learning Experiences of LGBQ Latina, Chicana, and Puerto Rican Faculty Members in Higher Education Institutions in the United States and Puerto Rico
Chair: Fred Schied
Campus: University Park

Thomas Kammerling, Ph.D.
The Intersectionality of Race, Gender, and Age in Developmental Mathematics
Chair: Adnan A. Qayyum
Campus: University Park

Allyson Krupar, Ph.D.
Women's Empowerment and Forced Migration: A Visual Ethnography of Experiences in NGO-Sponsored Adult Education Programs in DADAAB, Kenya
Chair: Esther Prins
Campus: University Park

Fall 2017

Thomas Spencer, Ph.D.
Multi-Site Empirical Study of International Student Adjustment
Chair: Esther S. Prins
Campus: University Park

Keon Liberato, Ph.D.
Organizing In The Working-Class: Contradictions, Learning & The Making of Left Organizers
Chair: Fred M. Schied
Campus: University Park

2016

Doctoral Graduates Dissertations

Spring 2016

Courtney Karmelita, D Ed
Exploring Adult Learners' Experiences Transitioning to Higher Education
Chair:Adnan Qayyum
Campus:University Park

Amy Thul-Sigler, D Ed
The Effects of Career Interventions on the career Uncertainty of Adults
Chair: Davin Carr-Chellman
Campus: University Park

Edith Gnanadass, Ph.D
Perpetual Outsiders?: Learning Race in the South Asian American Experience

Chair: Fred Schied
Campus: University Park

Elizabeth S. Shakespeare, Ph.D
How Female Faculty Negotiate the Tensions between Personal Aspirations and Socio-culturally Based Expectations in Academia
Chair: Ladislaus M. Semali
Campus: University Park

Jonathan W. Wrigglesworth, Ph.D
Chasing Desires and Meeting Needs: Filipinas in South Korea, Mobile Phones, Social Networks, Social Support and Informal Learning
Chair: Susan Land
Campus: University Park

SUMMER 2016

Michelle L. Covert, Ph.D
Negotiating Contradictions: Rural Student-Mothers and Online Learning
Chair: Davin Carr-Chellman
Campus: University Park

Patricia Holland Webb, Ph.D
Bearing Witness: Informal Learning Among Critical Care Nurses in the Context of Traumatic Suffering
Chair: Fred Schied
Campus: University Park

Scott James Sheely, D. Ed
Knowledge Production and Transmission in an Agricultural Industry Cluster: The Poultry Business in South Central Pennsylvania
Chair: Fred Schied
Campus: University Park

FALL 2016

Christos Anagiotos, Ph.D.
Learning Ethno-National Identity in Areas of Conflick: A Comparative Narrative Analysis of Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot Young Adults
Chair: Fred Schied
Campus: University Park

Adelina G. Hvistova Ph.D.
Gendered of Mobile Phone Usage: The Case of a Group of Romani Women from Southwestern Bulgaria and their Informal Learning
Chair: Fred Schied
Campus: University Park

Hyewon Park Ph.D.
Learning Lives of Young Adult North Korean Defectors: Identity Reconstruction Within Everyday Life
Chair: Fred Schied
Campus: University Park

2015

Doctoral Graduates Dissertations

Spring 2015

Robert J. Freer, Ph.D
A Comparative Study of Health Literacy and how Rural Communities Understand Hypertension Information in Uganda and Tanzania
Chair: Ladislaus M. Semali
Campus: University Park

Jeremiah Gee, Ph.D
Here and Back Again: Community Reentry from a Rural Country Jail as a Learning Experience
Chair: Melody Thompson
Campus: University Park

Lorna R. Kearns, Ph. D
The Experience of Teaching Online: It’s Impact on Faculty Professional Development and Innovation
Chair: Melody M. Thompson
Campus: University Park

Fall 2015

Ramazan Gungor, Ph.D
Social Support among Women in Adult Literacy Classrooms: The Case of the Mother Child Education Foundation (ACEV) in Turkey
Chair: Esther S. Prins and David Post
Campus: University Park

