NLU Scholarship & Thought Leadership Annual Report 2025

Fourth Annual Report on Scholarship and Thought Leadership at National Louis University

4 TH ANNUAL UPDATE ON SCHOLARSHIP & THOUGHT LEADERSHIP AT NATIONAL LOUIS UNIVERSITY

2025

MESSAGE FROM PROVOST DR. EDDIE PHILLIPS, Ed.D.

It is my pleasure to introduce this year’s Thought Leadership Report, which celebrates the remarkable scholarship, practice and impact of our faculty and staff. Across disciplines, our faculty continue to shape important conversations that advance knowledge, spark innovation, and influence practice and policy across our academic enterprise and beyond. This year’s report highlights work that is both deeply grounded in research and boldly engaged with practice. From fostering civic engagement in young people, to exploring the role of artificial intelligence in academic integrity, to reimagining leadership in early childhood and higher education, our faculty are expanding knowledge while addressing the most pressing challenges of our time. What unites these efforts is a commitment to impact— impact on students, on families, on communities, and on the professions our university serves. The breadth of contributions featured here reflects not only individual expertise, but also a shared mission to drive innovation and success through scholarship. I invite you to read these highlights with pride and appreciation for the extraordinary work of our faculty and staff. Their leadership inspires us all and strengthens our university’s role as a trusted voice in higher education and beyond. With gratitude,

From fostering civic engagement in young people, to exploring the role of artificial intelligence in academic integrity, to reimagining leadership in early childhood and higher education, our faculty are expanding knowledge while addressing the most pressing challenges of our time.

Dr. Eddie Phillips, Ed.D., Provost

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Message from the Provost

Introduction: Who We Are

By the Numbers: 2024-2025

Distinctions

Sharing & Impacting

Supporting Scholarship at NLU

Student Research

Calls to Action in Your Scholarship & Thought Leadership

SCHOLARSHIP & THOUGHT LEADERSHIP AT NLU: INTRODUCTION

Who we are: NLU’s Statement of Scholarship

Welcome to NLU’s 2025 annual report on scholarship and thought leadership, highlighting impacts and achievements in our ongoing collaborative efforts in engaged scholarship. To kick off, we revisit our foundational scholarship statement and key strength areas within our scholarly and practical pursuits.

Our scholarship flows from our mission of strengthening education and supporting communities and from the lived experiences of our students, faculty and partners. Research and expert practice are at the core of everything we do. We foster collaborative inquiry. We generate usable knowledge. We inform and learn from change. Together with our students and partners—as public scholars and thought leaders—we commit to knowledge creation as a public good. This is scholarship at NLU.

Our areas of expertise and rich ongoing work are:

Ensuring Successful Practice in K-12 Classrooms and Schools How can we prepare educators to succeed in the environments in which they work?

Realizing the Potential of Early Childhood Education How can we develop innovations that drive early childhood program quality?

Preparing Caring Professionals for Success How can professionals use evidence-based practices in the fields in which our students work?

Empowering through Literacy and Language How can literacy and language help give voice to all?

Supporting Community Resilience and Capacity How do communities gain resilience and capacity?

Ensuring Higher Education Success How can we ensure that all students succeed in higher education?

2024-2025 BY THE NUMBERS

FACULTY AND STAFF ACADEMIC PRODUCTIVITY 2024-25 112 faculty produced:

282

Academic Publications

External Presentations

Invited Addresses

PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS BY STRENGTH AREAS Note: Some publications and presentations are on more than one area

Ensuring Successful Practice in K-12 Classrooms and Schools Supporting Community Resilience and Capacity Empowering through Literacy and Language

115

Ensuring Higher Education Success

Realizing the Potential of Early Childhood Education Preparing Caring Professionals for Success

