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The College of Community and Public Affairs (CCPA) Dissertation Research Awards support doctoral candidates conducting high-quality research that advances scholarship in disciplines aligned with the College’s mission. Doctoral candidates who completed their proposal defenses were eligible to apply for funding for the summer and fall 2026 semesters. The CCPA Dean’s office awards funding based on the merit of each application.

Learn more about this year's dissertation award recipients.

Emmanuel Addo
Rodney Gabel, Advisor, Community Research and Action 

Online Stuttering Self-Help and Support Groups: A Multi-Study Analysis of Participant Experiences, Group Factors, and Psychosocial Outcomes

Online stuttering self-help support groups (SHSGs) are increasingly accessible to people who stutter (PWS) worldwide and provide valuable psychosocial support. However, fewer than 1% of PWS participate in these groups. This three-study dissertation addresses this gap by examining the structure, lived experiences, group-level and participation-related variables, and psychosocial outcomes associated with online SHSGs. Study 1 will systematically review published and grey literature on online SHSGs for PWS. Study 2 will use semi-structured interviews to explore motivations, benefits, barriers, and both helpful and unhelpful aspects of participation. Study 3 will employ a cross-sectional survey to assess whether group-related and participation-related factors are associated with stuttering impact and global mental health. Together, these studies will provide the first comprehensive, multi-method analysis of online SHSGs for PWS, with implications for peer support, health equity, clinical referrals, and evidence-based group design.

Leyli Nouraei Yeganeh
Amber Simpson, Advisor, Teaching, Learning, and Educational Leadership

A Multi-Phase Programmatic Investigation of AI-Driven Adaptive Virtual Learning Environments: From Semantic Transformation to Teacher-Centered Personalization in Middle School STEM Education

This multi-phase dissertation aims to advance AI-driven adaptive technologies in virtual learning environments to improve student engagement, content knowledge, and equity in middle school STEM education. The study will develop and validate the STREAM (Semantic Transformation and Real-Time Educational Adaptation of Multimodal) framework for semantically decomposing multimodal content and regenerating it into personalized, pedagogically appropriate formats with full source traceability, and create and assess a teacher-centered web-based virtual classroom that allows educators to transform curriculum-aligned materials into personalized, interest-driven multimodal activities while maintaining teacher agency and curricular fidelity. It will design and evaluate the Meta-MILE model and Metaverse-based interventions to support immersive, collaborative, and inclusive learning; and examine middle school STEM teachers’ perceptions of the system’s practicality, feasibility, benefits, limitations, and ethical considerations, including agency, algorithmic bias, and data privacy. The study will then implement the system with students to evaluate their perceptions, experiences, engagement, and gains in content knowledge.

Sawsan Werfelli
Amber Simpson, Advisor, Teaching, Learning, and Educational Leadership

The Importance of a Sense of Belonging for Migrant Students in the Classroom

This study examines migrant students’ experiences of belonging and competence in mainstream classrooms, as well as their teachers’ practices and perspectives. The research, grounded in transformational and inclusive education, views cultural and linguistic diversity as assets and investigates how schools support identity affirmation, agency, and equitable learning. Third Space Theory (Bhabha, 1994) informs the student component, framing identity as hybrid and socially negotiated. Teachers’ experiences are analyzed through an ethos of care that emphasizes relational, ethical, and responsive practices (Noddings, 1984). Both components use qualitative methods. The student study employs Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to explore the lived experiences of four middle-school migrant students through interviews, observations, and drawings. The teacher study uses a case study approach with three teachers of the same students, using interviews and observations.

The study provides insights into how belonging and competence are experienced and supported in classrooms, highlighting implications for inclusive practices that promote migrant students’ well-being, engagement, and educational outcomes.

Adam Zhao
Melvin Whitehead, Advisor, Higher Education and Student Affairs

Journey to the Margins: An Anthology of Radical Healing From Internalized Oppression

Colonization and societal trauma have fostered a culture of domination that sustains oppression. Contemporary mental healthcare systems, shaped by this legacy, often prioritize assimilation and self-preservation rather than balance, community, and collective transformation. These systems frequently pathologize the experiences of marginalized communities and neglect the effects of internalized oppression on mental health. This arts-based narrative inquiry seeks to share stories of radical healing from internalized oppression by examining the lived experiences of healers on the margins through interviews and creative life notes. It advocates alternative mental healthcare models rooted in radical healing and interdisciplinary wisdom to dismantle oppressive structures and rebuild relationships grounded in love, reciprocity, and responsibility. While current radical healing frameworks offer a foundation, this anthology aims to broaden understanding by highlighting ongoing efforts from diverse perspectives and honoring marginalized voices that are often overlooked.