Spring 2025 3-minute / 5-Minute Thesis Winners

(Photos - left to right, top row: Maria Varner, Sophia McKarus, Melike Koc, Huwa Sowa;
left to right, bottom row: Randisha Owensby, Tara Lax, Kelly Gobrogge, Brenda Payne)

Undergraduate Early-Track (In-Person/Virtual) Winners

Maria

First Place: Maria Varner — Bachelor's Student of Early Childhood Education — Classroom Integration of Cultural Differences in Preparing Students to be Emotionally Healthy to Avoid Becoming a Bully or Being affected by bully

Second Place: Sophia McKarus — Bachelor's Student of Early Childhood Education — Fostering Belonging: Helping a Non-English-Speaking Student Engage in Social and Academic Activities as a Preservice Teacher with the Help of AI

Graduate Early-Track (In-Person)

First Place: Melike Koc — Doctoral Student of Educational Psychology — Empowering Educators: Measuring Collective Teacher Efficacy For Greater Impact

Second Place: Hua Sowa — Doctoral Student of Educational Theory and Social Foundations — The Role of Human Rights Education (HRE) in the Preservation of Democracy

Graduate Early-Track (Virtual)

First Place: Randisha Owensby — Doctoral Student of Educational Theory and Social Foundations — A Thin Line Between Love and Hate: Unmasking Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome Consequences on Black Men Who Perpetuate Intimate Partner Violence within Intra-Racial Relationships

Second Place: Tara Lax — Doctoral Student of Special Education — Special Education and the School-to-Prison Pipeline

Graduate Late-Track (In-Person/Virtual)

First Place: Kelly Gobrogge — Doctoral Student of Curriculuam and Instruction — An Exploration of Play and Language in Families with Young Children Experiencing Homelessness

Second Place: Brenda Payne — Doctoral Student of Higher Education — Factors Associated with Community College Students' Time to Degree Completion: A Six-Year Analysis of One Community College Cohort

People’s Choice Awards

In-Person: Melike Koc — Empowering Educators: Measuring Collective Teacher Efficacy For Greater Impact