Department of Education and Counseling
December 2022
Dear Alumni and Friends of the Department of Education and Counseling,

Welcome to the fifth edition of our electronic newsletter! I am pleased to share with you the exciting news items and departmental updates found in this bulletin. This semester was marked by several significant happenings, but perhaps none more notable than the news that our own Dr. Helen Lafferty, professor of higher education, was named Interim President of Youngstown State University beginning next month! The students, faculty and staff in our department will miss her tremendously but are thrilled that Dr. Lafferty has been recognized in this way for her leadership and expertise. We are happy that she will have the opportunity to serve her alma mater in Ohio and anxiously await her return to Pennsylvania!

A second important milestone this semester was the 50th anniversary of Dr. Victor Brooks’ service as a professor at Villanova. Over the past five decades, Dr. Brooks has taught thousands of students about the historical, philosophical and social foundations of education and has published numerous books. We congratulate Dr. Brooks on this momentous occasion and thank him for his contributions to the Department, College and University!

These successes represent only two of the many ways in which our department is thriving! Together, our outstanding students, stellar faculty and staff, and exceptional alumni forge a vibrant learning community. From student engagement in research to our efforts to create and sustain a culture of belonging and inclusivity, our department strives to foster a supportive environment and collaborative culture of inquiry. I recently reflected on the Departmental Mission Statement and found the following sentence particularly compelling: “A sensitivity to persons as unique individuals and as members of a variety of communities, a commitment to effect multicultural and social justice, a passion for intellectual curiosity, and a dedication to service are the expected characteristics of each Department graduate.” I believe that you will find indicators of our commitment to this goal in the achievements and news shared herein.

As the holiday season draws near, please accept my warmest wishes for peace, hope and love now and throughout the New Year 2023!

Sincerely,

Teresa G. Wojcik, PhD
Associate Professor of Education
Chairperson, Department of Education and Counseling
Department News
Helen Lafferty, PhD, Appointed Interim President of Youngstown State University and Named Aspen Institute Impact Fellow
Helen Lafferty, PhD, was unanimously voted to serve as the interim president of Youngstown State University, her undergraduate and graduate alma mater, starting on Jan. 31, 2023. Dr. Lafferty brings over four decades of experience in higher education administration to this position. The students, faculty and staff in our department will miss her dearly, but we are confident that Youngstown State will benefit from her wisdom and experience.

Additionally, Dr. Lafferty was named among the Aspen Institute’s inaugural Aspen Index Impact Fellows, who will advance an urgent agenda focused on the research, interventions and strategies necessary to accelerate the access to, and quality of, youth leadership programs nationally. The department congratulates Dr. Lafferty on this prestigious recognition!
Victor Brooks, EdD, Celebrates 50 Years at Villanova University
Contributed by graduate Education student Rebecca Scott
This year, Victor Brooks, EdD, celebrates 50 years in the Department of Education and Counseling at Villanova! Dr. Brooks earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from La Salle College and a doctorate in the History of Education from the University of Pennsylvania. In his early years as a professor, Dr. Brooks spent time over spring break teaching in the United Kingdom. Although he has taught many different courses, his favorite courses are the ones he is teaching now, “Education from Pearl Harbor – Sputnik” and the “Education and Society in the 1960s.” In addition to teaching, Dr. Brooks is an accomplished author, with more than a dozen books on history and education, and is currently working on a book devoted to the year 1963. The department thanks Dr. Brooks for his half century of dedicated service to his students, colleagues and the University and wishes him continued success!
Alumnus Makes Philanthropic Gift to Department
The Department is honored to receive a philanthropic gift from Michael Graziano ’89 CLAS, who credits mentorship and support from Helen Lafferty, PhD, as influential in the decision to direct his gift to the Department of Education and Counseling. “I truly appreciate everything that Villanova has done for my family and me," he says. "I am glad that I can give back to help Villanova stay the great University that it is.” The Department is humbled by Graziano’s generosity and extends sincere gratitude.
Department Co-Hosts Philosophy of Education Conference
On Saturday, Oct. 8, the department hosted the North Eastern Philosophy of Education Society annual conference on Villanova’s campus. The conference highlighted philosopher bell hooks’ legacy of transgressing in the opening panel and three concurrent sessions. Participants from Salisbury University, Teachers College Columbia University, the Ohio State University, Cornell University, and Boston College, among others, enjoyed the opportunity to connect and share their scholarship.
Education Major Speaks at Annual President’s Donor Reception
On Friday, Oct. 21, Education and English major Gracie Petrelli ’23 CLAS was the featured student speaker at the 2022 President’s Reception, celebrating the generous Villanova alumni and donors who have contributed so kindly to the advancement of the University. Gracie shared about her experience at Villanova, the sense of belonging she feels and her desire to give back to the University in the same way others have done. She is involved in Blue Key Society, the Student Pennsylvania State Education Association and research in the Education and Counseling Department.
New Minor in Disability and Deaf Studies
Contributed by Christa Bialka, EdD
The Disability and Deaf Studies Minor launched this fall—requiring 17 credits and offering two tracks in Disability Studies or Deaf Studies. Christa Bialka, EdD, spearheaded the new minor from vision to implementation and is now the program director. The minor “allows students to examine disability and deafness as historical, social, political and cultural phenomena,” she says.
Successful Launch of New College Admissions Counseling Certificate
Contributed by Amber Haley, PhD
The College Admissions Counseling Certificate (CACC) Program experienced a very successful launch this past summer and graduates its first cohort in spring 2023—an important and exciting feat for this inaugural program. The certificate is a fully online, 12-credit program open to students internationally and can be completed in one year or less. By offering a variety of courses addressing the changing nature of college admissions, this program addresses a gap in training for education and counseling professionals, particularly for those supporting students across diverse backgrounds and needs.