2024-2025 BY THE NUMBERS

FACULTY GRANT AWARDS: 5 Grants across 2 Strength Areas

Ensuring Successful Practice in K-12 Classrooms and Schools Funder: Chicago Public Schools Project Lead: Harrington Gibson, National College of Education Purpose: Coaching educational leaders in school contexts. Grant Award: $23,500; 1 year Funder: U.S. Department of Education, Mental Health Professionals Project Leads: Dana Hagerman and Tracee Farmer, National College of Education Purpose: With Ohio State as lead, training teachers in one-to-one intervention for beginning readers in special education setting. Grant Award: $64,415; 1 year Funder: U.S. Department of Education, Mental Health Professionals Project Lead: Jennifer Engelland-Schultz Purpose: Implement innovative partnerships to train school-based mental health services providers. Grant Award: $50,000; 6 months Funder: U.S. Library of Congress, Teaching with Primary Resources Project Leads: Hyeju Han, Xiaoning Chen, Mark Neuman, National College of Education Purpose: Develop a visual literacy framework to support teachers in using Library of Congress primary sources to explore diverse narratives. Grant Award: $24,536; 18 months

Ensuring Higher Education Success Funder: U.S. Department of Education, Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Program Project Lead: Juanita Marquez, Joao Goebel, Undergraduate College Purpose: Provide faculty and teacher candidates with overseas opportunities for

research and program development. Grant Award: $119,297; 18 months

DISTINCTIONS

DISTINCTIONS: Celebrating Faculty Awards and External Appointments in 2024-2025

Awards The Florida School of Professional Psychology was doubly honored with awards for two faculty members. • Dr. Christina Brown received the 2024 Distinguished Psychologist Award from the Florida Psychological Association. • Dr. Gary Howell was honored with the 2024 Equality Florida Voice for Equality Award. Dr. Carla Sparks of the National College of Education received the Distinguished Teaching Award from the Florida Association of Professors of Educational Leadership. The award celebrates outstanding teaching and commitment to developing future educational leaders. Dr. Steve Curda of the National College of Education and Special Advisor on Veterans Education was awarded a prestigious Fulbright Specialist Scholarship . This fall, he will collaborate with scholars at Busitema University in Uganda, contributing to short-term international educational initiatives supported by the U.S. Department of State.

Dr. Carla Sparks, NCE, receiving the Distinguished Teaching Award from the Florida Association of Professors of Educational Leadership

Keynote and Invited Addresses This year, NLU faculty gave 23 invited addresses, including:

Dr. Geri Chesner of the National College of Education gave the keynote address at the 8th Annual Illinois Teacher Leadership Summit held in Bloomington, IL. Dr. Ebony Wilkins of the Undergraduate College gave a keynote address to an audience of more than 500 students and community members at the 51st Battle of the Books event, hosted by Gail Borden, Bartlett, and Popular Creek Public Libraries, and Illinois School District U-46. Dr. Tiffeny Jiménez of the College of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences gave the invited address Rooted as Rhizome: Collective Methods of Becoming the Global Village, as part of the Public Lecture on Social Psychology series coordinated in Indonesia.

Dr. Ebony Wilkins of the Undergraduate College gave the keynote address at the 51st Battle of the Books event

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Distinctions

Boards, Councils and Committees Dr. Judah Viola of the College of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences served as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community, leading the publication of four issues this year. Dr. Tremaine Leslie of the College of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences was appointed to a three-year term on the Interdisciplinary Training Advisory Committee for the APA’s Interdisciplinary Minority Fellowship Program. In this national leadership role, Dr. Leslie is helping shape curriculum and training that supports doctoral and master’s students from underrepresented backgrounds in psychology, counseling, and social work. Dr. Shannon Hammond of the National College of Education completed her service as Guest Editor of a special section on literacy in Behavior and Social Issues and began a three-year term on the journal’s editorial board. Dr. Carla Stewart of the College of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences was elected to the American Psychological Association Services for Transition Age Youth Training Advisory Committee. The advisory committee supports the selection and training of diverse students whose experiences and goals suggest they will make significant contributions to the mental health services field. Dr. Tracee Farmer of the National College of Education and the Reading Recovery Center was selected as Co-Director of the North American Reading Recovery Improvement Science Hub, a collaboration of U.S. and Canadian educators who use improvement science and Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles to drive innovation in early literacy education. Dr. Tara Bryant-Edwards of the College of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences was elected to the Board of Directors for the Illinois Mental Health Counselors Association in October 2024. IMHCA promotes best practices and policy leadership in the mental health counseling profession.