Angela J. Mooney, Ph.D
(Un)intended Outcomes of the Common Core English Language Arts Standards: A Narrative Inquiry into the Learning Experience of English Learners’ Teachers
Chair: Esther S. Prins
Campus: University Park

2014

Doctoral Graduates Dissertations

Doctoral Graduates Dissertations

Spring 2013

Janet De Rosa, D.Ed
Mexican American adults in higher education
Chair: Elizabeth Tisdell
Campus: Harrisburg

J Paul Rutter III, D.Ed
Obstacles to Funding Higher Education for Adults: An Analysis of Selected Pennsylvania Voters
Chair: Fred Schied
Campus: University Park

Kyoung Phi Joo, Ph.D
Resistance among Alienated Adult Students in Korea National Open University: A Cultural-Historical Activity Theory Analysis of Contradictions in Distance Higher Education
Chair: Fred M. Schied
Campus: University Park

Summer 2013

Joanna Lyons, D.Ed
Attitudes, Beliefs, and Norms of Adult Research Participants as a Basis for Outreach Education Programming
Chair: Melody Thompson
Campus: University Park

Fall 2013

Sinwoong Park, Ph.D
From Social Motives to Spiritual Development: A Cultural Historical, Activity Theory Analysis of Communal Spiritual Development in a Korean, American House Church
Chair: Gary W. Kuhne
Campus: University Park

Lisa Bailey-Davis, D Ed
Learning and Engagement in the Local Food Movement
Chair: Edward W. Taylor
Campus: Harrisburg

Elana Betts, D Ed
Fostering LGBTQ Advocacy in School Psychology as Adult Education: Shaping Attitudes, Beliefs, and Perceived Control
Chair: Elizabeth Tisdell
Campus: Harrisburg

Carrie Pucino, D Ed
Understanding the Transformation of Compassion in Nurses Who Become Patients
Chair: Edward W. Taylor
Campus: Harrisburg

Rebecca Stametz, D Ed
Bringing the Adult Learning-Experience of Successful Weight Loss Maintenance into Focus: A Narrative Analysis with Implications for Educators and Clinicians
Chair: Robin Redmond-Wright
Campus: Harrisburg

2012

Doctoral Graduates Dissertations

Spring 2012

Carolyn Callaghan, D.Ed.
Culturally Diverse Cohorts: The Exploration of Learning in Context and Community
Chair: Edward Taylor
Campus: Harrisburg

Brenda Firestone, D.Ed.
Engineers' Perceptions of Diversity and the Learning Environment at Work: A Mixed Methods Study
Chair: Elizabeth Tisdell
Campus: Harrisburg

Kirk Fleming, D.Ed.
The Agony and Ecstasy of Workplace Creativity: A Qualitative Study of How Facilitators View Affect in Helping Adults Learn Creativity
Chair: Edward Taylor
Campus: Harrisburg

Lorie Kramer, D.Ed.
The Role of Relationships between Adults and their Canine Companions: The Impact on Personal Growth and Well-Being
Chair: Patricia Cranton
Campus: Harrisburg

Michael Sauer, D.Ed.
Storytelling by Adults Diagnosed with Terminal Illness: Narrative Identifying through Dialogical Research
Co-chairs: Elizabeth Tisdell and Patricia Cranton
Campus: Harrisburg

Melissa Snyder, D.Ed.
Reconnecting with Your Passion: An Action Research Study Exploring Humanities and Professional Nursing
Chair: Edward Taylor
Campus: Harrisburg

Jennifer Tobin, D.Ed.
Embodied Learning and Creative Writing: An Action Research Study
Chair: Elizabeth Tisdell
Campus: Harrisburg

Melissa Ventresca
Understanding the Role of Storytelling in the Transformation of Female Cocaine Addicts in Narcotics Anonymous
Chair: Patricia Cranton
Campus: Harrisburg

Rahima Williams, D.Ed.
Media and the Construction of Arab-American Women's Identity
Chair: Elizabeth Tisdell
Campus: Harrisburg

