Leadership, Technology, & Workforce Development - Valdosta State University

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The Department of Leadership, Technology, & Workforce Development at Valdosta State develops practitioners and researchers who are knowledgeable and skilled in improving school and other learning organizations in our region and beyond.

🎉 Congratulations to DeAndre Johnson! 🎉 (Photo Included)We are excited to celebrate DeAndre Johnson, who has been named ...
08/25/2026

🎉 Congratulations to DeAndre Johnson! 🎉 (Photo Included)

We are excited to celebrate DeAndre Johnson, who has been named Wiregrass Adult Education’s Outstanding Teacher of the Year (OTOY)!

DeAndre is a full-time Adult Education Instructor at Wiregrass Georgia Technical College’s Valdosta Campus and a graduate student in the LTWD M.Ed. Adult and Career Education – Workforce Education program.

The Outstanding Teacher of the Year competition, hosted by the Technical College System of Georgia’s Office of Adult Education, recognizes exceptional instructors who make a meaningful difference in their local adult education programs. DeAndre will now advance to the state-level OTOY competition in Atlanta in March, held alongside the state EAGLE competition.

👏 Congratulations, DeAndre! It is always exciting to see our students doing amazing things in their professions and representing LTWD Adult and Career Education (ACED) so well!

See the News here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1MMpBZPn1Y/?mibextid=wwXIfr

🎉 Congratulations to Heather Lowry! 🎉 (Photo Included)The Department of Leadership, Technology, and Workforce Developmen...
08/18/2026

🎉 Congratulations to Heather Lowry! 🎉 (Photo Included)

The Department of Leadership, Technology, and Workforce Development is proud to recognize Heather Lowry, a current student in our Leadership Doctoral Program, who was recently named the 2026 Alachua County (Florida) Assistant Principal of the Year! 🏆

This award recognizes exemplary assistant principals for their outstanding contributions to their schools and communities, including their leadership and teamwork in improving student performance, promoting safe learning environments, and building strong partnerships with families and community members.
Heather is also making great progress in her doctoral journey. She recently successfully defended her dissertation proposal and is now working toward completing her dissertation. 🎓

Please join us in congratulating Heather on this well-deserved recognition and her continued accomplishments!

Congratulations, Heather! We are proud of you! 👏🎉

🎓 Congratulations to Dr. Jennifer Chestnutt on Successfully Defending Her Dissertation! (Photo Included)The Department o...
08/18/2026

🎓 Congratulations to Dr. Jennifer Chestnutt on Successfully Defending Her Dissertation! (Photo Included)

The Department of Leadership, Technology, and Workforce Development congratulates Dr. Chestnutt, who successfully defended her dissertation on July 22, 2026!

Jennifer’s study, “Exploring First Grade Teachers' Experiences with Structured Literacy Implementation: A Qualitative Study,” explored first-grade teachers’ experiences implementing structured literacy practices following mandated training under the Georgia Literacy Act. Guided by Transformative Learning Theory, Science of Reading research, and the structured literacy framework, the study examined how teachers applied their training in practice, including the challenges and successes they encountered.

👏 Dissertation Committee Members:
Dr. Jamie Workman (Chair and Researcher)
Dr. Barbara Radcliffe (Reader)
Dr. Andrea Carlile (Reader)

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Chestnutt on this outstanding accomplishment! 🎉🎓

🎓 Congratulations to Dr. Brandon Johnson on Successfully Defending His Dissertation! (Photo Included)The Department of L...
08/18/2026

🎓 Congratulations to Dr. Brandon Johnson on Successfully Defending His Dissertation! (Photo Included)

The Department of Leadership, Technology, & Workforce Development congratulates Dr. Brandon Johnson, who successfully defended his dissertation on May 11, 2026!

Dr. Johnson’s qualitative case study, “Beyond the Classroom: Former High School Students' Experiences with a Mathematics Experiential Learning Project and Its Lasting Impact,” examined how experiential learning projects and business partnerships influenced high school mathematics students. Grounded in constructivist learning theory, the study explored students’ experiences, the lasting impact of these projects, and their influence on students’ post-high school endeavors.

