CONVOCATION AND GRADUATION CEREMONY GLOBAL SESSION 2024
UNIVERSITY OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
WASHINGTON D.C.
JULY 2024
Message from the President
Welcome to Fielding graduates, students, and faculty colleagues as well as all our families and friends here to celebrate with us today. Today we will begin our programs with individual hoodings and inspiring speeches from our graduates and then convene as a university. Convocation is a term used to describe a formal ceremony at a university, often for the conferring of awards. Today we have the happy circumstance of awarding the Marie Fielder Medal for Social Transformation and recognizing an alumni awardee of the Dianne Kipnes Social Innovation Award.
For our graduates, this day is the culmination of many years of hard work and sacrifice. We are engaged in this time together to acknowledge their achievements and wish them well as they tackle new challenges. In the same spirit, we are also recognizing individuals who are making unique contributions in their fields in the pursuit of a more sustainable, humane, and just world. Celebrating such work is a reminder to us all of the possibilities amongst us to create positive social change through the power of education.
Katrina S. Rogers, PhD President
Convocation and Graduation Ceremony
Wednesday, July 10, 2024
Program Hooding Ceremonies
Convocation Program, 4 p.m.
Theater of the Arts
Academic Processional Welcome
Chair Gary Wagenheim, PhD, Fielding Board of Trustees
Opening Remarks
Presentation of the Dianne Kipnes Endowed Fund for Social Innovation Award 2024
President Katrina S. Rogers, PhD Kipnes Awardee, Wanda L. Whiteside, EdD (‘23)
Conferral of the Marie Fielder Medal for Social Transformation Recipient Associate Provost of Research, Extramural Funding, and Faculty Development Katherine McGraw, PhD
Convocation Address
Ronald F. Mason, Jr., JD
Conferral of Degrees
President Katrina S. Rogers, PhD
Presentation of Graduates
Director of Organization Development and Leadership Program, Keith Ray, PhD (’09)
Director of Educational Leadership for Change Program, Barbara P. Mink, EdD
Director of Human and Organizational Development Program, Kathy D. Geller, PhD (’05) Director of Media Psychology Programs, Brian L. Cutler, PhD
Director of Infant and Early Childhood Development Programs; Jenene W. Craig, PhD (’15) Director of Psychology Program, Nora P. Reilly, PhD
Director of Clinical Psychology Programs, Connie S. Veazey, PhD
School of Leadership Studies
MA in Organization Development and Leadership
EdD with an emphasis in Leadership for Change
PhD in Human Development
PhD in Human and Organizational Systems
PhD in Organizational Development and Change
School of Psychology
MA in Applied Media Psychology
PhD in Psychology with an emphasis in Media & Technology
Ph D in Infant and Early Childhood Development with an emphasis in Mental Health and Developmental Disorders
PhD in Psychology
PhD in Psychology with an emphasis in Clinical Psychology
Closing Provost and Senior Vice President, Wendi S. Williams, PhD
Academic
Recessional
Awards
Dianne Kipnes Endowed Fund for Social Innovation Award 2024
Kathryn J. Bell Bell, PhD (’23)
Wanda L. Whiteside, EdD (’23)
About the Dianne Kipnes Endowed Fund for Social Innovation
The Dianne Kipnes Endowed Fund for Social Innovation was established in 2016 with an exceptional gift from Dianne Kipnes. The Fund supports projects from alumni of Fielding’s School of Psychology and School of Leadership Studies that demonstrate innovation and collaboration for improving the lives of individuals, organizations, or communities.
About Dr. Bell
Dr. Bell completed her PhD in Human Development at Fielding in 2023, with a concentration in Creative Longevity and Wisdom. She also has a Certificate in Gerontology from Toronto Metropolitan University, an MA in Curriculum from the University of Toronto-OISE, and a BA in English from the University of British Columbia. She spent most of her career teaching and developing postsecondary programs in British Columbia and Ontario.
Kathy’s Fielding dissertation, Wisdom through the Eyes of Elder Women, involved an arts-based methodology to learn how nominated Elder women, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, define and reveal wisdom. Dr. Bell’s project for this award, Finding the Key to Positivity for Elders in Home Transition, uses an arts-based methodology to explore how individuals in their late 70s and 80s can be supported in the process of downsizing their living space and possessions to a potential ideal future environment. Related questions include how elders “idealize” their future homes, and the emotional support needed to help them create an ideal living environment. This further research is based on the work of Lindley and Wallace (2015) and will explore several aspects of home transition. The results will be used in a resource book for older adults and submitted for conference presentations and journal publication.
About Dr. Whiteside
Dr. Wanda Whiteside received her MEd and EdD degree in Leadership for Change from Fielding Graduate University, graduating in 2023. In addition, she earned an MS in Business Management from Strayer University. Dr. Whiteside trained at the Boston Conservatory of Music and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Arts from Howard University. She is a faculty member at Montgomery College in Takoma Park, MD, and serves as the Artistic Producing Director of Live Garra Theatre, Inc., a resident company with the Theatre Consortium of Silver Spring, Inc. Dr. Whiteside and her husband owned and operated the Bonifant Theatre Space in downtown Silver Spring, MD, which served as the Zora Neale Hurston Stage for the DC Black Theatre Festival, and she was awarded Montgomery’s Best Honoree Community Service award.
Dr. Whiteside was a judge for the NAACP ACT-SO competitions and presenter at the University of Maryland Black Theatre Symposium on the state of Black Theatre in America. She received an Honorable Citation from the Maryland State House of Delegates for her work with the Silver Spring Town Center, Inc. Dr. Whiteside had a 15-year tenure as a Director/Editor at Discovery Communications, Inc. where she was the principal developer of the “Autofeed,” the electronic transmission system of programming information.
Through this award, she will partner with Montgomery College, Maryland’s Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Campus Center to conduct an ongoing workshop series that incorporates Playback Theatre, an exercise that invites the audience to participate in the creation of improvised scenes focused on racial bias and issues of marginalization.
The project will assess the extent to which the activities increased participants’ positive social connection, well-being, sense of belonging, and understanding of underlying themes. Results will be disseminated through social media, conference presentations and publications.
