Students, staff and faculty members from Penn State’s College of Education share recent research and career achievements.
- Marcela Borge, associate professor of education (learning, design, and technology), is among four Penn State faculty members who were recently named the inaugural Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) and Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) Fellows for the 2025-2026 academic year by SSRI and CTSI. Borge was recognized for her project, “Aligning Promotion and Tenure with the Land Grant Mission of the Pennsylvania State University.”
- Jen Classen, a doctoral candidate in learning, design, and technology, won the 2025 Laurel Award for Outstanding Student Service from Penn State. Classen has served in leadership positions in student organizations across the University, including the Learning, Design, and Technology Grad Student Association and the College of Education Graduate Student Council.
- Adrienne D. Dixson, department head and professor of education policy studies, and Scott McDonald, professor of science education and director of the Krause Innovation Studio, completed Penn State’s 2025 Excellence in Academic Leadership (EAL) program. The EAL program, coordinated by the Office of Faculty Affairs, offers a high-impact development experience for unit leaders, combining leadership theory, practical skill-building and peer learning.
- Annie Everett and Julian Prieto, doctoral candidates in higher education, will be featured in “Critical Internationalization of Higher Education: From Internationalization Drift to Ethical Global Engagement.” Their chapter, “International Development, Higher Education’s Third Mission & The Internationalization of Service: Towards an International Community-Centered University Service Model,” explores how higher education institutions can ethically engage in international development by reimagining their service mission through a community-centered lens.
- Ed Fuller, professor of education, was quoted in an article in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “Number of Pennsylvania teacher vacancies remains largely steady, new report finds.” Additionally, he was interviewed for a story in The Philadelphia Inquirer, “More than a third of all Pa. districts had teacher vacancies amid continuing educator shortage.”
- Jeffrey Hayes, professor of counselor education, and Carlomagno Panlilio, associate professor of educational psychology, are co-authors of a recently published paper, “How full is the glass? Examining the validity of the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms-62 across five ethnoracial groups” in APA PsycNet.
- Brandy Henry, assistant professor of rehabilitation and human services, was interviewed for an article in The Express, “Centre honors employees; Proclaims Justice Education Month.”
- Seong Ji Jeong, professor of workforce education and development, is one of five faculty members who were recently named Penn State Social Science Research Institute Mentored Faculty Fellows for 2025-26. Jeong’s research examines whether the education system mitigates wage penalties associated with education-job mismatches.
- Gerald LeTendre, Harry L. Batschelet Chair of Educational Administration (educational leadership), has published a new book, “Transforming Teacher Preparation Across Nations,” through Teachers College Press.
- Ricardo Martinez, assistant professor of mathematics education, co-authored a piece for Bank Street College of Education, “Issue 53
- Speculative Youth Participatory Action Research: Narratives of Imaginative Social Dreaming.”
- Benjamin McMullen, a doctoral student in educational policy and leadership, won Best Presentation at the NACADA Region 2 Conference. He presented in two programs.
- Wilson Okello, assistant professor of higher education, authored a recently published article, “Infinite Essence: Black Methodology, Artful Inquiry, and the Possibilities of Black Aesthetics” in Qualitative Inquiry. In addition, Okello’s new book, On Blackness, Liveliness, and What it Means to be Human, is the recipient of the 2025 Outstanding Book Award by Division B of the American Educational Research Association.
- Anna Yinqi Zhang, a doctorate candidate in educational psychology, authored a piece, “The Impact of Innovation Cohorts: A Research-Based Perspective on Educator Growth,” for Learner-Centered Collaborative.
- Heather Toomey Zimmerman, professor of learning, design, and technology, completed her semester-long experience as part of the fall 2024 cohort of the Penn State Emerging Academic Leaders (PSEAL) program. She was mentored by Rayne Sperling, associate dean, undergraduate and graduate studies.
“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.