The Thomas A. Mulkeen Dissertation Award
Thomas A. Mulkeen was a professor at Fordham University who was hired as a consultant and shared his expertise with faculty at UNF as they designed and developed the EdD doctoral program in Educational Leadership. Tom was a leader within the Danforth Foundation initiative that sought to redesign and improve graduate programs in Educational Leadership. It was Tom who encouraged the doctoral program to focus the dissertation on practice-centered inquiry. Unfortunately, Tom passed away around the time that the UNF EdD program graduated the first students in 1994. In honor of his work, the EdD program faculty established this award in his honor. This award is given to the dissertation that best exemplifies practice-centered inquiry.
Criteria:
The College of Education and Human Services, Department of Leadership, School Counseling, and Sport Leadership will celebrate its Educational Leadership doctorate recipients with an annual presentation of the prestigious Thomas Mulkeen Award, tentatively scheduled to take place during the COEHS Convocation. The Award is given to the graduate whose doctoral dissertation best exemplifies practice-centered inquiry. An ad-hoc group of the doctoral teaching faculty will evaluate the submitted dissertations based on the following criteria:
- Conceptually clear and important problem or hypotheses;
- Comprehensive review of applicable literature;
- Utilization of appropriate and methodologically sound approach;
- Cogent analysis of data;
- Clear discussion of the importance and relevance of the study;
- Scholarly writing style and appropriate documentation (citations and references in APA style);
- Potential of the inquiry to influence education practice.
Information about the next nomination window is shared here when it is available.
2022 Recipients of the Thomas Mulkeen Award for the Doctoral Dissertation that Best Exemplifies Practice-Centered Inquiry
Dr. Laurie Hoppock
Dr. Laurie Hoppock, Director of the Arts for Duval County Public Schools, works to support the visual and performing arts programs throughout the school district. With a background in visual art, art therapy, and art education with special needs populations, Laurie works to ensure all students have access to high quality fine arts education, both in and out of the classroom. She believes that the expressive qualities inherent in creating are an integral part of every individual’s social, emotional, and academic learning experience. Laurie seeks innovative, engaging ways for students and teachers to find real-world connections in the arts and integrate creative arts into all subject areas. Dr. Hoppock’s dissertation, Examining the Shared Perceptions Surrounding the Most Important Elements to Include in the Design of a Classroom-Based Therapeutic Visual Arts Program Serving Students with Autism. Her study examined perceptions from art therapists, art educators, and special education teachers around what programmatic features should be included in a classroom-based therapeutic visual art designed for school-aged students with autism. From the patterns and themes that emerged, Dr. Hoppock developed program recommendations and implications surrounding classroom-based therapeutic visual arts programs designed for students with autism.
Dr. Jennifer Shepard
Dr. Jennifer Shepard serves as the Director of Professional Learning for Clay County District Schools. She is a scholar-practitioner with over 20 years of experience in PK-12 education, having served as a classroom teacher, exceptional student education teacher, instructional coach, and school administrator. With the guidance of her advisor, Dr. Diane Yendol-Hoppey, Dr. Shepard’s research focused on understanding the systemic influences of professional learning for school leaders through a multi-case study approach. Her dissertation, Principal Professional Learning: Exploring Personal and Contextual Barriers and Facilitators of Change, explored the experiences of school principals in a year-long professional learning program, and identified five critical connection points between professional learning and change: collective leadership, coherence, collaboration, differentiation, and praxis. The Organizational Learning Core framework emerged from these critical connection points, and can be used by district leaders to conceptualize the role of principal professional learning within the ever-changing context of education.
Past Recipients of the Thomas Mulkeen Award for the Doctoral Dissertation that Best Exemplifies Practice-Centered Inquiry
2021
Dr. Lee Anderson Louy
Chair: Dr. David Hoppey
The Role Academic Deans Play in Public Higher Education Fundraising
Dr. Jennifer Perkins
Chair: Dr. Amanda Blakewood Pascale
2020
Cheryl Mobley Gonzalez
Chair: Dr. Anne Swanson
Megan McMillan
Chair: Dr. David Hoppey
Leading Effective Inclusive Schools: How Principals Make the Difference
Kristen Duffney
Chair: Dr. Daniel Dinsmore, Ph. D
Effects of Online ABA Training on Stress Levels of Parents with a Child with Autism
Raine Osborne Jr.