Courses and workshops include Foundations of College Counseling, the College Admissions Process, Counseling College Bound Athletes, Highly Selective Colleges and Scholarships, Non-Traditional College Options, and Working with Students Facing Homelessness, just to name a few. Students and staff alike have demonstrated an encouraging amount of interest in these topics, and the program directors expect to integrate more special topics and relevant course offerings in the semesters to come. Contact Amber Haley, PhD, or Will Yarnell for more information.
Student News
Student Spotlight: Gracie Petrelli '23 CLAS
In this issue, we are pleased to feature senior Education and English double major, Gracie Petrelli ’23 CLAS. Gracie has been working on a number of tasks in the Department Office this semester. She is energetic, hard-working and determined and has taken advantage of numerous opportunities in the Department. As President of Student Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA), she has rejuvenated the group and spearheaded several events and initiatives, including the Peer Mentorship Program. She has served as an active member of two faculty research teams. Alongside Rachel Skrlac Lo, PhD, Gracie transcribed interviews for a study on anti-racist teaching practices for pre-service teachers across the country, and she collaborated with Madora Soutter, PhD, on a research project implementing social emotional learning in the classroom through Teacher Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). As part of that endeavor, she was able to co-present with Dr. Soutter at the annual The Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators conference in Harrisburg. This semester, Gracie also served as a Student PSEA representative on the department’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.

Gracie also serves as a tour guide and ambassador with Blue Key Society and is a member of the Senior Class Gift Committee, which directs donations to different areas of campus in need and fosters an attitude of giving among Villanova's undergraduate population.

In the spring, Gracie will complete student teaching at Lower Merion High School, teaching five ninth-grade English classes under the mentorship of her cooperating teacher. She plans to continue her education at Villanova for a fifth year as part of Villanova’s combined BA/MA program. Her long-term goals include someday teaching as a professor at Villanova to “give back to the school that has given so much to me!”
Student Achievements

Graduate Counseling students Jordan Williams ’24 MS and Lauren Ondrejack ’24 MS have been awarded Graduate Student Travel Grants to participate in the Society for the Exploration of Psychotherapy Integration conference with Rayna Markin, PhD, in Vancouver, Canada, in May.

Graduate Counseling students Sylvia Salas ’23 MS, Lexie McClatchy ’23 MS and Daniel Campanaro ’23 MS will co-present with Stacey Havlik, PhD, at the Pennsylvania School Counseling Association conference in December on their research project, “Group Counseling for First Generation College Students.”

A proposal by undergraduate Education major Becca Jacobson ’23 CLAS was accepted for presentation at the annual conference of the American Educational Research Association. Becca will share findings from her original research, “Foregrounding Disability: Factors Influencing 6-12 English Language Arts Teachers in Leading Disability-Related Classroom Discussion,” at a roundtable discussion this April. She was also awarded a Villanova Undergraduate Research Fellowship grant this past summer.