Marie Fielder Medal for Social Transformation
Ronald F. Mason, Jr., J.D.
About the Marie Fielder Medal
The Marie Fielder Center for Democracy, Leadership, and Education at Fielding Graduate University is a multidisciplinary research and advocacy center that aims to advance diversity and inclusion throughout society. Marie Fielder, PhD, was one of the most influential women in the history of California education. She achieved national prominence for her theories on how diverse cultures and groups relate to one another. In her 60-year career, Dr. Fielder was a teacher, social researcher, and consultant specializing in organizational development and school culture. In the 1960s and ‘70s, Dr. Fielder contributed to the work of such civil rights leaders as Martin Luther King Jr. and Whitney Young, and advised the US Department of Education, the Black Panther Party for Defense and Justice, and the National Organization for Women.
The Marie Fielder Medal recognizes distinguished leaders who have transformed society through their engagement and advocacy for access, equity, and social justice to create a more democratic society.
About the Medal Recipient and Guest Speaker, Dr. Mason
Dr. Ronald Francis Mason Jr. is an American lawyer and university administrator, serving as the ninth president of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC). He held the office from 2015-2023, and it was his third presidential appointment. He previously served as President of the Southern University and A&M College System (2010-2015) and at Jackson State University (2000-2010). Before his administration at Jackson State, Mason held several executive appointments over a 17-year tenure at Tulane University, including general counsel, vice president for Finance and Operations and senior vice president and general counsel.
At Tulane, he played a significant role in bringing the Amistad Research Center—one of the largest collections of manuscripts, documents, and artwork relating to the experiences of African Americans and other minorities—to the university. In 1996, Mason negotiated a deal between Marc Morial, then mayor of New Orleans, and Henry Cisneros, then U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, for Tulane University to assume management oversight of the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO), known at the time as the worst public housing authority in the nation.
In 2010, he was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities While at Southern, the only HBCU system in the nation, Dr. Mason guided the System through financial exigency and an organizational restructuring that combined the offices of the president and the chancellor of the main campus in Baton Rouge. He also created a national initiative called the ‘Five-Fifths Agenda for America’, which focused on reclaiming and developing Black male human capital. The focal points of the initiative were Centers for Undergraduate Student Achievement, designed to break the cycle of violence and the schoolto-prison pipeline that characterized the coming of age for many young men in New Orleans at that time. The first such center was piloted at Southern University New Orleans with the support of the State of Louisiana and several foundations.
As President of UDC, he championed a platform for strengthening and promoting UDC’s exceptional status as the only public university in the nation’s capital and the only exclusively urban land-grant university. Under Mason’s leadership, the university expanded its information technology infrastructure and launched specific initiatives to build UDC’s brand among DC Public Schools, its primary feeder institutions. In 2021 the university received its most significant financial gift of $2.3M from an anonymous donor in support of its strategic plan, the Equity Imperative.
Ceremony Participants School of Leadership Studies
MA in Organization Development and Leadership
Presented by: Director of Organization Development and Leadership Program, Keith Ray, PhD (’09)
Ginette Rose Osier Bedsaul
Global Technology Corporation Capstone Intervention
Project Faculty: Jarrod Schwartz, MS and Michael McElhenie, PhD
Thavivanh Phonsavath
Team Engagement Framework for Partners in Housing Solutions
Project Faculty: Jarrod Schwartz, MS
Kimberly R. Wade
Using a Decision-Making Framework to Improve Non-Profit Board Efficiency
Project Faculty: Jarrod Schwartz, MS
Doctor of Education with an emphasis in Leadership for Change
Presented by: Director of Educational Leadership for Change Program, Barbara P. Mink, EdD
Juliet Jordan Lowery
The Voices of 12 Sister Scholars Ascending as Leaders in Higher Education
Chair: Lenneal J. Henderson, PhD
Research Faculty: Kitty Kelly Epstein, PhD
Faculty Reader: Bruce H. Leslie, PhD
External Examiner: Rajade M. Berry-James, PhD
Student Reader: Elizabeth Velarde, EdD
Andrea Jean McKenna
University Faculty Voice in Financial Components of Shared Governance: A Case Study of a California University
Chair: Barbara P. Mink, EdD
Research Faculty: Richard P. Appelbaum, PhD
Faculty Reader: Ivan L. Harrell, II, PhD
External Examiner: Susan T. Kater, PhD