Ana Zorrilla, D.Ed.
More than Meets the Eye: Adult Education for Critical Consciousness in Luis Camnitzer's Art
Chair: Elizabeth Tisdell
Campus: Harrisburg

Summer 2012

Brendaly Drayton, Ph.D.
Literacy and identity: Reflections of Six African American Males in an Adult Literacy Program
Chair: Esther Prins
Campus: University Park

Angela Eiffert, D.Ed.
A Globetrotting Pilgrimage: An Exploration of Spiritual Growth and the Development of Intercultural Competence
Chair: Edward Taylor
Campus: Harrisburg

Patricia Fickes, D.Ed.
A Community of Practice: Crafts Persons' Learning in Old Bedford Village
Chair: Fred Schied
Campus: University Park

Sandra Lee Karnes, D.Ed.
Surviving Job Loss: Motivation Among Second Year Trade Adjustment Assistance(taa)students
Chair: Fred Schied
Campus: University Park

Junghwan Kim, Ph.D.
Learning for Social Justice: A Cultural Historical Activity Theory Analysis of Community Leadership Empowerment in a Korean-American Community Organization
Chair: Fred Schied
Campus: University Park

Fall 2012

Irma Hunt, D.Ed.
Visual Arts and Older Adult Learners in Retirement
Chair: Edward Taylor
Campus: Harrisburg

Keiwana Jones, D.Ed.
Black Greek-letter Organizations: A Legacy of African American Adult
Chair: Esther Prins
Campus: University Park

Alfred Siha, D.Ed.
"Imagining the Moon": Critical Pedagogy, Discourse Tensions, and the Adult Basic Writing Classroom
Chair: Elizabeth Tisdell
Campus: Harrisburg

David Tanis, D.Ed.
Exploring Play/playfulness and Learning in the Adult and Higher Education Classroom
Chair: Edward Taylor
Campus: Harrisburg

2011

Doctoral Graduates Dissertations

Spring 2011

Davin J. Carr-Chellman, Ph.D.
Ethical Becoming: Adult Ethical Development in Christian Congregations
Chair: Fred M. Schied
Campus: University Park

William C. Diehl, Ph.D.
Learning at the Back Door: Charles A. Wedemeyer and the Evolution of Open and Distance Education
Co-Chairs: Michael G. Moore; Gary W. Kuhne
Campus: University Park

Jodi L. Turner Jarecke, D.Ed.
Teacher-Learner Relationships in Medical Education: A Mixed Methods Study of the Third-Year Experience
Chair: Edward W. Taylor
Campus: Harrisburg

Andrew J. Knisely, D.Ed.
A Exploration of the Spiritual Development of Burkinabé and Christian and Missionary Alliance Pastors: A Mixed Methods Study in Adult Education
Chair: Elizabeth J. Tisdell
Campus: Harrisburg

Stacy Lynn Lutter, D.Ed.
An Exploration of Registered Nurses’ Intentions to Leave the Profession: A Qualitative Study
Chair: Elizabeth Tisdell
Campus: Harrisburg

Carol McQuiggan, D.Ed.
Preparing to Teach Online as Transformative Faculty Development
Chair: Patricia Cranton
Campus: Harrisburg

Kirk A. Moll, D.Ed.
Theological Education in Action: Adult Learning about Race in the Student Interracial Ministry of Union Theological Seminary, 1960-1968
Chair: Elizabeth J. Tisdell
Campus: Harrisburg

Paula M. Plageman, D.Ed.
Adult Women in Higher Education: The Perceived Influence of Families
Chair: Edward W. Taylor
Campus: Harrisburg

Janice E. Smith, D.Ed.
The Meanings of Teaching from the Perspective of Exemplary and Experienced Teachers
Chair: Patricia Cranton
Campus: Harrisburg

Summer 2011

Dina Hayduk, D.Ed.
Using Transformative Learning as a Framework to Explore Women and Running
Chair: Patricia Cranton
Campus: Harrisburg

