THInC Seminar on Highlighting Academic Research (SHARE) Series
Overview
Faculty and students will present their research expertise, showcasing either a current research project, a recently completed one, or a published study in a relaxed and informal setting. This series aims to promote research visibility and encourage collaborations both within the college and with broader academic communities. The audience will include JHCOE faculty and students, faculty from other departments, and special guests from outside the college. Light refreshments and snacks will be available.
Who should attend?
Anyone curious about the college's ongoing research and looking to connect with potential collaborators.
Upcoming Seminars
Spring 2025
All Spring 2025 seminars will take place from 12 pm to 1 pm in Gillham Hall Room 3100C or via Teams.
- Wednesday, March 26th, 2025
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From Dissertation to Dollars: Translating Academic Research into Funded Projects
- Presenter Dr. Pierrette Dagg
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Overview Securing funding for academic research can feel like an insurmountable challenge, but by strategically bridging theory and practice, researchers can unlock significant funding opportunities while advancing their work. This presentation will outline a proven process for transforming academic research into funded, real-world projects—drawing from firsthand experience securing over $15 million in state, federal, and philanthropic grants across AI, cybersecurity, network research, digital skilling, workforce development, and economic development. The talk will walk through how to turn research ideas into small-scale pilot projects, identify and pursue early-stage funding, present findings in peer-reviewed forums to gain practitioner feedback, and leverage that experience into large-scale funding applications. By building a portfolio of pilot-tested, community-validated projects, researchers not only strengthen their scholarship but also increase their visibility to funders, establish partnerships, and demonstrate the real-world impact of their work—turning ideas into action and research into sustainable funding.
Bio Dr. Pierrette Renée Dagg is a graduate of UToledo and Director of Research at Merit Network, overseeing technology impact, network, and cybersecurity research. She is a Research Associate at MSU's Quello Center, Adjunct Professor at Oakland Community College, and Area Chair for Intellectual Property at the Pop Culture Association. Pierrette serves on the AI Policy Subcommittee at the University of Toledo and chairs Merit's AI Innovations Working Group. As a Digital Opportunities Fund Fellow at the Benton Institute, she published case studies on broadband community champions.
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- Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025
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Examination of Rocket Kids and International Experiences in Teacher Education
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Presenter Dr. Colleen Fitzpatrick
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Overview This talk will focus on the early research and the benefits students get from being part of Rocket Kids. We will explain the research methods being used, which include both quantitative data (e.g., numbers and statistics) and qualitative data (e.g., stories and personal experiences), to study how the program affects students in different ways.
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Bio Dr. Colleen Fitzpatrick, an assistant professor in social studies education, has been appointed the Judith Daso-Herb Endowed Chair in International Experiences, where she will examine the impact of Rocket Kids on preservice teachers' global perspectives and professional growth. Her research investigates how educational contexts at various levels influence social studies teaching and learning, aiming to help educators recognize the effects of their classroom practices on students. Prior to joining the University of Toledo, Dr. Fitzpatrick served as a Teacher Scholar Postdoctoral Fellow at Wake Forest University, researching and teaching social studies education, and taught middle and high school social studies before pursuing her Ph.D. at the University of Virginia.
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Past Seminars
- Wednesday, February 12th, 2025
- Exploring Need for Cognition and Academic Success in Physician Assistant Students
Presenter: Kristen Porter
The proposed project will explore the relationship between Need for Cognition (NFC)—a cognitive attribute reflecting an individual's tendency to engage in and enjoy effortful thinking—and academic performance in Physician Assistant (PA)students. PA education is known for its rigor, requiring students to master critical thinking, problem-solving, and adaptability under high pressure. By investigating whether NFC is correlated with GPA and exam scores, this study aims to provide insight into how cognitive engagement impacts academic success. The findings could inform admissions processes and curriculum design, supporting the development of strategies to foster cognitive engagement and lifelong learning among PA students.
Fall 2024
- Wednesday, September 18th, 2024
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- Curriculum and Digital Literacy and Media Citizenship
Presenter: Josh Spieles
- Wednesday, October 9th, 2024
- Unleashing the Power of ThingLink: Revolutionizing Pre-Service Teacher Training for Tomorrow's Classrooms
Presenter: Mark Stevens
In today’s rapidly evolving educational landscape, pre-service teachers need more than just theory—they need immersive, hands-on experiences that ignite their ability to creatively integrate technology into K-12 classrooms. Enter ThingLink the groundbreaking tool that transforms static learning into dynamic, interactive experiences. By harnessing the visual storytelling capabilities of ThingLink, pre-service teachers can create immersive digital environments, bringing their future classrooms to life in ways that captivate students' imaginations and foster deep learning.
- Wednesday, November 6th, 2024
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Theorizing Social Justice in Education: A Conceptual Framework
Presenter: Dr. Dale Snauwaert
What is the meaning of social justice? How can we approach the construction of the theory of social justice in education? The purpose of this presentation is to explore a conceptual framework for theorizing social justice in education centered around basic questions of justice and the idea of fairness. A conceptual framework is a way of thinking about how to construct a theory of social justice in education. That is, the framework specifies what questions and normative criteria of justification need to be considered in the construction of a theory rather than the articulation and defense of a specific theory or conception of social justice. The proposed framework rests upon the concept of justice as providing justifiable, non-arbitrary principles for the assignment of rights and duties and is thereby comprised of principled answers to basic questions of justice: Who Belongs? Whose Truth? Who Gets What? Who Decides? and Whose Resistance? It will be proposed that a conception of social justice can be comprised of principled answers to these questions as well as supporting normative reasons of justification in terms of the basic criteria of fairness.
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Please email herbinnovationcenter@utoledo.edu if you have questions, suggestions, or would like to be a presenter.