Student Reader: Janet R. Nelson, MA
Michael Steven Moates
Trauma-Patient Communication: First Responder Perspectives on Utilizing Spontaneous Hypnosis as an Adjunct to Standard Emergency Medical Care
Chair: Four Arrows - Don Trent Jacobs, PhD, EdD
Research Faculty: David Blake Willis, PhD
Faculty Reader: Valerie A. Bentz, PhD
External Examiner: Mary J. Peebles, PhD
Student Reader: Peggie A. Russell, EdD
Michael Rothman
Accountability and Students Who Reclaim Success: A Case Study of an Alternative High School
Chair: Lenneal J. Henderson, PhD
Research Faculty: Kitty Kelly Epstein, PhD
Faculty Reader: Nicola E. Smith, JD
External Examiner: Michelle Fine, PhD
Student Reader: Kerri R. Valencia, EdD
Alicia A. Scott
Marva Collins: How One Teacher’s Counter-Hegemonic Educational Approach Ignited the Innate Brilliance of a Generation of Black Children
Chair: Kitty Kelly Epstein, PhD
Research Faculty: Four Arrows - Don Trent Jacobs, PhD, EdD
Faculty Reader: Lenneal J. Henderson, PhD
External Examiner: Judy Rashid, EdD
Student Reader: Valerie D. Johnson, MEd
Wanda Lenore Whiteside
Theatre for Social Change: Breaking the Yoke of Prison Life Together and Taking a Last Look at the Yard Full of “Dry Bones”
Chair: Jennifer L. Edwards, PhD
Research Faculty: Annabelle L. Nelson, PhD
Faculty Reader: Lenneal J. Henderson, PhD
External Examiner: Tammy Arnstein, EdD
Student Reader: Romaine D. Castro, PhD
Shayla R. Williams-Pryor
Barriers to African American Women in Higher Education Leadership in Arkansas
Chair: Kitty Kelly Epstein, PhD
Research Faculty: Lenneal J. Henderson, PhD
Faculty Reader: Jennifer L. Edwards, PhD
External Examiner: Margaret Boyd-Owens, PhD
Student Reader: Valerie D. Johnson, MEd
Karen Min Zong
Midlife Transition and Well-Being in the Second Half: Experiences and Choices of Midlife Chinese Post Corona Virus Disease
Chair: Jennifer L. Edwards, PhD
Research Faculty: Annabelle L. Nelson, PhD
Faculty Reader: Kitty Kelly Epstein, PhD
External Examiner: Fei Sun, PhD
Student Reader: Kathryn J. Bell, PhD
PhD in Human Development
Presented by: Director of Human and Organizational Development Program, Kathy D. Geller, PhD (’05)
Ratchaanon Michel Alexander
How Do Societal Restrictions Build a False Sense of Self in Those With Diminishing Abilities? (An Authoethnography)
Chair: Connie Corley, MSW, PhD
Faculty Reader: Four Arrows - Don Trent Jacobs, PhD, EdD
Faculty Reader: David Blake Willis, PhD
External Examiner: Ana-Maria Chindris, MD
Student Reader: Darlene M. Steele, MA
Lisa D. Bradley
Shemancipation: A Grounded Theory of African American Women’s Process of Transitioning to Age 50
Chair: Annabelle L. Nelson, PhD
Faculty Reader: Nicola E. Smith, JD
Faculty Reader: David Blake Willis, PhD
External Examiner: Lynn Calhoun Howell, PhD
Student Reader: Charlene Feathers, PhD
Whitney Renee Breer
Cultivating the Whole Person: The Psychometric Properties of a Human Growth Scale for Applied Coaching
Chair: Malcolm A. North, PhD
Faculty Reader: Abigail Lynam, PhD
Faculty Reader: Michael R. Manning, PhD
External Examiner: Oliver C. Robinson, PhD
Student Reader: Sarah R. Kith, MA
Chuk-Yim Stephen Chiang
Indigenous Peoples’ Experiences of Healthcare in Northern Ontario
Chair: Patrice E. Rosenthal, PhD
Faculty Reader: Richard P. Appelbaum, PhD
Faculty Reader: Annabelle L. Nelson, PhD
External Examiner: Sabrina Wong, PhD
Student Reader: Robert L. McLaughlin, MA
Maha Saad Elnashar
Teachers’ Assessment and Perceptions of the Social and Emotional Competencies of Qatar Primary School Students: An Explanatory
Sequential Mixed Methods Study
Chair: Abigail Lynam, PhD
Faculty Reader: Richard P. Appelbaum, PhD
Faculty Reader: Patrice E. Rosenthal, PhD
External Examiner: Elsayed E. Hassanein, PhD
Student Reader: Huda Abdelrahim, MA
Aundriea J. Evans
The Fathering Experiences of Previously Incarcerated Black Men
Chair: Connie Corley, MSW, PhD
Faculty Reader: Dorothy E. Agger-Gupta, PhD
Faculty Reader: Lenneal J. Henderson, PhD
External Examiner: Nicolas E. Barcelo, MD
Student Reader: Cathy Ames Turner, PhD
Jessica Maria Hardial
A Phenomenological Study Exploring the Lived Experience of Foster Care Alumni’s Career Intentions After Obtaining a College Degree
Chair: Valerie A. Bentz, PhD
Faculty Reader: Jennifer L. Edwards, PhD
Faculty Reader: Earl E. Thomas, EdD
External Examiner: Andrea G. Zetlin, PhD
Student Reader: Lukia Koliussi, MA
Christine Schwyn Harrison
We Need to Talk: A Critical Ethnographic Analysis of White Women
Educators Discussing Their Experience of Racial Dynamics
in Multi-Racial Elementary Classrooms
Chair: Dorothy E. Agger-Gupta, PhD
Faculty Reader: Tracy Fisher, PhD
Faculty Reader: Patrice E. Rosenthal, PhD
External Examiner: Malika Gonzales, EdD
Student Reader: Melannie D. Cunningham, MA
Chasidy Karpiuk Vertone
Women Post-Secondary Graduates with ADHD
Chair: Patrice E. Rosenthal, PhD
Faculty Reader: Dorothy E. Agger-Gupta, PhD
Faculty Reader: Annabelle L. Nelson, PhD
External Examiner: Hamid Alizadeh, PhD
Student Reader: Leesa M. Riviere, PhD
Robert Laurence McLaughlin
How Do Five United World College Activities
Shape a Student’s Purpose?
