Category: Education Policy

SMU Simmons welcomes Michael Harris as dean ad interim

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Longtime Simmons professor Michael Harris will lead the Simmons School of Education and Human Development into its next chapter following the departure of Dean Stephanie Knight.

Harris will officially take his place in the Simmons Dean’s Office June1, 2025 as Knight concludes her deanship on May 31. Harris was named dean ad interim on May 14  by outgoing SMU Provost Elizabeth Loboa. “I’m honored by the opportunity to serve as the interim dean of the Simmons School,” Harris said. “I look forward to supporting our outstanding faculty, staff, and students at this critical moment, as we work together to expand the reach and impact of SMU Simmons.”

Harris joined Simmons in 2012 as a professor of higher education in the Department of Education Policy and Leadership where he also served as Chair from 2020-2024. His primary research interests consider the culture, strategy, and behavior of higher education institutions. He has taught graduate courses in organization and governance, academic leadership, organizational theory, and the history of American higher education. Currently, he is working on a book on higher education leadership under contract with Harvard Education Press.

Harris was a 2024-2025 fellow of the American Council on Education where he studied leadership and strategy at the University of Utah. At SMU, he has held other leadership roles including Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence. He is also a past president of the SMU Faculty Senate and served as Faculty Trustee during the 2023-2024 academic year.

His work has been published in leading higher education journals such as The Journal of Higher Education, Research in Higher Education, Higher Education, Innovative Higher Education, and Higher Education Policy. He has published four books, Teaching for Learning: 101 Intentionally-Designed Educational Activities to Put Students on the Path to Success 2nd Edition (Routledge, 2021) with co-authors Claire H. Major and Todd Zakrajsek, The Qualitative Dissertation in Education: A Guide for Integrating Research and Practice (Routledge, 2019) with coauthor Karri Holley, How to Get Tenure: Strategies for Successfully Navigating the Process (Routledge, 2019), and Understanding Institutional Diversity in American Higher Education (Jossey-Bass, 2013).

Harris is frequently called on by media for his expertise in following and understanding higher education, and has been quoted by The Associated Press, The Atlantic, The Boston Globe, The Houston Chronicle, The Dallas Morning News, Texas Tribune, Texas Capital Tonight, Propublica, Marketwatch, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and InsideHigherEd, among others.

He holds a B.A. from the University of North Carolina in American History, a M.Ed. and Ed.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in higher education administration. In 2004, he received the AERA Division J Dissertation of the Year award.

Harris will oversee the five departments, various centers, institutes, and programs that make up the Simmons School of Education and Human Development until a permanent dean is hired. Simmons is ranked in the top 50 graduate schools nationwide according to the U.S. News and World Report rankings and is in the top 11 private schools in the nation and the top 3 public and private education graduate schools in Texas.

Simmons 2025 Outstanding Alumni Honored at Awards Ceremony

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Left to right: Julie Sorrels, Sarah Guthery, Cynthia Barajas, Blanca Oliver.
Left to right: Julie Sorrels, Sarah Guthery, Cynthia Barajas, Blanca Oliver.

Seven distinguished alumni were honored during the annual Simmons Outstanding Alumni and Student Awards Ceremony on May 15. Simmons School of Education and Human Development is proud to celebrate and acknowledge the past and current accomplishments of the honorees who serve to better their communities both locally and across the country. Dean Stephanie Knight and Simmons Department Chairs presented the awards.

Canyon Kyle is a distinguished Sport Performance Leadership graduate from the Department of Applied Physiology and Sport Management. He graduated Cum Laude from SMU with a BS SPL and a minor in Sport Management in 2021 and advanced his academic and professional journey by earning a master’s degree in Sport Management from Columbia University.

He now serves as Assistant Baseball Coach and Associate Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Physical Education at Columbia, where he leads athletic recruitment, manages prospective athlete development, and teaches senior-level undergraduate courses. Canyon’s unwavering commitment to student-athlete growth and leadership through sport directly reflects the values he cultivated at SMU.

