The College of Education is pleased to welcome six new tenure-system faculty members this academic year. In their own words, here is the impact they hope to make with their research while at Michigan State University.
In addition, Cary Roseth was recently appointed the new chairperson for the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Special Education. Roseth assumed the leadership role from Professor Emeritus Richard Prawat, who retired from the position after an incredible 27 years as chair.
In the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Special Education:
Michael Lachney, Assistant Professor
Ph.D., Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
“My research seeks to foster collaborations between technologists, educators and culture-based entrepreneurs in the design of technologies for strengthening school-community relationships. The goal is for community expertise to enter schools as part of culturally responsive science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and for STEM education to become relevant to local sources of wealth generation.”
In the Department of Educational Administration:
Gabriel R. Serna, Assistant Professor
Ph.D., Indiana University-Bloomington
“My hope is that using quantitative approaches with a deeply critical perspective when examining higher education economics, finance and policy will help future practitioners and researchers explore and examine new ways of being thoughtful of the role identities, privilege and power play and manifest themselves in policy discourse, economic decisions and allocation of scare resources. My goal is to challenge individuals to think about how they engage such conversations through their own lens, and how uncritical thinking can be a hindrance not only to a more equitable education but to a more just society.”
Jada Phelps-Moultrie, Assistant Professor
Ph.D., Indiana University-Indianapolis
“Families and communities are often thought of as a side-bar in formal schooling. Additionally, among historically marginalized families and communities, it’s common for schools to conceptualize them as also ‘the problem.’ My research highlights how families and communities in the historical and present context, particularly from marginalized groups, are often the pillar of their child’s education and have developed innovative ways to obtain education opportunity despite ongoing oppressive climates within and outside of schools. I bring that knowledge to leadership preparation in hopes that K-12 and community leaders will create authentic, equitable and socially just partnerships that could lead to school-transformation toward a revolutionary education for all children.”
In the Department of Kinesiology:
Katharine Currie, Assistant Professor
Ph.D., McMaster University
“My research examines exercise dose-response relationships in both healthy and clinical populations. My goal is to use this information to create personalized exercise programs. We know that exercise is good for our health, yet not everyone responds the same way to the same exercise stimulus. Exercise prescriptions need to be personalized similar to how the type, dosage and frequency of a medication are tailored to an individual. My research will help us to understand how to optimize exercise for different individuals.”
In the Department of Teacher Education:
Shireen Al-Adeimi, Assistant Professor
Ed.D., Harvard University
“The goal of my work is to ensure that all students, no matter their linguistic, cultural or socioeconomic background, have access to public education that is responsive to their personal needs and is driven by robust research findings. To that end, I seek to make explicit and promote pedagogical practices that are shown to enhance elementary school students’ reading comprehension, persuasive writing, academic language, critical thinking and reasoning skills.”
Alexandra Allweiss, Assistant Professor
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison (expected Nov. 2018)
“Through my research, I hope to enhance the work and voices of young people and their communities, challenge and disrupt entrenched colonial power structures, and illuminate the possibilities of decolonizing education and supporting youth-centered educational models in schools and community spaces.”
Alexandra Allweiss will begin her position with the MSU College of Education in January 2019.