Chair: Keith E. Melville, PhD
Faculty Reader: Annabelle L. Nelson, PhD
Faculty Reader: Patrice E. Rosenthal, PhD
External Examiner: Stewart I. Donaldson, PhD
Student Reader: Melissa A. George, MA
Natalie Dais Murray
Employee Experiences of Role Disruption Due to Digital Transformation
Chair: Annabelle L. Nelson, PhD
Faculty Reader: Abigail Lynam, PhD
Faculty Reader: Frederick Steier, PhD
External Examiner: Tonya Ensign, PhD
Student Reader: Adriana Bokel Herde, MA
Jo Ann Usa Prompongsatorn
We Know: The Role of Sociopolitical Development, Spirituality, and Healing in the Lives of Thai American Women
Chair: Tracy Fisher, PhD
Faculty Reader: Margo Okazawa-Rey, EdD
Faculty Reader: Abigail Lynam, PhD
External Examiner: AnaLouise Keating, PhD
Student Reader: Roxane M. Byrne, PhD
Adam C. B. Robersmith
Performing the Self as Work: A Mixed Methods Study of Public Intimacy
Chair: Patrice E. Rosenthal, PhD
Faculty Reader: Valerie A. Bentz, PhD
Faculty Reader: David Blake Willis, PhD
External Examiner: Steven S. Taylor, PhD
Student Reader: Timothy J. Duggan, PhD
Zosia Zaks
Autistic Professionals Leading Paradigm Change: Moving Support From Normalization to Affirmation
Chair: David Blake Willis, PhD
Faculty Reader: Kathleen A. Platzman, PhD
Faculty Reader: Earl E. Thomas, EdD
External Examiner: Lisa A. Crabtree, PhD
Student Reader: Elizabeth Sherman, PhD
PhD in Human and Organizational Systems
Presented by: Director of Human and Organizational Development Program, Kathy D. Geller, PhD (’05)
Joel González Toro
Biorisk Management Systems Implementation to Minimize Occupational Exposure of Infectious Diseases in Molecular Bioengineering Research
Chair: Richard P. Appelbaum, PhD
Faculty Reader: Patrice E. Rosenthal, PhD
Faculty Reader: Frederick Steier, PhD
External Examiner: Ginette M. Collazo, PhD
Student Reader: Georgia L. Davis, MA
Shveta Miglani
Examining the Role of Organizational Insiders in Influencing Newcomer Adjustment: An Organizational Ethnographic Study in the Tech Industry
Chair: David Blake Willis, PhD
Faculty Reader: John Austin, PhD
Faculty Reader: Annabelle L. Nelson, PhD
External Examiner: Naomi Stanford, PhD
Student Reader: Linda P. Urban, MA
Christopher Adam Szpryngel
Dementia in and Beyond the Workplace: Lived Experiences of Employees With Early-Onset Dementia
Chair: David Blake Willis, PhD
Faculty Reader: Connie Corley, PhD
Faculty Reader: H. Rick Moody, PhD
External Examiner: Peter J. Whitehouse, PhD
Student Reader: Ryan P. McCarty, PhD
PhD in Organizational Development and Change
Presented by: Director of Human and Organizational Development Program, Kathy D. Geller, PhD (’05)
Isabella Therese Allan
Climate Surprise and Organizational Decision-Making for Sustainability: From the Lens of Paradox Theory to a Theory Synthesis
Examining Renewable Energy Resources and Exploratory Decarbonization Scenarios Within a Socio-Techno-Economic Framework for Saint Croix of the U.S. Virgin Islands
Chair: Richard P. Appelbaum, PhD
Faculty Reader: Patrice E. Rosenthal, PhD
Faculty Reader: Frederick Steier, PhD
External Examiner: Gregory Guannel, PhD
Student Reader: Pamela K. Mattsson, MA
Timothy John Duggan
Inflection Points and Forming a Leadership Identity: The Identity Work of Women Leaders in Organizations
Chair: Patrice E. Rosenthal, PhD
Faculty Reader: Frank J. Barrett, PhD
Faculty Reader: Katrina S. Rogers, PhD
External Examiner: Jane Jorgenson, PhD
Student Reader: Leah Pender, PhD
Lisa Raquel Elliott
Going Beyond Tools of Logic and Reason: Organizational Leaders Who Self-Report a Spiritual Transformation and the Stories They Tell Chair: Annabelle L. Nelson, PhD
Faculty Reader: Miguel G. Guilarte, PhD
Faculty Reader: Frederick Steier, PhD
External Examiner: Rhonda S. Ellis, DBA
Student Reader: Kathryn J. Coates, PhD
Kristina Ann Galvez
A Mixed Methods Study: Exploring the Experiences of an SBE Journey Toward Agility
Chair: Annabelle L. Nelson, PhD
Faculty Reader: Dorothy E. Agger-Gupta, PhD
Faculty Reader: Malcolm A. North, PhD
External Examiner: Herbert Nold, DMgt
Student Reader: Whitney R. Breer, MA
Tyra S. Gardner
A Qualitative Study of Sustainability: Experiences and Leadership Strategies of Minority Women Entrepreneurs Whose Small Business
Survived The COVID-19 Pandemic
Chair: Dorothy E. Agger-Gupta, PhD
Faculty Reader: Jose DelaCerda, PhD
Faculty Reader: Earl E. Thomas, Ed.D.
External Examiner: Syleecia Thompson, DBA
Student Reader: Gregory F. Hardt, MA
Shelli Sullivan Hendricks
What Did Leaders Learn About Themselves and Leading Teams During The COVID-19 Pandemic?
Chair: Margo Okazawa-Rey, EdD
Faculty Reader: Abigail Lynam, PhD
Faculty Reader: Patrice E. Rosenthal, PhD
External Examiner: Jennifer G. Berger, PhD
Student Reader: Ron N. Hurst, PhD
Louis Anthony Marucci
The Quest for Joy: Pathways to (Re)discover Joy After Experiences of Intense Suffering
Chair: Dorothy E. Agger-Gupta, PhD
Faculty Reader: Patrice E. Rosenthal, PhD
Faculty Reader: David Blake Willis, PhD
External Examiner: Thomas F. O’Brien, PhD
Student Reader: Maria Sinanis, MA
Priscilla Mezrahi
Barriers and Possible Solutions for Implementing Humane Education in New York State’s Elementary Schools
Chair: Richard P. Appelbaum, PhD
Faculty Reader: Valerie A. Bentz, PhD
Faculty Reader: Frederick Steier, PhD
External Examiner: Kimberly L. Spanjol, PhD
Student Reader: Kathryn J. Bell, PhD
Cynthia Louise Gibbs Wilson
How Do Members of the Community of African Americans in the Private Capital Industry Describe Opportunities, Barriers, and Success?
