As we begin a new academic year, I'd like to reflect on a few recent COE highlights and accomplishments.

We began the semester with a Fall Kick-Off event. It was great to meet new students and catch up with those who are returning for a new school year. Thank you to all of the faculty, staff and students who gathered to celebrate our College community.

Our faculty and students were busy this summer with institutes, presentations, and advocacy at the state and national level. Of special note is a visit by the House Republican Committee to Lehigh's Centennial School, featured below. The hearing was a wonderful opportunity to showcase the innovative work we do.

We're looking forward to hosting Dr. James Moore from the National Science Foundation next month and hope you can join us for what is sure to be a memorable afternoon. Moore will be presenting the 2024 COE Dean's Distinguished Lecture.

Please feel free to reach out directly and connect with us on our social media channels to keep up to date with all of the latest COE news.

I look forward to the exciting work this Fall promises to bring—our best work is truly ahead.

Robin Hojnoski

Acting Dean and Professor

Upcoming COE Events

Watershed Explorers Public Demos

Immerse yourself in virtual reality, visit local landmarks and learn how the industrial revolution influenced and transformed our communities. Learn about the importance of coal, canals, and railroads, the cement and steel industries, and how the Lehigh Valley was reinvented and transformed.

COE faculty and students will be on hand for a number of public demonstrations this fall to guide you on a virtual canoe exploration down the Lehigh River.

October 12:

October 19:

October 20:

October 26:

November 9:

November 16:

November 17:

December 7:

12-4:30pm

11am-3pm

11am-3pm

11am-3pm

11am-3pm

10am - 2pm

11:30am-3pm

11am-2pm

The National Canal Museum 

Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center

National Museum of Industrial History

Artsquest Steelstacks Visitor Center

Artsquest Steelstacks Visitor Center

Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center

National Museum of Industrial History

Lehigh Gap Nature Center 

Watershed Explorers: Industrial History was developed in partnership by Lehigh University, the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor National Canal Museum, the Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center, the Lehigh Gap Nature Center, and the Nurture Nature Center. 

Advocacy

House Republican Policy Committee Hearing Held at Centennial 

Recently, the House Republican Policy Committee convened a “Back to School” hearing at Lehigh’s Centennial School. The hearing gave university officials, school faculty, parents and students the opportunity to share the impact of this unique learning environment.

In her testimony, Centennial Director Julie Fogt outlined some of the approaches to education that set Centennial apart.

“Centennial School treats its students with dignity and care, fosters a sense of belonging, supports social and emotional growth, and gives students a place where they are seen not for their disabilities but for their potential,” Fogt said. Centennial promotes a culture of kindness, empathy, and mutual respect among students and staff. “Nice Matters” is the school’s unofficial mantra.

Associate Dean for Research Bridget Dever was recently in Washington, D.C., for a meeting of the LEARN Coalition. Hosted by the Penn Hill Group and Johns Hopkins University, the meeting included deans and associate deans of colleges of education from universities across the United States.   

The visit included a meeting with Dr. Matthew Soldner, acting director of the Institute of Education Research (IES) and several meetings on Capitol Hill to advocate for funding to support education research.

The LEARN Coalition was created with the express purpose of educating members of Congress (House and Senate), their staff, staff of critical congressional committees, and other policy makers about the importance of research on learning and development.

COE Acting Dean Robin Hojnoski and Associate Dean for Research Bridget Dever recently met with state legislators across the Pa. House of Representatives and the state senate in Harrisburg. The COE contingent talked with representatives and senators about ways in which the COE’s research and programming can help advance state educational policy efforts.

Cameron Anglum (far left), an assistant professor in COE’s Educational Leadership program who studies educational policy at the state and federal levels, accompanied the deans. 

The Lehigh educators are shown here with Geoffrey Mock (far right), associate director of government relations at Lehigh.

Summer Institutes

Summer Institute in Bangkok Creates a Community of Learning

Each year, students from across the world gather for the COE’s two-week Global Programs Summer Institute. This year, master's and certificate students in the International School Counseling (INCO) and College Admissions Counseling programs gathered at Thammasat University in Bangkok. The 2024 Summer Institute saw the largest number of students attending so far, and the program’s first time in Asia. 

“The fact that COE Global Programs has innovated to bring the Summer Institute right where international educators are...is remarkable, forward thinking, and truly relevant for those of us in international education," said Lorelei Loveridge, 2024 Summer Institute student.

U*PAL Students Present Capstone Projects at Summer Institute

Students in the COE's Urban Principals Academy@Lehigh, or U*PAL, presented their capstone projects on Mountaintop Campus as part of their Summer Institute. Family, friends, past U*PAL graduates, COE faculty and staff came together to celebrate their achievements.

Faculty and Student Research

The COE prides itself on a research-to-practice approach. The research conducted by our faculty and students not only informs the ways we teach and practice, but also helps to inform policy at local, state and national levels, as highlighted in the Advocacy section of this newsletter.

The following stories highlight some of the ways that our faculty and students are applying this research-to-practice approach towards expanding educational innovation and community transformation.

Many of our students name the College's commitment to social justice as a deciding factor in their decision to study with the COE. Whether it is examining how we define language mastery or studying perceptions toward older adults seeking counseling services, our students and faculty are committed to their role in creating a more equitable society.

Please take a moment to learn more about the exciting work moving forward in the COE and feel free to reach out if you would like to learn more.

Bridget Dever

Professor and Associate Dean for Research

Johnson Honored as APA Fellow, Research Featured in APA Monitor

Nic Johnson, an associate professor in the COE's Counseling Psychology program was recently honored with the status of APA Fellow by Division 17. Fellow status is an honor awarded to APA members who have shown evidence of unusual and outstanding contributions or performance in the field of psychology. 

