Presentations
Morgridge faculty and students, along with our partners in the community, regularly present original, boundary-pushing research. We strive to continuously and meaningfully contribute to local, national and global conversations related to education, societal change and more. Below, you'll find a sampling of presentations led by Morgridge researchers. To see more of Morgridge’s contributions, explore our recent publications.
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American Educational Research Association - AERA 2025 MCE Presentations
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2024 American Association for Teaching & Curriculum (AATC) Presentations
“Rural School Psychologists: A Culturally Sustaining, Rural Program”
Robyn Thomas Pitts and Amy McDiarmid, University of Denver
The national shortage of school-based mental health professionals is dire in rural schools, yet access to training is limited in rural spaces. Aligning with conference themes of community connections, representation, and equity/access, we adapted a curriculum to prepare rural professionals.
“Elevating the Art of Praxis: Those Who Can, Teach”
Robyn Thomas Pitts, University of Denver
Pedagogical content knowledge (Shulman, 1986) is the specialized expertise instructors leverage to teach others. Instructors deepen this expertise by reflecting on their praxis. We used four guided reflections to explore how praxis deepened during instructors’ first time teaching a new prep.
“Cultivating Joyful Teaching and Learning: Exploring the Intersection of Creativity and Artificial Intelligence”
Wendy Jensen, University of Denver
Through open-dialogue and idea-sharing, this session will delve into the intersection of creativity, artificial intelligence, and education, inviting participants to contemplate novel questions and potential pathways for more joyful and meaningful educational experiences.
“Cultivating Dialogic Feedback (CDF): Bringing Humanization Back into Teacher Evaluation and Joy into our Work”
Adrian Blumenthal, University of Denver
Cultivating Dialogic Feedback is an ongoing qualitative research study that looks to bring equity and joy into the teacher evaluation process by establishing dialogic cycles into teacher evaluation. Using DBIR research, this study explores the dynamic between teachers and evaluators.
“The Pearl in the Practice: Contemplations on Teaching”
Barth Quenzer, University of Denver
In this postdoctoral paper, the author extends implications from a dissertation study (see Quenzer, 2023) using a transdisciplinary autoethnographic perspective to include the author’s lived experiences as a teacher researcher and what it means to teach as a contemplative practice.
“Culturally Responsive Academic and Social Emotional Interventions for Asian Americans K-12 Students: A Systematic Review”
Xiaoqian Bi and Rashida Banerjee, University of Denver
This paper investigates and synthesizes culturally responsive teaching (CRT) intervention research conducted in the last decade with Asian American K-12 students in the U.S. multicultural classrooms, focusing on how CRT promotes positive academic experiences, social-emotional wellbeing, and joy.
“Beyond Reflection: Finding Deep-Joy through Discernment”
Paul Michalec, University of Denver
Joy in teaching requires the full embodiment of self (Palmer, 1998, Rendon, 2021, and hooks, 2003). Reflection on practice is considered the gold standard for effective teaching. This session argues that to really experience joy, educators should embrace the spiritual tradition of discernment.
“Creating an Olfactory Classroom Quilt: A Posthuman Affective Turn to Bring Joy in the Classroom”
Aikaterini Kantourou, University of Denver
The present study conducted with 13 fourth-grade students in a primary school in Greece illustrates how students used the materiality of odor to construct identities, create belonging, and experience joy in seeing their subjectivities represented through the creation of an olfactory classroom quilt.
PANEL: “The Joy in the Journey: Learner to Teacher to Learner, Repeat”
Norma Hafenstein, Paul Michalec, and Wendy Jensen, University of Denver
Rather than only outcomes, consider the educational journey, where learners and teachers move from one role to another. How can we experience joy in the journey of education, whether teacher or learner? How can we recognize the toles of learner and teacher as connected, ongoing and interrelated?
“Exploring Denver’s Chinatown: Replacing Historic Turmoil with Intercultural Field Learning Joy”
Michelle Jestice and Xiaoqian Bi, University of Denver
Leveraging intercultural exchanges to understand past turmoil through experiential field methods, we discover Denver’s Chinatown history, fostering empathy and respect for international communities while exploring multicultural education potential for positive social change leading to joy.
PANEL: “Finding Joy in International Challenges”
Xiaoqian Bi, Michelle Jestice and Fahad Alsawar, University of Denver
Our panel discusses vital educator and curricular roles that promote joy through inclusive environments, intercultural discourse and participation, helping international students feel a sense of belonging through representation while they navigate the host country’s cultural nuances.