Kyoung Hwa Lee, Ph.D.
Understanding Critical Reflection as Informal Learning: A Cultural Historical Activity Theory Analysis of Factory Workers in Korea
Chair: Fred M. Schied
Campus: University Park

Diane S. Thompson, D.Ed.
No More a Stranger: The Development of Academic Literacy in Adult English Language Learners in Community College
Chair: Edward W. Taylor
Campus: Harrisburg

Matthew W. Turley, D.Ed.
Friends of Bill W.: The Stories of How Eight Men Found “A New Pair of Glasses” Through Transformational Learning
Co-Chairs: Patricia Cranton; Elizabeth J. Tisdell
Campus: Harrisburg

Rebecca A. Weiler-Timmins, D.Ed.
Authenticity and Lesbian Health Educators
Chair: Patricia Cranton
Campus: Harrisburg

Nancy Zimmerman, D.Ed.
Who is the self that teaches? Perspectives of faculty as they learn to teach Spanish as a heritage language
Chair: Patricia Cranton
Campus: Harrisburg

2010

Doctoral Graduates Dissertations

Spring 2010

Kathleen A. Clemente, D.Ed.
Experiences of Adult Students in Multi-generational Classrooms
Co-Chairs: Elizabeth J. Tisdell; Patricia Thompson
Campus: Harrisburg

Amanda C. Neill, D.Ed.
Museum Docents’ Understanding of Interpretation
Chair: Edward W. Taylor
Campus: Harrisburg

James T. Spaulding, D.Ed.
The Effects of Experiential Learning With Playfulness in the Adult Education Classroom
Chair: Patricia Cranton
Campus: Harrisburg

Barbara E. Varner, D.Ed.
An Exploration of how Women Probation and Parole Officers Learn to Negotiate Power and Interest in the Criminal Justice System
Chair: Elizabeth J. Tisdell
Campus: Harrisburg

Summer 2010

Ho-Yuan Chen, Ph.D.
A Study of Older Adult Students’ Satisfaction With Web-Based Distance Learning at the National Open University of Taiwan
Co-Chairs: Michael G. Moore; Melody M. Thompson
Campus: University Park

Joann S. Olson, Ph.D.
Chasing a Passion: The Early-Career Lived Experience of First-Generation College Graduates
Chair: Fred M. Schied
Campus: University Park

Hyungmin Park, Ph.D.
The Migrant Experiences of Myanmarese Male Social Activists in South Korea: A Cultural-Historical Activity Theory Analysis
Chair: Fred M. Schied
Campus: University Park

Susan L. Snider, D. Ed.
The Lived Experiences of GED Students: What Do Their Experiences Tell Us?
Chair: Gary W. Kuhne
Campus: University Park

Ozlem Zabitgil, Ph.D.
The Poetry of Turkish Village Institute-Educated Poets: Social Commentary on a Developing Nation
Chair: Melody M. Thompson
Campus: University Park

Fall 2010

Hyunmin Lim, Ph.D.
Learning and Social Process of Aging Among Korean Older Married Women: The Cultural-Historical Activity Theory Analysis
Chair: Fred M. Schied
Campus: University Park

Donna Ayers Snelson, D.Ed.
Stories of Exemplary Hospital Registered Nurses: A Narrative Analysis
Chair: Patricia Cranton
Campus: Harrisburg

Karin Millard Sprow, D.Ed.
Adult Financial Literacy Education and Latina Learners: A Qualitative Case Study
Chair: Elizabeth J. Tisdell
Campus: Harrisburg

Blaire Willson Toso, Ph.D.
Latina Mothers' Enactments of Agency: Achieving Desires through Discourses in Family Literacy
Chair: Esther S. Prins
Campus: University Park

2009

Doctoral Graduates Dissertations

Spring 2009

Frances Albergato-Muterspaw, D.Ed.
The Role of Music in Healing and Grief Processes of Bereaved Adult Learners
Chair: Elizabeth J. Tisdell
Campus: Harrisburg

