UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Students, staff and faculty members from Penn State's College of Education share recent research and career achievements.
Three College of Education staff members were featured in the latest edition of Penn State’s “We Are!” recognition. Carl Ayre, finance officer and financial consultant, was recognized for his empathy, optimism and commitment to improving efficiency; Holly Hawkins, academic program coordinator, for the patience, warmth and clarity she brings to supporting graduate students; and Kevin Hulburt, director of the Journey Success Center, for his inclusive leadership and work bringing the Student Success Unconference to life.
Master “ML” Brown, a doctoral candidate in special education and federally funded Socially and Culturally Responsive Education for Students with Emotional Behavioral Disorders (SACRED) Doctoral Fellow, completed three highly competitive fellowship and research experiences this summer. Brown participated in the Sankofa Research Intensive at Wayne State University, joined a national interdisciplinary cohort of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Scholars, and served as a Dr. James A. Ferguson Emerging Infectious Diseases RISE (Research Initiatives for Student Enhancement) Fellow at Kennedy Krieger Institute. Through these experiences, Brown strengthened qualitative research and writing skills, explored connections between research and health policy, and examined autism prevalence and the experiences of Black autistic children.
Soo-yong Byun, professor of education, demography and Asian studies, is lead author of a paper, “Shifting Futures: Trends in Socioeconomic Disparities in Adolescents’ Expected Occupational Status in the United States and the United Kingdom, 2000–2018,” recently published in American Educational Research Journal.
Erica Frankenberg, professor of education and demography, and her team at AdvancEd Equity have launched a new interactive dashboard designed to illuminate racial disparities in access to advanced coursework across U.S. school districts. Drawing on a decade of federal Civil Rights Data Collection from 2011 to 2021, the dashboard allows users to explore national, state and district-level trends in Black and Hispanic students’ enrollment in advanced coursework relative to their white peers.
Roderick Lee, associate professor of information systems and affiliate associate professor of higher education, was named Higher Education Professional of the Year by the Sloan Scholars Network at its 2026 Alumni Awards. With support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the award recognizes a Sloan Scholar alum who has made significant contributions to their field, to the areas of teaching and mentoring or to other forms of service in higher education.
Four College of Education faculty members are taking leadership roles in a Penn State Social Science Research Institute initiative aimed at improving outcomes for transition-age youth with foster care experience: Erica Frankenberg, professor of education and demography; Carlo Panlilio, associate professor of educational psychology; Maria Lewis, associate professor of education policy studies; and Kelly Rosinger, associate professor of education and public policy. The faculty members will contribute expertise spanning research-practice partnerships, trauma-informed education, evidence-based policy and postsecondary access. Their work will help strengthen Penn State’s partnership with the Pennsylvania Office of Children, Youth and Families while advancing research to improve educational opportunities, college access and success for young people with foster care histories.
Kari Sherwood, assistant professor of rehabilitation and human services, is lead author of a new article, “‘I Try to Act Like a Neurotypical so it Makes Customers More Comfortable’: A Mixed Methods Analysis of Autistic Camouflaging at Work,” published in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
Jonte Taylor, professor of special education, is lead author of a paper, “The Effects of Using Hip-Hop Song Lyrics During Instruction for Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders,” recently published in Journal of the Arts and Special Education. Millie Rodriguez, a doctoral candidate in special education, is Taylor’s co-author on the paper.
"College of Education News" highlights accomplishments by faculty, staff and students in the College of Education, including publications; research presentations at conferences and workshops; and awards and fellowships. Please share your news with us and your colleagues by emailing edrelations@psu.edu.