[VPAAEtal] Updated Schedule of Proposal Defenses & Final Defenses for October 2025

[Academic Affairs]

TO:          All Graduate Faculty and Doctoral Students

FROM:     Dayla Burgin
                  Admissions Supervisor/Doctoral Degree Coordinator

RE:            Schedule of Proposal Defenses & Final Defenses for October 2025

Wednesday, October 1, 2025, 10:00 am, Zoom, Laura Little, Final Defense
Virtual School Principals' and Teachers' Perceptions of Essential Leadership Practices in the Virtual Environment: A Descriptive Qualitative Study
Major Advisor:  Dr. Teresa Farler

Thursday, October 2, 2025, 2:00 pm, Zoom, Brian Lenhart, Final Defense
How Military Leadership Experience Translates Into Successful Higher Education Leadership: A Phenomenological Study
Major Advisor:  Dr. David Tan

Friday, October 3, 2025, 2:00 pm, Zoom, Chen-An Butler, Final Defense
Lived Experience of Non-Traditional Students CDA Courses at a Large Suburban Community College in Texas
Major Advisor:  Dr. David Tan

Monday, October 6, 2025, 2:00 pm, Mesquite ISD, Linda Goodwin, Proposal Defense
Preconceptions of Education by Pre-Service Teachers: Anxiety, Stress, and Self-Efficacy
Major Advisor:  Dr. Sherri Colby
Graduate Council Representative:  TBD

Monday, October 6, 2025, 4:30 pm, Zoom, Brandon Johnson, Proposal Defense
A Quantitative Study on the Effect of Restorative Practices on Discipline Among Black Students in Secondary Schools
Major Advisor:  Dr. Mack Hines
Graduate Council Representative:  Dr. Jessica Udry

Wednesday, October 8, 2025, 9:00 am, Zoom, Kayla Sparks, Final Defense
A Qualitative Study of Educator Perceptions on the Implementation of Restorative Practices
Major Advisor:  Dr. Peter Williams

Wednesday, October 8, 2025, 11:00 am, Zoom, Marie Maxwell, Final Defense
Literacy Teacher Educators' Knowledge About Developmental Dyslexia
Major Advisor:  Dr. Julia Persky

Wednesday, October 8, 2025, 1:00 pm, Zoom, Michael Colvin, Final Defense
Leadership for a Culturally Relevant Classroom: Exploring Practices for Increasing Student Performance Outcomes in the Middle School Classroom
Major Advisor:  Dr. Danny Beaty
Friday, October 10, 2025, 10:00 am, Zoom, Stephen Leverette, Final Defense
Student Perceptions of Dual Credit in Relation to College Preparedness and Success in First-Year College Students
Major Advisor:  Dr. David Tan

Monday, October 13, 2025, 10:00 am, Zoom, Donna Freeling-Blackburn, Final Defense
Identity and Math Achievement in African American Male Secondary School Students in STEM Programs
Major Advisor:  Dr. Mack Hines

Thursday, October 16, 2025, 10:00 am, Zoom, Jayson Douglas, Final Defense
Wah Dem Tek Wi Fah: A Case Study on Second Generation Jamaican Student Activist Challenging Institutions and Shaping Change
Major Advisor:  Dr. Dimitra Smith

Thursday, October 16, 2025, 10:00 am, Zoom, Lindsay Orr, Proposal Defense
Leader Perceptions and Competencies that Lead Gifted Programs Towards Inclusive Practices
Major Advisor:  Dr. Danna Beaty
Graduate Council Representative: TBD

Thursday, October 16, 2025, 12:30 pm, Zoom, Catherine Thurman, Final Defense
Academic Choices Influencing Completion Rates for Developmental Math Students: A Logistic Regression Study
Major Advisor:  Dr. Dimitra Smith

Thursday, October 16, 2025, 2:00 pm, Zoom, Brian Beck-Smith, Final Defense
Using a Spiral Intervention to Lessen the Mathematics Achievement Gap in an AP Precalculus Classroom: A Mixed-Method Study
Major Advisor:  Dr. Melanie Fields

Friday, October 17, 2025, 8:00 am, Zoom, Jennifer Hudson, Final Defense
A Phenomenological Study Exploring Full-Time Non-Tenure Faculty Perceptions of Mattering and Engagement
Major Advisor:  Dr. Leslie Ekpe

Monday, October 20, 2025, 10:00 am, Zoom, Amanda Roberts, Final Defense
Education Investments and Student Success: Analyzing the Relationship Between School Funding and Math Achievement
Major Advisor:  Dr. Karyn Miller

Monday, October 20, 2025, 11:00 am, On campus, Teresa Perez, Proposal Defense
The Workplace Experiences of Neurodivergent Licenses Professional Counselors
Major Advisor:  Dr. Ajitha Kumaran
Graduate Council Representative:  TBD

Monday, October 20, 2025, 11:00 am, Zoom, Allicia Saldana, Final Defense
A Comparison Study of Hispanic Students' College Readiness in Public High Schools and Charter Schools in Texas's Lower Rio Grande Valley
Major Advisor:  Dr. Mack Hines

Thursday, October 23, 2025, 10:00 am, Zoom, Ryan Maycock, Final Defense
The Lived Experiences of Male Foreign Born Faculty in the Council for Accreditation of Counseling Programs and Related Educational Programs
Major Advisor:  Dr. Ajitha Kumaran

**If you are a faculty member or a student and want to attend a defense, please contact the Major Advisor


Dayla Burgin, BS

Admissions Supervisor
Doctoral Degree Coordinator

The Graduate School  |  McDowell Business Administration, Room 142

P: 903.886.5167



Mail: P.O. Box 3011, Commerce, TX 75429

Ship: 2600 S Neal Street, Commerce, TX 75428

Students please include your CWID in every email

Apply Texas: ApplyTexas - Applicant Home Page<https://www.applytexas.org/>
Doctoral application
packet:  http://www.tamuc.edu/academics/graduateSchool/documents/doc_packet.pdf



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