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Faculty Scholarship

National College of Education faculty engage in a variety of scholarly activities that brings research and practice together to transform education. The sections below highlight select faculty publications, presentations, and grant-funded projects.

Associate Professor Sadia Warsi has authored the book Beyond Labels: Understanding Refugee Students with Disabilities in Educational Contexts.

Associate Professor Xiaoning Chen and Professor Eun Kyung Ko have published the book Multilingual Learners in STEAM. Two chapters were written by NCE faculty members Vishodana Thamotharan and Xiaoli Wen.

Associate Professor Tracee Farmer published "Notes from the Field: To Create Belonging, First Look Within" with colleague Kathleen Brown in the Fall 2025 edition of The California Reader.

Associate Professor Gloria McDaniel-Hall published "What Happens When We Defund Belonging in Schools? The Silent Casualties Tell the Story" in TheGrio.

Associate Professor Angela Elkordy co-authored the book chapter “Generative AI in Academic Research: A Practical Guide for Scholars” in AI Applications and Pedagogical Innovation (IGI Global, 2026).

Dr. Elkordy also co-authored the book chapter "Co-Creating With AI: Augmenting, Enhancing, and Elevating Instructional Design" in V. Wang (Ed.) Foundations and Frameworks for AI in Education (pp. 107-146)

Jamillah Gilbert, Director of Teacher Preparation, has co-authored the book The AI Survival Guide for Parents. 

Associate Professor Elizabeth Covay Minor, Director of Educational Leadership Studies, co-edited a new book, Opportunities for Learning: A Sociological Perspective, published by the University of Notre Dame Press, June 2025. One of Dr. Minor's co-editors is NLU alumna Barbara Schneider.

The i.e. editorial team announced the publication of the Spring and Fall 2025 issues of i.e.: inquiry in education. Eight NCE faculty members are acknowledged as reviewers of this issue's submissions. Please enjoy the latest volume at: https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/ie/.

Professor Emeritus Carlos M. Azcoitia published "Mentoring Principals as Leaders of Community Schools" in the School Community Journal, 2025, Vol. 35, No. 1. The article appears as a policy brief beginning on Page 281.

Assistant Professor Mary Quest published the article "Engaging Adult Learners: Centering Equity from Research to Practice" in the Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education. 

Below are recent presentations given by NCE faculty.

Associate Professors Jason Stegemoller and Colleen Hamilton presented “Multilingualism in Postsecondary Policy, Planning, and Pedagogy” at the International Conference on Multilingualism and Minority Languages in a Global Context, held in Davos, Switzerland.

Associate Professor Stephen Curda and Jon Oelke, NLU Director of Faculty Engagement and Development, presented “Beyond Artificial Intelligence (AI) Revolution: Transforming Higher Education Through Faculty-Driven AI Integration” at the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) National Conference in St. Louis, MO. 

NCE faculty presented multiple sessions at ISTELive 25: Inspiring Bold Innovation, hosted by the International Society for Technology in Education in San Antonio, TX. Presentations included:

At the Teacher Leader Institute (TLI) in Ann Arbor, MI, Dana Hagerman, Co-Director of the Reading Recovery Center for Literacy, served as a conference coordinator. Tracee Farmer, also Co-Director, participated in the Updates Session and moderated the closing session, “The Heart of the Work: Staying Inspired, Engaged, and Whole.”

Associate Professor Angela Elkordy presented at the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) 2025 Annual Conference in Cleveland, OH. Together with colleagues from the Illinois Resource Center, CS for Success, and BootUp Professional Development, Dr. Elkordy presented “Powering Up: Computer Science for Every Learner and Culturally Responsive Professional Development,” sharing results from the first year of a three-year research project.

Dr. Elkordy was also invited to present a workshop at Beibu Gulf University in Qinzhou, China. Her session, “Enhancing Teaching Outcomes with Artificial Intelligence: Practical Pedagogies and Global Perspectives,” was delivered bilingually in English and Mandarin, with support from colleagues Xiaoning Chen and Xiuwen Wu.