👏 Dissertation Committee Members:
Dr. Jamie Workman (Chair)
Dr. April Strevig (Researcher)
Dr. Kristy Litster (Reader)

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Brandon Johnson on this outstanding accomplishment! 🎉🎓

💙 Celebrating Wear Your Letters Day! 💙 (Photo Included)A few of our COEHS faculty members came together for Wear Your Le...
08/18/2026

💙 Celebrating Wear Your Letters Day! 💙 (Photo Included)

A few of our COEHS faculty members came together for Wear Your Letters Day, proudly representing organizations within the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), also known as the Divine Nine.

The NPHC comprises nine historically Black fraternities and sororities with a rich legacy of scholarship, leadership, service, and advocacy. We are proud to recognize our faculty members and the organizations they represent:

💗 Dr. A.C. Johnson — Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
♥ Dr. Nicole Gunn — Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
💙 Dr. Vashalice Kaaba — Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.

Wear Your Letters Day gave our faculty a wonderful opportunity to come together as colleagues, celebrate their respective organizations, and show students another part of who they are beyond the classroom.

We’re proud to celebrate the leadership, service, and community our COEHS and LTWD faculty represent!

08/18/2026

🎓 Congratulations to Dr. Kevin Bleir on Successfully Defending His Dissertation!

The Department of Leadership, Technology, and Workforce Development congratulates Dr. Kevin Bleir, who successfully defended his dissertation on May 22, 2026!

Dr. Bleir’s study titled “Narrative Inquiry Exploring the Experiences of High School Advanced Placement Teachers” explored the teaching journeys of six highly regarded Advanced Placement (AP) teachers from four schools. Using narrative inquiry, the study examined their educational and teaching experiences and revealed diverse paths to successful AP teaching. Common themes included the influence of mentors, adaptation to local school contexts, and a passion for AP subjects that extended beyond exam performance and inspired students.

👏 Dissertation Committee Members:
Dr. Richard Schmertzing (Chair)
Dr. Lorraine Schmertzing (Researcher)
Dr. JT Cox (Reader)

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Kevin Bleir on this outstanding accomplishment! 🎉🎓

🎓 Congratulations to Dr. Demetria Joyce on Successfully Defending Her Dissertation! 🎓The Department of Leadership, Techn...
08/15/2026

🎓 Congratulations to Dr. Demetria Joyce on Successfully Defending Her Dissertation! 🎓

The Department of Leadership, Technology, and Workforce Development is pleased to celebrate Dr. Demetria Joyce, who successfully defended her dissertation on July 29, 2026 (Photos included)

Her dissertation, “An Exploration of the Authenticity and Intersectionality among Black Women Leaders in Higher Education,” explored how Black women leaders at predominantly White institutions experience and enact authentic leadership. Through interviews with five Black women leaders, Dr. Joyce found that authentic leadership involves alignment with personal values, purpose, accountability, and responsibility rather than unrestricted self-expression. Her findings also highlight how race, gender, class, professional status, and institutional norms shape how leadership is practiced and perceived. The study offers important implications for fostering more inclusive leadership development in higher education.

Dissertation Committee:
Dr. Jieun You (Chair)
Dr. Nicole Gunn (Researcher)
Dr. Marsha Simon (Reader)

👏 Please join us in congratulating Dr. Demetria Joyce on this outstanding accomplishment and wishing her continued success!

🎓 Congratulations to Dr. Grayson Craft on Successfully Defending Her Dissertation! 🎉The Department of Leadership, Techno...
08/14/2026

🎓 Congratulations to Dr. Grayson Craft on Successfully Defending Her Dissertation! 🎉

The Department of Leadership, Technology, and Workforce Development (LTWD) is pleased to congratulate Dr. Grayson Craft on successfully defending her dissertation on Thursday, July 16, 2026. (Photo Included)

Dr. Craft’s study, “A Descriptive Qualitative Exploration of Professional Learning Communities and High School Principals: Experiences, Lessons, and Change,” explored high school principals’ experiences implementing Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) in their schools. Her research examined how principals engaged in establishing PLCs and identified practices that may help future high school leaders create productive professional learning communities. Effective PLCs can strengthen teacher collaboration and ultimately contribute to student academic success.