Betsy Bahorik Aumiller, D.Ed.
The Meaning of Health-Related E-mail Messaging at the Worksite and Its Relationship to Health Behavior Change
Chair: Edward W. Taylor
Campus: Harrisburg

April E. Bailey, D.Ed.
Exploring Adult Business Students’ Transition to College Through a First-Year Seminar Course: An Action Research Study
Chair: Patricia Cranton
Campus: Harrisburg

Richard N. Banz, Jr., D.Ed.
Exploring the Personal Responsibility Orientation Model: Self-Directed Learning Within Museum Education
Chair: Edward W. Taylor
Campus: Harrisburg

Karen McMillen Dielmann, D.Ed.
A Foot in Two Worlds: A Narrative Inquiry of the Experiences of Working Class Women Managers
Chair: Daniele Flannery
Campus: Harrisburg

David F. Eichler, D.Ed.
The Experience of Using Reflective Journals on an Outward Bound Course
Chair: Patricia Cranton
Campus: Harrisburg

Michael A. Mont, D.Ed.
Perspectives of African American Adult Students and Faculty on the Use of Art-Based Learning in Higher Education Classrooms
Chair: Elizabeth J. Tisdell
Campus: Harrisburg

Joseph D. Ongeri, D.Ed.
Learner-Centered Teaching in Economics: An Action Research Study
Chair: Edward W. Taylor
Campus: Harrisburg

Jacqlyn S. Triscari, D.Ed.
Power Shifts During and Organizational Transformation
Chair: Patricia Cranton
Campus: Harrisburg

Barbara Wade, D.Ed.
Statistical Literacy in Adult College Students
Chair: Edward W. Taylor
Campus: Harrisburg

Summer 2009

Haijun Kang, Ph.D.
A Comparative Study of the Distance Education History in China and the United States: A Socio-Historical perspective
Chair: Michael G. Moore
Campus: University Park

Kristin Lalley, D. Ed.
Learning in Context in a Short-Term Education Abroad Program
Chair: Ian Baptiste
Campus: University Park

Ramo J. Lord, Ph. D.
Managing Contradictions from the Middle: A Cultural Historical Activity Theory Investigation of Front-Line Supervisors Learning Lives
Chair: Fred M. Schied
Campus: University Park

Ann L. Swartz, D.Ed.
Complexity Science and Adult Education: The Role of Trauma in Nurse’s Embodied Learning
Chair: Elizabeth J. Tisdell
Campus: Harrisburg

Fall 2009

Trina R. Hess, D.Ed.
Living Between the Extremes: A Phenomenological Study of How Mid-Life Women Recreate Their Identity After a Work Transition
Chair: Fred M. Schied
Campus: University Park

George E. Krauss, D.Ed.
Continuing Professional Education of Insurance and Risk management Practitioners: A Comparative Case Study of Customer Service Representatives, Insurance Agents and Risk Managers
Chair: Gary W. Kuhne
Campus: University Park

Hyuckhoon Kwon, D.Ed.
Older Korean-American Adults’ Attitudes Toward the Computer
Chair: Ian Baptiste
Campus: University Park

Rick L. Shearer, D.Ed.
Transactional Distance and Dialogue: An Exploratory Study to Refine the Theoretical Construct of Dialogue in Online Learning
Co-Chairs: Michael G. Moore; Gary W. Kuhne
Campus: University Park

Rita E. Mullen Wise, D.Ed.
The Socialization of Men to the Nursing Profession: A Symbolic Interactionist Approach
Chair: Edward W. Taylor
Campus: Harrisburg

2008

Doctoral Graduates Dissertations

Spring 2008

Daniel Jensen, D.Ed.
The Male Adult Working-Class Student in Formal Higher Education: An Identity Crisis?
Chair: Daniele Flannery
Campus: Harrisburg

Richard Kordel, D.Ed.
Exploring the Electronic Classroom as a Learning System
Chair: Patricia Cranton
Campus: Harrisburg

