Students, staff and faculty members from Penn State's College of Education share recent research and career achievements.
- Alyssa Adams, administrative support assistant, was recently recognized for 25 years of service to Penn State.
- Sophia L. Ángeles, assistant professor of multilingual education, is lead author of a brief, “Supporting Immigrant Youth: A Guide for School Counselors,” for the Immigration Initiative at Harvard.
- Soo-yong Byun, professor of educational theory and policy, demography, and Asian studies, is lead author of a new article, “Shifting Futures: Trends in Socioeconomic Disparities in Adolescents’ Expected Occupational Status in the United States and the United Kingdom, 2000–2018” in American Educational Research Journal.
- Katerina Bodovski, professor of education policy studies, is lead author of a paper, “Emotional capital, school climate, and educational attainment in the US,” recently published in International Studies in Sociology of Education.
- Gerald K. LeTendre, Harry Lawrence Batschelet II Chair of Educational Administration, is lead editor/author of a book, “The Teacher and The State: A Comparative Analysis of Nordic and East Asian Nations,” which was recently released through Emerald Publishing.
- Two members of the Penn State College of Education team, financial assistant Michelle Irwin and administrative support assistant Jeanette Tressler, who were recognized in Penn State's latest “We Are!” feature celebrating employees who go above and beyond in service to the University community.
- Dana Mitra, professor of educational theory and policy, is lead author of a new paper, “How Adults Can Bridge the Trust Gap with Youth,” published in Journal of Youth Development. Ghadir Al Saghir, a doctoral candidate in education policy and leadership, is a co-author.
- Nayma Sultana Mim, a doctoral candidate in special education, is lead author of a new article, “Examining intersectionality of female students with disabilities to facilitate teacher education in Bangladesh,” in Jorsen.
- Dylan Paré, assistant professor of education, authored an article, “Restorying trans futures: virtual world-becoming through VR painting and speculative storytelling,” recently published in Learning, Media and Technology.
- Elizabeth Prosek, professor of counselor education, was selected as a 2026–27 fellow in the Big Ten Academic Alliance Academic Leadership Program.
- Ruth Parrish Sauder, a D.Ed. (doctor of education degree) student, received the Adult Education Research Conference Graduate Student Paper Award 2026 CASAE-AERC Conference at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, which was held May 27-30. Sauder’s paper is titled, “Our biggest shield has been each other: Refugee-background students navigating inclusion, belonging, and support in higher education.” Other Penn State current student and recent alumni paper authors included Gonca Acaray, Dare Amusa, Sharmistha Barat, Astrid Hoegmo, Tara Jewell, Hye-Su Kuk and Isaiah Zukowski. Esther Prins, professor of lifelong learning and adult education, co-authored two of the papers.
- Millie Rodriguez, a doctoral candidate in special education, recently presented a poster at the International Disability Law Summer School hosted by the Centre for Disability Law and Policy at the University of Galway.
- LaWanda Ward, associate professor of higher education, was selected as a Penn State Administrative Fellow for the 2026–27 academic year. In this role, Ward will collaborate with senior University leaders on strategic initiatives while further developing her leadership experience and institutional impact.
"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.