06 Mar2020
By Azaria Cunningham
Congratulations to Phillandra Smith, Holmes Scholar of the Month for February 2020. Smith is a second-year doctoral student in special education, and is also pursuing a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Disability Studies at Syracuse University. She is one of two inaugural Holmes Scholars at Syracuse University, where she is also a board member on the School of Education Graduate Student Council. Smith serves as an American Education Research Association (AERA) peer reviewer for the Caribbean and African Studies in Education special interest group (SIG).
Originally from The Bahamas, Smith has taught in her home country and Japan. Her research interests include cultural reciprocity in the transition planning of culturally and linguistically diverse students with disabilities, the retention and recruitment of racially and ethnically diverse students to inclusive education teacher programs, and the experience of Caribbean migrant students with disabilities in U.S. schools.
04 Mar2020
By Weade James
AACTE is excited to announce and welcome the newly elected 2020-21 Holmes Council. The Council, selected by members of the AACTE Holmes Program, is comprised of current Holmes students and serves as the student voice of the program for AACTE. In my role as the AACTE director of development and research and an alumna of the Holmes Program, I look forward to collaborating with the new Holmes Council to implement initiatives that align with the organization’s strategic priorities.
03 Mar2020
By Katrina Norfleet
Holmes Program Scholars Monique Matute-Chavarria, Claudine McLaren Turner, and Ayan Mitra are the first, second, and third place winners, respectively, in the 2020 Holmes Scholars Dissertation Funding Competition (DFC). The competition was held during the Holmes Preconference at the AACTE 72nd Annual Meeting in Atlanta, GA.
The DFC is a 10-minute session open to doctoral candidates to present their anticipated dissertation at the “pre-data collection” stage in a creative and compelling way. The first place awardee receives $3,000, the second place winner receives $1,250, and the third place winner receives $750 to support the finalists’ dissertation research proposal related expenses.
30 Jan2020
By Reena Patel-Viswanath
Annually, the AACTE Holmes Masters, Scholars, and Post-Doctoral Scholars participate in a preconference event dedicated to the scholarship of teaching and learning. The preconference allows students to network, expand research perspectives, engage in tangible writing labs, and learn from a diverse group of passionate people. The theme of this year’s AACTE Annual Meeting and Holmes Preconference is Disrupting Inequities: Educating for Change.
The Holmes preconference begins Thursday, February 27, in Atlanta, GA. We are incredibly honored to have Margarita Bianco as our keynote speaker. Bianco is an associate professor in the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Colorado Denver and Founder/ Executive Director of Pathways2Teaching. Her research interests include strategies to recruit and retain teachers of color and Grow Your Own (GYO) teacher programs for high school students of color in urban and rural communities.
23 Jan2020
By Azaria Cunningham
Congratulations to Francisco J. Ocasio, Holmes Scholar of the Month for January 2020. Ocasio is pursuing a doctorate in Teacher Education and Teacher Development at Montclair State University (MSU). His primary doctoral research interests include the disadvantages of LGBTQ+ staff members working within schools. He is passionate about creating safe spaces for developing critical thinkers and providing opportunities for educational risks.
Ocasio began his Holmes journey as a Masters student in 2015 at William Paterson University. His many accolades include being a Fulbright-Hays Scholar in 2017 in Israel, the commencement speaker for the graduate commencement ceremony in 2017, and the NJ Distinguished Student Teacher State Award in 2010.
Ocasio has worked as a teacher for 11 years. He currently works as an English honors educator at Passaic County Technical Institute Vocational High School. Ocasio supports the LGBTQ+ community within his high school. He is consistently involved with helping teachers and students with extracurricular activities via Supplemental Educational Service (SES), the Hispanic Heritage Club, and the Teacher Talent Show. Ocasio is a board member on the Friends for the Hispanic Research Institute Center, a community group that partners with the Newark Public Library to support the New Jersey Hispanic Research and Information Center (NJHRIC) with funding. NJHRIC is a non-profit organization that fundraises to maintain and preserve Latinx historical records and resources for the state of New Jersey.