Ilhan Kucukaydin, D.Ed.
Counter-Learning Under Oppression
Chair: Daniele Flannery
Campus: Harrisburg

Sharon M. Melincavage, D.Ed.
Anxiety in Student Nurses in the Clinical Setting: A Phenomenological Study
Chair: Patricia Cranton
Campus: Harrisburg

John N. Mwaura, D.Ed.
Black African International Adult Students’ Experiences in Higher Education: A Qualitative Study
Chair: Elizabeth J. Tisdell
Campus: Harrisburg

Jodi Piekarski Loughlin, D.Ed.
Fostering Parental Involvement: A Critical Action Research Study of Title I Parents’ Participation in Public Elementary Schools
Chair: Edward W. Taylor
Campus: Harrisburg

Sandra M. Reed, D.Ed.
Sentimental Journey: The Role of Music in the Meaning-Making Processes of Older Performing Musicians
Chair: Patricia Cranton
Campus: Harrisburg

Patricia M. Thompson, D.Ed.
Professional Entry Experiences of Primary Care Physicians: A Narrative Inquiry
Chair: Patricia Cranton
Campus: Harrisburg

Nicholas Vonada, D.Ed.
Returning to College: A Study of a Federally Funded Retraining Program
Chair: Fred M. Schied
Campus: University Park

Summer 2008

Karen L. Brady, Ph.D.
Exploring Problem Based Learning and Clinical Reasoning: An Action Research Study with Occupational Therapy Students
Chair: Edward W. Taylor
Campus: Harrisburg

Sangok Park, Ph.D.
From Housewives to Environmental Activists: A Cultural Historical Activity Theory Analysis of Learning in a Korean Community-Based Organization
Chair: Fred Schied
Campus: University Park

Fall 2008

Deborah E. Hocking, D.Ed.
Accounting in Action: Learning in the Field
Chair: Patricia Cranton
Campus: Harrisburg

Bilita S. Mattes, D.Ed.
Education Action Research in Higher Education as Faculty Professional Development
Chair: Patricia Cranton
Campus: Harrisburg

Karen L. Milheim, D.Ed.
Learning Through Reflective Practice: Professional Development of Adult Basic Education Program Managers
Chair: Patricia Cranton
Campus: Harrisburg

2007

Doctoral Graduates Dissertations

Spring 2007

Thomas V. Bettinger, D.Ed.
Gay Men at Midlife and Adult Learning: An Uneasy Truce with Heteronormativity
Chair: Edward W. Taylor
Campus: Harrisburg

Gregory Chajnacki, D.Ed.
Characteristics of Learning Organizations and Multi-Dimensional Organizational Performance Indicators: A Survey of Large Publicly-Owned Companies
Chair: Daniele Flannery
Campus: Harrisburg

Ilseon Choi, D.Ed.
The Lived Experience of Teachers at a Lifelong Learning Institute: A Phenomenological Study
Chair: Fred M. Schied
Campus: University Park

Tammy Jo Freiler, D.Ed.
Bridging Traditional Boundaries of Knowing: Revaluing Mind/Body Connections Through Experiences of Embodiment
Chair: Elizabeth J. Tisdell
Campus: Harrisburg

Tara L. Horst, D.Ed.
Uniting Somatic Pedagogy With Management Education: A Feminist Participatory Action Research Study
Chair: Edward W. Taylor
Campus: Harrisburg

Hleziphi Naome Nyanungo, D.Ed.
Misbehaving Organizations: A Study of How Community and Faith Based Organizations Assist in Domesticating Community Residents
Chair: Ian Baptiste
Campus: University Park

Heather L. Stuckey, D.Ed.
Healing from Dry Bones: Creative Expression and Adult Learning in Diabetes Care
Chair: Elizabeth J. Tisdell
Campus: Harrisburg

Summer 2007

Aisha Salim Al-Harthi, Ph.D.
Learning Self-Regulcation in Distance Education: A Cross Cultural Study
Co-Chairs: Michael G. Moor; Gary W. Kuhne
Campus: University Park