Julie Sorrels graduated with a Master of Science in Counseling from SMU in August of 2020. She currently serves as the Mental Healthcare Clinical Manager at Resource Center in Dallas where she provides counseling services to the LGBTQIA+ community. She is  fully licensed both as a Professional Counselor and  Marriage and Family Therapist and is certified by the American Board of Sexology as a Clinical Sexologist.

At Resource Center Dallas, she serves as an internship site supervisor and mentor for current SMU students and is also a member of the SMU Counseling Department Advisory Board. Her service and community impact are the reason she is the recipient of the 2025 Department of Counseling Alumnus of the Year award.

Dr. Greses Perez had an established career as a civil and environmental engineer in her native Puerto Rico before graduating from  the SMU Accelerated School Leadership Master’s Program in 2014.  Greses met the challenge of producing a 30 plus page capstone project, working diligently with supportive faculty to improve her academic writing. She did this while teaching science to elementary school bilingual students.

Greses went on to Stanford where she would graduate in 2021 with a PhD in Engineering and Science Education and Learning Sciences. She is now the McDonnel Family Assistant Professor in Engineering Education at Tufts University. The Education Policy & Leadership Department is proud to have Greses as its 2025 Alumni of the Year.

Blanca Oliver, a migrant from Mexico, developed persistence and a can-do attitude in her childhood that carried her forward into a career as a successful paralegal.

Blanca received a Master’s in Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management in the Department of Human Centered Interdisciplinary Studies in 2021, where she excelled in the experiential learning environment. After graduation, Blanca entered her first political race and won. She is now a Justice of the Peace in Denton County. Blanca believes her time at SMU helped shape her as an effective communicator and leader which benefits her greatly in her position today.

Dr. Sarah Guthery, a PhD in Education, Class of 2017, is an Associate Professor of Educational Administration, Curriculum and Supervision at the University of Oklahoma. A former teacher and school leader, she uses econometric methods to study teacher and leadership pipelines. She has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and has received grant funding in excess of $200,000.

According to her PhD advisors, what most distinguishes Sarah is her inventive teaching and her dedication to mentoring emerging scholars. For example, she uses a statistics escape room and gamification of statistics to help students unlock their passion for research.

Dr. Dawn Woods received her PhD in Education in 2018 from SMU and is now an assistant professor in the School of Education and Human Services at Oakland University. She recently received a five-year, $781,196 CAREER award from the National Science Foundation in support of her research, entitled Sparking Number Talks to Strengthen Mathematical Identities.

Dr. Woods’ research focuses on cultivating and strengthening productive mathematical identities so that students will believe the effort in learning mathematics pays off. Her project has the potential to improve kindergarten to third grade mathematics education for students from persistently marginalized groups. Her research has been published in a variety of prestigious math education and STEM education journals.

Cynthia Barajas,  B.A. in Psychology Class of 2012, is the recipient of this year’s Outstanding Alumni Award from the Teaching and Learning Department. The award recognizes her leadership and impact through SMU’s Alternative Teacher Preparation Program in partnership with Teach for America (TFA). She currently serves as Senior Managing Director of Partnerships for TFA Dallas-Fort Worth.

She has overseen the certification and onboarding of hundreds of TFA corps members, improved certification rates for underrepresented groups, and strengthened district partnerships. Her leadership has helped expand SMU’s partnership with Teach for America across Texas, supporting thousands of aspiring teachers and addressing the state’s teacher shortage.

Simmons 2025 Outstanding Student Awards

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Exceptional scholar leaders were celebrated at the annual Simmons Outstanding Alumni and Student Awards Ceremony on May 15.

The exemplary students were honored at a reception and dinner in Annette Caldwell Simmons Hall. They were each presented with their awards by Dean Stephanie Knight and their Department Chairs.