Dr. Judah Viola of the College of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences

Dr. Carla Stewart of the College of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences

Dr. Tracee Farmer of the College of Education & Reading Recovery Center

SHARING & IMPACTING

SHARING AND IMPACTING At NLU, meaningful scholarship doesn’t stay on the shelf—it moves, connects, and sparks change. Our faculty and staff bring their research and practice expertise to audiences that matter most: researchers shaping the field, policymakers guiding decisions, community members driving local action, and practitioners making impacts every day. The following highlights showcase how, over the past year, NLU voices have shared knowledge, inspired dialogue, and made a difference.

Impacting Policy

Empowering through Literacy and Language Dr. Shannon Hammond of the National College of Education continued her significant contributions to shaping literacy policy in Illinois. In past years, she was an invited member of the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) team that developed a statewide literacy plan. She now serves on the Illinois Early Literacy Coalition Policy Committee. The coalition’s mission is to improve public policy and funding to ensure every student in every Illinois classroom receives evidence-based literacy instruction.

Ensuring Successful Practice in K-12 Classrooms and Schools Preparing Caring Professionals for Success

Faculty members engaged in policy advocacy at the state and national levels this year. Dr. Todd Price of the National College of Education continued his leadership in the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) Day on the Hill, engaging with federal lawmakers to champion priorities in educator preparation. Dr. Leah Horvath of the College of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences co-organized the Illinois Psychological Association Advocacy Day in Springfield (May 2025), mobilizing practitioners and students to speak with legislators about pressing mental health policy issues.

Supporting Communities

Supporting Community Resilience and Capacity Dr. Madga Giurcanu of the Undergraduate College continued her commitment to fostering civic participation among young people by working with the Growing Democracy group to launch a podcast highlighting Chicago-area initiatives that empower youth. Dr. Jacqueline Samuel, Graduate School of Business and Leadership, presented Co-Creating Policy: Harvesting Community Expertise and Engagement for Impact as part of NLU’s Forward Together Partnership Virtual Speaker Series.

Dr. Marcia Pita, College of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, addressed a need felt by many parents and practitioners with the presentation Building Relationships with Middle Schoolers, given at the YMCA. Dr. David San Filippo, Graduate School of Business and Leadership, led Peer Support Officer Training for BlueLine Support, delivered in Florida and virtually, increasing officers’ knowledge and capacity.

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Sharing & Impacting

Realizing the Potential of Early Childhood Education Dr. Leslie Katch, National College of Education, shared her expertise at the 2025 Early Childhood Symposium, hosted by the Collaboration for Early Childhood in Oak Park, IL. Her session, Understanding and Responding to Infant Crying and Fussing: Strategies for Caregiving, offered practical tools and insights for caregivers to better support infants and their families. Empowering through Literacy and Language As part of a partnership between Dr. Mary Hoch, National College of Education, and The Links Inc., Dr. Gloria McDaniel-Hall, National College of Education, supported families and literacy tutors with the workshop Winter Literacy Magic at Lincoln Elementary School in IL District 88.