At the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) AI for Educators Conference, an online national event, Dr. Elkordy delivered multiple sessions. These included:

  • The SCALE Framework for Co-Designing with AI (with Michael McVey)
  • Amplifying Your Teaching: AI Tools in Early Childhood Education (with doctoral candidate Kimberlee Hendricks)
  • Language Learning through Computer Science in K–5 Classrooms (with Silvia Rogel),
  • Future Prep: A Practical Guide to Generative AI for Educational Leaders

Professor Eun Kyung Ko delivered an invited talk on equity-based STEM education as part of a professional learning exchange for 47 STEM teachers and administrators from Busan, South Korea. The delegation, hosted at Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development, engaged with U.S. educators on innovative strategies for STEM teaching and learning.

NCE faculty presented their research and chaired sessions at the European Conference on Educational Research (ECER) 2025 in Belgrade, Serbia:

  • Assistant Professor Blanca Gamez-Djokic: “Affective-DisCrit Research-Practice Partnerships: Recognizing Affective-Spatio-Temporal Glitching in RPPs.”
  • Associate Professor Todd Price: “What Counts as Evidence? A Study of US Education Policy as Curriculum” within the symposium “Theoretical Perspectives on Evidence: US and German Educational” (chaired by Dr. Price).

Several NCE faculty presented at the 56th Annual Conference of the Illinois Reading Council (IRC) in Springfield, IL.   

  • "The Impact of Reading and Writing Practices on Students’ Social Justice Stances" Hannah Graham, Associate Professor 
  • "Literature Circles for English Language Learners" Kristin Lems, Professor
  • "Orthographic Mapping in First and Second Language Decoding and Spelling" Kristin Lems, Professor 
  • "Bringing Joy Back to Writing Instruction" Sophie Degener, Associate Professor and Tina Curry, Adjunct Faculty

Associate Professor Vishodana Thamotharan was invited to serve on a panel facilitated by LEAP Innovations at the AI Show @ ASU+GSV held in San Diego, CA.

Dr. Tracee Farmer, Co-Director for the Reading Recovery Center for Literacy, was invited to present the keynote address at the Suzanne W. Cole Reading Recovery and Early Literacy Conference in Lewiston, Maine. 

Associate Professor Eun Ko moderated a multigenerational panel as part of a Healing Illinois community event, where Korean American panelists shared deeply personal stories of identity, belonging, and healing—sparking heartfelt dialogue and reminding us of storytelling’s power to bridge generations.

NCE faculty members presented their innovative educational research at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), held in Denver, CO. Presentations included:

Professor Antonina Lukenchuk presented "Epistemology of Teaching and Learning: Paradigm Journey with My Doctoral Students" at the 9th World Conference on Qualitative Research (WCQR2025) at Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland.

Associate Professors Jason Stegemoller and Colleen Hamilton presented their co-authored paper "Multilingualism in Postsecondary Planning, Policy, and Pedagogy" at the American Association for Applied Linguistics (AAAL) 2025 Conference in Denver, CO.

Associate Professor Lee Tate presented the session titled "Fostering Social Emotional Learning to Promote Academic Achievement: A Case Study in Early Childhood Education,"  at the McCormick Institute's 2025 Leadership Connections National Conference in Schaumburg, IL

Brian Morris, Associate Director of the Office of Field Experience, presented a session entitled "Field Experiences: In Pursuit of Transformative Transactions" at the 2025 Brothers Teaching Statewide Conference at the University of Illinois Chicago.

Director of Teacher Preparation Jamillah Gilbert welcomed attendees and provided introductions at the 3rd Annual NLU Principal Panel, facilitated by Assistant Professor Jimmy Caldwell and Academic Project Coordinator Sarah-Anne Lanman. All current teacher preparation candidates were invited to attend and hear firsthand from school and district leaders about their tips and best practices for new graduates looking to be hired.  