Ellie LewisEllie Lewis received a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Physiology and Health Management from Applied Physiology and Sport Management. She is described by faculty as a driven scholar, dedicated SMU rowing athlete, and natural leader. As president of the Applied Physiology Club and a multi-semester Anatomy Teaching Assistant, she became a trusted mentor to her peers. Ellie has also completed prestigious internships at Children’s Health and UT Southwestern Medical School demonstrating her strong commitment to academic excellence and professional growth.

Sonja Mugnier is the Counseling Department’s outstanding student. Sonja is currently pursuing her Master of Science in Counseling with concentration in children and adolescents. She is the President of the SMU Department of Counseling Play Therapy Association, Co-Chair of the Mentorship Committee and Secretary for Chi Sigma Iota, Sigma Mu, and is also active in the state and national professional counseling organizations. Her internship involved providing counseling and play therapy services at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County. Upon graduation she plans to pursue the Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Play Therapist credentials, and her long-term career goals are to pursue a doctorate in counselor education.

​Tim LinleyTim Linley received his Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership. His professors in Education Policy & Leadership describe him as an outstanding scholar and educational leader. They say his intellectual curiosity and thoughtful insights set him apart and make him an exceptional student. Beyond the classroom, Tim took a bold step in founding a company, Cadenza Strategy Group, to provide strategic data management services tailored specifically to fine arts educators. He hopes that with what he has learned at SMU and through his company he will make a strong impact, both locally and at state-wide levels.

Isaac PearsonIsaac Pearson, a member of the SMU Mustangs football team, received his Master of Liberal Studies with a concentration in Organizational Dynamics in the Department of Human Centered Interdisciplinary Studies. A talented athlete, Isaac came to SMU Football from Australia. His faculty advisors say he brings a human-centered perspective to even the most difficult class discussions on complex societal issues. They describe him as a model student-athlete with a thoughtful and balanced countenance. Isaac received his coaching certificate and has been nominated to the Association of Graduate Liberal Studies Programs National Honor Society.

Maricela LeónMaricela León  was named the outstanding student in the  Simmons Ph.D. program and graduates with a Doctor of Philosophy. Her faculty advisors say her research speaks for itself in that she already has five publications, including one first-authored journal article and four co-authored pieces. Aside from that impressive publication record, she authored three dissertation papers she just defended. Maricela is described as an amazing researcher, collaborator, a talented and hardworking educator, a role model to her peers, and a rising star in bilingual education. She will join the University of Texas at Arlington in the Fall as an Assistant Professor of Bilingual STEM Education.

Hannah GalbreathHannah Galbreath was named the Outstanding Student of the Year in the Department of Teaching & Learning. Faculty advisors say Hannah consistently demonstrated leadership, intellectual curiosity, and a commitment to excellence by submitting high-quality work ahead of deadlines, always engaging, and posing  thought-provoking questions in class. Hannah’s dedication to implementing research-based science teaching practices and her thoughtful approach to understanding teacher education pathways have made a significant impact on her peers and instructors alike. Hannah now prepares to begin her Ph.D. at SMU and hopes to continue to make meaningful contributions to the field of science education.

 

Celebrating the SMU-Simmons partnership, students and faculty gather for the Simmons Outstanding Alumni and Student Awards ceremony. Left to right: Isaac Pearson, Maricela León, Sonja Mugnier, Hannah Galbreath, Tim Linley.
Left to right: Isaac Pearson, Maricela León, Sonja Mugnier, Hannah Galbreath, Tim Linley.

Simmons alumni shine as leaders in education around the country

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Simmons School of Education and Human Development has produced outstanding leaders who are making a mark in the field of education.  The following are just a few of the individuals who have taken what they learned in Simmons graduate programs to go on to lead and shape the schools and learners where they serve.

Dr. Susana CordovaDr. Susana Cordova received her EdD in Educational Leadership last May 2024. She now serves as Commissioner of Education for the State of Colorado. In that role, she is the chief state school officer and executive officer of the Colorado Department of Education.