“The Joy of Teaching for Deeper Learning”
Kerstin Rowe, University of Denver
This Issues and Ideas session looks at ways in which teaching for deeper learning brings joy to the classroom context as well as being the most important way to help students learn 21st century skills.
PANEL: “Empowering Rural Educators: Cultivating Joy and Excellence through Cultural Responsive Practices, Computer Science Training, and Critical Thinking Skill Development”
Wendy Jensen, Jenny Van Stroh, and Norma Hafenstein, University of Denver
This panel will feature educational leaders and content experts involved in a Jacob K. Javits funded initiative to empower rural educators through professional development centered on culturally responsive practices, computer science training, and critical thinking skill development.
PANEL: “Bridging Support for Multilingual Learners across the Educational Landscape”
Riley Stouffer, Kimberly Schmidt, and Jan Chamberlin, University of Denver
Multilingual learners are a vital part of our student body, bringing rich cultural and linguistic experiences. This panel explores the opportunities and challenges they encounter in our schools and discusses how we can create a more inclusive, empowering, and joyful learning environment.
“Universal Design for Learning as an Inclusive Teaching Practice in the College Classroom”
Kiersten Hillkirk, University of Denver
This session seeks to explore the application of UDL in higher education. It will begin with a presentation focused on UDL principles, existing literature on UDL, and the imperative for faculty development. Through innovative inquiries, the presenter will then facilitate an engaging discussion.
Poster Presentations:
“Slow Peer Review as an Equity Practice in Writing Instruction”
Kersten Jaeger, University of Denver
“Embedding Social Entrepreneurship Education in Secondary Schools”
Joi Lin, University of Denver
Exploring the Journey of International Students in the U.S.: The Case of Chinese Students
Yating Zhu, University of Denver
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American Educational Research Association - AERA 2024 MCE Presentations
FACULTY Presentations
Structured Poster Session:
Building Video Infrastructure to Support Teacher Development of Responsive Instructional Practice
Sun, April 14, 3:05 to 4:35pm, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Level 100, Room 102AB
Authors (1 of 3)
Brette Garner, University of Denver
Paper session:
Rural Educational Innovative Leaders who Dismantle Inequity: Learning from Global Bright Spots
Fri, April 12, 9:35 to 11:05am, Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Floor: Level 3, Room 310
Author
Kristina Astrid Hesbol, University of Denver
Symposium Paper
Mathematics Detracking at "Franklin High"
Thu, April 11, 2:30 to 4:00pm, Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Floor: Level 4, Room 414
Authors (1 of 2)
Lolita A. Tabron, University of Denver
Paper Session
Extending Automated Scoring to the Figural Form of the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking
Sat, April 13, 11:25am to 12:55pm, Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Floor: Level 4, Franklin 2
Authors (1 of 3)
Peter Organisciak, University of Denver
Preconference Session
Division A Early Career Mentoring
Wed, April 10, 1:00 to 5:00pm, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Level 100, Room 116
Chairs (1 of 3)
Lolita A. Tabron, University of Denver
Invited Speaker Session
Educational Research Possibilities for Race, Gender Equity, and Decolonization through a Trans Lens
Sun, April 14, 1:15 to 2:45pm, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Level 100, Room 119B
Chair
D-L Stewart, University of Denver
Panelists (1 of 4)
charlie amáyá scott, University of Denver (HED PhD student)
Symposium Paper
Classroom Strategy Diversity and Children’s Early Mathematical Growth
Thu, April 11, 10:50am to 12:20pm, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Level 100, Room 118B
Authors (4 of 6)
Crystal A Day-Hess, University of Denver
Douglas H. Clements
Yixiao Dong
Julie Sarama
Paper Session
Expanding the Horizons of Educational Criticism and Connoisseurship: Embracing an Artistic Lexicon
Sat, April 13, 1:15 to 2:45pm, Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Floor: Level 4, Room 408
Authors (1 of 2)
Bruce Uhrmacher, University of Denver
Elliot Eisner SIG Business Meeting and Reception
Fri, April 12, 6:45 to 8:15pm, Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Floor: Level 5, Salon J
Speaker: Bruce Uhrmacher, University of Denver
Paper Session
Coaching for Equity-Oriented Continuous Improvement
Thu, April 11, 4:20 to 5:50pm, Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Floor: Level 5, Salon I
Authors
