Attallah College of Educational Studies

2023-2024 Dean's Report

Dr. Roxanne Greitz Miller

Message from the Dean

At Attallah College, we take a unique approach to shaping the future of education. We empower minds to create positive change in the world, not just through traditional methods, but also by fostering innovation and creativity. Distinguished scholars, passionate teachers, and experienced professionals all converge at Attallah College, creating a dynamic research and teaching environment for our students, who are at the heart of everything we do.  

For over 160 years, Chapman University has remained steadfast in its pursuit to empower the leaders of tomorrow and create a more inclusive world through the transformative power of education. In the 2023-24 academic year, Attallah College furthered its impact through continued achievements in teaching, research, and community engagement, showcasing the college’s unwavering commitment to excellence in education in school and community settings and making strides toward fulfilling the commitments made in the 2022-27 Attallah College Strategic Plan. 

The many accomplishments shared in this 2023-24 Dean’s Report are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students, faculty, and staff. As dean, I am immensely proud of their achievements and their contributions to fulfilling both the mission of Attallah College as well as the greater university. As we move forward together, we remain committed to fostering an inclusive, innovative, and impactful educational environment for all learners. 

I wish to extend our deepest gratitude to our partners, supporters, and the broader educational community for your continued collaboration and support. Together, we are making the Attallah College promise of Students Today, Educators Tomorrow, Impact Forever a reality. 

 

Roxanne Greitz Miller, Ed.D.
Dean, Attallah College of Educational Studies
Donna Ford Attallah Professor of Teacher Education
Chapman University

Attallah College Strategic Plan

Goal 1 Highlights

Develop education and community professionals who are well prepared
to address 21st-century issues
in a diverse society.

CTC Grant

Attallah College Awarded $249K Grant to Enhance Special Education Programs

Chapman University’s Attallah College of Educational Studies was awarded a $249,106 planning grant to develop a new Special Education teacher preparation pathway. The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing’s (CTC) grant program aims to develop four-year integrated teacher preparation programs, targeting areas of recognized teacher shortages such as Special Education, through bachelor’s degree programs that contain a teaching credential. In its first round of review, the CTC funded 19 proposals, including Attallah College’s award to prepare new Mild to Moderate Support Needs and Extensive Support Needs (ESN) Educational Specialist programs.

Attallah College Introduces New Undergraduate Programs for Fall 2024

Attallah College Introduces New Undergraduate Programs for Fall 2024

To increase opportunities and remove barriers, Attallah College enhanced its undergraduate offerings, introducing the Liberal Studies and Community Educational Studies majors. Community Educational Studies prepares students for careers in education outside the traditional classroom, such as human resource development, educational outreach organizations, and non-government organizations. Liberal Studies equips future elementary school teachers and authorizes them to teach at the elementary level without needing to take the CBEST or CSET. We are thrilled to welcome our first students into these programs in fall 2024.

$1,663,296 in Golden State Teacher Grants Offered to Our Attallah College Students

$1,663,296 in Golden State Teacher Grants Offered to Our Attallah College Students

The Golden State Teacher Grants awarded in 2023-24 include pupil personnel services, which allows future school counselors, school psychologists, and future teachers to participate in the one-time grant fund opportunity. We had 88 Attallah College students participating in this program, which has yielded a total support of $1,663,296 in aid for our graduate educator preparation students.

Chapman Equity Scholars

Ph.D. in Education Fully Funded Support

In the 2023–2024 academic year, Attallah College of Educational Studies launched the Chapman Equity Scholars Fellowship, a fully funded opportunity for Ph.D. in Education students committed to advancing racial equity in education. This fellowship aims to cultivate knowledge, theories and practices to address inequities in K-12 and higher education settings and to influence educational policies for equitable access to learning.

2023-2024 Ph.D. in Education Highlights

2024 Doti Awards 2024 Doti Awards

Chapman University recognized Ph.D. in Education student Katelyn Kitchens as the recipient of the unifversity's highest honor for doctoral students, the 2024 James L. Doti Outstanding Graduate Award at the doctoral level. Kitchens successfully defended their Ph.D. dissertation in March 2024 on "New Ways of Being White: White Families Striving to Cultivate Antiracist Familial Cultures," an expansive work based on critical ethnographic study of white families committed to raising anti-racist children. 

