Click on the link above to see the Department's seven Research Initiatives.

Kunyou Guan is a second-year doctoral student in the Department of Education Reform. She graduated from Cal State Fullerton with a BA in music and completed multiple teaching credentials at Biola University.

Prior to her doctoral studies, she was an elementary Mandarin dual-immersion teacher for three years in Southern California, a formative experience during which she accumulated insights and questions about the education system.

Currently, she is working on research measuring the effects of classical education on academic achievement and character formation. She is also a member of the evaluation team for Education Freedom Accounts in Arkansas.

In her spare time, Kunyou enjoys reading, cooking from her family’s recipes, and wondering where the train will take her on the next travel adventure.

Lecture Series

All lectures will be held on Fridays from 12:00 - 1:30 p.m. in GRAD 343, unless otherwise noted below. The program is open to the public and includes a complimentary lunch. Direct questions to Miranda Vernon.

Sept. 11: Emily Penner

Associate Professor of Education

University of California, Irvine

Lecture Title: "The Impact of Cultural Relevance at Scale"

Suggested Readings:

Bisht, B., Bonilla, S., Kim, G., & Penner, E. K. (2026). Cultural Relevance at Scale: The Effects of an Ethnic Studies Expansion on Academic Outcomes. American Educational Research Journal, 63(3), 471-513.

Oct. 2: Vladimir Kogan

Professor & Director of Undergraduate Studies, Department of Political Science

Ohio State University

Lecture to start at 12:15 p.m.

Lecture Title: "The 'Gerrymandering' of K-12 Education"

Suggested Readings: N/A

Oct. 16: Tuan Nguyen

Associate Professor of Education Leadership and Policy Analysis, University of Missouri

Lecture Title: "Teacher Shortages: What We Know and What We Can Do"

Suggested Readings:

Nguyen, T. D. & Redding, C. (2026). Ending Teacher Shortages. Johns Hopkins University Press. https://doi.org/10.56021/9781421455419

Jan. 29: Philip Oreopoulos

Professor of Economics and Public Policy University of Toronto

Lecture Title: TBA

Suggested Readings: TBA

Feb. 5: Melissa Lyon

Assistant Professor of Public Policy

University at Albany, SUNY

Lecture Title: TBA

Suggested Readings: TBA

Feb. 26: Tyler Watts

Associate Professor of Psychology and Education, Teachers College

Columbia University

Lecture Title: TBA

Suggested Readings: TBA

Apr. 2: Jonathan Zimmerman

Judy and Howard Berkowitz Professor in Education, Professor of History of Education, Johns Hopkins University

Lecture Title: TBA

Suggested Readings: TBA

Apr. 9: Rebecca Sibilia

Executive Director, EdFund

Lecture Title: TBA

Suggested Readings: TBA