
Dean’s Dozen Wraps Up 2024-25 With Impact and Insight
Chapman University’s Attallah College of Educational Studies closed out the 2024–25 academic year by celebrating the achievements that shaped it. Among the highlights was Dean’s Dozen, a select group of students recognized for their academic excellence, leadership, and dedication to educational equity. The Dean’s Dozen is a selective council of 12 student leaders, drawn from

Leadership Studies Minor Capstone Course Mobilizes Students to Aid Orange County Youth
Students completing Chapman University’s Leadership Studies minor, offered through Attallah College of Educational Studies, finish their program each spring with LEAD 497, “Senior Seminar: Leadership Integrative Capstone.” The course turns leadership theory into practice; this semester, the class partnered with StandUp for Kids to address urgent challenges facing unhoused and at-risk youth in Orange County. Led by Tara Widner,

Alumna Tracy Walder Named Keynote Speaker for Attallah College Ceremony
Tracy Walder, a 2007 graduate of Chapman University’s Attallah College of Educational Studies and a member of the college’s Advisory Board, will return to campus to deliver the keynote address at the 2025 Attallah College Degree Ceremony. Walder joined the CIA’s Counterterrorism Center just weeks after earning a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of

Attallah College Ph.D. in Education Students Shine at Leatherby Libraries Research Awards
Chapman University’s Attallah College of Educational Studies celebrates the Ph.D. in Education students who earned second and third place honors in Leatherby Libraries’ 2025 Eric M. Scandrett Graduate Research Prize, spotlighting the college’s expanding research profile. Robin Gomes, Connor Bogenreif, and Mirvais ‘Mir’ Aminy earned second place for their research project, The Role of Repertoire Selection and Teacher Collaboration in

Attallah College Ph.D. Candidate Cristie Suzukawa Clancy Earns Provost’s Dissertation Fellowship
We are thrilled to recognize the achievements of Cristie Suzukawa Clancy, MS, CCLS, a Ph.D. candidate in Chapman University’s Donna Ford Attallah College of Educational Studies. Clancy has been awarded Chapman’s Spring 2025 Provost’s Dissertation Fellowship, a competitive honor that provides tuition support and a stipend so she can focus on completing her Ph.D. in Education

Teacher Appreciation Week Spotlight: Attallah College Alum Lexi Samuelian Earns National Board Certification
Lexi (Kurugian) Samuelian, B.A. ’17, M.A. ’18, recently earned National Board Certification as an Early Childhood Generalist, joining a select group of educators nationwide. At Chapman University, she completed both her bachelor’s degree and Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction through Attallah College’s Integrated Degree options. Samuelian now teaches first grade in the Los

Empowering Future Mental Health Leaders with Restorative Justice Practices
Chapman University’s Attallah College of Educational Studies faculty members Anna Abdou, assistant professor of school psychology, and Randee Kirkemo, instructional assistant professor of school counseling, have been selected to receive the 2025 Community Partner Award from Groundswell at its upcoming Wave of Hope Gala on May 1, 2025. The recognition honors their leadership and collaboration

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AP’s Newest Computer Science Course Has Attracted More Diverse Students
Encouraging students to pursue higher-level science, technology, engineering, and math courses requires deliberate planning, especially for those students historically underrepresented in those fields. Schools can’t put more advanced courses on the schedule without teachers who feel confident taking on the material. And even then, simply offering such classes doesn’t necessarily mean students will enroll in

Chapman University’s Attallah College Welcomes New Spring 2025 Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society Initiates
Chapman University’s Attallah College of Educational Studies proudly welcomes its newest cohort of initiates into the Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) International Honor Society in Education. The Chi Beta Chapter at Chapman is guided by chapter advisor Dr. Kristen Doorn, instructional assistant professor, and led by President Eliza Wenger and Vice President Kathryn Treat. The chapter

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Virtual Reality and AI Could Transform Behavioral Assessments in U.S. Schools
The primary method that U.S. schools use to assess the behavioral abilities of young children may be biased against students from underserved communities. This is all the more alarming considering behavioral assessments can impact the educational trajectory of a student’s life. Jared Izumi, assistant professor of counseling and school psychology in the Attallah College of