SOEL Student and Alumni Accomplishments

Students and alumni of Shenandoah University’s School of Education and Leadership are sharing and being recognized for their scholarship and expertise. 

Richard J. Reeves

Doctor of Professional Studies: Organizational Leadership program student Richard J. Reeves recently participated in the keynote panel presentation, “IR & E-volving: From Aspiration to Practice,” for the North East Association of Institutional Researchers with Kelli Armstrong, president, Salve Regina University; Ann Marie Senior, associate vice president, Thomas Edison State University; and Henry Zheng, associate vice president, Ohio State University. Reeves also recently accepted a position at the University of Delaware as associate vice president of institutional research and effectiveness.  

Additionally, Reeves was elected to the American Public & Land-grant Universities (APLU) Commission on Information, Measurement & Analysis (CIMA).  His term began in November 2019 and lasts three years. And, he co-authored and published a blog with the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), “Explore Transfer Student Data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).” 

Manuel Gomez Portillo

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership student Manuel Gomez Portillo presented at  the WIDA National Conference in Rhode Island in October. “The presentation was about the importance of after-school programs to support English learners. The presentation also highlighted the importance of schools working with community partnerships to enhance their school programs. A final component of the presentation was the importance of working with parents to enhance the education of their English Learners,” Portillo said.

He was also awarded $3,000 by the Fairfax Foundation to establish after-school programs at two Title I schools for English learners. “The program strives to meet the social and emotional, academic, social and career goals of each student,” he said. “Additionally, the after-school club brings guest speakers, has students participate in community service, and enhances the development of positive relationships between students and school administrators. A highlight of the club is an annual trip to a university, so that students can ‘feel’ the experience of visiting a university.”

James D. Stump ’19

James D. Stump ’19, Ed.D., had an article, “Community Builders and Campus Bureaucrats: Student Leadership on College Campuses” published in the December 2019 issue of the Journal on Research on College Presidents. 

Kimberly Jackson

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership student Kimberly Jackson presented her quantitative pilot study at the Virginia Education Research Association (VERA) conference in September 2019. She also applied for and won the Association of Teacher Educators’ Robert Stevenson Teacher Leadership Scholarship.

Stephanie Bernard, MMSc, PA-C, RD

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership student and Assistant Professor and Associate Director of Shenandoah’s Division of Physician Assistant Studies Stephanie Bernard, MMSc, PA-C, RD, presented original research, “Virtual Reality: Impact on PA Student Self-Efficacy” at the Physician Assistant Education Association national meeting in Washington, D.C.