Jean L. Hershey, D.Ed.
The Lived Experience of Becoming a Professional Nurse for Associate Degree Nursing Graduates: A Phenomenological Study
Chair: Daniele Flannery
Campus: Harrisburg

Jae Yeol Kim, D.Ed.
From Lifetime Employment to Self-Employment: Learning and Job Instability in Korea
Chair: Fred M. Schied
Campus: University Park

David P. Pearlman, D.Ed.
Learning and Constructing Meaning: Adults Volunteering in the Boy Scouts
Chair: Fred M. Schied
Campus: University Park

Fall 2007

Loreal Maguire, D.Ed.
Developing Distance Education Policy Within a State System of Higher Education: The Faculty Perspective
Chair: Daniele Flannery
Campus: Harrisburg

Bruce S. Rudy, D.Ed.
Organizational Learning and Disaster Management in a County Coroner’s Office: A Case Study
Chair: Fred M. Schied
Campus: University Park

ChangGook Youn, D.Ed.
Learning to Live and Work Together: Coalition Building Among Korean Merchants Groups, Community Residents, and Community Organizations
Chair: Ian Baptiste
Campus: University Park

2006

Doctoral Graduates Dissertations

Spring 2006

Sandra B. Kern, D.Ed.
Learning Preferences of a Diverse Group of Community College Students: A Qualitative Study
Chair: Elizabeth J. Tisdell
Campus: Harrisburg

Willaim Kofi Koomson, D.Ed.
Adult Learner Participation & Outcome: A Comparison Study Between the Community ABE/GED Program and Family Literacy Program in Two Countries: Do Different Strategies yield Different Results?
Chair: Eunice Askov
Campus: University Park

Jr-Shiuan Liang, D.Ed.
Motivations for Older Adults’ Participation in Distance Education: A Study at the National Open University of Taiwan
Chair: Derek C. Mulenga
Campus: University Park

Vicki Root, D.Ed.
Teaching Social Work Students Through Culturally Responsive Education: An Action Research Study Drawing on Spirituality and Culture
Chair: Elizabeth J. Tisdell
Campus: Harrisburg

Summer 2006

Christine M. Mulhollen, D.Ed.
The Relationship Between Multiple Intelligences and Attitude Toward Independent Learning in a high Transactional Distance Environment
Chair: Michael G. Moore
Campus: University Park

Steven Shaffer, D.Ed.
Toward a System Dynamics Model of Teaching Computer Programming Via Distance Education
Chair: Melody M. Thompson
Campus: University Park

Fall 2006

Juliet A. Smith, D.Ed.
Voices, Values, Views: A Narrative Ethnography of a volunteer Literacy program Student Involvement Group
Chair: Fred Schied
Campus: University Park

Elinami Veraeli Swai, D.Ed.
Construction of Womanhood in Africa: The Case of Women in Rural Tanzania
Chair: Ian Baptiste
Campus: University Park

2005

Doctoral Graduates Dissertations

Spring 2005

Trammell L. Bristol, D.Ed.
The Experiences of African American Managers in the Learning Organization
Chair: Elizabeth J. Tisdell
Campus: Harrisburg

Maria D’Angelo Edmiston, D.Ed.
Learning to Change: Identifying Elements of Transformation in Formerly Abusive Men
Chair: Edward W. Taylor
Campus: Harrisburg

Judith A. McCormick Higgins, D.Ed.
Finding Our Way: Women’s Lived Experiences Leading to the Legislatures of Pennsylvania and Maryland
Chair: Ian Baptiste
Campus: University Park

Angela N. Hissong, D.Ed.
Learning Self Nurturance and Unlearning Patriarchy: A Feminist Poststructural Narrative Inquiry of Rural Mothers’ Constantly Shifting Identity
Chair: Elizabeth J. Tisdell
Campus: Harrisburg

Heather M. Nash, D.Ed.
Understanding the Performance: Learning Identity and Domestic Violence
Chair: Fred M. Schied
Campus: University Park

