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Washington State University
College of Education

Education, Academic

Scholarships and Financial Aid

money

Your education is worth the cost. But it’s still a cost. We can help!

APPLY ONLINE FOR SCHOLARSHIPS THROUGH WSU STUDENT FINANCIAL SERVICES

Undergraduate and graduate students can complete the WSU General Scholarship Application beginning in September each year to be automatically considered for over 80 donor-supported scholarships in the College of Education, including department, school, and academic program scholarships, plus over 700 additional scholarships at the University level. Applicants will be considered for all College of Education scholarships for which they are eligible. If you are interested in applying for a scholarship, please visit the WSU General Scholarship Application portal and get started today!

For more information about FAFSA/WAFSA and other general university financial aid questions, please visit WSU Student Financial Services to find answers to your questions about financial aid.

The deadline for the WSU General Scholarship Application is January 31, 2024 for the 2024-2025 academic year. 

Additional Opportunities for Aid

There are a few scholarships that DO require an additional scholarship application separate from the WSU Scholarship Application. Applying for the WSU Scholarship application is not a requirement for applying for the following awards, but it helps. PLEASE NOTE: there are some applications that close before the other scholarship deadlines.

  • Betty Lovett Donellan & Bob Donellan Scholarship for Opportunity
    • Scholarship criteria: “A Native American student with a passion for education and teaching. Preference is given to one to who lives or lived on a reservation, who intends to pursue a degree in education, and desires to return to the reservation as an educator, to empower more Native Americans to pursue higher education.”
    • Amount available: $2000
    • Application opens August 1, closes January 31st
  • Laurence J. Peter Memorial Graduate Fellowship in Teaching Education
    • Scholarship criteria: “Awarded annually to one or more graduate students in education whose main professional focus will be the direct improvement of the performance of the teaching act. This fellowship will not be awarded to those students pursuing a career in counseling, administration or other specialties that may improve teaching indirectly. The recipient can use the award for such things as tuition and fees, subsistence, research expenses, and other educationally related costs.”
    • Amount available: varies
    • Application opens September 11, closes September 29 at 5pm PST.
  • The Dr. Vitt & Mary Ferrucci Math, Science, & Technology Educator Award
    • Scholarship criteria: Awarded to one applicant who aims to  revitalize and update teachers’ math and science teaching methods and to help teachers adapt their methods to interest children in STEM fields. One outstanding science, mathematics, or technology teacher is selected each year. The application process is open to all K-12 educators in the state of Washington, including current WSU graduate students who intend to continue teaching in K-12 schools. Recipients are not required to be alumni of WSU.
    • Amount available: varies
    • Application opens August 1, closes January 31st
  • Robert S. Pharr Graduate Fellowship in Education in Honor of Toshio Akamine
    • Scholarship criteria: Award one or more $10,000 fellowship(s) to students based on the following criteria: Preference will be given to those students pursuing a PhD in Math/Science Education or EdD in Educational Leadership. If there are no qualified applicants in those programs, students pursuing an MIT in Secondary Education may be considered. 
    • Amount available: $10,000
    • Application opens August 1, closes January 31st
  • The Arnold & Marta Kegel Graduate Fellowship in Education
    • Scholarship criteria: One or more awards available to master’s in teaching students on any WSU Campus who meet the following criteria: full-time graduate student who has at least one full year of academic work left to complete; minimum GPA of 3.0; preference given to students pursuing math & science education with the intent to return to teaching; and evidence of community service, citizenship, and leadership.
    • Amount Available: $2500
    • Application opens September 11, closes September 29, 2023 at 5pm PST.

 

Important Links
More Financial Aid Resources
Click Here if you would like to support College of Education scholarships!

Scholarship Application Tips

Complete the FAFSA, preferably ahead of the priority deadline. Many of our scholarships take financial need into account. To assess an applicant’s need, the College of Education Scholarship Committee relies partly on the EFC (expected family contribution) score from their FAFSA application. The earlier you complete the application, the more financial aid opportunities will be available to you.

Take your time and answer every question. You can complete the scholarship application over multiple sessions prior to submission, so there is no need to rush. Give special attention to the essay questions – thoughtful responses to these questions can be very influential when the Scholarship Committee is making their decisions.

Please indicate your top two choices for intended major or area of study. This is where the College of Education will pull our list of applications for consideration for College awards. For example: if you are a secondary education major in math education, you will choose math as one option and education as another.

Graduate students: Please be sure to complete the question regarding research and creative projects. Be as comprehensive as possible in your response.

If you have questions specific to College of Education scholarships, please contact Joni Ford at 509-335-7843 or wsucoe.dev@wsu.edu.