Ruby Lee ’24 MS, a Graduate Counseling student, served as co-presenter with Stacey Havlik, PhD, and Krista Malott, PhD, during a training on Nov. 7 for faculty and staff across Villanova about supporting first-generation college students. The event was co-sponsored by Center for Access, Success and Achievement.
Student Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) Updates
Contributed by Gracie Petrelli '23 CLAS
PSEA Pizza Social Event 
On Sept. 7, Student PSEA hosted its first Pizza Social and Education Major Info Session for current and prospective Education majors to connect and talk all things teaching! Participants enjoyed fellowship alongside pizza and Crumbl cookies in the Department student lounge. Student PSEA President Gracie Petrelli '23 CLAS and Vice President Becca Jacobson '23 CLAS led an informational session about the major and membership in Student PSEA, guided icebreaker games for community and connection, and discussed plans for the fall semester.

Student PSEA is proud to announce its new Executive Board for the 2022 – 2023 Academic Year: 
  • President-Elect: Victoria Rozas-Rivera '24 CLAS
  • Vice President-Elect: Ryan Maloney '24 CLAS
  • Secretary and Creative Director: Erin Kruh '24 CLAS
  • Treasurers: Sara Schoen '25 CLAS and Nick Kennedy '25 CLAS

President-Elect Victoria Rozas-Rivera and Vice-President Elect Ryan Maloney will be assuming their respective roles as President Gracie Petrelli and Vice President Becca Jacobson begin their student teaching in the spring 2023 semester.
VISIBLE Speaker Series: PSEA Welcomes Charlotte E. Jacobs, PhD

On Nov. 1, Student PSEA and the Department Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee welcomed Charlotte E. Jacobs, PhD, of the University of Pennsylvania, for an engaging talk. Dr. Jacobs shared her journey in the education field as well as her research in the study of race and gender in education. Dr. Jacobs is co-author of two books, Investing in the Educational Success of Black Women and Girls (Stylus, 2022) and Teaching Girls: How Teachers and Parents Can Reach Their Brains and Hearts (Rowman & Littlefield, 2017). Those who attended the session learned a great deal from Dr. Jacobs' work that could be applied to their own teaching and learning practices. This talk was made possible by a Villanova Initiative to Support Inclusiveness and Build Leaders (VISIBLE) grant to the Department.
Faculty News
Faculty Spotlight: Edward Wahesh, PhD
Edward Wahesh, PhD, co-authored a newly published book, Motivational Interviewing in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, with Todd Lewis, PhD, of North Dakota State University. He also attended the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) Forum in Chicago, where he co-presented on implementing science frameworks and shared a poster on deliberate practice principles in Motivational Interviewing coaching and training. Additionally, Dr. Wahesh presented at a two-day workshop on Motivational Interviewing for the National Board for Certified Counselors Foundation’s Minority Fellowship Program (MFP). Over 30 Masters-Level Fellows, who are currently enrolled in CACREP-Accredited Clinical Mental Health Counseling programs throughout the US, traveled to Greensboro, North Carolina to attend the training.
Recent Faculty Publications and Conference Presentations
Christa Bialka, PhD, co-authored “Reading literature about disabled children and adolescents: a window into pre-service teachers’ emerging understanding of disability," in the Journal of Education for Teaching. Dr. Bialka also appeared in an interview on the podcast Beyond Awareness in August.

Jim Capolupo, EdD, has recently been inducted into the National School Superintendents Hall of Fame—previously was recognized as the National Superintendent of the Year. He also serves on the Board of Trustees at the Pennsylvania Institute of Technology and will become Chair of the Trustees on July 1, 2023.

Jerusha Conner, PhD, served as co-editor of a special issue of the Peabody Journal of Education, 97(5), devoted to “Political Activism in Postsecondary Settings: Possibilities and Limits in Institutional Change toward Social Justice.” Several of Dr. Conner’s manuscripts recently appeared in publications including, “Who’s afraid of student voice? The challenges of learning to listen to and learn from student feedback” in Teacher Education Quarterly and “Applying experiential learning theory to student activism” in the Journal of Further and Higher Education.

