UMaine researchers share work at annual NEERO conference

April 2, 2025 CARES, Educational Leadership, In the News, Literacy, News, Research and Outreach, School of Educational Leadership, Higher Education and Human Development, School of Kinesiology, Physical Education and Athletic Training, School of Learning and Teaching

Several University of Maine faculty members and graduate students presented their research at the 56th annual conference of the New England Educational Research Organization (NEERO), March 26-28 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The conference included researchers from across the region sharing studies on a variety of education topics, including curriculum and instruction; diversity and sociocultural perspectives; higher education; human development and learning; leadership, policy and educational reform; measurement, assessment, evaluation and research methods; professional development; teaching and teacher education; and technology in education. 

Presentations by UMaine faculty and students included:

  • Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership Esther Enright chaired a roundtable session on “Leadership: Style, Actions, Policies as Influencers.” Enright and Sarah Walton, UMaine assistant professor of sociology, presented their study “Building Infrastructure Amidst Poverty: A Case Study of A Youth Justice Collaboration” as part of the roundtable.
  • Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) students in educational leadership Kelly O’Brien-Weaver and Patricia Clark presented their doctoral research as part of a session on “Tackling Tough Problems Through Leadership and Policy.” O’Brien-Weaver’s study was titled “Rural School Counseling Programs: Learning From Them, Not Just About Them.” Clark’s study was titled “Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Empowering Women Aspiring to Leadership.” Clark also chaired a practitioner roundtable session on “Supporting Educators’ Continuous Development,” which included a presentation from Ed.D. student Nicole Benham titled “Unifying Voices: The Role Professional Development Can Play in Effective Communication Between Educators.”
  • Alan Howen Chang, graduate research and teaching assistant and Ph.D. student in PreK-12 education with a concentration in literacy in the College of Education and Human Development, presented his research, “Exploring Teachers’ Perspectives and Experiences with Teaching in a Bilingual Program to English Language Learners with Technology Aided Instruction and Intervention,” as part of a session titled “Today and Tomorrow – Exploring the Narratives and Perspectives of Classroom Teachers.”
  • Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership Lindsey Kaiser presented her study “School-Based Racial Equity Collaborations: White Principals Implementing an Active Anti-Racists Stance” as part of a research paper session on “Variables, Actions and Practices to Promote Equity and Justice.” Kaiser also chaired a research paper session on “Teacher Leadership, Collaboration, and Capacity Building Practices’ Influence on School Success.”
  • Sue Sydnor, an Ed.D. student in educational leadership, presented her doctoral research, “Student Perspectives on School Exclusion: A Narrative Inquiry,” as part of a session on “Challenging Oppression and Misperception Through Stories – Perspectives of Learners, Mothers, and Educators.”
  • Associate Professor of Higher Education Leah Hakkola and UMaine Director of International Programs Orlina Boteva, a Ph.D. student in higher education, presented their study, “Exploring Secondary Trauma and Burnout Amongst Higher Education Professionals Engaged in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion,” as part of a session titled “Inspiration and Agony: The Work, Strife, and Resilience of Faculty in Higher Education.”
  • Janet Corcoran, an Ed.D. student in educational leadership, chaired a roundtable session on “How Roles and Perceptions of Teachers and Leaders Influence Success.” Corcoran presented her doctoral research, “Paraprofessional Training and Supervision: Policy and Perception,” as part of the session. Two other UMaine Ed.D. students, Amy Sullivan and Rebekah Drysdale, presented their doctoral research as part of the session. Sullivan’s presentation was titled “A Case Study of Teacher Roles as Intermediaries For a Social-Emotional Learning Initiative.” Drysdale’s study was titled “The Special Education Administrator and Principal Connection: Exploring Key Relationship Components for Inclusion.”
  • Ed.D. students Allison Woodard and Suzanne Joyal presented as part of a session on “Wrestling with Issues in Curriculum and Instruction.” Woodard’s study was titled “Teacher Decision Making About Reading Instruction.” Joyal’s presentation was titled “Cultivating Literacy Through Cultural Roots: A Multi-Tiered Arts-Based Storytelling Approach For First Graders in After-School Spaces.”