Recent Alumni Wins Prestigious Award Outstanding Dissertation Award Bestowed on EdD Graduate
Dr. Cheyenne Batista EdD '22聽was awarded the prestigious Outstanding Dissertation award by the American Educational Research Association (AERA) at their . She is the first person to win the award from 小蓝视频, and only the third award winner completing her Doctorate of Education as opposed to a Doctorate of Philosophy.
The founder of theglobal education聽consulting business聽聽and an adjunct professorial lecturer in the School of Education (SOE), her dissertation was titled聽鈥I Am Not Scary. I Am Strong. There鈥檚 a Difference.鈥 Disrupting Misogynoir and Transforming Interpersonal Conflict for Black Women Education Leaders: A Multiple Case Study.聽The award was bestowed by the Administration, Organization, and Leadership division of AERA to recognize her outstanding dissertation research appropriate to her field, which includes the leadership, organization, and administration of schools, and the preparation of educational leaders.
When interviewed about the award, Batista said, "It's motivating to see this work elevated and recognized and honored in this way. This award is special because it reflects聽the value of merging topics that were of real importance to me as a scholar practitioner, from identifying a topic of relevance to the field, to identifying a topic that felt pertinent and meaningful to my professional expertise.听And it's motivating to see work that is focused on supporting Black women鈥攑articularly Black women leaders in education."
About the work itself, Batista said, "My main focus was on doing something excellent for the participants through my intervention.听I wanted to support them,聽support their growth, support the education field and organizations by learning from their stories. Nearly every time I聽either presented this work,聽or recreated my intervention and delivered it as professional development, there is incredible resonance鈥攄eep,聽striking resonance鈥攁mong participants, namely Black women leaders, but also leaders of all identities聽who recognize the challenging interpersonal dynamics that can exist within the workplace."
SOE Senior Professorial Lecturer Dr. Amaarah DeCuir, chaired Batista鈥檚 dissertation committee, and commented, "Simply amazing!聽It is an incredible honor to earn an Outstanding Dissertation Award, particularly when it comes from the premier education organization in one鈥檚 field. When we came to know that she won the Outstanding Dissertation Award from AERA Division A, the division that serves to organize education leadership researchers in the largest education association in the US, it meant that the quality and impact of her research contributes to the construction of new knowledges in education research."
"This is a significant achievement that describes both the quality of her research and its impact on the field of education leadership research," DeCuir continued. "I am at a loss for words beyond 鈥榮imply amazing鈥 to describe how we should recognize that Cheyenne鈥檚 single dissertation earned both a聽Dissertation in Practice of the Year award from CPED and this award from AERA.听This is a significant achievement that represents the ultimate goal of education research鈥攖o meaningfully impact practice and contribute new knowledges to the field."
Executive Director of EdD Program and Senior Professorial Lecturer Dr. Samantha Cohen said, 鈥淒r. Batista鈥檚 approach to scholarly practice are examples to learn from.听She embodied practice and collective action through her convening of Black women education leaders, while building their knowledge and practice of navigating interpersonal conflict while managing interracial teams.听Her approach centered her own positionality as a Black female education leader, while drawing upon scholarship of misogynoir, sister circles, and intersectionality. Her cutting-edge work is a deep contribution to the field, spanning scholarship and practice and pushing on what dissertations of practice can look like, when they center antiracism.鈥
鈥淒r. Batista and Dr. DeCuir鈥檚 collaboration and partnership highlight the collaborative work that scholar practitioners and chairs engage in to create bridges between scholarship and practice,鈥 said Cohen. 鈥淎nd Dr. Batista and her committee鈥檚 recognition are significant, for our new EdD program, where we are building a pathway for antiracist scholarship and practice to co-exist and for the emergence of a new vision for the dissertation of practice.鈥
Batista, "celebrates this win with everyone who contributed to my journey in some way.听I always start by thanking my Creator, my ancestors鈥擨 undeniably stand聽on their shoulders with pride and with a sense of responsibility. I聽thank my family, my closest friends, and particularly folks who were actively involved in the process. What kept me going were long walks with friends to talk about my work. My critical friends group, incredibly supportive faculty at the School of Ed, my own life partner who, though he's not in the field of education, he would just read my drafts and bounce questions off of me. [My critical friends group]聽were my go-to聽during some of the most challenging moments in the in the study where I needed the support of external voices who felt invested in the success of the study, and who could help me make sense of my findings. I will continue to do work building on the dissertation, because of the nature of the topic and its personal relevance to me."
DeCuir聽said, "I hope that our current and future EdD students can learn from Dr. Batista鈥檚 research to ensure that their Dissertations of Practice also serve to advance practice and the field of education leadership broadly."
Batista closed with advice for anyone considering working toward a doctorate, "Be purposeful in choosing聽your focus area, your problem of聽practice. Focus聽on work that matters to the field or that matters to you. In doing so, get聽really clear about what your North Star聽is and why鈥攚hat do you want to do in the long term with this work, be it career wise, or聽how it contributes to already existing knowledge.听And then the rest will fall into place聽as you align to your clarity about what guides you."
Read more about Batista's Carnegie Project on Education Doctorate (CPED) 2022 CPED Dissertation in Practice of the Year award here.听
About the 2023 National AERA Meeting
小蓝视频's School of Education had聽significant representation at聽the in Chicago, Illinois. Educational research is the cornerstone of making informed change in education, and 小蓝视频's SOE was well represetnted with many faculty and alumni聽presenters throughout the four-day conference.听The theme this year was "Consequential Educational Research."
罢丑别听聽is the largest gathering of scholars聽in the field of education research, with typically 13,000 of its 24,000 members in attendance. It is an event to showcase groundbreaking, innovative studies in a diverse array of areas: from early education through higher education, from digital learning to second language literacy. Ideas and data are presented and discussed that will shape tomorrow鈥檚 education practices and policies, and where to connect with leading thinkers from the U.S. and around the world.