Hui-wen Tu, D.E.d
Taiwanese Immigrants' Identity Negotiations in Cross-cultural Contact: An Implication for Adult Transformative Learning
Chair: Ian Baptiste
Campus: University Park

Summer 2005

Julie A. Beck, D.Ed.
Nurses’ Voice: The Meaning of Voice to Experienced Registered Nurses Employment in a Magnet Hospital Workplace
Chair: Daniele Flannery
Campus: Harrisburg

Kay Shattuck, D.Ed.
Glimpses of the Global Coral Gardens: Insights of international Adult Learners on the Interactions of Cultures in Online Distance Education
Co-chairs: Daniele Flannery; Michael G. Moore
Campus: University Park

Fall 2005

Andrea Orwig Kirshman, D.Ed.
The Journey Toward Understanding Whiteness Among Student Affairs Professionals: An Action Research Study in Anti-Racist Education
Chair: Elizabeth J. Tisdell
Campus: Harrisburg

2004

Doctoral Graduates Dissertations

Spring 2004

Marilyn McKinley Parrish, D.Ed.
Seeking Authenticity: Women and Learning in the Catholic Worker Movement
Chair: Edward W. Taylor
Campus: Harrisburg

Joan Franklin Ports, D.Ed.
The Mothers’ Circle: The Lived Experiences of Culture, Community and Care of Lower-Income Women in a Parenting Education and Family Support program
Chair: Elizabeth J. Tisdell
Campus: Harrisburg

Lisa A. Ruth-Sahd, D.Ed.
“See Everything, Hear What is Not Being Said”: A Phenomenological Investigation of Intuition in Novice Registered Nurses Practice
Chair: Elizabeth J. Tisdell
Campus: Harrisburg

2003

Doctoral Graduates Dissertations

Summer 2003

William G. Anderson, D.Ed
Interaction and Control in Asynchronous Computer – Mediated Communication in a Distance Education Context
Chair: Michael G. Moore
Campus: University Park

Marie P. Collins, D.Ed.
Invisible Adult Educators: Public Online Discussion Group Moderator’s Perceptions of Their Roles, Tasks and Responsibilities
Chair: Melody M. Thompson
Campus: University Park

Peter J. Graybash, Jr., D.Ed.
Selecting Telecommunications Technology For Continuing Professional Engineering Education (CPEE) Program and Delivery: A Study of the Elements in Decision-Making Within 20 High Technology Manufacturing Companies
Co-chairs: Gary E. Miller; Eunice N. Askov
Campus: Harrisburg

Mary G. Simpson, D. Ed.
Distance Delivery of Pre-Service Teacher Education: Lessons for Good Practice from Twenty-One International Programs
Chair: Michael G. Moore
Campus: University Park

2002

Doctoral Graduate Dissertations

Fall 2002

Modupe Irele, D.Ed.
Institutional mainstreaming of distance education: Guiding policies AAT 3076962
Chair: Michael G. Moore
Campus: University Park

2001

Doctoral Graduates Dissertations

Summer 2001

Janet McNally, D.Ed.
Decoding the black box of participation: A qualitative case study of six women's decisions to pursue skilled trades training.
Chair: Fred Schied
Campus: University Park

Fall 2001

John Anthony Gallo, D.Ed.
A distance learning and training model. AAT 3036036
Chair: Michael G. Moore
Campus: University Park

Namin Shin, D.Ed.
Beyond interaction: Transactional presence and distance learning AAT 3020535
Chair: Michael G. Moore
Campus: University Park

2000

Doctoral Graduates Dissertations

Summer 2000

Thomas William O'Connor, Jr., D.Ed.
Public School Teachers’ Discretionary Participation in Continuing Professional Development: Perceptions, Influences, and Action
Chair: Donna S. Queeney
Campus: Harrisburg

Fall 2000

Arthur Charles Alkins, D.Ed
Verbal interaction and immediacy in a video conference environment. AAT 3014587
Chair: Michael G. Moore
Campus: University Park

Student Dissertations

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