Celebrating the Class of 2025
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We honor the Class of 2025 who graduated on May 10!
Every graduate has a story to tell. Read about the challenges overcome, friendships formed, and hopes for the future of some of the School of Education's new alumni!
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From her undergraduate degree in 1972 to her doctorate in 2025
When eighteen-year-old Pamela Cheryl Higgins first stepped onto American University's campus in 1968, she couldn't have imagined that her relationship with the institution would span more than five decades and culminate in a doctoral hood being placed over her shoulders at the age of 75.
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| With his bachelor's degree in education, he graduated prepared to shape young minds
Patrick Doyle exemplifies the passion, dedication, and community-minded spirit that American University strives to foster in its graduates. A double major in secondary education and history, prior to graduation Doyle secured a position as a 6th-grade history teacher at Brookland Middle School in Washington, DC.
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| Dr. Rachel Cason found a home and a purpose in SOE's Doctorate of Education program
When she first set foot on AU's campus attending a youth leadership camp, she didn't know that years later she would return to earn her doctorate. AU has been a recurring touchpoint throughout her life's journey—from volleyball camp in high school to a college internship with AU's Community and Social Change program, and finally, to the culmination of her educational path.
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| Robin Wrobleski, MAT, came from a small town in Pennsylvania to become an expert teacher
Wrobleski knew that attending American University would be a significant achievement for a first-generation college student. This May, he graduated with his Master of Arts in Teaching: Secondary Education, while already putting his education to work as a social studies teacher at Woodbridge High School in Virginia.
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| Dr. Brianna Nargiso-Newton will use her Doctorate of Education degree to dismantle barriers
When Nargiso-Newton searched for doctoral programs in educational leadership, she wasn't just looking for credentials—she was seeking a program that would align with her core values and equip her with tools to create meaningful change in education. She found exactly that: a community committed to dismantling systemic barriers and fostering equity in education.
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Are you personally, or is someone you are close to, affected by the recent budget cuts or federal policy changes? You have until the end of the month to take this 3-minute survey so that SOE can explore ways to help people in our community. Please take a few minutes to fill out this survey to help us understand how we might be able to help.
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SOE students Delaney Denton, Rachel Hou, and Victoria Allen were interviewed by The Eagle about recent steps to dismantle the Department of Education. “It’s kind of a big deal teaching the next generation of people and citizens in the world,” Allen said. “That’s one of my favorite things about education is you just truly get to see the young minds of society grow and change."
Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Innovation Corbin M. Campbell was named a Top Scholar by ScholarGPS. Her publication record, the impact of her work, and the quality of her scholarly contributions placed her in the top 0.5% of all scholars worldwide according to the 2024 rankings.
Interim Dean Rodney Hopson was featured on the "Evening WURDs" podcast with Dr. James Peterson where he was interviewed about his research in education and related federal grants. WURD Radio is the only African-American owned and operated talk radio station in Pennsylvania, and one of only three remaining in the US.
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| Ricardo Garcia, MEd '25, presented his capstone project to the District of Columbia State Board of Education. Garcia developed a research agenda for DC's school board team to support local impact.
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SOE students were honored at the Student Achievement Awards Ceremony celebrating the exceptional contributions of graduating students, highlighting the university’s highest honors. Darla Davenport-Powell, '25, a doctorate graduate, received the Outstanding Scholarship at the Graduate Level Award. Nikki LeVee, '25, a secondary education major, received the Evelyn Swarthout Hayes Award.
Nikki LeVee also participated in an Aspen Institute research symposium co-hosted by Aspen’s Center for Rising Generations and Georgetown University titled “Promise, Possibility, and Power of Adolescence.”
SOE’s Prakriti Nepal, ITEP ’25, presented “The Transnational Education of DC’s Books and Beats” at the AU Career Center’s Experiential Learning Showcase. “It feels like a transnational educational leap to a powerhouse coming from Nepal,” she said. She spoke about student diplomacy, food epistemology, and her experiences at conferences.
Elizabeth Graff, '27, a secondary education and history double-major, was selected by the AU Honors Program and the Office of Undergraduate Education to participate in the 2025 AU Summer Scholars and Artists Program. This prestigious opportunity is being offered to only 10 students out of a record number of applicants this year.
Laura Meckler, national education writer at The Washington Post, joined in conversation with Danielle Sodani around the challenges facing American education today including President Trump's attempt to close the Department of Education, the ramifications if he succeeds, and the administration's effort to press its priorities on race, gender, and antisemitism onto American universities and school districts.
Dr. Reuben Jacobson, Dr. kecia hayes, and Dr. Robert Shand were awarded an additional $44,350 on their grant with the United Way of the National Capital Area.
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Casey A. Crews, Mary M. Oewel, and Kyuna Sims, all MEd '24 alumni, co-authored “Urban District Superintendents: Characteristics, Tenure, and Salaries,” to uncover superintendent pay, tenure, and turnover in system leadership.
Dr. Terence Ngwa co-authored “Representation Matters: Prioritizing Curriculum that Meets the Lived Experiences of African Students,” in RenewED, the education and leadership journal by the Ghana Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD).
Dr. Amaarah DeCuir authored "A Critical Decolonial Discourse Analysis of Secular Education Leadership Practices Impacting a Local Muslim Community," in the Journal of Educational Administration and History, and co-authored "Cross-Sections of Positionality and Educational Research: The Experiences of Muslim Women in Academia," in the Journal of Education in Muslim Societies.
Dr. Bridget Trogden's work was featured in a companion podcast/webcast about the project she authored in the science education journal The Cuvette titled “Lessons Learned from the Development and Implementation of Teaching Postsecondary STEM Through E-Learning."
Dr. Brian McGowan published "Black Photovoice: (Re)Claiming Blackness Through a Critical Conversation on Space, Place, and the Embodiment of Photovoice," in Departures in Critical Qualitative Research. He explores how scholars in fields both inside and outside of higher education employed visual methodologies to examine various phenomena.
Dr. Antonio L. Ellis authored the study, "Commemorating 45 Years of Music Education: How Linard H. McCloud Transformed Lives Through High School Band Participation" in the International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education. The study explores the transformative impact of a high school band director at Burke High School in Charleston, South Carolina, examining how McCloud’s mentorship promoted personal growth, self-esteem, and social-emotional development in his students.
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| Call for Manuscripts
A special issue of The Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, edited by Assistant Professor Dr. Liana Petruzzi, is calling for manuscripts for a special issue entitled “Social Work at the Intersection of Physical and Behavioral Health: Innovations, Challenges, and Future Directions.” Submissions are due by June 15.
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| Fostering Antiracism through the Arts in PreK-12 Education
There is still time to join us at events in Washington, DC, and virtually as part of this year's Summer Institute on Education, Equity, and Justice focusing on transformative role of the arts in advancing equity and challenging racism in PreK-12 classrooms. Register now for the Early Bird discount!
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