 

Dr. Greses PérezDr. Greses Pérez received her MEd from Simmons in 2014 in Educational Leadership and Administration. Today she is the McDonnell Family Assistant Professor in Engineering Education Research in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Tufts University and holds secondary appointments in Mechanical Engineering and Education.

 

Dr. Janine Fields

Dr. Janine Fields, a 2022 EdD graduate, serves as the Deputy Superintendent of Mesquite Independent School District where she oversees a number of high-level areas including:  Accreditation, Accountability, Research and Evaluation, and the District Improvement Plan.

 

Dr. Stephanie JimenezDr. Stephanie Jimenez is Principal of Newman Smith High School, a large public school in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD. Stephanie received her EdD from Simmons in 2018 and has said that “going through the program changed her life.” She strongly believes in the program which has led her to hire Simmons graduates to serve in leadership at the school.  She also comes back to speak to classes.

SMU’s Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development Breaks into Top 50 of Best Graduate Schools in the United States

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Harold Clark Simmons Hall, Southern Methodist University

DALLAS (SMU)  ̶  In six short years the SMU Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development has risen to the rank of 49 in the U.S. News & World Report national rankings. The annual report which ranks 272 participating public and private graduate schools of education around the country was released online on April 25.

The latest ranking represents a significant leap from 105 in 2019 and from 54 in last year’s report. It moves Simmons one spot higher among the top private graduate schools in the U.S. to number 11, up from 12 in the previous year’s report.

In the state, Simmons maintains the number one spot among private universities and is third among all colleges in Texas. Only University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M at College Station, both public universities, have a ranking higher than Simmons.

The school’s rankings have steadily climbed under the leadership of Leon Simmons Endowed Dean Stephanie L. Knight who joined SMU in 2017. She says dedicated research faculty members are significant factors in the school’s continued advancement. “External funding per faculty member is $369,200 which is up from the last report. In fact, funding has risen since 2019 when $143,700 per faculty member was reported. That means our researchers are doing meaningful work to improve education which is perhaps more important now than ever before in our country and world.”

To rank schools of education, U.S. News & World Report considers many factors including research activity, academic quality, faculty resources, student selectivity, doctoral degrees granted, as well as peer assessment scores.

Knight says Simmons will continue to strive for excellence. “We are thrilled to have jumped so significantly in this national ranking. We now continue to assess what we can do to improve learning through our research and will work diligently to further advance and build the reputation of SMU’s Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development.”

Dominique Baker is Honored with a National Award for Excellence in Education Research for Work that Pays it Forward

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Dominique Baker, Associate Professor of Education Policy in the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development, has received the American Educational Research Association’s (AERA) Early Career Award for 2023. The honor was presented at an awards ceremony at the AERA National conference in Chicago on April 15, 2023.

The award honors an individual in the early stages of their career no later than 10 years after receipt of the doctoral degree, for outstanding study in the field of educational inquiry.

Baker’s research focuses on the way that education policy affects and shapes the access and success of underrepresented minoritized students in higher education. She primarily investigates student financial aid, affirmative action, and policies that influence the ability to create an inclusive and equitable campus climate. She believes education policy can transform lives, but only if thoughtfully constructed based on evidence that includes the experiences of those directly impacted.

Baker says she is honored to receive the award. “Working within community to imagine a better world, and to find the evidence for the best pathways to improve our society is one of the privileges of my life.” She went on to say, “I will never have enough words to say how grateful I am so I will keep trying to show it by paying forward the support I’ve received.”

Simmons Dean, Stephanie Knight, says, “We are extremely proud of Dominique for her work that makes a meaningful difference in the lives of students and educators. This national award is very well-deserved.”

Baker joined SMU (Southern Methodist University) in 2016. Her research has been published in a variety of journals, including the American Educational Research Journal, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Journal of Higher Education, Journal of College Student Development, and Teachers College Record. Her work and expertise have also been highlighted by The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Public Radio, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and Inside Higher Ed, amongst others.