Building the Research Base

Realizing the Potential of Early Childhood Education Dr. Bilge Cerezci, National College of Education, presented at the 2025 American Educational Research Association (AERA) Conference in Denver on Unlocking the Joy of Mathematics: The Transformative Power of Play in Early Childhood Education. Her study challenges the notion that play belongs only in kindergarten, showing instead how playful approaches can shift pre-service teachers’ views of math from rote memorization toward more authentic learning. Dr. Xiaoli Wen, McCormick Institute for Early Childhood, shared her research at the 2025 Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Biennial Conference in Minneapolis, presenting on the leadership journeys of ECE leaders of color and co-leading a session with stakeholders to define core competencies for early childhood program leadership. Ensuring Successful Practice in K-12 Classrooms and Schools Ensuring Higher Education Success In his article “African American Male Reluctance in Teacher Education” (Mid-Western Educational Researcher, 2025), Dr. Michael L. Williams of the Undergraduate College examines the shortage of diverse teachers in K–12 schools, and calls for intentional recruitment and support pipelines. Drs. Eun Ko, Vishodana Thamotharan and Xue Han of the National College of Education, presented The Role of AI in Culturally Responsive STEM Teaching at the 2025 AERA Annual Meeting in Denver. Their study used surveys, lesson plans, and weekly reflections to explore how AI tools can help elementary teacher candidates better understand and apply culturally responsive teaching in STEM. At the 2025 American Educational Research Association (AERA) conference in Denver, multiple NLU faculty shared research on the power of belonging across K–12 and higher education, including: Dr. Hyeju Han, National College of Education, presented Mapping Children’s Sense of Belonging Through Multimodal Composition in the Classroom, showing how visual mapping and multimodal methods reveal children’s identities and perspectives on literacy practices. Dr. Veronica Wilson, Executive Director of Undergraduate Student Success, presented Exploring a Socioecological Model of Belonging for the New Majority Student, drawn from her award-winning dissertation. Surveying over 300 university students, she examined how student traits and educational technology influence belonging in both online and in-person courses. Drs. Elizabeth Covay Minor, Gloria McDaniel-Hall, and Jennifer Engelland-Schultz, National College of Education, presented How Can We Improve Our Feedback? A Case Study of Student Feedback. Their research highlighted how equitable grading practices and thoughtful instructor feedback strengthen relationships, enhance belonging, and promote more equitable student outcomes.

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Sharing & Impacting

Supporting Community Resilience and Capacity Dr. Tiffeny Jiménez, College of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, contributed a chapter to the Handbook of Decolonial Community Psychology titled Sacred Cenote Spaces: Nurturing Heart-Centered Collective Transformation . Drawing on autoethnographic narrative, her work explores sacred spaces as pathways to living more authentically. Drs. Judah Viola and Bradley Olson, and doctoral candidates Lauretta Ekanem Omale and MoDenna Stinnette, College of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, published Community Readiness for Harm Reduction Approaches to Drug Use: A Qualitative Pilot Study in Nigeria in the Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community , exploring local perspectives on harm reduction strategies Preparing Caring Professionals for Success Dr. Laura Schmuldt, College of Psychology and Behavioral Science, co-authored Trauma Curriculum Integration in Counselor Education: A Delphi Study, which used the Delphi expert panel research method to develop actionable recommendations for advancing trauma education in the counseling field. Dr. Marcia Pita, College of Psychology and Behavioral Science, co-presented The Profound Ripple: Impact of Intergenerational Substance Abuse on Family Systems at the 8th Biennial Children, Couples, and Family Conference in Tampa, FL, exploring strategies to break intergenerational patterns and strengthen family communication. Dr. Tiffeny Jiménez, College of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, co-presented research on Challenging Violence Across Settings: The Roles of Race and Discrimination at the Midwestern Psychological Association Conference, April 2025, in Chicago. Empowering through Literacy and Language Dr. Kristin Lems, National College of Education, delivered invited talks in the Netherlands, including Multimodal Expression Increases Student Engagement at Utrecht University and Orthography in English Learner Reading Comprehension at Radboud University. Technology Use Dr. Theodore Barnes, Undergraduate College, co-authored Artificial Intelligence and Academic Integrity: Legislate or Educate? in the Journal of Scholarly Publishing (2025), examining how AI is reshaping ethical practices in academia. Dr. Angela Elkordy, National College of Education, contributed a chapter, Generative Artificial Intelligence in Education: Pitfalls and Possibilities—What Educational Leaders Need to Know, in Global Progressive Leadership (2024), offering insights on navigating AI’s challenges and opportunities in education. Dr. Abjullah Alsboul, Undergraduate College, co-authored Enhanced Cybersecurity Entity Recognition Using DeBERTa, Transformer-CNN Hybrids, and BiLSTM-Softmax, published in the proceedings of the 2025 Conference of Open Innovations Association. Policy Analysis Two faculty members published books that delved deeply into policy and politics. Dr. Todd Price, National College of Education, co-authored Public Spaces, Politics, and Policy in Education: Historical Entanglements with Irrational Momentism . Dr. Karin Steinbrueck, Undergraduate College, published Disaster Response by Ceauşescu’s Communist Regime in Romania: The 1977 Earthquake, the first comprehensive history using extensive primary sources to examine this response.