Chair: Keith E. Melville, PhD
Faculty Reader: Annabelle L. Nelson, PhD
Faculty Reader: Frederick Steier, PhD
External Examiner: Montressa L. Washington, PhD
Student Reader: Keeley Mitchell, MA
Michelle R. Zeiser
Navigating Change: Sensemaking and Resilience Among Women
Leaders in Technology Organizations
Chair: Frederick Steier, PhD
Faculty Reader: Dorothy E. Agger-Gupta, PhD
Faculty Reader: Frank J. Barrett, PhD
External Examiner: Sharon Benjamin, PhD
Student Reader: Melissa A. George, MA
Rosalma Zubizarreta-Ada
Facilitators’ Insights From the Vorarlberg Citizens’ Councils: A Qualitative Research Study on the Process of Collaborative Meaning-Making
Chair: Dorothy E. Agger-Gupta, PhD
Faculty Reader: Keith E. Melville, PhD
Faculty Reader: Katrina S. Rogers, PhD
External Examiner: Jane Mansbridge, PhD
Student Reader: Karl F. Hebenstreit, Jr., MA
Ceremony Participants School of Psychology
MA in Applied Media Psychology
Presented by: Director of Media Psychology Programs, Brian L. Cutler, PhD
Andrea Thrasher Steves
Empowering Perimenopausal and Menopausal Women: The Role of Social Media and Podcast in Shaping Health Information
Project Faculty: Tunisha J. Singleton, PhD
PhD in Psychology with an emphasis in Media Psychology
Presented by: Director of Media Psychology Programs, Brian L. Cutler, PhD
Dorothy LaVone Andrews
The Algorithmic Link Between Auto Insurance Pricing and Unfair Discrimination
Chair: Pamela B. Rutledge, PhD
Research Faculty: Patrick Sweeney, PhD
External Examiner: Catherine H. O’Neil, PhD
Alton Candelario Carswell
Underrepresented Writer Identity Affiliation and Intergroup
Experiences Within Hollywood Television Writing Rooms
Chair/Research Faculty: Pamela B. Rutledge, PhD
Faculty Reader: Karen E. Shackleford, PhD
External Examiner: Leah P. Hunter, PhD
Patrick E. McNabb
The Underpinnings of Transmedia Engagement for Prosocial Change: Using the Vygotskian Zone of Proximal Development, Scaffolding, and More Knowledgeable Other to Understand the Transmedia Structure of East Los High, Season 1
Chair: Pamela B. Rutledge, PhD
Research Faculty: Jerri Lynn Hogg, PhD
Faculty Reader: Jason Ohler, PhD
External Examiner: Arvind Singhal, PhD
PhD in Infant and Early Childhood Development with an emphasis in Mental Health and Developmental Disorders
Presented by: Director of Infant and Early Childhood Development Programs; Jenene W. Craig, PhD (’15)
Torrian Brent
Reflective Supervision in Early Childhood Education: How One Program Used the Intervention During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Chair: Georgeanna W. Robinson, EdD
Research Faculty: Ira P. Glovinsky, PhD
External Examiner: Barbara Stroud, PhD
Aretha Malaika Marni Cooper
A Description of Mother-Child Play in Saint Lucia and an Exploration of its Associations With Toddler Expressive Language
Chair: Mary G. Warren, PhD
Research Faculty: Devin M. Casenhiser, PhD
Faculty Reader: Joseph Constantine, PhD
External Examiner: Jaipaul L. Roopnarine, PhD
Nicole Cossette
Infant Mental Health Endorsement of Early interventionists and Family Outcomes
Chair: Mary G. Warren, PhD
Research Faculty: Joseph Constantine, PhD
External Examiner: Haley M. Scott, EdD
Aretha Hampton
An Exploration of Physician Engagement with Fathers and Non-Birthing Parents: Physician’s Meaning Making of Father Inclusive Practices
Chair: Jenene W. Craig, PhD
Research Faculty: Georgeanna W. Robinson, EdD
Faculty Reader: Joseph Constantine, PhD
External Examiner: Casey L. Brown, MD
Ashley Nikia Hickman-Gordon
Silent Mental Representations: Birthing a Child With Complex Needs
Chair: Deborah A. Sussman, PhD
Research Faculty: Georgeanna W. Robinson, EdD
External Examiner: Divya Lakhaney, MD
Linda Maloney
Understanding the Magnitude of Stress Experienced by Early Childhood Professionals and How it Relates to Young Children with Challenging or Disruptive Behavior: A Qualitative Narrative Study That Expresses the Individual Voice of the Early Childhood Professional
Chair: M. Lorraine Ehlers-Flint, PhD
Research Faculty: Joseph Constantine, PhD
Faculty Reader: Gerard Costa, PhD
External Examiner: Kristie A. Brandt, DNP
Fagie Mandel Greenberg
A Model for Changing the Standard of Dyslexia Response From Wait-to-Fail to Proactive Care: The Role of Pediatricians in Early Identification and Intervention
Chair: Corinne G. Catalano, PhD
Research Faculty: Rachel Oblath, PhD
Faculty Reader: Joseph Constantine, PhD
External Examiner: Yaacov Petscher, PhD
Colette Ann Ryan
The Effectiveness of DIRFloortime® Supporting Parental Self-Efficacy in a Japanese Mother of a Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Chair: Jenene W. Craig, PhD
Research Faculty: Georgeanna W. Robinson, EdD
Faculty Reader: Joseph Constantine, PhD
External Examiner: Kaitlin Mulcahy, PhD
PhD in Psychology
Presented by: Director of Psychology Program, Nora P. Reilly, PhD
LaTanya D. Tolan
Racial Trauma Inoculation for the Soul Care of Black Clinicians
Chair/Research Faculty: Kristine M. Jacquin, PhD
Faculty Reader: Anthony F. Greene, PhD
External Examiner: Shelly P. Harrell, PhD
PhD in Psychology with an emphasis in Clinical Psychology
Presented by: Director of Clinical Psychology Program, Connie S. Veazey, PhD
Jesika Nikole Asaro
Identity Development of Transnational Transracial Adoptees
Chair: April E. Fallon, PhD
Research Faculty: Annabelle L. Nelson, PhD
Faculty Reader: Sherry L. Hatcher, PhD
External Examiner: Virginia Brabender, PhD
Camela Sherril Barker
The Cost of Active Coping: Unpacking the Mechanisms of John Henryism and Their Link to Depression and Hypertension in Older African American Women
Chair: April Harris-Britt, PhD
Research Faculty: Allen E. Cornelius, PhD
Faculty Reader: Anthony F. Greene, PhD
External Examiner: John J. Sollers, PhD
Mariah Moon Berumen
Will the Modernization of Missing Person Alerts Increase Recognizability?
