Dissertation Defenses Scheduled for Educational Leadership: WIU Organizational Justice, Equity & Inclusion Ed.D. Doctoral Candidates

March 25, 2025

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MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – The School of Education in the College of Education and Human Services (COEHS) at Western Illinois University announces the upcoming dissertation defenses for candidates pursuing the Educational Leadership: Organizational Justice, Equity, & Inclusion Ed.D. doctoral degree. These defenses provide an opportunity to engage with significant research contributions to educational leadership, equity and justice.

The following students have scheduled their dissertation defenses:

Naomi Tetteh-Batsa
Defense Date: March 31, 2025
Dissertation Title: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study of African International Graduate Students' Sense of Belonging and Persistence to Graduation at a Midwestern University
Chair: Eric Sheffield
Committee Members: Tracy Davis, Stuart Yager

Sigmund Courtney
Defense Date: March 31, 2025
Dissertation Title: Demographic Composition, Academic Profile, and Their Impact on Student Performance in Advanced Placement (AP) Science Courses
Chair: Julie Brines
Committee Members: Tracy Davis, Stuart Yager

Tristan Browne
Defense Date: April 3, 2025
Dissertation Title: The Academic Achievement Between Mathematics, Reading, and Science Among Fifth-Grade Students in the State of Texas: Examining a Period Spanning Three Years Before and Two Years After the Unprecedented Disruptions Caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic
Chair: Julie Brines
Committee Members: Tracy Davis, Stuart Yager

Nicole Pierson
Defense Date: April 11, 2025
Dissertation Title: Action Research: Removing Barriers to Accessing ASD Diagnosis in West Central Illinois
Chair: Julie Cox
Committee Members: Tracy Davis, Stuart Yager, Amanda Silberer

Akubah Cecilia Yankey
Defense Date: April 17, 2025
Dissertation Title: Exploring the Leadership Experiences of Female Administrators in a Midwestern University
Chair: Gloria Delany-Barmann
Committee Members: Tracy Davis, Stuart Yager

Tameka Stanley-Pierre
Defense Date: April 18, 2025
Dissertation Title: The Interplay Between Reading Motivation, Low Socioeconomic Status, and Reading Achievement
Chair: Julie Brines
Committee Members: Tracy Davis, Stuart Yager

Michael Sheerin
Defense Date: April 22, 2025
Dissertation Title: Generative AI in a Midwestern High School: Exploring Implementation Through Qualitative Action Research
Chair: Stuart Yager
Committee Members: Tracy Davis, Julie Brines

Macy Ferguson Smith
Defense Date: April 24, 2025
Dissertation Title: "We Exist in All Spaces:" A Critical Race Analysis of Black Professionals' Perspectives During COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter 2020 in Rural Illinois
Chair: Tracy Davis
Committee Members: Stuart Yager, Kristi Mindrup, J.Q. Adams

All dissertation defenses are scheduled to be presented via Zoom. Individuals interested in attending should contact COEHS to obtain the Zoom link or visit Room 116 in Horrabin Hall within the College of Education and Human Services.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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