C. Brandon Chapman

Chapman_photo

Brandon Chapman

Director of Marketing and Communications
College of Education
Pullman campus
Cleveland hall 153
pullman, WA  99164

509-335-6850
b.chapman@wsu.edu

Brandon Chapman joined the College of Education in August, 2013. He helps share the great things accomplished at the College of Education. Perhaps it’s leading research. Perhaps it’s scholarly publications. Maybe it’s a great story about a faculty, staff member, or student. Whatever the case, it’s Brandon’s job to get the word out there, to both internal and external sources. He oversees the college’s website, media efforts, news releases, podcast, video podcast, social media, photography, and videography.

His committees at WSU include the MLK Committee, the Corporate Engagement Council, and the System Strategic Planners Council.

Brandon has 20+ years experience in marketing and communications, including with the Department of Early Learning, various local radio stations and TV stations, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and Sports Illustrated. He most recently headed PR and media relations efforts for Longview Fibre Paper and Packaging.

He spent two seasons (2006 and 2007) as a professional baseball play-by-play broadcaster.

Brandon received his master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Syracuse University’s prestigious S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.

Before that, he earned his B.A. from WSU’s Edward R. Murrow School of Communication (he double majored in Spanish). He was a sports editor at The Daily Evergreen, and took an active role with both Cable 8 and KUGR. He was a WSU Community College President’s Award recipient. He won the Murrow Award in 2004, as well as winning the first ever Keith Jackson Award for excellence in sports broadcasting for a student.

In the spirit of giving back, at WSU Brandon began teaching a sports play-by-play course for Murrow College in Spring 2019. He’s also taught Audio Storytelling and Introducting to Broadcast Equipment (COMJOUR 150). . Currently, he is the KUGR (student radio) faculty advisor. Additionally, he is the KUGR Sports professional advisor. Within the community, he served on the Pullman City Council between 2018-2021 and is an active Kiwanis member.

He received his associate’s degree in Radio/TV from Centralia College.

Brandon and his wife of 23+ years, Sarah, have four sons: Sterling (19); Hyrum (17); Jonah (14); James (12).

Susan Skavdahl

Suzie Skavdahl

Susie Skavdahl

Assistant Professor (Career Track)
Special Education
Pullman campus
Cleveland hall 343
pullman, WA  99164-2132
509-595-8445
susan.skavdahl@wsu.edu

http://www.technologyed.weebly.com

Curriculum Vitae

What do students learn?

Susie teaches educational technology courses for the WSU College of Education. This course uses a hands on, project based approach to learn a variety of technology tools. Some of the major projects include, creating  a green screen video, learning how to use simple block coding to instruct a robot, creating a maker space and designing an e-portfolio webpage.

Educational background

  • Master in Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Idaho, 2010
  • B.A. in Elementary Education with a Special Education focus, Washington State University, 1983

Hobbies and Interests

Marcus Poppen

Marcus Poppen, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Special Education
Pullman Campus
Cleveland Hall 358
Pullman, WA  99164

509-335-6363
marcus.poppen@wsu.edu

Curriculum Vitae

Research Interests

Dr. Poppen’s research and scholarship is broadly focused on supporting career development and transition outcomes for youth and young adults with disabilities. His interests include understanding the unique paths of career development for youth and young adults with disabilities, including those involved in the juvenile justice system, foster care system, and/or living with mental health concerns; collaborative school-based transition programs that are designed to facilitate the coordination and delivery of per-employment transition services; post-secondary education programs for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities; and, program evaluation and capacity building efforts that support data-based decision making.

Teaching and Professional Interests

Dr. Poppen’s teaching interests are in Special Education. His professional interests include program evaluation, research, and implementation sciences.

