DCEPS
Digest

Fall 2024 Newsletter

Mariona Anto Domingo has defied the odds in the male-
dominated sports industry. Now earning her second
master’s in Sport Management at ODU, she’s on a mission
to make sports more inclusive and accessible.

• Discover how her determination, global experience, and
  commitment to change are shaping her remarkable
  career.

Class of 2024:
Spanish Grad Student
Set to Make Mark in
Sports Industry

“I want to be a renowned woman in the
sports industry – not for the money or
the fame,” Anto Domingo said. “I want to
make changes. I want to make sports
more accessible.”

“Words have been the foundation of everything
I’ve done,” said Tucker, who will receive her
master’s nearly 50 years to the day after she got
her bachelor’s degree from Kenyon College. “But
what good are words if you can’t access them?
Helping others learn to read feels like the
ultimate way to give back.”

• Geri Tucker spent a career working with words. She started crafting
  poems in high school and college before embarking on a longtime
  career as a newspaper reporter and editor, piecing together
  national headlines for more than 30 years at USA Today. A lifetime
  spent on storytelling will continue through her latest achievement,
  a master’s degree in education with a concentration in reading.

Class of 2024: Former
Journalist Pursues
Mission to Empower
Through Reading

DCEPS Highlights

ODU’s Center for Educational Innovation and Opportunity, under the
leadership of Dr. Karen Sanzo, is spearheading the launch of four
groundbreaking lab schools set to open in Fall 2025. These schools—
focused on STEM, aerospace, maritime studies, and computer science—
are designed to connect classroom learning with real-world applications,
preparing students for success in high-demand industries.

• By fostering innovative education, strengthening teacher preparation, and
  promoting inclusivity, these lab schools are building a seamless pathway
  from kindergarten to careers. ODU is also serving as the fiscal agent for
  five partner schools across Virginia, ensuring statewide collaboration and
  impact.

ODU Lab Schools: Shaping
the future of education

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Jamie Colwell as the
Dean’s Fellow for Teacher Apprenticeships. This new role is vital as we
pursue partnerships with school divisions across Virginia to establish
apprenticeship pathways to teacher licensure for paraprofessionals
employed in schools.

With approximately 25,000 paraprofessionals in Virginia, many of whom
are eager to complete their degrees and become teachers, this initiative
holds significant potential to support future teachers and fill significant
vacancies in schools. Additionally, Dr. Colwell will lead efforts to seek large
grants from the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) and federal
sources to support the initiative.

Dr. Jamie Colwell
Appointed as Dean’s
Fellow for Teacher
Apprenticeships

The Center for Implementation and Evaluation of
Educational Systems (CIEES) has had a remarkable year,
securing $5.3 million in new and continuation funding from
state and national agencies. Key highlights include
strengthening partnerships with Project Hope - Virginia,
supporting children and youth impacted by homelessness
through website updates, social media expansion, and
McKinney-Vento training modules.

• Additionally, CIEES is collaborating with the Virginia
  Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental
  Services (DBHDS) on training modules for Naloxone
  emergency use, substance abuse education, and disabilities
  support.

CIEES Expands
Partnerships and
Secures Over $5.3M
in FundinG

ODU's Online Ed.S. in Educational Leadership: Non-Licensure and
K-12 Licensure has earned the #8 ranking for the best online Ed.S.
programs in 2024-2025! This ranking comes from
EdDPrograms.org, which chooses programs based on meticulous
research into program data. To learn more about the ranking
system visit:

• Congratulations to everyone in the program!

National
Spotlight on ODU’s
Ed.S. Program

Monarchs in Action

Building a Legacy:

The Inaugural Holmes Scholars

The DCEPS Student Ambassadors had an action-packed fall, fostering
community and supporting recruitment efforts. They participated in
two Open Houses, the College Connections event, joined in on
signature events like “Caffeine with the Dean” and the Alumni Lunch
& Learn, and welcomed prospective members at an informational
luncheon. The semester wrapped up with festive gatherings,
including Friendsgiving and Cookies & Cocoa.

