Education

Around the College: Aug. 28, 2019

Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

— Research by David Baker, professor of education (educational theory and policy) and sociology, and Bryan Mann of the University of Alabama on the problems with funding of cyber charters and the ongoing political debate in Pennsylvania was featured in the Pennsylvania Capital Star. The research was originally published in the American Journal of Education.

Katerina Bodovski, associate professor of education (educational theory and policy), published a book, "Childhood and Education in the United States and Russia: Sociological and Comparative Perspectives," through Emerald Group Publishing.

Soo-yong Byun, associate professor of education (educational theory and policy), was invited to join the editorial team for the American Educational Research Journal (AERJ) as an associate editor, effective July 1. He was selected because of his expertise in educational policy, international education, rural education and quantitative methods. AERJ is the flagship journal of the American Educational Research Association.

— Research by Erica Frankenberg, professor of education (educational leadership), and the recent Center for Education and Civil Rights report on racial inequality in 21st century schools and the persistence of school segregation was cited in the Christian Science Monitor, Education Week and The Progressive.

— Graduate student Karen Babbs Hollett and Erica Frankenberg, professor of education (educational leadership), were awarded a Research Scholar Award from the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) for their research project, "Measuring Equity in Access to High-Quality Early Childhood Education." The study will examine disparities in access to high-quality early childhood education by race, socio-economic status, and geographic area in Pennsylvania to give PDE a clearer understanding of who is being served by its programs and enable the department to make more informed and equitable decisions about how to prioritize and allocate funding, technical assistance and other resources.

— Jonathan McClausland, a doctoral student in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, had a book review published in AJE Forum.

— Research by Paul Morgan, professor of education, that found students of color are less likely than similar white students to be identified as having disabilities and obtain special education services at schools, has been written about in the Hechinger Report. Also, his team's research on disparities in disability identification was cited in a new policy report by the American Academy of Pediatrics on the impact of racism on the health of children and adolescents. Their work also was reported on by NBC News, where it appeared on the news outlet's homepage.

— Interdisciplinary research by Paul Morgan (College of Education), Joel Segel (College of Health and Human Development), Douglas L. Leslie (College of Medicine), Gary Zajac (College of the Liberal Arts), and Max Crowley (College of Health and Human Development), has resulted in a comprehensive set of cost estimates of the opioid epidemic to state governments, including the special education and child welfare systems. The work, which was funded by the attorney general of Pennsylvania, appeared in MarketWatch, Morningstar and the U.K.'s Daily Mail.

David Passmore, distinguished professor of education (workforce education and development), had an op-ed, "International students will arrive soon at Penn State: Here is how to welcome them," published in the Centre Daily Times on Aug. 5.

Kelly Rosinger, assistant professor of education, is one of six researchers on a team whose research, "Nudging at Scale: Experimental Evidence From FAFSA Completion Campaigns," was featured on Inside HigherEd.com. Her colleagues are from Brandeis and Brigham Young universities and the universities of Pennsylvania and Virginia.

Hyung Joon Yoon, assistant professor of education (workforce education and development), presented at the National Youth Policy Institute (NYPI) 30th Anniversary International Conference as an invited speaker in Seoul, South Korea, in July. The topic was "Instilling Hope in Disadvantaged Youth: A Dragon Metaphor." NYPI is a national think tank in South Korea that conducts policy research and develops programs for the youth in South Korea. He also will finish up his second consecutive three-year term as a board member (trustee-at-large) at the National Career Development Association (NCDA) in September. At the 2019 NCDA Global Conference that was held in Houston, Texas, in June, he received the NCDA Outstanding Service through Board Leadership Award. NCDA is the premier national organization in the field of career development.

Last Updated September 4, 2019