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Graduate Student Conference

8:00-8:30 AM Check-in & Breakfast

South Lobby & O’Leary Learning Center (Room 10) [Main Zoom Room]

Check-in at the South Lobby and then head to the O’Leary Learning Center (Room 10) in the basement for complimentary breakfast.

8:30-9:45 AM Opening & Keynote

Room 2 [Main Zoom Room]

Dr. Chrystalla Mouza, Dean of the College of Education, will start the conference with a welcoming message. Then, Dr. JooYoung Seo, Professor in the School of Information Sciences, will give a keynote address titled “Multimodal Learning for an Inclusive Future: From Personal Journey to Accessible Innovation.”

10:00-11:00 AM Roundtable Session 1

Presenters will give a 2–3 minute elevator pitch, followed by informal discussion with audience members. Roundtables will feature research projects at any stage of development, including literature reviews or emerging ideas.

Cultural Responsiveness in Education

Room 176 | [Track A]

Faculty Discussant: Kristen Driscoll

Student Moderator: Tamorah Johnson

  • Cultural Relevance in the Classroom: Early Elementary Educators Discuss their Selection and Use of Diverse and Inclusive Literature - Katherine Davenport
  • The Impact of African-Centered Education: Identity, Self-Esteem, and Academic Achievement of African American Middle School Students - Lutha Maura
  • Gamification in Culturally Responsive Classrooms: A Case Study for Pre-Service Teacher Training - Xinyue Zhou, Yesim Akar Hozman

Holistic Approaches to Student Well-Being

Room 333 | [Track B]

Faculty Discussant: Stephanie Toliver

Student Moderator: Cigdem Yurekli

  • Mental Health Supports in Elementary Classrooms - Elizabeth Walters
  • Social-Emotional Competence Coaching for BIPOC Early Childhood Teachers: A Mixed-Method Study - Casey Kim
  • Basic Needs Insecurity in K-12 Schools: Addressing Food and Resource Access - Amanda Randolph

Empowering Educators and Learners

Room 288-A | [Track C]

Faculty Discussant: Paul Bruno

Student Moderator: Lan Ahn Hoang

  • Addressing Language Anxiety in EFL Classrooms: Building Teacher Competence for Multilingual Inclusivity - Martin Lehrer
  • Pedagogical Agent Toolkit: Empowering ESL Teachers with A.I. Tools - Samuel Hum
  • Self-Determined Student as Cofounding Factor in Teaching Research - Joan Nugroho

Educational Technology and Innovation

Room 398 | [Track D]

Faculty Discussant: Robb Lindgren

Student Moderator: Emily Hall

  • Leveraging Technology in Early Intervention: Using VR to Coach Caregivers of Young Children with Communication Needs - Maryana Al Tobi
  • Ethical Dilemmas of Technology Leaders in Schools - Ashish Gaur
  • Big Ten Universities' Website Discourse on the Future of Education - Minjoo Chong

Social Studies Education

Room 10-I | [Track E]

Faculty Discussant: Mirelsie Velázquez

Student Moderator: Samuel Kumi

  • Civic Identity and Voting Behavior - Phillip Foster
  • Teaching the Korean War through Community Engagement - Lisa Ryou
  • Human-Centered Design and Modern Slavery Education: A Collaborative Online Course - Joey Shepherd

 

    11:10 AM–12:10 PM Roundtable Session 2

    Presenters will give a 2–3 minute elevator pitch, followed by informal discussion with audience members. Roundtables will feature research projects at any stage of development, including literature reviews or emerging ideas. The Zoom Breakout Room names are listed in brackets, for example [Track A].

    Identity and Reflection [Track A] Room 176

    Faculty Discussant: Cherie M. Avent

    Student Moderator: Tamorah Johnson

    When to Clip: Analysis of Self-Selected Responsive Teaching Video Clips in High School Mathematics Classrooms - Eugene Cox

    Language Policy of Youth Group Ministry in a Korean Church in the Midwest - Hye-in Yang

    Breaking Barriers: Experiences of Asian Graduate Students as Transnational Mothers/Caregivers - Diana Purwaningrum, Triubaida Maya Ardianti

    Pedagogical Strategies [Track B] Room 333

    Faculty Discussant: Mari Altschuler

    Student Moderator: Jasmine Carruth

    Measuring Higher Education Instructor Inclusive Pedagogy: A Systematic Review - Mikayla Strasser

    Embedded Ethics in Engineering - Joseph Tibbs

    Personal as Pedagogical: A Teacher Sharing Her Stories for Critical Connections with Classroom Texts and Students - Gautam Bisht

    Equity and Access in Education [Track C] Room 288-A

    Faculty  Discussant: Rachel Roegman

    Student Moderator: Jerry Walls

    East Meets West: Integrating Cultural Identities in Academic Settings - Kshitij Tewari, Zhiyue Lu

    Understanding Experiences among First Generation to College Students’ Access to Social Capital in their Pursuit of Potential College Enrollment - Daniel Miller