Chair: Kristine M. Jacquin, PhD
Research Faculty: Allen E. Cornelius, PhD
Faculty Reader: Marti B. Kranzberg, PhD
External Examiner: Daniel Hunt, PhD
Natalie Jan Bloodworth
Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Minority Youth with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Chair: Kristine M. Jacquin, PhD
Research Faculty: James E. Vivian, PhD
Faculty Reader: Susan G. Goldberg, PhD
External Examiner: Joshua C. Felver, PhD
Elizeth J. Chavez
A Cross-Cultural View of Helicopter Parenting: The Moderation of Self-Efficacy and Academic Achievement by Familismo and Respeto
Chair: Raymond C. Hawkins II, PhD, ABPP
Research Faculty: Allen E. Cornelius, PhD
Faculty Reader: Carmen Pulido, PhD
External Examiner: Martha Pelaez, PhD
Alora Dannon Corr
Identity Formation in College Students: Examining the Impact of Social Connectedness, Anxiety, and Depression
Following COVID-19 Isolation
Chair: Laura A. Thompson, PhD
Research Faculty: Allen E. Cornelius, PhD
Faculty Reader: Tiffany Field, PhD
External Examiner: Laura Brumariu, PhD
Alisha Glavey
Income Moderates the Relationship Between Cardiovascular Disease and Depressive Symptoms Among South Asian Indian Immigrants
Living in the US
Chair: Tiffany Field, PhD
Research Faculty: James E. Vivian, PhD
Faculty Reader: Asimina Lazaridou, PhD
External Examiner: Maria Hernandez-Reif, PhD
Jake Hanks
Mothers’ Early Adverse Childhood Experiences, Preconception Stress, Prenatal Stress, and Child Autism Spectrum Disorder
Symptom Severity
Chair: Jessica Emick-Seibert, PhD
Research Faculty: Laura A. Thompson, PhD
Faculty Reader: Tiffany Field, PhD
External Examiner: Damion J. Grasso, PhD
Donica Jasmine Harper
Positive Identity Affirmation and Resiliency in QPOC Supervisees: Protective Factors Against the Experience of Microaggressions in the Supervisory Working Alliance
Chair: Konjit V. Page, PhD
Research Faculty: Allen E. Cornelius, PhD
Faculty Reader: Marti B. Kranzberg, PhD
External Examiner: Carlton Green, PhD
Tryphena Jenkins
Predicting Juvenile Recidivism: Comparing One-Time and Re-offending Juvenile Groups
Chair: Konjit V. Page, PhD
Research Faculty: Allen E. Cornelius, PhD
Faculty Reader: Anthony F. Greene, PhD
External Examiner: Erlanger Turner, PhD
Agata Karolina Krala
Attitudes Towards Malingering Mental Health Illness to Exit the Military
Chair: Alayne Ormerod, PhD
Research Faculty: James E. Vivian, PhD
Faculty Reader: Elaine D. Hanson, PhD, JD
External Examiner: Peter D. Harms, PhD
Sergio Arturo Loya
Cross-Sectional Study on the Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status and Health Outcomes Interacting With Stress Related to Healthcare Access, Physical Activity, and Social Support in a Latinx Population
Chair: Maureen Kirby Lassen, PhD
Research Faculty: Laura A. Thompson, PhD
Faculty Reader: Raymond C. Hawkins II, PhD, ABPP
External Examiner: Kristine M. Molina, PhD
Sierra N. Lynch
Personality Traits as Predictors of Police Misconduct
Chair: Kristine M. Jacquin, PhD
Research Faculty: James E. Vivian, PhD
Faculty Reader: Sanford L. Drob, PhD
External Examiner: Christopher J. Harris, PhD
Caitlin Martin
Predictive Power of Intra-Individual Variability Across Neuropsychological Disorders
Chair: Daniel C. Holland, PhD
Research Faculty: Allen E. Cornelius, PhD
Faculty Reader: Carmen Pulido, PhD
External Examiner: Lindsay Hines, PhD
Melody Montano
The Maternal Guilt of Working Latina Mothers
Chair/Research Faculty: Lauren Mizock, PhD
Faculty Reader: Carmen Pulido, PhD
External Examiner: Esther J. Calzada, PhD
Courtney Lynn Norris
Gender Role Conflict and Sex Motives Predict Sexual Aggression Perpetration
Chair: Kristine M. Jacquin, PhD
Research Faculty: Allen E. Cornelius, PhD
Faculty Reader: Tiffany Field, PhD
External Examiner: Andrew Littlefield, PhD
Deanne Paulsen
The Association Between Resilience in Police Officers and Job Performance
Chair: Elaine D. Hanson, PhD, JD
Research Faculty: James E. Vivian, PhD
Faculty Reader: Kristine M. Jacquin, PhD
External Examiner: Ronn Johnson, PhD
Corlisha Shanese Presley
Carrying the Weight of the World: Exploring Racial Stress, General Stress, Obligation to Help, and Emotion Control as Predictors of the Relationship Between Depression and the Strong Black Woman Schema
Chair: Joan B. Read, PhD
Research Faculty: Allen E. Cornelius, PhD
Faculty Reader: April Harris-Britt, PhD
External Examiner: Carla D. Hunter, PhD
Sonia Syed Rehman
Muslim Identity and Experiences With Discrimination in American Muslim Youth
Chair: Tiffany Field, PhD
Research Faculty: Joseph P. Bush, PhD
Faculty Reader: Debra Bendell, PhD
External Examiner: Martha Pelaez, PhD
Hannah Schweitzer
Impacts of Previous Psychological Trauma on Neuropsychological
Assessment Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Chair: Elaine D. Hanson, PhD, JD
Research Faculty: Allen E. Cornelius, PhD
Faculty Reader: Daniel C. Holland, PhD
External Examiner: Jennifer J. Vasterling, PhD
Jonathan W. Smith
The Effects of Perceived Maternal Support for Children’s Relationships With Their Father
Chair: Raymond C. Hawkins II, PhD
Research Faculty: Allen E. Cornelius, PhD
Faculty Reader: Connie Veazey, PhD
External Examiner: Sarah J. Schoppe-Sullivan, PhD
Angela Solimo
Violence Risk Assessment Among Seriously Mentally Ill Patients in the Clinical Alternative to the Punitive Segregation Program in the New York City Jail System
Chair: Sanford L. Drob, PhD