12 Dec2019
By Azaria Cunningham
Congratulations to Gelawdiyos Haile, Holmes Scholar of the Month for December 2019. Haile is pursuing a doctorate in counselor education at the University of Central Florida (UCF). He currently works as a graduate research assistant, where he coordinates a mentoring program. Haile is also a registered mental health counselor intern with the state of Florida, and serves as a professional tennis registry adult development instructor.
His primary research interests include the process of addiction and recovery, multicultural counseling, human performance, and interpersonal neurobiology. He is currently involved in two empirical investigations that explore counselor preparedness, crisis work, and substance abuse in college students.
05 Dec2019
By Jerrica Thurman
Registration is open for the AACTE 2020 preconference workshops taking place February 27 in Atlanta. AACTE offers five workshops plus the Holmes preconference prior to the start of its 2020 Annual Meeting, providing a deeper dive into complex education issues and equipping attendees with practical skills for advancing programs and institutions.
Get an early start on planning your learning experience at this year’s conference. Preconference workshops are interactive, and allow ample time to share ideas and engage with peers. Secure your spot today for one of these preconference workshops:
22 Nov2019
By Azaria Cunningham
Congratulations to Elizabeth Ayisi, a Ph.D. student and graduate research associate in mathematics education in the Patton College of Education at Ohio University. Ayisi holds a bachelors of art degree in mathematics from The College of Wooster and masters of science in mathematics from John Carroll University. Prior to attending Ohio University, she taught high school mathematics, physics, computer science, and college applied calculus. Her expertise includes complex analysis, differential geometry, functional analysis, statistics, and the use of quantitative statistical analysis techniques (e.g., analysis of variance, linear regression, Monte Carlo simulation, structural equation modeling, research methodologies, etc).
Ayisi has presented a number of research posters and delivered presentations at local, regional, and national research conferences. She is also a native speaker of Twi, a common language in Ghana.
14 Nov2019
By Jerrica Thurman
Come make your voice heard at the AACTE Studio—the latest addition in the AACTE Gallery during the 2020 Annual Meeting. Share your perspectives on important issues in educator preparation and the Association’s new strategic direction during short video interviews. This is your chance to elevate what’s happening in education at your institution and in your local communities. The AACTE Gallery also offers opportunities to engage and learn about promising innovations in educator preparation from AACTE members and partners through interactive presentations. Morning and afternoon sessions will be held on Friday, February 28, and Saturday, February 29. Presentations will include
- AACTE Holmes Program Poster Sessions
- National Association of Community College Teacher Education Programs (NACCTEP) Poster Sessions
- AACTE Membership and Programs Updates
24 Oct2019
By Priscilla Costa and Reena Patel-Viswanath
On September 20, the University of South Carolina hosted “Dreaming Beyond Graduation,” an event where Holmes Scholars Ayan Mitra, Lydia Carnesale, Priscila Costa, and Shelby Gonzales participated in various capacities. The event was sponsored by Richland One School District (R1) and the University of South Carolina (UofSC). The College of Education, through the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, organized the event in partnership with the International Students Service, Admissions Office, the University Visitor Center, and Russell House University Union.
24 Oct2019
By Azaria Cunningham
Congratulations to Claudine McLaren Turner, Holmes Scholar of the Month for October 2019! Turner is a Ph.D. candidate and a Holmes Scholar at the University of Central Florida. Her research interest resides in teaching in higher education, and is currently investigating professional access and equity in higher education.
Turner’s published works have examined the experiences of former foster care youth and Black male professionals in institutions of higher education, as well as institutional diversity initiatives in postsecondary education. Most recently, she completed the final revision of a co-authored book chapter titled “Still Lifting as We Climb: Sisters of the Academy on Being Queen Mothers.” The book is scheduled for publication in fall 2019.
21 Aug2019
By Azaria Cunningham
Congratulations to Danna Demezier, Holmes Scholar of the Month for August 2019! Demezier is pursuing a doctorate in counselor education at Florida Atlantic University. Demezier’s primary research interest surrounds examining culturally responsive interventions for diverse ethnic populations and the impact of such interventions on treatment outcomes. Secondarily, she is interested in investigating the mental health seeking behaviors of ethnically diverse populations.