Healthy Policy Scholars Fellowship and Justice Fellows Policy Program Healthy Policy Scholars Fellowship and Justice Fellows Policy Program

Mirvais "Mir" Aminy, a Ph.D. student in Education, has secured a spot in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Scholars Fellowship program. Among thousands of applicants, only 40 were selected this year as Health Policy Research Scholars. Additionally, Aminy was chosen for the Justice Fellows Policy Program in Washington, D.C., through The Education Trust. He is one of the eight individuals selected nationwide for this prestigious opportunity.

2023-2024 Provost Dissertation Fellowship 2023-2024 Provost Dissertation Fellowship

In an inspiring showcase of academic dedication and a profound commitment to social change, Stacy Eldred, Ph.D. '24, stands out at Chapman University. Eldred's journey, marked by a relentless pursuit of equity and inclusion for adults with disabilities, has recently been highlighted due to her selection for the prestigious Provost Dissertation Fellowship for Spring 2024. Eldred's dissertation focused on the growing trend of U.S. colleges establishing educational programs for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Attallah College Strategic Plan

Goal 2 Highlights

Increase the impact and influence
of the college's research and
scholarly activities.

Psychology in Schools

"Psychology in the Schools" Published

Attallah College’s Associate Professor of School Psychology Amy Jane Griffiths, along with a team of distinguished psychologists and educators, has co-authored a groundbreaking book titled “Psychology in the Schools.” This comprehensive guide is poised to become an essential resource for psychological service providers working in educational settings. It aims to equip these professionals with the tools and knowledge necessary to address the learning, behavioral and mental health needs of students. The book’s practical approach, which includes real-world vignettes, worksheets and templates, makes it an invaluable asset for practitioners.

Math Interventions Grant

2023–2024 Grant for Bilingual Student Math Interventions

Assistant Professor of Special Education Jennifer E. Kong and Instructional Associate Professor of Special Education and Director of Teacher Education Trisha Sugita were awarded a $10,000 Attallah College Solutions Grant for their research project titled, “Integrating Assistive Technology in Culturally Responsive Math Interventions for Emergent Bilingual Students.”

Spencer Grant

Internal Grants Leading to External Funding

Assistant Professor Stephany Cuevas received an Attallah College Solutions Grant award of $9,854 for her proposal, “Understanding How Educators Work with Central American Unaccompanied Youth in Orange County Public Schools: An Exploratory Investigation.” This internal research opportunity supported Cuevas’s recent grant of $49,015 from the Spencer Foundation, “Precarity and Education: Examining the Experiences of Central American Unaccompanied Youth in California Public Schools,” which will be conducted in collaboration with Martha C. Franco from CSU Long Beach. The funding will enable an expanded investigation into the educational experiences of Central American unaccompanied minors, a group that has traditionally been underrepresented in educational research.

2024 Valerie Scudder Award
2024 Valerie Scudder Award

Attallah College Associate Professor Whitney McIntyre Miller was one of the distinguished recipients of the 2024 Valerie Scudder Award at Chapman University. This prestigious award recognizes outstanding achievement in teaching, scholarly and creative activity and service to the university. Recipients are selected by a university-wide faculty review panel for their exceptional contributions.

Council for Learning Disabilities Special Recognition
Council for Learning Disabilities Special Recognition

Assistant Professor Jennifer E. Kong made an impactful presence at the 45th International Conference of the Council for Learning Disabilities, where she spearheaded multiple presentations on integrating technology in special education research. The conference concluded with the council honoring the “Leadership Academy Cohort 11” at the President’s Conference Reception. Kong was recognized as an emerging leader for her contributions to the field and the Council for Learning Disabilities.