Assistant Professor Blanca Gamez-Djokic presented "Affective Currents in Research-Practice Partnerships: A Critical Race Perspective on Attachment in an RPP" at the 2025 Critical Race Studies in Education Association (CRSEA) Annual National Conference in Detroit, MI.

Assistant Professor Kathy Kotel and Director of Teacher Preparation Jamillah Gilbert presented "Renovating Our Curriculum: From Comfortable to Transformational" at the Deans for Impact (DFI) LbSD May Convening in Houston, TX.

Dr. Xiaoli Wen and Dr. Teri Talan, Early Childhood Education faculty and researchers from McCormick Institute for Early Childhood at NLU, presented at the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) 2025 biennial conference, in Minneapolis, MN, along with researchers from NAEYC, UIC, and Erikson Institute.  

Assistant Professor Vishodana Thamotharan, NCE Director of STEM co-present with Assistant Professor Keisha Rembert, UG Ed Prep, at the LEAP Chicagoland Coalition for Human-Centered AI as featured “Spotlight” Speakers. They shared insights on NCE and UG Ed Prep’s evolving journey with AI and showcased the innovative ways our faculty are integrating AI into their teaching practices.

NCE faculty collaborates with community agencies, organizations, and schools to co-design and implement grant-funded initiatives.

  • STARTALK The National Louis University STARTALK Chinese Teacher Program aims to provide alternative entries for individuals who are interested in obtaining the Illinois Professional Educator’s License (PEL) and teaching Chinese in K-12 settings. The program’s theme is methods and materials of teaching Chinese. Featuring a virtual program with all costs covered by the grant, the program consists of three phases including 60 hours of pre- and post-program activities and 75 hours of summer camp from May 2023 to May 2024. Participants will receive a 3-credit hour graduate level course that counts toward the National College of Education (NCE)’s Master in Teaching (MAT) programs and IL ESL/Bilingual Education endorsement coursework upon completing the program. 

  • CLAVE The primary graduate student initiative is to increase retention and graduation of Latinx graduate students. This work is supported by the Promoting Post baccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans (PPOHA) program, a grant from the Hispanic Serving Institutions Division of the Department of Education.
    Through CLAVE, an acronym for “Comunidades Latinas Académicas con Visión de Éxito,” [Latino Academic Communities with Vision of Success] we aspire to:  
    • increase enrollment of Latinx students in Masters and Doctoral programs,
    • develop and support a network of promising diverse doctoral scholars through the CLAVE Fellowship Program, and
    • increase graduate students professional networks, writing capacity, and financial and professional knowledge base through establishment of CLAVE Graduate Student Institute

  • Math for All Supported by the U.S. Department of Education, the grant helps to implement Math for All resources in pre-service teacher preparation courses and contributes to facilitating grade 3–5 and grade 6–8 Math for All professional learning with 25 Chicago area schools. The grant aims to help improve math outcomes for elementary and middle-level students across the greater Chicagoland area.

  • USDOE Mental Health Professionals The purpose of the school-based mental health grant is to increase the number of mental health providers in the schools to address student needs. This grant has provided support and services to our graduate students and field supervisors to enhance field partnerships and training in mental and behavioral health.

  • Iwamoto North American Foundation for Go This grant funds a comprehensive review of research linking mind sports and cognitive science. A research study is being conducted to investigate how mind sports, specifically the game Go, can enhance the cognitive development of youth.

  • HEROS This grant seeks to strengthen the HEROES literacy intervention for K–4 students with reading-focused Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) by expanding its reach to more than 1,820 additional students, preparing nearly 200 new teachers and coaches, and testing new training and instructional delivery models. Supported by the U.S. Department of Education, the project aims to identify the most effective approaches to refine teaching delivery methods, ultimately improving literacy outcomes and reducing achievement gaps.

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