Alumni Success Stories

“I knew for my graduate degrees that I wanted to enroll in programs of substance that would require hard work but would also provide me with meaningful and transformative experiences. I was able to take courses at various locations to gain the hands-on experience that makes science concepts stick. This program ignited a passion for learning that led to me to pursue a second master’s degree only a few years later.”

"UD’s School Psychology program prepared me to be a relentless advocate for the students with whom I work, and nurtured me to be a leader in my profession. It led me to return to UD to pursue my Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, and it has given me an opportunity to help train the next generation of school psychologists as an adjunct instructor in the program."

Dr. Hurwitz works primarily on projects in early childhood and education including designing early childhood instruments to measure classroom quality, creating professional development activities to support the early childhood workforce, and developing and disseminating evidence-based practices for educators.

Dana chose to pursue a Ph.D. at UD due to the support provided by other students, graduates and faculty. She received many opportunities because Sociocultural and Community-Based Approaches faculty members sought to include students in their research work.

Akisha chose UD to expand her analytic expertise while also having opportunities to apply them in educational contexts. Her work with Elizabeth Farley-Ripple and Henry May led to a dissertation fellowship/grant with the American Education Research Association.

Laura was a high school social studies teacher before choosing to pursue UD's Ph.D. in Economic Education. Her coursework and experiences at UD combined with a love of economics with passion for education and provided her with a strong foundation of skills as a scholar in the field.

Zoi Philippakos chose UD due to its "impeccable reputation" and "the chance to work with researchers who supported my research interests, were willing to collaborate, and viewed their students as future colleagues.”

While studying as a PhD student, Yi Song worked as a teaching assistant or a research assistant each year. Working with different professors, she got to learn various teaching strategies and various types of research, such as conducting experiments to understand babies’ language development.

Dr. Sabatini’s research interests and expertise are interdisciplinary, extending across reading literacy development and disabilities, assessment, cognitive psychology, the learning sciences and educational technology.  In the course of his career, he has had opportunity to conduct research on reading, writing, and critical thinking.

Jessica pursued her Ph.D. in Education (specializing in Learning Sciences and Education, Measurement & Statistics) because of the opportunity to learn from and work with leaders in the field. "I knew I would receive the training required to advance my research skills and to be competitive on the job market."

Nikki chose UD's Ph.D. Human Development & Family Studies because of the breadth of expertise available to her among the faculty. "I knew I wanted to be in a program that was going to afford me research and teaching experience. UD has been very influential in shaping who I am as a professional, and also who I am as a person."