Erin Anderson, University of Denver
Samantha Davis, University of Denver
Symposium Paper
Surfacing Dilemmas of Responsive Instructional Practice through Movement Transcription, Visualization and Video Review
Sun, April 14, 1:15 to 2:45pm, Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Floor: Level 4, Franklin 13
Authors (1 of 4)
Brette Garner
Poster
Investigating the Structure of the Engineering Interests Measure Using Exploratory Graph Analysis
Fri, April 12, 9:35 to 11:05am, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Second Floor, Exhibit Hall A
Authors (1 of 6)
Pat O. Garriott, University of Denver
Roundtable Paper:
Addressing Antiblackness in Multicultural Student Services
Fri, April 12, 3:05 to 4:35pm, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Second Floor, Exhibit Hall B
Authors (1 of 2)
D-L Stewart, University of Denver
Symposium
Harnessing Waldorf To Construct Educational Possibilities: Challenges and Opportunities
Sun, April 14, 7:45 to 9:15am, Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Floor: Level 4, Franklin 7
Chair and Discussant:
Bruce Uhrmacher, University of Denver
Paper
Moves Toward Decolonial Writing While Writing about Decoloniality in Higher Education
Thu, April 11, 2:30 to 4:00pm, Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Floor: Level 3, Room 308
Authors (2 of 6)
Chris A. Nelson, University of Denver
Stevie Lee, University of Denver (HED Alum)
AERA Presidential Session:
Reconciling Traditional Quantitative Methods with the Imperative for Equitable, Critical, and Ethical Research
Fri, April 12, 3:05 to 4:35pm, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Level 200, Room 201A
Discussant
Lolita A. Tabron, University of Denver
Poster:
Exploring Impostor Syndrome Among Graduate Students: A Qualitative Auto-Criticism and Connoisseurship Study
Sat, April 13, 7:45 to 9:15am, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Second Floor, Exhibit Hall A
Authors
Amber Denise Yeaw, RMS PhD student
Bruce Uhrmacher
Robyn Thomas Pitts
Roundtable
Toward Unity and/or Diversity? Comparing Affirmative Action Policies in Chinese and US Higher Education
Sat, April 13, 11:25am to 12:55pm, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Second Floor, Exhibit Hall B
Authors (1 of 2)
Marc P. Johnston-Guerrero
Roundtable
Let’s Talk! Future Educators Dialogic Literacy Practices
Sat, April 13, 1:15 to 2:45pm, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Second Floor, Exhibit Hall B
Authors
Kimberly McDavid Schmidt
Teri McDavid Hutchinson
Riley McDavid Stouffer
Roundtable
Caring for Cultural and Academic Identity: School Conditions and Teacher Practices Supporting the Academic Growth of Black Students
Sat, April 13, 3:05 to 4:35pm, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Second Floor, Exhibit Hall B
Authors
Erin Anderson
Devani Lemmon
Roundtable
Examining the Perceptions of Rural Educators About Giftedness
Sat, April 13, 3:05 to 4:35pm, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Second Floor, Exhibit Hall B
Authors
Kristina Astrid Hesbol
Norma L. Hafenstein
Naichen Zhao
Roundtable
Listening to Voices Across Contexts in Family, School, Community Partnerships
Sun, April 14, 9:35 to 11:05am, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Second Floor, Exhibit Hall B
Chair: Rashida Banerjee
Paper
Core Practices of Leading Deeper Learning Schools
Sat, April 13, 7:45 to 9:15am, Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Floor: Level 3, Room 301
Authors (1 of 3)
Jayson W. Richardson
Paper Session
The Power of Relationships in Family, School, Community Partnerships
Thu, April 11, 9:00 to 10:30am, Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Floor: Level 4, Room 412
Session Type: Paper Session
Discussant: Gloria E. Miller
Poster
Cluster Analysis of Early Math Assessment Items
Thu, April 11, 4:20 to 5:50pm, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Second Floor, Exhibit Hall A
Authors
Shannon Stark Guss
Christina D Mulcahy
Douglas H. Clements
Julie Sarama
Crystal A Day-Hess
Roundtable
Consequential Validity of Early Childhood Assessments: Using Research-Based Early Mathematics Assessment as an Example
Thu, April 11, 12:40 to 2:10pm, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Second Floor, Exhibit Hall B
Authors
Yixiao Dong
Douglas H. Clements
Julie Sarama
Roundtable
Understanding the Research-to-Practice Gap to Promote Youth Mental Health in Rural Middle Schools: A Comparative Case Study
Thu, April 11, 9:00 to 10:30am, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Second Floor, Exhibit Hall B
Authors
Savannah Hobbs
Nicholas J. Cutforth
Cynthia Hazel
Elaine Belansky
STUDENTS ONLY
Paper Session
Are the Verbal TTCT (Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking) Forms Actually Interchangeable?