Research Faculty: Joseph P. Bush, PhD
Faculty Reader: Anthony F. Greene, PhD
External Examiner: Brian Belfi, PhD
Michelle Mae Tatum
Weight-Loss Success in Bariatric Surgery Patients
Chair: Kristine M. Jacquin, PhD
Research Faculty: Laura A. Thompson, PhD
Faculty Reader: Raymond C. Hawkins II, PhD, ABPP
External Examiner: Susan Wnuk, PhD
Gary Tseng
Consensual Non-Monogamous Relationships: A Qualitative Study of Gay Men in Middle Adulthood
Chair: Marti B. Kranzberg, PhD, ABPP
Research Faculty: Andrew Schrack-Walters, PhD
Faculty Reader: Lauren Mizock, PhD
External Examiner: Michael Reece, PhD
Leah K. Wachtel
Investigating the Applicability of a New Technology Acceptance Model and the Impact of Treatment Barriers on the Use of Telemental Health Services for Substance Use Disorders
Chair: Carmen Pulido, PhD
Research Faculty: Allen E. Cornelius, PhD
Faculty Reader: Raymond C. Hawkins II, PhD, ABPP
External Examiner: Kathlene Tracy, PhD
Graduates in Absentia
(Conferral dates between January 8, 2024 and May 5, 2024)
Certificate in Clinical Psychology
Eeman Abuasi
Angelika Aquino
Zainab Y. Bannout
Justin S. DeLew
Tiffany Beckman Dvorak
Charity Christine Harvey
Jessica Nicole Homeier
Krystal Anna Jackson
Taylor Langston
Tanoyia Ines Lone
Jessica Nicole Montgomery
Susana Jessica Perez
Janelle Peters
Catherine Marie Ugalde
Talisia Williams
Certificate in Evidence Based Coaching
Keena Aldrich Alexander-Lagard
Laura Andrews
Cache Barnes
Mia Chaidez
Tiffani Stiavelli Collier
Samantha Stormy Amanda Colson
Mike Haverty
William H. Light
Charles Mansour
Rexford Nickerson
Carmen Luz Rodriguez
Henry Sobanet
Certificate in Media Psychology with an emphasis in Media Neuroscience
Aydan Kuhnert
Postdoctoral Certificate in Certificate in Neuropsychology Specialization
Brian Anderson
MA in Applied Media Psychology
Francis Segbedzi Pongo
Jeanine Lara Riedl
Blake Ryan Schaefer
Justin Paul Thomas
MA in Human Development
Tara Leigh Jebens-Singh
Amanda Marie Leftwich
Mary Magdalen Khalil Matambanadzo
Terryann Nash
MA in Infant and Early Childhood Development with an emphasis in Mental Health and Developmental Disorders
Maya Nicolette Edinburgh-Taylor
Zaneta Javonmae Evans
Mary Katherine Gannon
Carin Michelle Leiva
Dianna Manz
MA in Organization Development and Leadership
Nicholas David Andrews
Alexxis Cook-Graham
Vera Andreyevna Fishman
Wayne Hewitt
Tiffany Lisa John
Mary Elizabeth Laye
Michelle Lea Temple
MA in Organizational Development and Change
Michael Brogden
Alison Christensen
Lisa Kim
Mikyo McLellan
Meaghan Nelson Onofrey
Krista Marie Pederson
MA in Psychology
Patricia Louise Douglas
MA in Psychology with an emphasis in Clinical Psychology
Caroline Miller
Teshaundria Weston
MA in Psychology with an emphasis in Media and Technology
Anthony Quinton Jones
Cynthia Jan Kinn
Courtnie Larann Parsons
Karin Michelle Trinkler
Master of Education
Maram Kamal Alaiwat
Marjester Donna Bailey
Wanda Cooke
Adele Lawson Gardner
Akilah Rosado
Doctor of Education
Jeanne A. McCrea
Doctor of Education with an emphasis in Leadership for Change
Acinta Monteverde
Gina M. Ottinger
Kinsley Imrie Titchener
PhD in Organizational Development and Change
Michael P. Andrews
PhD in Psychology with an emphasis in Clinical Psychology
Dylan D. Dimock
Wendy D. Siciliano
Academic Dress
Historical Overview
The origins of academic dress date back to the 12th and 13th centuries, when universities were being formed. The ordinary dress of the scholar, whether student or professor, was the dress of a cleric. With few exceptions, the medieval scholar had taken at least minor orders and made vows. Long gowns were worn and may have been necessary for warmth in unheated buildings. Hoods seem to have served to cover the head until superseded for that purpose by the skull cap. The assignment of colors to signify certain faculties was a much later development, and one that came to be standardized in the United States in the late 19th century.
Gowns
The gown for the bachelor’s degree has pointed sleeves. The gown for the master’s degree has an oblong sleeve. The gown for the doctoral degree has bell-shaped sleeves. Gowns for the bachelor’s or master’s are untrimmed. For the doctoral degree, the gown is faced down the front with black velvet; three bars of velvet are used across the sleeves. These facing and crossbars may be of velvet of the color distinctive of the discipline to which the degree pertains, thus matching in color with the binding or edging of the hood appropriate to the particular degree in every instance.
Hoods
The hoods are lined with the official color or colors of the college or university conferring the degree; more than one color is shown by the division of the field color in a variety of ways: chevron or chevrons, equal division, etc. In the case of the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree, a dark blue color is used to represent the mastery of the discipline of learning and scholarship in any field that is attested to by the awarding of this degree and is not intended to represent the field of philosophy. Light blue trim is used for education. As of the July 2019 ceremony, and 45th anniversary of our founding Fielding’s school hood colors are merlot/brick (the satin field/background) and white (the satin chevron). Prior to that date the school colors used for the hoods of Fielding graduates were cobalt blue (the satin field/background) and Kelly green (the satin chevron).