With two co-presidents set to graduate in May and eight new
members joining the team, the Ambassadors are growing stronger
than ever. This fall, they also became an official ODU student
organization, adding another milestone to their list of achievements.

• Special highlight: the co-presidents represented the group at the
  Alumni Dinner with Dean Dice.

Caffeine,
Connections, and
Cocoa: Ambassadors
on a Roll

• ODU’s Counseling and Human Services (CHS) students, alumni,
  and faculty made a remarkable impact at this year’s Virginia
  School Counselor Association (VSCA) conference. The CHS
  department provided some financial support for our students to
  attend and under the organizational leadership of Dr. Goodman-
  Scott the cost of graduate student membership in VASCA is now
  free, increasing accessibility and participation.

ODU Shines at VSCA
Conference

ODU’s Fashion Merchandising students have excelled in a range of
initiatives this semester. Early on, students in the Public Relations
and Event Planning course teamed up with Dillard’s to design
festive Christmas tree displays. At the Spooky Thrift event,
students championed sustainable fashion by organizing a free
clothing initiative for the campus.

Visual Merchandising students partnered with the ODU Bookstore
to create innovative store displays, while Advertising and
Promotion students rebranding Harley-Davidson and participated
in a live demo with ODU Police. Recently, Cox High School fashion
marketing students visited campus, connecting with ODU majors
and minors to learn about program opportunities.

• 📸 Follow their journey on Instagram:

Styled for Success

• Please join us in celebrating third year doctoral student,
  Danielle Rodgers, and 2024 alumni, Dr. Betsy Perez, for
  being recognized as recipients of 2024 Association for
  Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) Regional
  Diversity Scholarships!

Monarch Pride:
ACES Scholarship
Recipients

Right: Dr. Betsy Perez

• Left: Danielle Rodgers

• 5 Counselor Education Ph.D. students, accompanied by Dean Tammi
  Dice & Dr. Stephanie Smith-Durkin, represented ODU at the Southern
  Organization for Counselor Education and Supervision (SACES)
  conference in Dallas. All of them conducted presentations highlighting
  their impressive research!

Counselor Ed Students
Present at SACES

6 ODU Research Fellows
Selected to receive Mini Grants
through ECMC Foundation

ECMC Foundation announced funding for 20 projects totaling $98,500 as part of the Career and
Technical Education Leadership Collaborative (CTE LC) 2024 Mini-Grant Program, an opportunity
for ECMC Foundation Fellows (Fellows) to apply for funding to initiate projects related to
postsecondary career and technical education. The projects that will be funded this year
represent a range of activities that promote equity and advance improvements in postsecondary
career and technical education. The 6 Fellows from ODU are:

• Sophie McGuinness: Do Postsecondary CTE Programs Align with Locally Available Jobs?
• Lisa Martino & Sara Shaw: Postsecondary CTE Teacher Recruitment, Training and Retention
  Toolkit: A Nationwide Search 2025
• Steven Smith: Understanding the CTE Training and Labor Market Gap
• Mia Kennedy: Soaring to Greater Heights: A Peer-Supported Career Coaching Group to
  Enhance Career Readiness
• Jordan Dolfi, Ed.D & Sarah Shaw: Facilitating Equity Across Postsecondary Career and
  Technical Education: Identifying and Addressing Enrollment and Outcome Disparities for
  Women and Historically-Marginalized Populations

Congratulations to Melanie Agustin!

A 2021 Counseling master’s graduate and current third-
year Ph.D. student, Melanie Agustin has been named a
2024-2025 Emerging Leader by the Association for Child
and Adolescent Counseling (ACAC). With 15 years of
experience serving children and families, she continues
to make an impact as an LPC at CHKD’s Children’s
Pavilion.

Melanie Agustin
named as Emerging
Leader

Lifelong Monarchs

• Jim Threlfall ('95 M.Ed. Technology Education) is leading the
  charge at I/ITSEC, the world’s largest modeling, simulation, and
  training conference, drawing over 18,000 attendees from the
  military, industry, and academia. As Conference Chair, Threlfall is
  driving innovation in training and simulation, spotlighting
  breakthroughs like AI and its workforce impact.