Sun, April 14, 11:25am to 12:55pm, Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Floor: Level 4, Room 408
Authors (1 of 3)
Katalin Grajzel, University of Denver (RMS PhD Student)
Division D Graduate Student Committee In-Progress Research Gala Poster Session:
Parental Involvement, Residence Status, and Student's Academic Achievements: A Structural Equation Model Analysis
Fri, April 12, 4:55 to 6:25pm, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Second Floor, Exhibit Hall A
Author
Cuirong Wu, University of Denver (RMS PhD Student)
Social Policy and Education Poster Session
Reexamining The Chicano Education Pipeline: The Progress of Our Gente In the State of Colorado
Fri, April 12, 7:45 to 9:15am, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Second Floor, Exhibit Hall A
Authors (1 of 3)
Analisa Martinez-Morris, University of Denver (ELPS PhD student)
Paper
Humanizing Shared Equity Leadership: Growth and Development on the Personal Journey Toward Critical Consciousness
Authors (1 of 5)
Darsella Vigil, University of Denver (HED PhD student or alum)
Symposium paper
Experiences of Muslim Students in U.S. Schools in the Rocky Mountain Region
Thu, April 11, 9:00 to 10:30am, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Level 100, Room 110A
Author
Sahar Khawaja, University of Denver (ELPS PhD student)
Roundtable
The Big Five and Divergent Thinking
Sun, April 14, 3:05 to 4:35pm, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Second Floor, Exhibit Hall B
Authors (1 of 3)
Katalin Grajzel, RMS PhD student
ALUMNI ONLY
Roundtable
The Navajo Chapter House Methodology
Fri, April 12, 11:25am to 12:55pm, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Second Floor, Exhibit Hall B
Author
Stevie Lee, University of Denver (HED Alum)
Presidential Session
Wounded Healer Leadership & Pedagogy
Sat, April 13, 9:35 to 11:05am, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Level 200, Room 201B
Presenter: Justine J. Lopez (TLS EdD alum)
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2024 RMIS/MCE Conference: Harmony of Minds
Visit the conference website for more information on the event!
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University Council for Educational Administration - UCEA 2023 Convention
MCE, and especially our Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (ELPS) Department, is excited to participate in the upcoming UCEA Annual Convention. Here is a sampling of MCE presenters/participants:
Education Access for Adult Women: Challenges That Black Nontraditional Women Face as They Enter Postsecondary Education.
DU Presenters: Rachel Anna Kamnkhwani, Naomi Mpata
Breaking the Myth of “Learning Loss”: A Community-Engaged Photovoice Research.
Presenter: Naichen Zhao
School Leader Implementation of Adult SEL in Marginalized School Settings: A Single Case Study.
Presenter: Alana Raybon, University of Denver
Graduate Student Council Programming: Navigating the Academy as an International Student
DU Presenter: Rachel Kamnkhwani
Experiences of International Graduate Students in America During and Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic
DU Presenters: Rachel Anna Kamnkhwani, Emily Shaba
Sister Circles: Black Women Scholars Focusing on Holistic Wellness Through Dynamic Networking and Community Engagement
DU Presenter: Lolita Tabron
Beyond the Equity Pause: Supporting Districts’ Efforts to Leverage Continuous Improvement to Center Social Justice
Presenter: Erin Anderson
What is the Role of P12 Administrators in Addressing the Rise in Antitrans Legislation?