👏 Dissertation Committee:
Dr. Michael J. Bochenko (Chair)
Dr. Marsha Simon (Researcher)
Dr. April Strevig (Reader)
Dr. Felicia Sauls (Reader)

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Grayson Craft on this outstanding achievement and an important milestone in her academic journey!

🎉 Congratulations to Our LTWD Faculty! 🎉We are proud to celebrate three faculty members from the Department of Leadershi...
08/14/2026

🎉 Congratulations to Our LTWD Faculty! 🎉

We are proud to celebrate three faculty members from the Department of Leadership, Technology, and Workforce Development (LTWD) for their outstanding accomplishments and well-deserved recognition!

🌟 Dr. Felicia Sauls – 2026–27 Faculty Fellow

Congratulations to Dr. Felicia Sauls on being selected as a 2026–27 Faculty Fellow! The state of Georgia has recognized the importance of literacy; therefore, this year’s COEHS theme is literacy. Dr. Sauls will help organize and lead literacy activities to support faculty professional development within the college.

🏆 Dr. John Lairsey – COEHS Excellence in Service

Dr. John Lairsey was recognized for his outstanding service across the university, college, department, and community. His contributions include extensive committee service, support for students and graduate programs, community engagement, and strong professional partnerships with GaDOE, RESA, and educational leadership groups.

🏆 Dr. Kathy Nobles – COEHS Excellence in Online Teaching

Dr. Kathy Nobles was recognized for her excellence in online teaching. With a five-year SOI average of 4.77, she has earned exceptional student feedback for her knowledge, kindness, and dedication. She has also redesigned courses to incorporate authentic, job-relevant learning experiences and developed an online orientation and student resource repository.

👏 Congratulations to Dr. Sauls, Dr. John Lairsey, and Dr. Nobles! We are proud of your achievements and the many ways you represent excellence in LTWD and COEHS!

🎉 Congratulations to Dr. Kimberly Holland! 🎉Please join us in congratulating Dr. Kimberly Holland on the successful defe...
07/23/2026

🎉 Congratulations to Dr. Kimberly Holland! 🎉

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Kimberly Holland on the successful defense of her dissertation, "An Analysis of the Effects of Curriculum Design on Student Achievement for At-Risk Biology Students," on July 23, 2026. (Photos included)

Dr. Holland's research explored the effects of two digital curriculum designs, a pre-packaged commercial curriculum and a district-created curriculum, on the achievement of at-risk high school biology students. The district-created curriculum was developed based on Cognitive Load Theory, Schema Theory, and Multimedia Learning Theory. Using Georgia Biology End-of-Course (EOC) assessment data and teacher survey responses, the study employed descriptive statistics, t-tests, two-way ANOVA, Kruskal–Wallis H tests, and content analysis to evaluate curriculum effectiveness.

The findings showed that the district-created curriculum was as effective as the pre-packaged commercial curriculum in supporting student achievement. At-risk student characteristics, including gender, race/ethnicity, and Students with Disabilities (SWD) status, were also found to be significantly associated with student achievement outcomes. In addition, teachers expressed positive perceptions of the district-created curriculum, particularly regarding its support for various learning aspects, instructional design, and visual design. The study concludes with implications for both practice and theory, along with recommendations for future research, including expanding the investigation to other science subjects, examining student perspectives, and exploring teacher perceptions in greater depth.

Dissertation Committee
• Dr. E-Ling Hsiao (Chair & Researcher)
• Dr. Jiyoon Jung (Reader)
• Dr. Matthew Smith (Reader)

Congratulations, Dr. Holland, on this outstanding accomplishment! We wish you continued success in your academic and professional career.

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