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Sharing & Impacting

Supporting Practitioners

Ensuring Successful Practice in K-12 Classrooms and Schools

Drs. Eun Ko and Xiaoning Chen, National College of Education, co-authored Multilingual Learners in STEAM, a book full of practical tools and a framework to support elementary teachers in creating inclusive,asset-based STEAM learning environments. Juanita Marquez and Dr. Joao Gobel of the Undergraduate College used their Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad to travel to Mexico with a cohort of NLU aspiring bilingual educators, many of whom are first-generation college students and parents. They traveled to deepen intercultural understanding, strengthen biliteracy skills, and prepare the teacher candidates to become confident bilingual educators. Empowering through Literacy and Language Dr. Keisha Rembert, Undergraduate College, presented The Perfect Match: Coupling Ground- breaking Text with Revolutionary Teaching at the Illinois Association of Teachers of English Conference, sharing strategies to help teachers foster authentic student engagement with diverse, meaningful texts. Drs. Sophie Degener and Hannah Graham, National College of Education, led a Suburban Council of the Illinois Reading Association (SCIRA) workshop, guiding educators in applying culturally relevant practices to literacy instruction and the Illinois Comprehensive Literacy Plan to literacy instruction. Preparing Caring Professionals for Success Drs. Tara Bryant-Edwards, Natasha Schnell, Roseina Britton, and Crystal “Doc” Murdock of the College of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences took part in a webinar series for the North Central Association for Counselor Education and Supervision NACES, presenting on how to use the standard process of program assessment for a new aim: Decolonizing Counselor Education.

Juanita Marquez and Dr. Joao Gobel of the Undergraduate College used their Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad to travel to Mexico with a cohort of NLU aspiring bilingual educators.

SUPPORTING SCHOLARSHIP AT NLU

SUPPORTING SCHOLARSHIP AT NLU Internal Grant Programs NLU has two internal grant programs to support research: the Seed Grant Program and Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) Fellowships.

Seed Grant Program The seed grant program provides small grants to support faculty and staff in launching research agendas that hold the promise of external funding and linked to NLU’s strategic priorities. The 2024-25 Grantees were: leaf STEM Spaces Outcome: Development of NLU’s design of STEM learning and building the research base by gathering student perceptions through photo journalism research and proposal for continued funding Project Lead: Dr. Orinna Clark, Undergraduate College leaf The Impact on Student Outcomes and Engagement of Career-Aligned, Project-Based Assessment of Visual-Problem Solving and Design Concepts in Art Outcome: Development of curriculum for career-aligned, project-based learning of

design concepts and proposal for continued funding Project Lead: Noelle Garcia, Undergraduate College