Presenter: Klaudia Fay Neufeld
Attitudes and Practices of Rural Educators That Dismantle Systemic Inequity
Presenter: Kristina Astrid Hesbol
Bridging the Gap Between Muslim Students’ Needs and American Schools
Presenter: Sahar Khawaja
Understanding How Teachers and Leaders Foster Black Students’ Sustained Academic Identities
DU Presenters: Erin Anderson, Devani Lemmon
Liberation and Inclusion Through the Voices of Trans Youth: A Phenomenological Approach
Presenter: Klaudia Fay Neufeld
Schools as Thriving Workplaces: Leading Co-Inquiry for Improvement
DU Presenters: Erin Anderson, James Ringe
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MCE Community Member 2023 AERA Presentations
"I'm Trying to Rebuild a Relationship With Him, Even Though ...": Teacher Emotion Labor in Dealing With Classroom Trauma
DU presenters: Christine Elizabeth Hood, Dr. Brette Garner
Culturally Responsive Instructional Coach Evaluation: Exploring Possibilities and Potholes
Presenters: Dr. Maria del Carmen Salazar, Anna Hardy, Kimberly Korpita, Sara Dishell
The Development and Validation of the Measure of Original Thinking in Elementary Students: A Computerized Test of Original Thinking
DU presenters: Dr. Peter Organisciak, Katalin Grajzel
The Status of Teacher and Staff Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic
DU presenters: Dr. Benjamin C. Ingman, Sandra Bertram Grant Solis, Dr. Elaine Belansky
Understanding the Lived Experiences of Pakistani Muslim Students in U.S. Schools
Presenters: Sahar Khawaja, Dr. Jayson W. Richardson
Betwixt the Ivory Tower and the School Blacktop: Mama-Scholars of Color Navigating White Educational Systems
DU presenter: Dr. Chris A. Nelson
Curricular Wars: A Critical Policy Analysis of K–12 "Critical Race Theory" Bills in State Legislatures
DU presenters: Dr. Lolita A. Tabron, Stephen Fusco
Cultural Sharing Conversations to Enhance Collaborative Partnerships With Culturally Diverse Families
Presenter: Dr. Gloria E. Miller
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Association for the Study of Higher Education - ASHE 2023 Conference
MCE, and especially our Higher Education Department (HED), is excited to participate in the upcoming ASHE Conference. Here is a sampling of MCE presenters/participants:
Implicating Federal Policy in the Dehumanization of Victim-Survivors of Interpersonal Violence on College Campuses
DU Presenters: Sarah S. Hurtado, Casey McCoy-Simmons
Developments Beyond the Asterisk: New scholarship and frameworks for understanding Native students in higher education
DU Presenters: Charlie Amáyá Scott, Chris Nelson
The State of Higher Education Scholarship
DU Presenter: Charlie Amáyá Scott
Studying and Addressing Race, Racism, Anti-Blackness, and Settler Colonialism in LGBTQ+ Higher Education Studies
DU Presenter: Charlie Amáyá Scott
Examining the Relational Space of Native Faculty Members in Higher Education
Presenter: Stevie Lee
Student Experiences at the Borders and Intersections
Discussant: Marc Guerrero
What Lies Beneath: Unearthing the Sourches, Meanings, and Effects of Policy Making
Chair: Casey McCoy-Simmons
Politics and Practices in Higher Education
Discussant: Cecilia M Orphan
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RMECC 2016
The Morgridge College of Education (MCE) had a substantial presence at the 2016 Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference, which was held in Denver and attracted over 2,500 participants. Faculty from the Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) program, Kennedy Institute, and Marsico Institute were all in attendance along with Students from several MCE programs. MCE faculty and students presenting included:
- Julie Sarama, Ph.D – MCE Faculty and Kennedy Endowed Chair in Innovative Learning Technologies
- Douglas H. Clements, Ph.D – MCE Faculty and Kennedy Endowed Chair in Early Childhood Learning
- Jeanine Coleman, Ph.D – ECSE Clinical Assistant Professor
- Pilyoung Kim, Ph.D – Assistant Professor at DU’s School of Art, Humanities and Social Science
- Rachel Schiff-Gray – ECSE Alumni
- Heather Blizzard – RMS Graduate Student
- Laura Dietert – CI Graduate Student
- Ksenia Polson – RMS Graduate Student
- Jessica Carswell – ECSE MA Student
- Tara Brand – ECSE MA Student
- Katie Belleau – ECSE MA Student
- Brita Strub – ECSE Cert Student
- Hazuki Tochihara – ECSE Alumni
Drs. Clements and Sarama were the keynote speakers for the conference alongside Dr. Bob Sornson, Founder of the Early Learning Foundation. They started the Saturday morning conference with their presentation on early math education, setting the stage for the rest of the event.
“A few of the teachers in the audience commented that they could not wait to share what they had learned,” said Heather Blizzard, a Ph.D student in the Research Methods and Statistics (RMS) program. Blizzard presented on the effects of teaching geometry to young children alongside her peers Laura Dietert and Ksenia Polson.