NATCHITOCHES – Two recent graduates of Northwestern State University’s doctoral program in Adult Learning and Development were recognized with research Awards from the Louisiana Education Research Association (LERA).
Dr. Karolyn Harrell (Northshore Technical Community College) received the Rayma Harchar Outstanding Research Paper Award. Her paper will be published in “Research Issues in Contemporary Research” (RICE) and she is invited to present the paper at the next year’s annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), in Denver, Colorado. Dr. Laura Norman, professor of Adult Learning and Development, was her research chair.
Dr. Julie Yavarian (University of Louisiana-Lafayette) received the LERA Outstanding Graduate Student Research Paper. The selection is based on the quality of the written paper and a set of criteria given to the reviewers for all submissions to be judged. Dr. Jonathan Elmore, assistant professor of Adult Learning and Development at NSU, was her research chair.
LERA is comprised of college and university faculty, early childhood, elementary, middle and secondary teachers, school leaders and educational stakeholders that support and advocate for high quality scholarship and research in education. LERA is an active state affiliate of the American Educational Research Association (national) and the Mid-South Educational Research Association (regional).
Dr. Keicia Hawkins, coordinator of NSU’s Education Leadership Program, is president of LERA’s executive board. Norman serves on the board as Higher Education Representative.
Harrell and Yavarian completed their Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degrees through NSU’s School of Education in December 2023. The Doctor of Education in Adult Learning and Development focuses on developing community college leaders and preparing practitioners to work with adult learners and workforce development. Graduates are qualified to assume advanced leadership roles in community college leadership, workforce development, post-secondary education, adult learning and development and scholarship. Information on the program is available at www.nsu.la/DoctorofEd.
Dr. Julie Yavarian, center, won the LERA Outstanding Graduate Research Awards. Dr. Jonathan Elmore, assistant professor of Adult Learning and Development at NSU, was her research chair. Dr. Keicia Hawkins, right, president of LERA’s executive board and NSU faculty, presented the awards.