leaf A Critical Realism Approach to Understanding Causal Attributions and the Intentionality of Racism Outcome: Creation of a new research instrument to measure attribution focusing intentionality and proposal for continued funding Project Leads: Dr. Bradley Olson and Dr. Ericka Mingo, College of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) fellowships are designed to activate and support the examination and study of NLU faculty teaching and learning practices intended to advance equity for NLU students. In the 2024-25 academic year, seven fellowships were awarded across two teams of scholars studying the use of AI in NLU classrooms. 2024-25 Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Fellowship Awardees Book-Reader AI and Culturally Responsive Teaching Outcome: Enact and study best practices in using AIs tools to build teacher preparation students’ capacity to carry out culturally responsive teaching Fellows: Dr. Xiaoning Chen, Dr. Eun Ko and Dr. Vishodana Thamotharan, National College of Education Book-Reader AI in Supporting Doctoral Candidates Outcome: Enact and study use of AI in supporting doctoral candidates in instructional and research design Fellows: Jack Denny, Dr. Angela Elkordy, Ayn Keneman and Donna Wakefield, National College of Education

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Supporting Scholarship at NLU

Research Committees The Research Support Group (RSG) is a cross-college working group of faculty and staff focused on supporting and growing scholarship at NLU. The RSG provides oversight of the seed grant program, reviews and comments on research-related institutional policy, and carries out initiatives to support and raise the profile of NLU thought leadership. 2025-26 Members: Dr. Shaunti Knauth, RSG Chair, Provost Office; Dr. Carla Sparks, NCE; Dr. Angela Elkordy, NCE; Dr. Harrington Gibson, NCE; Dr. David Ross, GSBL; Chef Heidi Hedeker, Kendall College; Dr. Bradley Olson, CPBS; Dr. Magda Giurcanu, UGC; Frances Brady, Library; Arlene Strong, Office of Advancement, NLU; G. Maxx Shawlee, RSG Coordinator, Provost Office The NCE Scholarship and Development Committee supports scholarship in the college by mentoring, connecting faculty to research activities across the university, planning research presentations for college meetings, and overseeing the faculty research residency program. 2025-26 Members: Dr. Angela Elkordy, NCE, Chair; Dr. Emily Hoffman, NCE; Dr. Xiaoning Chen, NCE;Dr. Mark Newman, NCE; Dr. Harry Ross, NCE; Dr. Eun Kyung Ko, NCE. Institutional Review Board (IRB) The IRB provides reviews and oversight for research conducted by NLU faculty, students and staff, and helps develop NLU thinking on the protection of human subjects. 2025-26 Members: Dr. Shaunti Knauth, IRB Chair, Provost Office; Dr. Carla Sparks, IRB co-Chair, NCE; Dr. Blanca Gamez- Djokic, NCE; Dr. Valerie Buckley, NCE; Dr. Jason Stegemoller, NCE; Dr. Stuart Carrier, NCE; Dr. Sadia Warsi, NCE; Dr. Linsey Sabielny, CPBS; Dr. Bradley Olson, CPBS; Dr. Molly Buren, UGC;Dr. Michael Abel, External Member; Frances Brady, Non-scientist, University Library; G. Maxx Shawlee, IRB Coordinator, Provost Office Centers for Thought Leadership at NLU i.e.: inquiry in education i.e.: inquiry in education, with Dr. Antonina Lukenchuk of the National College of Education as Editor-in-Chief, is a peer-reviewed journal established and administered by NCE faculty members and an external editorial board. The purpose of i.e.: inquiry in education is to provide a forum for diverse scholars and practitioners from various fields of education and related disciplines. Indexed by ERIC, i.e.: inquiry in education attracts submissions from national and international authors. Reading Recovery® Center for Literacy National Louis University is the only institution in the region offering partnerships and training for Reading Recovery, an intervention of one-to-one tutoring for first graders, and Descubriendo la Lecture, a culturally relevant and linguistically appropriate intervention for students receiving emergent literacy instruction in Spanish. As well as training and coaching Reading Recovery Teacher Leaders schools and districts, collaborative university research projects are being designed to improve educational practices and policies most likely to influence student achievement. McCormick Institute for Early Childhood In 2024, the Robert R. McCormick Foundation made a landmark investment in recognition of both the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership and NLU’s significant contributions to early childhood education, and our potential to change the trajectory of young children and families in Illinois and beyond. This investment has allowed NLU to build on the important foundation of the Center for Early Childhood Leadership, leverage NLU’s early childhood assets across the University, and broaden the Center’s focus to include workforce innovation, applied research, and community and policy engagement. The new McCormick Institute for Early Childhood elevates NLU’s reputation in early childhood, increases our impact in the field, and expands access, equity, and innovation for the early childhood profession.