    Educational Leadership and Policies [Track D] Room 398

    Faculty Discussant: Osly J. Flores

    Student Moderator: Haeryun Kim

    Advertising Curriculum and the Integration of Regulations, Laws & Policies that Support Inclusive Design - Marisa Peacock

    “Being a Leader, a Good Leader, is Tough.” Service Coordinator Supervisors in Early Intervention? - Kelly Fulton

    Dismantling the Iron Cage of Neoliberalism: Critical Economic Literacy for Teachers in the Promotion of Critical Global Citizenship Education - Cat Ho

    Women High School Principals: Perspectives on Navigating and Negotiating their Gendered Role - Anne Allegretti

    Culturally Grounded Educational Research [Track E] Room 10-I

    Faculty Discussant: Hyun-Sook Kang

    Student Moderator: Samuel Kumi

    Reframing Education Modality: Examining the New Art School Modality and Black Leadership in Education - Haerim Lee

    Through the Lens of “Iyagi”: Korean/Korean American Parents’ Stories on Navigating Their Children’s Early Childhood Education - Pyeong-eun Kim

    12:20–1:20 PM Lunch Panel

    Room 28 (box lunch pickup), Room 22 (panel), Rooms 28 & 10 (overflow) [Main Zoom Room]

    Dr. Karla J. Möller will facilitate a panel with Drs. Molly Hathaway Goldstein, Stephanie Toliver, and Asif Wilson about their research’s connection to the conference theme “Education in the 21st Century: Designing a More Inclusive Future.” They will also share their experiences in academia and as faculty members. Pick up your box lunch in Room 28 and join us for an insightful conversation in Room 22! Room 28 and the O’Leary Conference Center (Room 10) are available as overflow rooms, where the panel discussion can be viewed remotely.

    1:30-2:30 PM Paper Session 1

    Presenters will give a formal 15-minute presentation followed by a 5-minute Q&A with the audience. Papers will feature research projects that are completed or nearly completed. The Zoom Breakout Room names are listed in brackets, for example [Track A].

    Equity in STEM and Research Practices [Track A] Room 4-G

    Faculty Discussant: Rebecca Hinze-Pifer

    Student Moderator: Tiffany Reyes Denis

    Exploring Female Engineering Students’ Gendered Internship Experiences - Jing Zhang, Hou Xie

    Breaking Barriers: Strategies for Retaining and Advancing Women Faculty in STEM at R1 Universities - Monica Liu

    Methodology of Systematic Reviews in Educational Research - Ruiping Huang

    Generative A.I. in Education [Track B] Room 323

    Faculty Discussant: Paul Bruno

    Student Moderator: Jen Whiting

    Evaluating the Impact of A.I.-Driven Writing Tools on Student Writing Skills: Insights from the CGScholar A.I. Helper Project - Raigul Zheldibayeva

    Generative A.I. with RAG vs. Peer Review: A New Frontier for Assessment in Higher Education - Akash Saini

    Rethinking Feedback: Empowering Human-Centered Design Education with Generative A.I. - Akash Saini

    Looking at Education Globally [Track C] Room 37

    Faculty Discussant: Mary Kalantzis

    Student Moderator: Armando Torres

    Decolonizing U.S. Education Abroad: A Call for Systemic Change - Gabrielle Haggins, Logan Pender

    Evaluating Different International Learning Modalities in Engineering Courses - Joshua Katz, Joie Gindorf

    Study Abroad Before ‘Abroad’: The Case of Italy - Elena Broscritto

    K-12 Classrooms and Teachers [Track D] Room 42-A

    Faculty Discussant: Karla Möller

    Student Moderator: Katie Davenport

    Bridging Theory and Practice: Exploring Teacher Roles in Implementing Project-Based Learning for 21st-Century Skills Development - Viphawee (Bee) Butler, Shuai Xu

    Affordances and Constraints of Curriculum Case Studies in Professional Learning - Nicholas Leonardi, Julia Poel

    Fostering Agency through Feedback: A Critical Discourse Analysis in 11th Grade Special Education English Class - Justine Rovin

    Accessibility and Interventions [Track E] Room 4-F

    Faculty Discussant: Jessica Hardy

    Student Moderator: Fatmanur Onder

    Caregiver Coaching in Early Intervention - Maryana Al Tobi

    School Variability in Service Delivery Model Provision: Placement Patterns and Resource Allocation for Students with Disabilities - Josefina Senese

    Beyond Buildings: Designing and Maintaining Classroom Laboratory Spaces for Accessibility - Natalie Taylor

    2:40–3:40 PM Paper Session 2

    Presenters will give a formal 15-minute presentation followed by a 5-minute Q&A with the audience. Papers will feature research projects that are completed or nearly completed. The Zoom Breakout Room names are listed in brackets, for example [Track A].

