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Ph.D. in Education

The Faculty


All students in the Program have their own Doctoral Committee of four (in some unusual cases, five) professors (at least two from each campus).  These individual Doctoral Committees have the primary responsibility as mentors during the years of doctoral work, culminating in the dissertation. The chair of a Doctoral Committee--known as the Major Professor--serves as a student's overall academic advisor and as the chair of the dissertation.  Only the members of the program faculty (about 20 members of the graduate faculty from each campus) are eligible to serve as Major Professor.

See the list of program faculty below with their office locations, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses.  Concise profiles of professors’ research interests follow their names. By clicking on a given name, you will obtain information on a professor’s background, teaching, and publications.

PH.D. IN EDUCATION PROGRAM FACULTY

(C) = Rhode Island College    (U) = University of Rhode Island

All area codes are 401

Where available, individual faculty pages include selected research publications. These citations are hyperlinked to the corresponding PDF document.

Please note that you must install Adobe Acrobat 5.0 or higher to read these documents.

 

(U)Adamy, Peter

874-7036

adamy@uri.edu

#613 Chafee Hall

Research Interests:

  • Use of technology in the classroom

 

(C)August, Gerri 456-8830 gaugust@ric.edu Henry Barnard School 207-3

Research Interests:

  • Transformative pedagogy
  • Training teachers on diversity

(C)Barton, Jim

456-8564

jbarton@ric.edu

#210 Horace Mann

Research Interests:

  • Literacy and comprehension instruction

(C)Bigler, Ellen

456-8385

ebigler@ric.edu

#217-1 Henry Barnard

Research Interests:

  • Multicultural education reform
  • Identity formation

(C)Bogad, Lesley

456-4635

lbogad@ric.edu              

#207 Henry Barnard

Research Interests:

  • Critical Theory 

(U)Boulmetis, John

874-4159

johnb@uriacc.uri.edu

#604 Chafee Hall

Research Interests:

  • Program planning and evaluation
  • Adult education and training
  • Career and technical education

(U)Brady, Susan A.

874-4258

sbrady@uri.edu

#23 Cancer Prevention Research Center

Research Interests:

  • Reading and phonemic awareness 

(U)Branch, Katie

874-5487

kbranch@uri.edu

#221 Quinn Hall

Research Interests:

  • Adult development and learning 

(U)Brand, Stephen

874-5681

sbrand@uri.edu

Ruggles House - 3rd fl.

Research Interests:

  • School improvement, accountability and quantitative research

(U)Brand, Susan Trostle

874-2426

susant@uri.edu

#702 Chafee Hall

Research Interests:

  • Emergent literacy
  • Early childhood curriculum

(C)Brell, C. David

456-8612

dbrell@aol.com

#222 Henry Barnard

Research Interests:

  • Philosophy of education
  • Critiques of modernism and post-modernism

(U)Byrd, David

874-5484

dbyrd@uri.edu

#708 Chafee Hall

Research Interests:

  • The preparation of beginning teachers. 
  • Teacher professional development.

DIRECTOR: URI- SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

 

(C)Castagno, Karen

456-8594

kcastagno@ric.edu

#102 Horace Mann

RIC Co-Director

Research Interests:

  • Adapted physical education and sport

(U)Ciccomascolo, Lori

874-5454

mailto:lecicco@uri.edu

#114 - 210 Flagg Road

Research Interests:

  • Physical education and physical activity in urban populations

(U)Coiro, Julie

874-4872

jcoiro@mail.uri.edu

#615 Chafee Building

Research Interests:

  • Reading comprehension and online learning

(C)Cordeiro, Patricia

456-8016

pcordeiro@ric.edu

#217 Horace Mann

Research Interests:

  • Evidence of children's developing understanding of language. 
  • The teacher's role in classrooms of good practice.