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STUDENT RESEARCH AT NLU

STUDENT RESEARCH AT NLU: By the Numbers

In the 2024-25 Academic year, NLU awarded 123 doctorates. Over a quarter, 26%, were the first in their family to enter higher education and 57% were people of color.

Doctoral Research Events

The National Louis University Doctoral Research Symposium is an annual virtual event that showcases the outstanding scholarship and research conducted by NLU’s doctoral candidates from multiple disciplines. The 2025 Symposium had 40 presenters and over 100 participants. This year, we added to the Doctoral research events with a Dissertation and Capstone Poster Gallery. Twenty-three presenters who are in the midst of dissertation work prepared lively Padlet posters on their progress. Participants, including students, faculty, and staff took a virtual walk through the posters, giving real-time feedback. Please feel free to walk the inaugural padlet yourself!

“I loved the diversity of perspectives and passion each scholar brought to their research…It reminded me that meaningful research can lead to real change and that our collective efforts have the power to impact schools and communities in lasting ways.” — Julia, Participant in the Dissertation and Capstone Poster Gallery

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Supporting Scholarship at NLU

Outstanding Dissertation Awards NLU’s doctoral programs share the aim of preparing thoughtful, passionate and diverse scholars and professionals with the skills and commitment to scholarship that can change lives. To recognize exemplary, mission-aligned research and scholarship at the doctoral level, NLU annually presents Outstanding Dissertation Awards across four categories. The awards for dissertations completed in 2024 went to: Community Capacity Dissertations that investigate ways to engage, support, and impact communities. Dr. Alison Chandler, Higher Education Leadership, Advisor: Dr. Jaclyn Rivard Black Students Matter: A Phenomenological Approach to Exploring Sense of Belonging Among Black Students Attending a Hispanic-Serving Institution Advancing Professional Practice Dissertations that contribute to a body of knowledge about complex problems of practice. Dr. Veronica Wilson, Higher Education Leadership Advisor: Dr. Jaclyn Rivard Undergraduate Student Sense of Belonging and EdTech Tool Engagement: A Mixed Methods Exploration of the Virtual Campus Experience Innovative Design Dissertations that employ inventive methodologies to address novel questions. Dr. Douglas Van Dyke, Curriculum, Advocacy and Policy , Advisor: Dr. Angela Elkordy Exploring Secondary Teachers’ Digital Curricular Autobiographies As A Path Towards Digital Equity: A Currere Journey Advancing Economic and Social Mobility Dissertations that examine barriers to economic and social mobility and propose solutions for expanding opportunities for all. Dr. Aarti Dhupelia, Educational Leadership, Advisor: Dr. Jaclyn Rivard Becoming Transfer Friendly: Evaluating Four-Year Higher Education Institution Strategies to Support Community College Transfer Student Success Undergraduate Research Symposium For the second year, NLU had a virtual symposium showcasing the research being done at the undergraduate level. Presentations ranged from CSIS projects such as coding a Space Invaders game using R Programming Language to research on the Mexican revolution that included the students’ own family story to a presentation on the underrecognized Harlem Hellfighters Unit, an African-American World War l regiment.

CALLS TO ACTION IN YOUR SCHOLARSHIP & THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

CALLS TO ACTION: Build and Share Your Scholarship in the Coming Academic Year

Find out more about all things NLU scholarship at the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE). See the CTLE resource page here and click on the Research and Scholarship button.