    Empowering Learners [Track A] Room 4-G

    Faculty Discussant: Giselle Martinez Negrette

    Student Moderator: Jasmine Carruth

    A Shakespearean Theatre Program and its Pedagogical Impact on the Future Orientation of Incarcerated Youth at a Juvenile Jail Study Site - Ozivell Ecford

    Project Based Learning Through Translanguaging: The Yew-Chung Approach to Integrating Multilingualism in a Project Based Primary Classroom - Angelica Taylor, Zhiyue Lu

    Integrating Multiple Ways of Knowing and Sustainability into Co-Designed Science Curriculum Units - Julia Poel, Nicholas Leonardi

    Transformative Digital Learning [Track B] Room 323

    Faculty Discussant: Xinran Zhu

    Student Moderator: Suchen Liu

    Unprompted Sparks: Empowering Collaboration in 21st-Century CSCL Environments - Robin Jephthah Rajarathinam

    Multiplying the ‘Multiplicador’: A Liberatory Learning Framework for Digital Transformation - Armando Jose Torres

    CyberGuardian: A Role-Playing Educational Game for Mastering Cryptographic Primitives and Enhancing Real-World Cybersecurity Awareness - Shan Huang

    Equity-Centered and Inclusive Education [Track C] Room 37

    Faculty Discussant: Asif Wilson

    Student Moderator: Jose Martinez

    Preparing Educational Leaders to be “Fierce Advocates” for Equity - Leslie Ellis

    Race, History, Policy: Corporal Punishment of Schools in American South - Gariel Pierce

    STE(A)M Education [Track D] Room 42-A

    Faculty Discussant: Nathan M. Castillo

    Student Moderator: Shenheela Naz

    Socio-Cultural Theoretical Approach to Understanding Highschool STEM Education in Rural West-Central Illinois - Aparna Kapale

    Applying Mindfulness in STEAM Youth Education: A Reflexive Auto-Ethnographical Perspective - Darcy Yue Lu, Monisha Sharma

    Qualifying the Gesture-Eliciting Interventions that Promote Mathematical Learning: A Systematic Literature Review - Tiffany Reyes Denis

    The Politics of Language [Track E] Room 4-F

    Faculty Discussant: Jennifer Johnson

    Student Moderator: Tamorah Johnson

    Language and Legality: The Role of English in Shaping Mexican American Citizenship - Sylvia Rosillo

    How Institutional Messaging Shapes Inequity: A Study of the OEAI Website - Minjoo Chong

    Can Low-Cost Online Pronunciation Instruction Work? A Case Study of the ACEPC - Ivan Crespo

    3:50–4:50 PM Paper Session 3

    Presenters will give a formal 15-minute presentation followed by a 5-minute Q&A with the audience. Papers will feature research projects that are completed or nearly completed. The Zoom Breakout Room names are listed in brackets, for example [Track A].

    Leadership in Education and Data Science [Track A] Room 4-G

    Faculty Discussant: Jina Kang

    Student Moderator: Minjoo Chong

    The Operations and Effectiveness of School Hiring Committees - Haeryun Kim

    Prepared to Collaborate: The State of Principal Preparation and School Counseling in Illinois - Jessica Mulder

    Designing Inclusive Pathways for Non-Profit Data Science - Vien Nguyen

    Game-Based Learning [Track B] Room 323

    Faculty Discussant: Ali Ansari

    Student Moderator: Jen Whiting

    Comparing Immersive Simulations in XR and Web-Based Environments: Differences in User Preferences, Learning Outcomes, and Design Implications - Chris Palaguachi

    BarrelBots: Measuring Self-Efficacy and Puzzle-Based Computational Thinking in Minecraft - Samuel Hum

    The Impact of Inquiry-Based Learning on Interest Development: A Minecraft Game Context - Hyeongjo Kim

    Postsecondary Education Topics [Track C] Room 37

    Faculty Discussant: Vania Castro

    Student Moderator: Jose Martinez

    Policy Brief: Federal Financial Aid Challenges for Degree-Seeking Undergraduates with Long-Term Disabilities - Kelly Searsmith

    Advanced Placement Access and College Enrollment: The Postsecondary Effects of Advanced Placement State Policies - Ian Callen

    International Graduate Students’ Perspectives on Sense of Belonging in Leisure - Kshitij Tewari

    Inclusion in Learning [Track D] Room 42-A

    Faculty Discussant: Gayithri Jayathirtha 

    Student Moderator: Jasmine Carruth

    A Critical Discourse Analysis of Teacher’s Emotionality of Teaching LGBTQ+ History - Colleen Kollasch

    Why Do Early Childhood Teachers Leave the Field? - Lucie Cyliax

    Special Topics in Education [Track E] Room 4-F

    Faculty Discussant: Karla Möller

    Student Moderator: Tamorah Johnson

    A Sketch of Child Rights Education by Children’s Literature in Vietnam: A Case Study from Examining Vietnamese Award-Winning Picture Books for Children (2018-2023) - Lan Anh Hoang

    Fostering Adolescents’ Reading Motivation in the 21st Century: Toward Inclusive and Humanizing Approaches - Cigdem Yurekli

    Just Fumbling Through It: Exploring First-Hand Perspectives of Diabetes and Exercise - Annalisa Murphy

    5:00-5:45 PM Awards & Closing

    Room 2 [Main Zoom Room]

    Join us in recognizing exemplary graduate student papers and roundtables at the awards ceremony!