Research conducted by Johnson and her colleagues is featured in the October edition of APA Monitor (Many school shooters abuse women, pg. 14). Their research finds that 70% of school shooters have perpetrated violence against women. These findings can influence prevention strategies.

How Do We Define Language Mastery?

When Armando Quiroz was growing up, Spanish was a gateway to his community, how he spoke with his grandmother and how he paid attention in church. As he prepared for a career in education, he realized that he could bring these connections to his work life, too.

As part of his doctoral degree in COE’s Educational Leadership program, Quiroz is exploring areas of research that blend educational leadership and change leadership to better support multilingual learners.

Building on Joy and Thriving in Underserved Communities

Keya Williams, a doctoral student in COE's Counseling Psychology program, has spent her career working with kids in underserved neighborhoods. “I loved being able to have a positive impact on their lives, but quickly realized that if I didn't impact the system, then I wasn't doing very much,” she explained.

“So, when I came to Lehigh, I really was interested in studying what it means to be a parent of a child in an underserved demographic living in a system that doesn't privilege you, and the impact that has on your ability—not just to parent, but also to find joy and thrive—that goes beyond just being okay.”

Grace Caskie’s Journey to Quantitative Psychology and Older Adults

Like many of the most interesting journeys, Grace Caskie’s professional path was not straightforward.

A first-generation college student, Caskie had strong math skills and initially thought she would become a high school math teacher. “As is pretty typical with first-gen students, I think, I really didn’t know all of the possible majors that were out there,” Caskie, associate professor of counseling psychology, said. However, a psychology course early on introduced Caskie to the world of quantitative psychology. This discovery brought together her math skills and newfound interest in psychology. 

Counseling-Based Research That Benefits Everyone

Black and Latinx people make up 30% of the U.S. population, but account for just 6% of all participants in federally funded clinical trials (Konkel, 2015). Studies have also found that common interventions that are considered “the gold standard” in research tend to be less successful in marginalized communities than in White communities (Peek, 2023). 

“Lehigh has helped me to lean into my interest of studying culturally responsive interventions for multiple communities, which is really incredible,” Olivia Wojtowicz, M.S., a doctoral student in COE's Counseling Psychology program, said. "I think that psychology should be for everyone and I want to contribute to that change.”

How Effective is the Four-Day School Week?

Approximately 7% of school districts across the country now contain at least one four-day school, a more than eight-fold increase over the past 25 years covering more than half the nation’s states.

Assistant Professor J. Cameron Anglum from the COE's Educational Leadership program weighs in on the effectiveness of this approach. Read more about research on this trend in Anglum's op-ed for Penn Live.

Alumni and Development News

Applying the Concepts of Unreasonable Hospitality to Educational Leadership

One morning, not long ago, Dr. Craig Hochbein opened his email to find a message from Bob Steckel ‘20 Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools for Whitehall-Coplay. A graduate of the COE’s Educational Leadership program, Steckel had recently read the national bestseller, "Unreasonable Hospitality." As Steckel moved through the book, he saw applications to educational leadership and thought of Hochbein. “As I read, I kept thinking that this is the book you wished was written for your classes,” Steckel told his colleague.

Intrigued, Hochbein picked up the book and found himself nodding in agreement. “The seemingly extraordinary leadership feats of Will Guidara and his staff at Eleven Madison Park required thoughtful management and organization of finite resources,” he said. The parallels to challenges faced by educational leaders were many and not lost on Hochbein. Out of Steckel’s recommendation, an idea was born.

Top 5 Things to Know About the COE

Applying innovative approaches to learning that support a community of future makers, the College of Education is leveraging the strengths of its leaders.

So much is happening, you might have missed a few things. So here are the top five things you might not know — but should!

The Professors Who Shaped Us: Alumni Share Their Stories

Professors play many roles in a student’s higher education experience. Teacher, mentor, leader, or even friend. Lehigh's Alumni Relations office posed the question to our alumni community on social media and quickly learned that many couldn’t choose just one “most” impactful professor.

Congratulations to COE School Psychology alumni Charles Barrett '13 Ph.D., recipient of the 2024 Outstanding Commitment to Anti-Racism in School Psychology Committed Professional Award from Division 16 (School Psychology) of the American Psychological Association.

Lisa Dente has been named assistant principal at Bangor Area Middle School. Lisa completed her principal certification with the COE and is currently a doctoral student in the College's Educational Leadership program.

Congratulations to COE School Psychology alumna Lisa Thomas ’12 Ph.D., NCSP, LP, BCBA. Lisa has been named May Institute’s Director of School Consultation in Philadelphia, Pa., and surrounding areas.

Congratulations to COE Educational Leadership doctoral student and Creative Inquiry team member, Jamie Snyder. Jamie was recently named assistant principal at Pocono Mountain East Junior High School.

Check out this story in the August issue of AASA Administrator Magazine by COE alumni Christopher Nagy '93— Immersive Technologies - Shaping the Next Generation of Teaching and Learning.

Congratulations to Brenda Cora, a student in the Urban Principals Academy at Lehigh (U*PAL), who has been named CEO of the Noble Schools charter network in Chicago.

Let's Get Social!

COE Acting Dean Robin Hojnoski, faculty and staff welcomed new and returning students to the College for our Fall Kick-Off. We're looking forward to the new school year and our best work ahead!

Counseling Psychology faculty, students and alumni connected at APA2024 in Seattle this past summer.

Dr. Al Bodzin, faculty member in the COE's Teaching, Learning and Technology (TLT) program, along with grad student Robson Araujo-Junior, were on hand for Lehigh's Summer Research Expo to demonstrate the use of virtual reality technology.