Lee to Host 2nd Annual Doctoral Student Poster Symposium
On Wednesday, April 26, at 5:30 p.m., Lee University’s Helen DeVos College of Education (HDCOE) will host the “2nd Annual Doctoral Student Research Poster Symposium” in the William G. Squires Library. The symposium will feature students from Lee’s Doctor of Education (EdD), Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Marriage and Family Therapy programs.
The event is open to the public and co-hosted by the EdD program, the DNP program, the PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy program, along with the William G. Squires Library. The symposium is an opportunity for faculty members, staff, and students to meet the doctoral students at Lee and to bring together colleagues, friends, and family interested in graduate education.
“This year’s conference will showcase doctoral students’ scholarship across three disciplines university-wide,” said Dr. Roy Y. Chan, director of graduate studies in education and assistant professor of education at Lee. “The student-led symposium is an opportunity for students, faculty, staff, and alumni to engage in issues related to education, nursing, and marriage and family studies that will positively impact the church, community, and the world. We hope that all attendees will feel proud, empowered, and encouraged.”
Chan organized this year’s event, the first graduate student poster symposium featuring all three of Lee’s doctoral programs. Lee President Dr. Mark L. Walker will serve as this year’s keynote speaker, and Dr. Bill Estes, dean of HDCOE and distinguished professor of education, will also deliver special remarks.
“These annual symposiums are an excellent opportunity for our doctoral students to highlight and share their research discoveries with others,” said Dr. Brandon Rodgers, director of graduate studies in counseling.
During the symposium, 13 doctoral students from the Class of 2024 will present their dissertation work in a research poster format. EdD students from the Class of 2025 will judge the students’ posters.
“Our doctoral students across campus are leading change by advancing the science of their respective professions,” said Dr. Julie Campbell, director of graduate studies in nursing. “Including all three doctoral programs at this year’s symposium provides a unique opportunity for these scholars to collaborate with their peers and is a great way for the community to see the significant work they’re doing.”
The Class of 2024 presenters will include Kathi Douglas, Erin Hattabaugh, Holly Kidder, Harlie Li, Lance Perry, Crystal Randolph, Susan Rodriguez, and Natalie Zuzart from the EdD program; Kaitlyn Pierce, Tori Stepp, and Sydney Still from the DNP program; and Robert England, Gregory Fischer, and Dr. Reginald D. Horton from the PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy program.
Launched in fall 2020, the EdD Program in Professional Practice seeks to develop passionate and empathetic educational leaders through the practice of ethical action, redemptive service, and responsible citizenship in the church, community, and the world. The program was developed by faculty in the Lee University HDCOE and Local Education Agency partners.
The DNP Program offers a terminal degree that prepares graduates to practice at the highest level of nursing and lead change through translational research. Students benefit from Lee’s distinctive programming related to rural, global, and disaster healthcare, with the integration of a Christian worldview.
The mission of the Lee University Marriage and Family Therapy Doctoral Program is to prepare leaders in the marriage and family field that serve the underserved through Christian organizations and their surrounding communities. The core priorities of the program are to develop each student to become an innovative clinician, a proficient educator, a systemic supervisor, and a pragmatic researcher.
For more information about Lee’s EdD program, visit leeuniversity.edu/academics/graduate/edd/.
For more information about Lee’s DNP program, visit leeuniversity.edu/academics/nursing/dnp/.
For more information about Lee’s PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy program, visit leeuniversity.edu/graduate/ and click “Graduate Studies in Counseling.”
For more information about the symposium, contact Graduate Studies in Education at (423) 614-8544.
