DCEPS Digest

Spring 2024 Newsletter

Dear Friends & Colleagues,

As we close another vibrant spring semester, I am continually inspired by the resilience and determination of our Monarch community. This season has been marked by remarkable achievements across departments, a testament to the relentless pursuit of excellence that defines us at Old Dominion University. Looking forward, we are excited to introduce new ways for Monarchs and our friends to get involved with life in the Darden College of Education and Professional Studies as we pave our way forward.


Dr. Tammi Dice

Dean, Darden College of Education and Professional Studies



Class of 2024: Darden College Grad

Gets Meaningful Teaching Experience

Sarah Oliver has received hands-on experience in front of a classroom through the DCEPS Teacher in Residence program. Now, she is set to graduate in May with a degree in elementary education. Oliver piloted the program in Hampton. As the “lone solider” on the Peninsula, Brown said it would have been easy for Oliver to end up isolated and feeling like she was in it all alone. That was not what happened, though. “It was scary at first, but it was so worth it,” Oliver said. “Because I have learned so, so much, and I gained a lot of confidence in my ability to actually be a teacher.”


Sarah's Story


Class of 2024: Craig Rollins Pursues

a Career in Higher Education After

Learning the Ropes at ODU

After six years at ODU, Craig Rollins is moving on with a master’s degree in higher education in his hand and big dreams in his heart. He wants to work in a role that allows him to help students accomplish their goals while following in the footsteps of leaders such as Vicki Williams, ODU’s dean of students and associate vice president for engagement. “I want to be the person that people can come talk to. I want to be an advocate and an advisor,” he said. “I also want to help the university with student engagement, planning events and programs that inspire them.”


Craig's Story



ODU Celebrates the Approval of Two New Lab Schools


The Virginia Board of Education approved the establishment of six additional Lab Schools across the Commonwealth, from Southwest Virginia to Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia. The higher education partners include Emory & Henry College, George Mason University, Roanoke College, Old Dominion University – Newport News, Old Dominion University – Chesapeake, and Paul D. Camp Community College. 


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DCEPS Research Support Center Celebrates Success of First Year of Operations


Over the past year, the DCEPS research support center has been bustling with activity, providing a diverse range of services including graphic design, copy editing, funding of several seed grants and a weekly newsletter, alongside hosting two courses dedicated to grant and manuscript writing. Notable accomplishments include the submission of two manuscripts currently under review and the successful acquisition of funding for a federal grant. Furthermore, the center has commenced the search for a new center director, with expectations for the selection process to be finalized by the end of the summer.

Visit the Center

SCHEV Approves new MAT Programs


Effective Fall 2024, the DCEPS will offer two new programs: A Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Elementary Education, and a Master of Arts in Teaching in Secondary Education.

Retired Navy Captain and Wife Establish Special Education Scholarship Honoring their Late Son


In a tribute to the memory of their late son, retired U.S. Navy Captain John A. Carbone and his wife Mary Lois Carbone have established the John Anthony Carbone Jr. Memorial Endowed Scholarship with Old Dominion University’s Educational Foundation. John Carbone Jr. passed away on May 11, 2023. Determined to honor his life, the Carbones have committed $50,000 toward this scholarship to support future educators pursuing a career in special education.


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Total Grant Activity:



YTD, July 2023-May 2024

$9,504,054

SHEV Approves Name Change for DCEPS Department


As of May 15, 2024, the Department of Educational Foundations and Leadership will be renamed the Department of Educational Leadership and Workforce Development. The new name reflects the degree programs in the department and will provide an accurate and recognizable description of the department’s purpose and focus. Further, the renaming will align the department’s name with the terminology commonly used at the state level to describe areas (e.g., organizations, units, initiatives, and activities) dedicated to workforce development.



Gradient that fades to transparency

We're excited to introduce Pages of Giving, a groundbreaking initiative designed to support student research endeavors. Envision your name adorning our forthcoming Donor Wall in the Education Building—a testament to your pivotal role in advancing student research and shaping future innovators.