Chair: Dr. Daniel Dinsmore, Ph. D
2018
Sarah Friswold-Atwood
Chair: Dr. Daniel Dinsmore, Ph. D
Anthony Mortimer
Co-Chairs: Dr. Carolyn Ali-Khan, Ph. D. and Dr. Daniel Dinsmore, Ph. D
2017
Travis Henderson
Chair: Anne K. Swanson, Ph. D
2016
Shawn Brayton
Chair: Elinor A. Scheirer, Ph.D.
Participant Perceptions of Knowledge Sharing in a Higher Education Community of Practice
2015
Mai Keisling
Chair: Christopher Janson, Ph. D.
2014
Tavy Wells
Chair: Larry G. Daniel, Ph. D.
2013
William Ganza
Chair: Katherine Kasten Ph.D.
The Impact of Online Professional Development on Online Teaching in Higher Education
Jevetta Stanford
Chair: Katherine Kasten Ph.D.
2012
Janie Smalley
Chair: Katherine Kasten, Ph.D.
2010
Jeane Richards
Chair: Larry G. Daniel, Ph.D.
Teaching for Cultural Competence: Preferred Strategies of Baccalaureate Nursing Faculty
2009
Robert Todd Parrish
Chair: Katherine Kasten, Ph.D.
The Teach for Florida Project: A Case Study of Alternative Route Certification Policy
2008
Angela Garcia Falconetti
Chair: Joyce T. Jones, Ph.D.
James Young
Chair: Cheryl Fountain, Ph.D.
Assessing the Impact of Family Coaching on Parental Attitudes and Behaviors
2007
Gigi M. David
Chair, Katherine M. Kasten, Ph.D.
Assessing the Impact of a Visual Arts Family-Focused Pre-Kindergarten Intervention
2006
Cynthia S. Jacobs
Chair -- Katherine M. Kasten, Ph.D.
2005
LaDonna K. Morris
Chair – Larry G. Daniel, Ph.D.
Perceptions of a Chilly Climate: Differences in Traditional and Non-traditional Majors for Women
2004
Claribel Torres-Lugo
Co-Chairs: Warren A. Hodge, Ph.D. and Larry G. Daniel, Ph.D.
Principal’s Assessment of Florida’s Accountability Model: A Descriptive Overview of School Factors Associated with High-Stakes Accountability
2003
John A . Frank
Chair: Charles M. Galloway, Ed.D.
Transformational Leadership and Moral Discourse in the Workplace and Civil Society
2002
Joel Whitt Beam
Chair: Thomas S. Serwatka, Ph.D.
Preferred Leadership of NCAA Division I and II Intercollegiate Student-Athletes
2001
Margo L. Martin
Chair: Thomas S. Serwatka, Ph.D.
The Connection Among Computer-Mediated Communication, Course Completion Rate, and Achievement in Relation to Distance Education and the English Composition Student
2000
Kathryn M. Krudwig
Chair: Robert J. Drummond, Ed.D.
Learner Centeredness as a Predictor of Teachers' Role Stress and Career Commitment
1999
Judith B. Poppell
Chair: Katherine M. Kasten, Ph.D.
The Effect of School Desegregation on an Historically Black High School
1998
Madelaine M. Cosgrove
Chair: Katherine M. Kasten, Ph.D.
The Impact of Professional Development School Activities on Classroom Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy and Classroom Practice
1996
Linda Rhea Hunter
Chair: Robert J. Drummond, Ed.D.
1995
Jeanne E. Borstein
Chair: Elinor A. Scheirer, Ph.D.
The Effects of Cooperative Learning on the Attitudes and Achievement of Academically Talented Secondary Students
1994
Paige V. French
Co-chairs: Charles M. Galloway, Ed.D., Katherine M. Kasten, Ph.D.
The Roles of School and Advisory Councils in School Improvement: A Case Study in Policy Interpretation