Apply for an internal research grant. Requests for proposals for the Seed Grant and the SoTL Fellowships will be released in the Winter quarter. Learn more here. Apply for supplemental funding to support sharing your thought leadership work. The Provost Office offers supplemental funding to faculty’s professional development allowance to support faculty presenting at conferences or other dissemination activities that elevate both individual scholarship and NLU’s research reputation. For information or questions, reach out to your Dean/college leadership, who will work with you and submit your request to the Provost Office. For the 2025-26 academic year, the timelines for submitting requests are: • All supplement funding requests received by the Provost Office by Friday, October 3 will receive a response by Friday, October 17. • All requests received by the Provost Office between October 4 and October 31 will receive a response by November 14. • All requests received by the Provost Office between November 1 and November 28 will receive a response by December 12. • All requests received by the Provost Office between November 29 and December 26 will receive a response by January 16. • In recognition of that fact that some faculty thought leadership dissemination opportunities are not confirmed until later in the academic year, the Provost Office will hold a portion of funding pool to be awarded during the Winter and Spring terms. Winter and Spring term timelines for submissions and decisions/responses will be communicated in early 2026.

Join the Research Support Group or the IRB: For the IRB, contact the IRB coordinator at IRBmailbox@nl.edu; for the RSG, please contact the Director of Engaged Research, Dr. Shaunti Knauth, at shaunti.knauth@nl.edu.

Share your thought leadership accomplishments each month. We’ve launched an easy-to-use form that you can fill out each month to capture your thought leadership accomplishments such as publications, presentations, awards, grants, and community connections—see the form on the CTLE web page here.

Watch for the weekly Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence newsletter for information and announcements on all of the above! And contact us to talk about scholarship and thought leadership any time. All members of the Research Support group are glad to talk with you! Contact us: Come to quarterly professional development in thought leadership. Watch the CTLE newsletter for announcements and registration. NLU’s Office of Advancement can offer resources and supports for seeking external funding. Please contact Arlene Strong, astrong5@nl.edu or Heidi Bloom, bloom@nl.edu of Advancement to learn more. The Writing and Scholarship Sanctuary is a virtual accountability and collaboration work space. Hosted by the Research Support Group and the Library, the Sanctuary holds weekly sessions throughout the academic year. For information contact the Director of Engaged Research, Dr. Shaunti Knauth, at shaunti.knauth@nl.edu.

Frances Brady, Library, fbrady1@nl.edu Dr. Harrington Gibson, NCE, harrington.gibson@nl.edu Dr. Magda Giurcanu, UGC, mgiurcanu@nl.edu Chef Heidi Hedeker, Kendall, hhedeker@nl.edu

Dr. Bradley Olson, CPBS, bradley.olson@nl.edu Dr. Carla Sparks, NCE, csparks3@nl.edu Arlene Strong, Office of Advancement, astrong5@nl.edu

Many special thanks to… This report reflects effort, commitment and heart from across the NLU community. Special thanks go to: President Nivine Megahed for her unwavering leadership in fostering the strength and spirit of NLU. Provost Eddie Phillips for his envisioning and constant support of NLU as a source of research that matters and makes a difference to those we serve. Vice Provost Ryan Bartelmay for his vision in originating this report, and the deep support and careful eye he brings to make it a reality each year. Director of Engaged Research Shaunti Knauth, for the care, insight, and dedication she brings to the preparation of this report. Brooke Curran of NLU Marketing and Rosemary Davy of NLU Data Analytics for the expertise, patience, creativity and incredible professionalism they put forward every year for this report. It wouldn’t happen without them! All the members of the Research Support Group, for the expert community they’ve created to support thought leadership at NLU. And many, many thanks to all the faculty and staff who answered the thought leadership survey, and often follow up emails, to help paint this shared picture of how we enact our collaborative endeavor of engaged, meaningful thought leadership.

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