Pages of Giving offers students invaluable assistance, including funding for:

  • conference travel
  • hiring copy editors
  • facilitating data collection
  • transcription for recorded interviews
Gradient that fades to transparency
Gradient that fades to transparency
Gradient that fades to transparency
Gradient that fades to transparency

Name a

Page of

Giving

Justin Haegele Earns SCHEV Outstanding Faculty Award


Professor Justin Haegele, director of the Center for Movement, Health & Disability in the HMSSE department, has been named a 2024 Outstanding Faculty Award winner by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).


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Congratulations to the DCEPS 2024 Grant Awardees!


DCEPS Summer Research Seed Grant:

  • Dr. Jinhee Kim ($5000) - Leveraging Generative AI to Enhance Students' Academic Writing;
  • Dr. Michelle Bartlett ($5000) - Career Technical Education Faculty Shortage in Community Colleges;
  • Dr. Yoseph Mamo ($5000) - Business Case for Women Sport: Analyzing Motivations and Engagement through Big Data Analytics and Longitudinal Data.



Darden Faculty Research Mentor Program Grant:

  • Dr. Steve Myran (Mentor, Teaching Release) & Dr. Meagan Richard (Mentee, $2000) - research related to the integration of cultural humility and social-emotional literacy into information literacy interventions;
  • Dr. Ed Neukrug (Mentor, $3000) & Dr. Kevin Snow (Mentee, $2000) - research related to advanced counseling theories and healing practices globally, awareness of multicultural issues related to theory, and resources to increase knowledge regarding counseling theory from a global perspective;
  • Dr. Xihe Zhu (Mentor, $3000) & Dr. Yubing Wang (Mentee, $2000) - research related to he effects of mind-body exercise on mental health and wellbeing.


Old Dominion University's Online Counseling Programs Earn CACREP Accreditation

The Online Clinical Mental Health Counseling program and School Counseling program have become formally recognized by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) Board of Directors. The faculty recently rolled out the new, fully digital curriculum pathway, and the additional CACREP accreditation is a significant leap forward that enhances the program’s impact in the region and beyond.


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Jeff Moe Earns ACA Fellows Award


Please join us in extending congratulations to Dr. Jeff Moe, who was recently selected by the American Counseling Association (ACA) as the 2024 recipient of the ACA Fellows Award. He is one of three recipients of this award nationally.


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DCEPS Faculty Among Those Honored at 2023-24 Awards Ceremony

ODU hosted the 2023-24 Faculty and Administrator Awards and Service Recognition, an event in which individuals are honored for their research, teaching and commitment to the University. Among those honored were Dr. Jori Beck, receiving the Doctoral Mentoring Award, and Joy Kelly, who received the Provost's Adjunct Faculty Teaching Award.


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Danielle Edwards named as Outstanding Reviewer

Dr. Danielle Edwards has been chosen by the American Educational Research Association (AERA) as an Outstanding Reviewer for 2023 for Educational Researcher, earning national recognition at the AERA Annual Meeting in April.



Helen Crompton & Justin Haegele Among Top 2% of Cited Researchers Worldwide

Dr. Helen Crompton & Dr. Justin Haegele were recognized among other ODU researchers as being part of the top 2% of cited researchers worldwide. Stanford University compiles a database of the top 100,000 scholars in 22 scientific fields across 55 countries. Drs. Crompton and Haegele join a select few scholars from ODU who are also on the list of top scholars.


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Old Dominion University's

Online Master of Science in Sport Management program has earned the distinguished honor of making Sports Degrees Online's Best Online Master's Sport Management Programs for 2024-25.


Zübeyde Akpakır and Danielle Rodgers Announced as Recipients of 2024 VCA Foundation Pete Warren Fellows Scholarship


Zübeyde Akpakır & Danielle Rodgers, students in the CHS Department, were named as recipients of the 2024 VCA Foundation Pete Warren Fellows Scholarship. This scholarship will offer them opportunities and support to get involved with VCA. Those joined with fellow scholarships are known to remain with the organization and grow into strong leaders in the profession.