(U)Deeney, Terry

874-2682

tdeeney@uri.edu

#604 Chafee Building

Research Interests:

  • Reading, phonology, and dialect

(U)de Groot, Cornelis (Kees)

874-4149

degrootc@mail.uri.edu

Chafee Building

Research Interests:

  • Realistic Teacher Education
  • Learning Transitions in Mathematics
  • Mathematics Interdisciplinary Connections

(C)Dufour, Ronald

456-8039

rdufour@ric.edu

#208 Gaige

Research Interests: 

  • Cultural discourse in 18th and early 19th century New England.
  • Creation of the National Identity in the Early Republic
  • Jazz, Blues, and American Culture

(U)Eichinger, Joanne

874-7420

jei3775u@postoffice.uri.edu

#607 Chafee Hall

Research Interests:

  • Effective instructional practices in inclusive classrooms

(C)Fluehr-Lobban, Carolyn

456-8006

cfluehr@ric.edu

#116E Gaige

Research Interests:

  • Ethnographic research
  • Race and gender
  • Ethics
(U)Fogleman, Jay 874-4161 fogleman@mail.uri.edu 10 Chafee Hall
  • Science Education
  • Professional Development and Teacher Learning
(C)Goodrow, Anne 456-8830 agoodrow@ric.edu Horace Mann 45

Research Interests:

  • Children's mathematical thinking
  • Teachers' professional development in elementary mathematics

(U)Hammadou Sullivan, JoAnn

874-4712

joannh@uri.edu

Swann Hall

Research Interests:

  • Second language acquisition/reading
  • Teacher evaluation

(U)Hicks, Sandy Jean

874-5976

sjhicks@uri.edu

#609 Chafee Hall

Research Interests:

  • Social Studies teaching and learning
  • K-12 classroom technology integration
  • Effects of teacher professional development
(U)Hobbs, Renee 874-2110 hobbs@uri.edu  
  • Digital and media literacy education
  • Educational multimedia
  • Copyright and fair use in education
  • Student multimedia production
(C)Horwitz, Julie 456-9013 jhorwitz@ric.edu Henry Barnard 218
  • New teacher mentoring
  • Self-study
  • Critical reflection
  • Action research

(C)Johnson, Janet

456-8701

jjohnson@ric.edu

#222 Henry Barnard

Research Interests:

  • Literacies associated with social justice
  • Identity performances and literacy practices of pre-service teachers
  • Teacher research as a vehicle for social change
(C)LaCava, Paul 456-9703 placava@ric.edu Horace Mann 061

Research Interests:

  • Social/emotional methods
  • Evidence based practices in autism
  • Empathy
(C)Lynch, Marie 456-8763 mlynch@ric.edu Horace Mann 059
  • Secondary Special Education
  • Inclusive practices in the general education setting
  • Mathematics for all students
  • Learning Disabilities

(C)Kochanek, Thomas

456-8599

tkochanek@ric.edu

#056 Horace Mann

Research Interests:

  • Vulnerability in infancy and early childhood. 
  • Creating programs and interventions that maximize favorable outcomes for young children and their families.

(U)Kovarsky, Dana

874-2735

dana@uri.edu

#101 Fernwood

Research Interests:

  • Language, culture, and face-to-face interaction

(U)McCurdy, Karen

874-5960

kmccurdy@uri.edu

Transition Center (URI)

Research Interests:

  • Parenting, program evaluation, and child health
(C)McKamey, Corinne 456-8995 cmckamey@ric.edu #065 Horace Mann

Research Interests:

  • Youth Development
  • Formal and informal learning contexts
  • The role of subjectivity in research, teaching, and learning
  • Qualitative research methods (narrative analysis, cultural analysis of discourse, arts based mehods)

(C)Niska, John

456-4655

jniska@ric.edu

Henry Barnard

Research Interests:

  • Advocacy and advisory programs and middle level issues

(C)Ozcan, Mustafa

 456-8170

mozcan@ric.edu

# 207 Henry Barnard

Research Interests:

  • Social and cultural foundations of education, service learning and human relations issues.