Demezier is a nationally certified counselor and a licensed mental health counselor. In 2016, she participated in a mission trip to Haiti where she served on the mental health team. She is also a member of the Human Rights Committee of the American Counseling Association (ACA). Demezier is the recipient of many scholarships. Currently, she serves as a clinical research assistant at the University of Miami and FAU.
An advocate for the Holmes Scholar Program, she believes it is an intricate part of securing a successful matriculation within her doctoral program and that the program provides a sense of community. Her future career goals are to serve as a university professor and supervisor.
19 Jul2019
By Michael Rouleau
This article and photo originally appeared on the Eastern Connecticut State University website and are reprinted with permission.
School districts across the nation continue to face a lack of minority teachers. Eastern Connecticut State University’s participation in the Holmes Master’s Program seeks to alleviate this problem. On June 28, Eastern celebrated three aspiring teachers from underrepresented backgrounds who will soon enter the teaching profession. Faith Kioko (Ashford), Ian Stygar (Lebanon) and Sayantani Nandy (Ellington) were honored at the annual Holmes Master’s Luncheon, hosted by the School of Education & Professional Studies and Graduate Division.
The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education’s (AACTE) Holmes Program supports students from historically underrepresented groups who are pursuing careers in education. Eastern continued its partnership with Holmes, hosting its third cohort of Master’s students this year.
The 2019 cohort of full-time graduate students had a busy year in pursuit of teacher certification. In addition, they designed research proposals, worked in Eastern’s Center for Early Childhood Education, presented to classes and hosted forums on campus. They interviewed alumni teachers and gathered data for the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). They also attended the AACTE’s annual Washington Week and advocated on
17 Jul2019
By Jerrica Thurman and Donna Sacco
AACTE’s Jerrica Thurman first met Donna Sacco in 2015. Sacco was one of three doctoral students from George Mason University (GMU) who worked as an AACTE education intern, assisting in advocating for high-quality preparation programs and with its marketing communications. Thurman was pleasantly surprised when she saw Sacco at AACTE’s 2019 Washington Week with her two Holmes doctoral students from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC). It was during her AACTE internship that Sacco learned about the Holmes Program and determined to make a personal contribution to help diversify the teacher workforce by becoming a Holmes advocate. The following summary highlights an interview Thurman had with Sacco about her journey from an intern to a change agent in education.
What piqued your interest in the issues of teacher diversity as a doctoral student at George Mason University and student intern at AACTE?
Before my doctoral program, I was a special educator with a master’s degree in bilingual special education. For my entire career, my focus has been on culturally and linguistically responsive instructional practices. Part of my drive came from the stories my father told me about the obstacles he experienced in his childhood as the son of Italian immigrants. He was a brilliant man but never went to college. He had one advocate who helped mentor him in appreciating the arts but had no teachers who were advocates, role models, or who understood his background. Once I began researching teacher education, I was surprised to learn that the teaching force is composed of roughly 80% white female teachers. How had I missed that obvious point? I am a white female who was teaching mostly boys of
12 Jul2019
By Deborah McEwan, Danna Demezier, Shanett Dean, Denise Dowdie and Rangasamy Ramasamy
BIG Data may not be “a piece of cake” but during a presentation by Charles Dukes, students and faculty noted that it can be a slice of pie. On April 11, 2019, Holmes Scholars at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) hosted a seminar, “The story of big data, with all the small details,” featuring Dukes, associate professor in the Department of Exceptional Student Education at UFA. Some 25 doctoral students and faculty, along with a Holmes Scholar from the University of Central Florida, attended the seminar with FAU’s Holmes Coordinator Rangasamy Ramasamy and Holmes Scholars Denise Dowdie, Danna Demezier, Shanett Dean, and Deborah McEwan (pictured above with Dukes). During the seminar, Dukes defined “big data” and explored how such data may be used for social science research. He also shared “big data” links that anyone can access, reviewed primary considerations for its usage, and provided an overview of a current research study with big data.