Library Science Grad, Karen Gareis, on 60 Minutes about Book Bans


Karen Gareis, an ODU alumni and South Carolina school librarian, appeared in a recent story on the popular TV show, 60 Minutes. The story concerned book banning attempts made in Beaufort, South Carolina by Moms for Liberty. The group demanded that 97 books be removed from school shelves and threatened librarians with labels such as 'groomers.' In a collective effort, the town reviewed and voted...and 92 titles were returned to the shelves.


Read More


An Unorthodox Plan to Pay Students to Write Curriculum Is Raising Achievement


Educational Leadership alum Dr. Kate Maxlow was named as one of six Leaders to Learn From across the US. Maxlow serves Hampton City Schools as director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment.


Read More


Hadley Deputy, Tourism & Hospitality Management Major, Represents the DCEPS on Amazon Prime’s The College Tour: ODU


Old Dominion University has made history as the first and only institution in Virginia to participate in the award-winning Amazon Prime TV Series “The College Tour.” Hadley shared, “As a military affiliated student, I moved around a lot growing up. So when my college search began, finding a school that felt like home was a top priority. The moment I stepped foot on ODU’s campus, I knew I had found my home away from home.”


Read More


DCEPS Alum Jimmy Grassano Named 2024 SHAPE America Southern District Teacher of the Year


DCEPS/HMSE alum, Jimmy Grassano, a Health and Physical Education teacher in Virginia Beach, was named the 2024 Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE) America Southern District Teacher of the Year.


SHAPE America – Society of Health and Physical Educators is the largest professional organization for 200,000+ health and physical education professionals in the United States. The Southern District of SHAPE America covers the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

News Bites


  • Mitch Williams and James Bartlett were recently announced as 2024 NISOD Excellence Award winners. NISOD, or the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development is an organization committed to promoting and celebrating excellence in teaching, learning , and leadership at community and technical colleges.
  • Emily Goodman-Scott and the Department of Counseling & Human Services partnered with Arts@ODU to put on a production of Every Brilliant Thing, drawing a wide crowd of students, alumni, university and community partners, site supervisors, educators, healthcare professionals, and school counselors from local school districts.
  • Dr. Sue Kimmel's edited book, Supporting Students' Intellectual Freedom in Schools: The Right to Read has been released. Sue Kimmel, along with Library Science adjunct, Samantha Hull and former student, Dr. Danielle Sachdeva edited a call to action for teachers, school librarians, administrators and scholars who are facing a surge in censorship attempts.


Honored Retirees

Dr. Sue Kimmel

Dr. David Branch

Dr. Mary Enderson

News Bites

  • Dr. Emily Goodman-Scott participated in a panel with the ACA Governing Council, particularly talking about the needs of youth in our schools—ACES and CSI, discussing topics around serving LGBTQIA+ youth.


  • Dr. Jinhee Kim recently published a paper titled My teammate is AI: understanding students’ perceptions of student-AI collaboration in Asia Pacific Journal of Education. Co-authored with Dr. Cho at Seoul National University, the paper explored students’ perceptions and experiences about student-AI collaboration and provided implications on the design of educational AI and AI literacy education. Read it here.


  • At the National Association of Career and Technical Education Research conference in Phoenix, our faculty & students were met with amazing success. Dave Macholz earned the runner-up spot for Most Outstanding Poster Presentation, Kesha Valentine earned the Most Outstanding Dissertation Award, Dr. James Bartlett was elected as ACTER Ambassador-at-Large, Dr. Michelle Bartlett was selected as ACTER President Elect, and Dr. Mickey Kosloski received the Meritorious Service Award.



  • Dr. Helen Crompton served as a panelist at a symposium hosted by President Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D. Striking the Balance: AI Automation and Human Interaction in Teaching and Learning.

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Darden College of Education and Professional Studies

Office of the Dean

4301 Hampton Blvd, Room 3200

Norfolk, VA 23529

dceps@9858k.com | 757.683.3938