(C)Panofsky, Carolyn

456-8040

cpanofsky@ric.edu

#207-1 Henry Barnard

Research Interests:

  • Socio-cultural theory, discourse analysis, language and literacy
(U)Peno, Kathy 874-4875 kgugs@uri.edu 603, Chafee Building
  • Learning organizations
  • Social cognition
  • Adult development
  • Informal learning

(C)Ramocki, Stephen

456-9536

sramocki@ric.edu

#217 Alger Hall

Research Interests:

  • Creativity and Students

(U)Roush, Susan

 874-5626

Roush@uri.edu

#116 Quinn Hall

Research Interests:

  • Disability studies

(C)Rowell, Elizabeth

456-8563

erowell@ric.edu

#208 Horace Mann

Research Interests:

  • Ethnographic study of emergent literacy in preschools.
  • Private nonprofit pre-schools and literacy.
  • The extent and type of multicultural coverage found in “big books” for early readers.
  • Content analysis of images of literacy in notable American children’s books.
  • The use of selected books to promote an anti-biased stance in young children.

(U)Seitsinger, Anne

874-4877

anneseitsinger@uri.edu

#608 Chafee Hall

URI Co-Director

Research Interests:

  • School Reform

(U)Shim, Minsuk

874-4162

mshim@uri.edu

#707 Chafee Hall

Research Interests:

  • Quantitative research methods in examining school effects and changes. 
  • Educational equity.
  • Policy analysis.
(C)Sidorkin, (Sasha) Alexander 456-8110

asidorkin@ric.edu

 Horace Mann 108
DEAN - Feinstein School of Education and Human Development
  • Focus on school as an organization and as a community
  • Creating an educational theory that explains the mechanisms of school life and development
  • Exploring the role of dialogical relations in education

(C)Stieglitz, Ezra

456-8560

estieglitz@ric.edu

#214 Horace Mann

Research Interests:

  • Reading in the content areas.
  • Technology in instruction.
  • Developing higher level thinking skills.
  • ESL literacy.
  • Education in the United Kingdom.
  • Literacy assessment.
(C)Sullivan, Eileen 456-8593   esullivan@ric.edu #103 Horace Mann

Research Interests:

  • Examination of effective teaching practices
  • Evaluation of teaching behaviors
  • Program and curriculum assessment
  • Professional development and learning experiences for teachers
  • The role of movement to reinforce content in the classroom
  • Benefits of movement, physical activity, and the New Physical Education and Health Education

(U)Willis, George

874-4164

geowil@uri.edu

#174 Chafee Hall

Research Interests:

  • Curriculum and qualitative/naturalistic research.
(U)Vaccaro, Annemarie 874-2270 avaccaro@uri.edu #220 Quinn Hall

Research Interests:

  • College student development and gender, race, class and sexual orientation.
  • Critical and feminist perspectives related to inequalities in society and social structures such as higher education.
  • Dr. Vaccaro primarily uses qualitative inquiry.

(U)Willis, W. Grant

874-4245

wgwillis@uri.edu

#415 Chafee Hall

Research Interests:

  • Developmental cognitive neuro-psychology and psycho-educational decision making.
(U)Xiao, Jing Jian 874-2547 xiao@uri.edu 202 Transition Center
  • Family financial issues
  • Family resource management
  • Research method

(U)Young, Betty

874-4150

byoung@uri.edu

#616 Chafee Hall

Research Interests:

  • Elementary and middle school science and math education. 
  • Gender issues particularly related to math, science and technology.

 

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Ph.D. IN EDUCATION NEWS

  • Jennifer Connolly, doctoral candidate in the joint URI/RIC Ph.D. in Education program, has been selected to present "A Grounded Theory Content Analysis of Seclusion of Students with Disabilities in Schools" as part of the graduate student research session at the 2013 Council for Exceptional Children's national conference in San Antonio, Texas in April.

 

  • Dr. Elaine Mangiante, Cohort 2008, 2012 winner of the Schmitt Award for best paper from the New England Education Research Organization.

    Paper: Planning for Inquiry Science: Case Studies of Two Effective Urban Elementary Teachers

    Major Professor: Dr. Kathleen Peno

 

  • Dr. Mary Jo Fletcher LaRocco
    Dissertation published: Chinese International Teaching Assistants and the Essence of Intercultural Competence in University Context. In Greta Gorsuch, (Ed.), 2012, Working Theories for Teaching Assistant Development. Stillwater, OK: New Forms Press.
    Major professor: Dr. Joanne Hammodou Sullivan



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