School Psychology Funded Research in AI and Student Screening
School Psychology Funded Research in AI and Student Screening

Assistant Professor Jared Izumi and Instructional Assistant Professor Jeanne Anne Carriere received $10,000 in funding from the McGovern Training Program in Trusted AI for their project on developing coursework on the ethical and legal use of generative AI for psychologists. The 2023–24 year also saw Izumi recognized by the Early Career Research Awards Program of the Society for the Study of School Psychology with funding for his proposal, “Unveiling Rater Bias in Social-Emotional and Behavioral Screening with Cognitive Interviews.” This recognition highlights the significance, methodological rigor and feasibility of his research, marking a noteworthy accomplishment in his early career.

Attallah College Strategic Plan

Goal 3 Highlights

Enhance collaborations to address
needs and opportunities in education
and community settings. 

Attallah College's Thompson Policy Institute on Disability Receives $2.5 Million Gift to Advance Inclusive Education

Attallah College's Thompson Policy Institute on Disability Receives $2.5 Million Gift to Advance Inclusive Education

A $2.5 million gift from longtime donors Bill and Nancy Thompson to Chapman University’s Thompson Policy Institute (TPI) on Disability in the Attallah College of Educational Studies will make a transformative impact on the lives of California’s students.

Elevating Black Students' Stories of Trial and Resilience

Elevating Black Students' Stories of Trial and Resilience

Aided by participant photography, Associate Professor Quaylan Allen gets young Black men talking about their struggles and successes, illuminating pathways to culturally relevant practices.

Community Partner Highlights

Attallah College of Educational Studies is committed to working hand in hand with communities to improve educational environments.
Imagining a Resilient Future in the Schools
Imagining a Resilient Future in the Schools

The School Counseling and School Psychology Programs at Attallah College hosted an on-campus conference, “Imagining a Resilient Future in the Schools,” as a professional development opportunity for educators, including school psychologists and school counselors. Associate Professor Amy Jane Griffiths led the conference, which emphasized how schools have responded to increased needs, the impact of mental health on attendance and strategies for schools to address these challenges.

First C-TAG Cohort Receives Master’s Degrees
First C-TAG Cohort Receives Master’s Degrees

Developed within Chapman’s Attallah College, the Chapman Transfer Admission Guarantee (C-TAG) program was specially designed for future elementary and special education teachers from Santiago Canyon College (SCC) or Santa Ana College (SAC). Our first cohort from the C-TAG program graduated from their Master’s programs in Summer 2024.

Restorative Practice Certification Through a Research-Practice Partnership With Groundswell
Restorative Practice Certification Through a Research-Practice Partnership With Groundswell

As part of Attallah College’s MA in School Counseling and Ed.S. in School Psychology programs, in partnership with Groundswell’s OC Human Relations, Attallah graduate students had the opportunity to participate in a Restorative Justice Practice certification program facilitated by Assistant Professor of School Psychology Anna Abdou and Instructional Assistant Professor of School Counseling Randee Kirkemo. The program equipped participants with tools to address harm and conflict in schools through non-punitive, equitable, relational and healing-centered practices.

Attallah College Strategic Plan

Goal 4 Highlights

Expand, nurture and sustain a culture of continuous improvement among the college's personnel and programs.

Deans for Impact

Deans for Impact

Dean Roxanne Greitz Miller was named a 2023–24 Impact Academy Fellow by the national nonprofit organization, Deans for Impact (DFI), joining a national group of educational leaders recognized for their deep commitment to transforming and improving teacher preparation.

DFI Impact Academy Fellows grapple with the pervasive challenges to recruiting and equipping teachers capable of engaging all PK-12 students in rigorous, equitable and affirming learning experiences. To date, DFI has equipped more than 130 dean-level leaders with the skills, knowledge and strategies needed to prioritize instructional quality and establish more equitable teaching and learning systems.

Our 2023-2024 New Faculty Members

Jeanne Anne Carriere, Ph.D. Jeanne Anne Carriere, Ph.D.

Instructional Assistant Professor of School Psychology

Jared Izumi, Ph.D. Jared Izumi, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of School Psychology

Zack Maupin, Ph.D. Zack Maupin, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of School Psychology

Greg Warren, Ph.D. Greg Warren, Ph.D.

Instructional Assistant Professor of Leadership Studies

Tara Widner, Ph.D. Tara Widner, Ph.D.

Instructional Associate Professor and the Director of Leadership Studies Programs