Caps
The mortarboard cap can be used at all degree levels. For master’s and doctoral tams, velvet is to be used. A long tassel is to be fastened to the middle point of the top of the cap only and to lie on the left. The tassel should be black or the color appropriate to the subject. The doctoral cap may have a tassel of gold.
Color
For all academic purposes, including trimmings of doctoral gowns, edging of hood, and tassels of caps, the colors associated with the different disciplines include:
Arts, Letters, Humanities: White
Communication: Crimson
Education: Light Blue
Law: Purple
Library Science: Lemon
Medicine: Green
Philosophy: Dark Blue
Public Administration: Peacock Blue
Public Health: Salmon Pink
Social Work: Citron
Theology: Scarlet
Edited from An Academic Costume Code by Eugene Sullivan of the American Council on Education.
Kente Cloth
Kente is a hand-woven ceremonial cloth worn during special social and religious occasions. It is a visual representation of history, philosophy, ethics, oral literature, moral value, social code of conduct, religious beliefs, political thought, and principles of aesthetics. Scholars propose that Kente cloth can trace its origins to early weaving traditions in ancient West African Kingdoms. Best known of the kingdoms are the Asante, one of the many ethnic groups constituting the Akan people who live in part of Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire, a region that was home to the ancestors of many African Americans. Kente cloth is a royal art form worn as a cloth of prestige during such rites of passage as child naming, puberty, initiation, graduation, marriage, soul washing, burial, and ancestral remembrance ceremonies. It is used not only for its beauty, but also for its symbolic significance. Each cloth has a name and a meaning, and each of the numerous patterns and motifs has a name and a meaning. Kente cloth has achieved a tremendous international recognition and evolved into one of the tangible manifestations of an ever-growing sense of Pan-African camaraderie. With the impact of modern technology and socioeconomic changes, Kente cloth has evolved into an art form and its social significance now transcends ethnic, cultural, and national boundaries.
Presidential Medallion & University Mace
Academic commencement affords an opportunity to celebrate time-honored traditions which have been observed by institutions of higher education for hundreds of years. Two of those customs are for the President to wear the university Medallion and Presidential Chain of Office, and the Provost to carry the university Mace in the graduation processional.
Medallion and Presidential Chain of Office
A medallion or seal of office has been a symbol of authority since seals were used to mark official documents in the Middle Ages. The Fielding Graduate University medallion features the Fielding seal engraved on bronze with a background in the university’s traditional merlot. The medallion hangs from a presidential chain of office, festooned with bronze nameplates for all seven Fielding presidents dating back to the university’s founding:
Frederic M. Hudson 1975-1986
William H. Maehl 1987-1992
Donald J. MacIntyre 1993-1998
Judith L. Kuipers 2000-2009
Richard S. Meyers 2009-2013
Katrina S. Rogers 2013-
University Mace
A mace, once a weapon in medieval combat, was adopted by universities as a symbol of the quest for truth. Our mace is 45” long and the Fielding seal with the words “Fielding Graduate University 1974” is engraved on the mace, in bronze, at the tip of the walnut staff.
The Fielding Seal
Appearing on both the medallion and mace, the Fielding seal bears the “Fielding Open Triangle” icon, which is open to reflect inclusion, its three sides represent the three pillars of Fielding’s promise:
• Scholarship for the rigor of our academics and research, and quality of our faculty
• Community for the global network and connectedness of Fielding students, faculty, alumni, staff, trustees, and other stakeholders
• Opportunity for the flexibility of our learning model and the possibilities that come with an advanced degree
The Latin words for these pillars surround the Fielding icon on the official seal: Doctrina, Opportunitas, Communitas.
Fielding Graduate University Board of Trustees
Gary Wagenheim, PhD (’05) Chair
Karin A. Bunnell, PhD (’98) Vice-Chair, Trustee Emerit
Jay D. Harding, PhD (’13) Treasurer
Patricia Zell, JD Secretary
Michael Ali, PhD Public Trustee
John L. Bennett, PhD Public Trustee
Karen S. Bogart, PhD (’13) Public Trustee
Zabrina Epps, PhD (’22) Student Trustee
Tracy L. Fisher, PhD Public Trustee
Michael B. Goldstein, JD Public Trustee, Trustee Emerit
Anthony F. Greene, PhD Faculty Trustee
Lenneal J. Henderson, Jr. PhD Faculty Trustee
Linda K. Honold, PhD (’99) Public Trustee
Natasha Miller-Zahn, B.Acc. Public Trustee
Constance R. Shafran, PhD (’95) Public Trustee, Trustee Emerit
Nicola J. Smith, JD Faculty Trustee
Ivory Toldson, PhD Public Trustee
Christine A. Prairie Chicken, EdD (’15) Public Trustee
Maria V. Sanchez, PhD (’22) Student Trustee
Katrina S. Rogers, PhD ex officio, President, Fielding Graduate University
Marie Fielder Medal for Social Transformation Past Recipients
Orlando L. Taylor, PhD (2022)
Angela Y. Davis, PhD (2021)
Dolores Huerta (2020)
Patricia Gurin, PhD (2018)
Gary Orfield, PhD (2017)
Walter G. Bumphus, PhD (2016)
Dianne Kipnes Endowed Fund for Social Innovation Past Recipients
Aiden Hirshfield, PhD ’19 (2022)
Laurence P. Gebhardt, PhD ’00 (2019)
Carrie Arnold, PhD ’17 (2018)
Marie Fielder Medal for Social Transformation Past Recipients
Orlando L. Taylor, PhD (2022)
Angela Y. Davis, PhD (2021)
Dolores Huerta (2020)
Patricia Gurin, PhD (2018)
Gary Orfield, PhD (2017)
Walter G. Bumphus, PhD (2016)
In Appreciation
Fielding Graduate University benefits greatly from private contributions, which are central to the quality of teaching, research, and administrative services. We are extremely grateful for the generous contributions of our board members, faculty, staff, alumni, students, and friends.
