Three School of Education doctoral students and alumni were recently honored for their dissertation research and writing.
Phillandra Smith, a doctoral student in special education, was awarded second place in the 2021 Holmes Program Dissertation Funding Competition in the. She received $1,250 to support her continuing her dissertation work, entitled “W(h)ite Out: An Analysis of the Presentations of Race & Ethnicity in U.S. Inclusive Education Textbooks.” Smith is part of the first cohort of AACTE Holmes Scholars at Syracuse University; the program supports students from historically underrepresented communities enrolled in doctoral programs in education.
Martín Gonzalez G’20, a graduate of the cultural foundations of education doctoral program, was honored by two special interest groups of the American Educational Research Association (AERA SIGs). His dissertation is titled “‘Why you always so political?’: The Experiences and Resiliencies of Mexican/Mexican American/Xicanx Students at a Predominantly White University.” Gonzalez received the Outstanding Dissertation Award from the Latina/o/x Research Issues SIG, and the 2021 Dissertation Award from the Critical Educators for Social Justice SIG. He wrote of the honors on Twitter:
Honored & speechless. For my dissertation I stayed myself & wrote stories about Hot Cheetos, horCHATa, cumbias, racism, resistencia, & Mexicans in higher edu. These stories just received 2 national awards. Never thought I’d be an award-winning scholar/writer. #justakidfromOxnard
Katie Roquemore G’20, also of the cultural foundations of education doctoral program, received the Dissertation Award from the AERA Disability Studies in Education SIG. Roquemore’s dissertation is titled “Dispositions and Dis/ability in Teacher Education: Teacher Educator Perspectives.”