ODU Alum Drives
Innovation at I/ITSEC

• Threlfall (center) connected with his alma mater by visiting ODU’s Virginia Modeling,
  Analysis, & Simulation Center (VMASC) booth at this year’s I/ITSEC conference.

"Pursuing this degree at ODU opened up a
second career for me," Threlfall said. "It
allowed me to shift from the military to a field
I’m passionate about—education and training."

• ODU alumnus and former Navy SEAL Tony Dice,
  Ph.D., is transforming lives as a counselor for
  Ukrainian soldiers and families impacted by
  war. Alongside his wife, Dr. Tammi Dice, dean
  of the Darden College, and a team of ODU
  faculty and students, Tony helped lead healing
  camps in Austria. Through rock climbing, hiking,
  and resilience-building activities, participants
  found strength and hope amidst adversity.
  Learn how this impactful work is sparking
  global collaborations to rebuild lives and
  education in Ukraine.

DICE FAMILY &
ODU Faculty
Aid Ukraine

ODU Libraries
Welcomes Nikki
Galloway to
New Role

• Congratulations to Nikki Galloway, a spring 2024 graduate of
  ODU’s MLIS program and Library Student of the Year, on her
  selection as ODU’s first Research Data Management Librarian! This
  brand new position in the department of Scholarly
  Communication and Publishing will help the Libraries align with
  University strategic priorities, including the EVMS integration,
  which will bring new NIH-funded research with its own data
  management and preservation requirements. The position was
  created with collaboration and support from our colleagues in the
  ODU Research Foundation and Office of Research.
• Nikki was named as the 2024 Library Student of the Year for 2024.
  She's spent the last 2 years working with the Libraries in several
  roles, and is ready to make an impact in this key position.

• At this semester’s Darden College Lunch & Learn, Don
  Musacchio, former Assistant Deputy Administrator at the
  USDA and ODU alumnus, inspired attendees with his
  remarkable career journey—from student to high school
  teacher to USDA leader, to Darden Council member.
  Participants left with valuable career advice and insights
  from someone who’s been in their shoes.

Lunch & Learn with
Don Musacchio

TIR Alumni
Earns Teacher
of the Year

Kentrell Darden-Askew, a TIR graduate and
math teacher at Booker T. Washington High
School in Norfolk, has been named Teacher
of the Year!

• Sally Meredith '24 earned two degrees from ODU—
  one in interdisciplinary studies with a concentration
  in special education and a master’s in library
  information science. Inspired by her cousin's journey
  with disabilities, Meredith became passionate about
  empowering students to reach their full potential.
  ODUGlobal provided Meredith the flexibility and
  support she needed to achieve her goals with a
  degree that fit her life. From flexible programs to
  understanding faculty, ODUGlobal was key to
  Meredith's success.

ODUGlobal
Spotlight:
Sally Meredith

Our Teacher in Residence (@odu_tir) Cohort X
and their mentors celebrated the end of their
time in the program as they gear up to start
their journeys as first-year teachers this fall.

• The Teacher in Residence (TIR) program is a
  fast-track into teaching. TIR's earn both a
  master's degree and initial teaching licensure in
  the area of secondary education/mathematics,
  science, or Special Education: K-12 General
  Curriculum. Learn more at odu.edu/teacher-
  residence-program.

TIR Cohort X

DCEPS Alumni named to 40 under 40 Lists

Kim Grainger, an HRT doctoral student, has been
promoted to Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Excellence
at North Carolina State University. In this position, she
serves as the senior faculty affairs officer for the
university, and is responsible for faculty policies,
recruitment, retention, evaluation, recognition and
professional development at NC State.

Kim Grainger
Earns Promotion
at N.C. State

Innovation & Impact

• In November, Dr. Justin Haegele, recently named a 2024
  SCHEV Outstanding Faculty Award recipient, shared his
  journey at the Provost’s Spotlight. He highlighted his
  leadership in adapted physical education and inclusion,
  with over 265 publications and $10M in grant funding. Dr.
  Haegele also showcased ODU’s Center for Movement,
  Health & Disability, which supports impactful community
  programs like Camp Webber and Mighty Monarchs.

