Leadership and policy studies in education requires a complex understanding of educational institutions, politics, culture, change processes, and the needs of an increasingly diverse and global society. Students enrolling in ̽̽'s nationally recognized Educational Leadership and Policy Studies doctoral programs learn to become agents of change as they build and sustain communities of learning between practitioners, researchers, and the communities they serve.
Graduating with the Class of 2022 doctoral cohort in May, Hans Cabra and Lori Dolezal are exemplars of this approach through their impactful research, leadership, and professional practice. We are proud to highlight their accomplishments and aspirations.
Transforming Education through Evidence-Based Solutions: Hans Cabra
In choosing to pursue a Ph.D., Hans Cabra was driven by a heartfelt conviction that effective problem solving in the policy arena requires evidence-based research. In 2018, he received a Fulbright scholarship to attend ̽̽.
Having earned his doctorate, Dr. Cabra looks forward to starting his new role in May as the director of the "Getting to Y" program at UP for Learning, a Vermont-based educational non-for-profit organization that strives to empower youth and adults to transform education. Part of his work will consist of strengthening partnerships across the country to replicate the program and develop an impact evaluation component. He will also work alongside middle school and high school students, teachers, and school counselors to analyze student health and education data.
“I am excited to work with children and youth in the formulation of community-development initiatives. And as part of the replication process, I hope to travel to different regions within the United States, particularly to some Native American Reservations.”
Cabra believes it will be especially rewarding to put into practice the skills he gained through the doctoral program to foster equity and shared prosperity among communities. He is also happy to know that Vermont will continue to be his home in the years ahead.
“The doctoral program gave me the tools to conduct research in education using methods and concepts from other disciplines such as development economics and quantitative research,” he says. “I came into the program with a basic level of quantitative research skills, but I decided to enroll in all the quantitative courses offered in the program. Thanks to the mentorship of different faculty members, I have developed expertise in different quantitative methods.”
Having the opportunity to serve as teaching assistant in courses like Race and Racism in the USA and Issues Affecting People with Disabilities gave Cabra valuable opportunities to engage in equity discussions with students and faculty, he says. Those discussions contributed to his philosophy of action working against inequities.
Cabra’s doctoral dissertation comprised a quantitative study of the relationship between durable goods and educational outcomes in Colombia using advanced methods such as factor analysis and multilevel modeling.
“My dissertation is an examination of the relationship among durable goods, school attendance, and academic achievement in Colombia to showcase the role of assets in reducing multidimensional poverty,” he explains. “As a first-generation student who grew up in poverty, I wanted to contribute to the debate on this topic by providing evidence in support of the implementation of asset-based policies.”
One of the most effective ways to achieve this is by conducting high quality research, he believes.
“That's why I decided to pursue a Ph.D. The strength of the department’s faculty and researchers as well as the infrastructure to support high-quality research drew me to apply to this program. Four years later, I can honestly say that the program surpassed all my expectations. I am truly happy to be a Catamount.”
Improving Equity and Justice for PK-12 Education in Vermont: Lori Dolezal
In her role as a Continuous Improvement Coach at the Vermont Agency of Education, Lori Dolezal supports PreK-12 schools with setting goals, selecting and implementing evidence-based practices, and ongoing data collection and analyses for improvement and accountability. She is a leader in applying Improvement Science in Networked Improvement Communities, which was the topic of her doctoral dissertation research at ̽̽.
"Equity and social justice drive my personal purpose and the purpose of our agency's work with constituent school systems,” says Dr. Dolezal, who also teaches a graduate course in Implementation and Improvement Sciences at ̽̽. "I strive to be a leader who can make a difference across our public PreK-12 educational system. My bi-directional professional and academic experiences helped me make direct connections between research, theory, and practice. I was able to apply the learning from the doctoral program coursework to my daily professional experiences.”
Choosing the Ed.D. track of the doctoral program to achieve a scholar-practitioner balance between her studies and her work, she remained fully immersed in her full-time role with the Agency of Education throughout the duration of the program.
She credits her dissertation advisor, Dr. Bernice Garnett, for supporting and challenging her during the research and defense process. “Her input and perspective helped me improve the quality of both my research and the final product I presented at my defense. My cohort colleague Dr. Mika Moore was also a supportive thought partner throughout the program.”
Dolezal is an active collaborator who networks with fellow improvement researchers through the American Education Research Association (AERA) and other research organizations. When opportunities arise, she submits proposals to practitioner-friendly publications that focus on Improvement Science and Networked Improvement Community research and practice.
“I appreciate that my professional and academic experiences and communities allow me to spread the ideas that I so passionately believe can help ensure equitable and quality educational experiences for all learners in Vermont.”