Associate Prof. Walkington and Ph.D. Student Pruitt-Britton Write Ed Week Commentary Debunking Alleged Indoctrination in Math Textbooks

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Simmons Associate Professor Candace Walkington teaches a class in Harold Clark Simmons Hall on the SMU Campus.

Education Week published a commentary by Candace Walkington, Simmons associate professor of mathematics education and learning sciences, and co-author, Ph.D. student, Tiffini Pruitt-Britton, who show that math textbooks are not about indoctrination, but fall short in promoting diversity and inclusion.

Their commentary comes at a time when political accusations inflame education discussions at the local and national levels. Some politicians are declaring what books schools should carry and what subjects should not be taught, such as critical race theory.

“We found no references to race or social justice let alone critical race theory, a framework for understanding how racism has been persistently embedded in policy. But our analysis did show a lack of substantial attention to differences linked to race, culture, gender norms, and sexual orientation in math-story content, they say. Read their commentary here.

Tiffini Pruitt-Britton, Simmons Ph.D. student, and co-author of Education Week commentary.

NPR’s Planet Money Podcast Interviews Associate Prof. Dominique Baker About her Research on Black Students’ Loan Debt

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The Indicator, NPR’s Planet Money podcast, delves into the issue that Black students are more likely to default on student loans than white students. To examine this, reporters count on the expertise of SMU’s Associate Professor Dominique Baker, who teaches in the Simmons School’s Department of Education Policy and Leadership.

As they report, “We explore why Black borrowers are three times more likely to default on their student loans than white borrowers. From the intergenerational wealth gap to discrimination in the labor market to the type of majors and colleges they choose, find out how Black students are often disadvantaged even before college starts.”

Baker has been examining Black student loan debt and the for-profit schools that market heavily to people of color, who may later default because of the cost and lack of scholarships.  Baker believes the government should conduct fuller investigations of the for-profit school practices that often lead to students defaulting.

Simmons Associate Professor Dominique Baker, Department of Education Policy and Leadership

Listen to the podcast here.

 

 

 

NSF Noyce Track 4 Grant Award to Jeanna Wieselmann Makes Examination of Integrated STEM Instruction Possible

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Assistant Professor Jeanna Weiselmann, Ph.D., Department of Teaching and Learning

Assistant Professor Jeanna Wieselmann, Ph.D., heads up a collaborative research team investigating how elementary teachers integrate their instruction of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).  The project, Research on Integrated STEM Self-Efficacy (RISE), will examine the STEM integration of 700 elementary teachers who experienced ten different teacher preparation programs across the U.S.

According to Wieselmann, quality integrated STEM instruction requires teachers to attend to the unique aspects of each discipline while also bringing them together in authentic learning opportunities for students, and this can be challenging. The aim is to support the national need to develop and retain highly effective elementary school teachers.

“Elementary teachers are often expected to teach integrated STEM, but teacher preparation programs have been slow to incorporate experiences that prepare teachers for this type of instruction, instead of focusing on mathematics and science as completely separate disciplines. ” she says. “Our project will explore how we can better support early-career elementary teachers to build their confidence and effectiveness in teaching integrated STEM lessons, with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of instruction students experience.”

Wieselmann, a faculty member in Simmons’ Department of Teaching and Learning, is the principal investigator of the project’s National Science Foundation Noyce Track 4 research grant (DUE-2151045) totaling $1.3 million. Additional principal investigators include Deepika Menon, Ph.D. (University of Nebraska, Lincoln), Sarah Haines, Ph.D. (Towson University), and Sumreen Asim. Ph.D. (Indiana University Southeast).

 

 

 

Carrolton Leader Profiles Doctoral Student Josue Romero

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Josue Romero, a doctoral student in Education Leadership, is featured in a Q&A profile by the Carrolton Leader.  He also serves as principal at McLaughlin Strickland Elementary School in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District.

Romero is a first-generation college graduate. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of North Texas and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Policy from The University of Texas Arlington.

Read his profile here.