Seth Matthew Fishman, PhD, is collaborating with graduate Education student Amanda Galczyk on a new study about graduate students transitioning from undergraduate to graduate enrollment at their alma mater.

Stacey Havlik, PhD, presented at the National Association for Education of Homeless Children and Youth Annual Conference on Oct. 29 on Single-Point-of-Contact Programs. Dr. Havlik also served on an interdisciplinary faculty panel sharing her research as part of Villanova’s 47th Annual Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week on Nov. 15.

Rayna Markin, PhD, was recently interviewed for the podcast The Miscarriage Therapist.

Rachel Skrlac Lo, PhD, recently published two co-authored articles: “’That’s my dumb husband’: Wild Things, battle bears, and heteronormative responses in an afterschool reading club” in the Journal of Early Childhood Literacy and “New conceptual tools for be(com)ing antiracist (teacher) educators at PWIs” in English Teaching: Practice & Critique.

Madora Soutter, PhD, published “Beyond test scores: 5 considerations in measuring social-emotional outcomes,” in the blog School of Thought and “Growth mindset & intellectual risk-taking: Disentangling conflated concepts,” written with Shelby Clark, in the September issue of Phi Delta Kappan.

Teresa G. Wojcik, PhD, participated in the North Eastern Philosophy of Education conference in October and presented, “Teaching in the Spirit of St. Augustine: Can Pre-Service Teachers and College Faculty Draw Inspiration from a Fifth Century Professor of Rhetoric?”.

Terence Yee, PhD, was awarded the Pennsylvania Counseling Association’s Outstanding Research/Publication Award during its annual conference in October. Several of Dr. Yee’s co-authored manuscripts recently appeared in publication, including “Examining international students’ help-seeking intentions utilizing the theory of planned behavior” with Kristen Ryan in the International Journal for the Advancement of Counseling and “Racism in the playroom: Clinical errors that maintain racism” with Yi-Ju Cheng in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Counseling.
Alumni News
Alumni notes

Jennifer Dang ’20 CLAS published a children’s book, My First Áo Dài, which tells the story of a young Vietnamese girl’s experience of the Lunar New Year celebration.

Miranda Febus ’21 MA returned to Villanova as the new Assistant Director for Intercultural Affairs.

Karen Hoch ’15 MA works in public affairs as a civilian working for the US Army in Japan. She acts as a liaison to promote positive bilateral relations and respond to media queries. Annually, she coordinates an internship program for Japanese college students to experience an international work environment.

Jamie Meeker ’11 CLAS graduated with her EdD from Rider University in Educational Leadership in May 2022.

Patrick Moyer ’22 MA is now an admissions counselor at his other alma mater, Kutztown University.

Joe Nolan ’22 MA is the new Assistant Director of Graduate Student Engagement at Villanova University.

Amanda Palmer ’20 MA is currently serving as Student Affairs Specialist in the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities at Purdue University.

Jeanette Paulsen ’17 MS, ’20 MA was promoted to Associate Director of Employer Relations in the Villanova Career Center. And we welcome her new baby, Emersyn, to the Higher Ed family.

Rachel Stannard ’22 MA was co-author on a publication, Intersectional politicization: A facet of youth activists’ sociopolitical development" with Jerusha Conner, PhD, in the Journal of Community Psychology.

Stephanie Stefanik ’21 MA returned to Villanova as the new Retention Coordinator for the Office for Undergraduate Students.

Angela Upright ’22 MA co-presented, “The co-optation of care: Tracing the racialized neoliberal response to student activists’ radical imaginaries,” online with Jerusha Conner, PhD, at Re-Imagining the University: Students as Agents of Organizational Transformation in Higher Education Symposium at the European Conference on Educational Research annual conference.
Alumni of the Department are invited to share their news and accomplishments for inclusion in future editions of the Education and Counseling Newsletter.  
Save The Date
May 2, 2023: The Department will host its annual Cooperating Personnel Dinner and Graduation Celebration in the Villanova Room of the Connelly Center beginning at 6 p.m.

July 21 – 23, 2023: The Department will co-host the Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted Conference at the Inn at Villanova.
Editors: Teresa G. Wojcik, PhD, and Samantha Simon ’23 MA
You are receiving this e-newsletter because you are a graduate, student, parent or friend of Villanova University’s Department of Education and Counseling. If you would like to unsubscribe, please click the link below.