To me, the question isn’t, ‘What
does inclusion look like?’ It’s ‘What
does inclusion feel like?’”

2024 SCHEV
Outstanding
Faculty Award
Winner: Justin
Haegele, Ph.D.

2024-25 Provost’s
Fellows Announced

• Three distinguished DCEPS faculty members have been named 2024-25
  Provost’s Fellows, each taking on critical initiatives to advance ODU.

• Dr. Dennis Gregory, Fellow of ODU/EVMS Integration Efforts

Dr. Dennis Gregory, alongside Dr. Alireza Hosseini. With the ODU/EVMS
integration taking effect on July 1st of this year, they will work through policies
and procedures to ensure the two institutions can be incorporated to serve
the entire University community.

• Dr. Tony Perez, Fellow of Academic Success

Dr. Perez will use self-determination theory as a framework to build supports
for students who might otherwise struggle. As an expert in motivation in the
field of educational psychology, Dr. Perez is uniquely qualified to lead this
university level initiative.

• 
  
• Dr. Elizabeth Burns, Fellow of Communications
• This fellowship was designed to improve communication between Academic
  Affairs and the rest of the ODU community. Dr. Burns will be concentrating on
  the communication stemming from several university entities including the
  ODU Faculty Senate and the larger ODU audience.

Old Dominion University’s Division of Research and Economic
Development, in collaboration with Academic Affairs, has launched a new
initiative to support the University’s mission to provide an experiential
learning environment for undergraduate students.

• Orlando Ayala, a professor in the Department of Engineering Technology,
  and Anne Perrotti, an associate professor in the Department of Human
  Movement Studies and Special Education, form an interdisciplinary
  leadership team that will bolster and facilitate ODU’s undergraduate
  research culture. The two will serve as the inaugural director and
  associate director of undergraduate research, respectively.

Anne Perrotti selected
as Associate Director
for Undergraduate
Research

Since 2019, Stanford University and Elsevier have published annual
rankings of the top 2% of researchers worldwide, highlighting both
single-year citation impact and career-long influence. The 2024 list
includes over five dozen ODU faculty and emeriti, including DCEPS’
Dr. Helen Crompton and Dr. Justin Haegele. Dr. Crompton earned
recognition on both the career-long and single-year lists, while Dr.
Haegele appeared on the single-year list.

Both faculty members were also recognized on the single-year list
in 2023, reflecting their continued influence in their respective
fields.

DCEPS Faculty Among
Stanford’s Top 2% of
Researchers

Dr. Cindy Tomovic
Named University
Professor

Congratulations to Dr. Cindy Tomovic, who has been
honored with the prestigious title of University Professor!
This designation recognizes her exceptional contributions
as an undergraduate educator and her commitment to
academic excellence. As part of this honor, Dr. Tomovic will
receive professional development support and have her
name engraved on a plaque displayed at the University.
The designation of University Professor will remain with
her as long as she is a faculty member at Old Dominion
University.

• Dr. Ed Neukrug, Batten Endowed Chair of Counseling at
  ODU, and Dr. Bruce Britton, Professor and Vice Chair for
  Medical Education at Macon and Joan Brock Virginia Health
  Sciences Eastern Virginia Medical School at ODU, have co-
  authored a book titled Psychopharmacology and Brain
  Transforming Interventions for Mental Health Professionals, set
  to release in March 2025 through Cognella Academic Press.
  This groundbreaking book combines expertise from ODU
  and EVMS to explore psychotropic medications, brain
  stimulation techniques, and alternative modalities like
  neurocounseling and psychedelic-assisted therapy. With
  practical charts and a comprehensive approach, the book is
  a valuable tool for mental health professionals navigating
  modern treatment options.

Neukrug and Britton
Collaborate on
Transformative
Mental Health
Resource

Top: Dr. Ed Neukrug

• Right: Dr. Bruce Britton

Notable Publications & Awards

• Dr. John Baaki recently published a paper titled, Impact of a Design Thinking Educational Activity on
  Graduate Students' Knowledge, Confidence, and Perceived Benefits, in Nurse Educator. Authored with faculty
  from the Ellmer School of Nursing, the paper describes a 3-hour design thinking activity that Dr. Baaki
  led students through.

• Dr. Kristen Gansle and Dr. Selena J. Layden have coauthored two significant studies, addressing special
  education teacher retention. The first, Special Education Teacher Attrition: Graduate Study, Public School, Private
  School, examines how factors such as race, age, and training program type influence teachers' decisions to
  remain in the profession. The second study, Social Assets and the Career Intent of Teachers Serving Students
  with Extensive Support Needs, highlights the importance of social supports, including colleague and
  administrative backing, in retaining teachers serving students with extensive needs.

ODU FACULTY EXPLORE SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER RETENTION IN
GROUNDBREAKING STUDIES

DR. BAAKI’S DESIGN THINKING RESEARCH

• Congratulations to Dr. Phil Reed and Dr. Tracey Regenold! Their book, entitled Systemic Thinking for
  Public Managers: Five Practices for Creating a Vibrant Organization has been selected for the 2024
  Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) Outstanding Book Award.

Congratulations to Drs. Rea Simons and Elizabeth Burns on winning a Laura Bush 21st Century Library
Award (LB21) from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The Early Career Grant is
titled: Embracing the whole SELF: Social Emotional Literacy Factors and culturally-sensitive information
literacy instruction. Dr. Simons and Burns will work with Texas Women's University to "research and
develop a model of information literacy instruction integrating social-emotional literacy and cultural
humility with traditional information literacy (IL) skills.”

Simons & Burns win Laura Bush 21st Century Award

• Congratulations to Dr. Kristie Escobar, who was recently elected as a Board of Directors member for the Beta Phi Mu
  Honor Society! Beta Phi Mu recognizes the scholastic achievement and leadership potential of Library Science members
  and others in related fields, and fosters the values of scholarship, leadership, and service in its members. The name
  comes from the initials of the Greek words Bibliothekarios philax mathesis, meaning “librarians are the guardians of
  knowledge.”

DR. KRISTIE ESCOBAR JOINS BETA PHI MU LEADERSHIP

AECT OUTSTANDING BOOK AWARD

Congratulations to Drs. Jennifer Kidd, Ren and Tian Luo for being named
ODU AI Teaching Fellows! Fellows will participate in a community of
practice with other AI Teaching Fellows, developing content for artificial
intelligence courses in Education and Learning Technologies.

• They will work with other AI Teaching Fellows to integrate AI content into
  courses and participate in at least two panel discussions sharing their
  expertise with ODU faculty and community. They are among 10 ODU
  faculty selected for this honor.

3 DCEPS Faculty Named
as ODU AI Teaching
Fellows

Top: Dr. Kidd

Right: Dr. Ren

• Bottom: Dr. Luo

• Congratulations to Dr. Sue Kimmel and Dr. Shana Pribesh from
  STEMPS, along with alumna Dr. Lois Wine and co-authors Dr. Gail
  Dickinson and Dr. Audrey Church, for receiving the Jesse H. Shera
  Award for Distinguished Published Research from the American
  Library Association. Their paper, featured in Library & Information
  Science Research and on the Faculti platform, demonstrated that
  schools with full-time librarians significantly improve elementary
  student reading and math scores using a propensity score
  analysis.

Drs. Kimmel, Pribesh, and
Alumni Honored with
Jesse H. Shera Award

Global AI Impact

• Dr. Helen Crompton made waves in AI and education on
  both local and global stages in 2024. She worked closely
  with Virginia’s independent schools and Norfolk Academy
  to navigate AI integration and delivered a keynote at the
  Virginia Association of Independent Schools' Heads of
  Schools event. Internationally, she shared her expertise
  with the United Nations as part of a UNESCO IESALC
  consultation group on AI competencies for higher
  education in Europe and North America. In November, Dr.
  Crompton also delivered a keynote at the eLearn World
  Conference on EdTech in Singapore, one of the leading
  global gatherings of e-learning professionals, attended by
  participants from over 40 countries.

TUrn to a new chapter of opportunity with

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