Selected Publications

  • Poppen, M., Whittenburg, H., Bruno, L., Sheridan-Stiefel, K., & McMahon, D. (2021). Evaluation of the Coordination and Delivery of Pre-Employment Transition Services in Washington State. Submitted to Washington Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.
  • Gotch, C., Poppen, M., Razo, J., & Modderman, S. (2021). Examination of teacher formative assessment self-efficacy development across a professional learning experience. Teacher Development.
  • McMahon, D., Hirschfelder, K., Poppen, M., Whittenburg, H., & Bruno, L. (2021). WSU ROAR and ROAR Online! Program Description and COVID-19 Response. Rural Special Education Quarterly. Advanced online publication.
  • Lombardi, A., Rifenbark, G., Poppen, M., Reardon, K., Mazzotti, V. L., Morningstar, M. E., Rowe, D. A., & Raley, S. (2021). Development and validation of the Secondary Transition Fidelity Assessment. Assessment for Effective Intervention. Advanced online publication.
  • Mazzotti, V.I, Rowe, D. A., Kwiatek, S., Voggt, A., Chang, W., Fowler, C., Poppen, M., Sinclair, J., & Test, D. (2021). Secondary transition predictors of post-school success: An update to the field. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 40(1), 47-64.
  • Poppen, M., & Alsalamah, A. (2020). Evaluation of School-Based Pre-Employment Transition Services in Washington State. Submitted to Washington Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.
  • Scheef, A., Thapa, E., Lerum, E., & Poppen, M. (2020). The impact of an inclusive post-secondary course on pre-service teachers. Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship, 19(1), 1-11.
  • Barrio, B., Carbonneau, K., Poppen, M., Miller, D., Dunn, M., Hsiao, Y. (2019). Theory to Practice: Implementation Achievements and Challenges of Response to Intervention in a Rural District. Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals, 11(1), 125-160.
  • Poppen, M., & Alverson, C. (2018) Policies and practice: A review of legislation affecting transition services for individuals with disabilities. In B. Hughes, C. Johnson & B. Taga (Eds.). New Directions for Adult & Continuing Education, Support and Transitions for Adults with Special Needs, 2018 (160), 63-76.
  • Scheef, A., Barrio, B., Poppen, M., McMahon, D., & Miller, D. (2018). Exploring barriers for facilitating work experience opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities enrolled in post-secondary education programs. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability.
  • Poppen, M., Lindstrom, L., Unruh, D., Khurana, A., & Bullis, M. (2017). Preparing youth with disabilities for employment: An analysis of vocational rehabilitation case services data. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 46, 209-224. doi:10.3233/JVR-160857
  • Lind, J., Poppen, M., & Murray, C. (2017). An intervention to promote positive teacher-student relationships and self-determination among adolescents with emotional disturbance. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 40, 186-191.
  • Scheef, A., Barrio, B., & Poppen, M. (2017). Developing partnerships with businesses to support job training for youth with disabilities in Singapore. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 40, 156-164.
  • Mazzotti, V.I, Rowe, D. A., Sinclair, J., Poppen, M., & Woods, W. (November 2016). Predictors of post-school success: A systematic review of NLTS-2 secondary analyses. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 38, 196-215.
  • Poppen, M., Sinclair, J., Hirano, K., Lindstrom, L., & Unruh, D. (May 2016). Perceptions of mental health concerns for secondary students with disabilities during transition to adulthood. Education and Treatment of Children, 39, 221-241.
  • Lindstrom, L., Harwick, R., Poppen, M., & Doren, B. (2012) Gender gaps: Career development for young women with disabilities, Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 35(2), 108-117.

Education Background

  • Ph.D., Special Education, University of Oregon (2014)
  • M.S., Special Education, University of Oregon (2012)
  • B.A., Family and Human Services, University of Oregon (2007)

Transition Self-Assessment Tool (TSAT)

 

 

John Lupinacci

Johnny Lupinacci

Associate Professor

Cultural Studies and Social Thought in Education
WSU Pullman – Cleveland 340
WSU Spokane

509-335-6838

View WSU Faculty Profile from October 09, 2020

About Dr. Lupinacci

[BIO COMING SOON]

Video

Photos

Research Interests

John Lupinacci’s research focuses on how people, specifically educators, learn to both identify and examine destructive habits of modern human culture.  His work proposes that, through education, teachers can be leaders in confronting dominant assumptions about existing as individuals separate from and superior to the greater ecological systems to which we belong. He explains:

“As agents of change, we all have both the capacity and the responsibility to make an ethical choice to examine and challenge how dominant Western cultural ways of thinking have isolated us from recognizing the relationships that make up our ecological existence.”

Areas of Expertise

  • Social Media
  • Social Justice
  • Scholar activism
  • EcoJustice
  • Podcasting

Teaching/Professional Interests

Dr. Lupinacci teaches pre-service teachers and graduate students in the Cultural Studies and Social Thought in Education (CSSTE) program using an approach that advocates for the development of scholar-activist educators.  He has taught at the secondary level in Detroit and is co-author of the book EcoJustice Education: Toward Diverse, Democratic, and Sustainable Communities. His experiences as a high school math and science teacher, an outdoor environmental educator, and a community activist all contribute to examining the relationships between schools and the reproduction of the cultural roots of social suffering and environmental degradation.

Awards/Honors

  • 2017 WERA Annual Research Award, Washington Educational Research Association and Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
  • Faculty Fellowship for Community Engagement 2017 with Center for Civic Engagement, Washington State University.
  • Provost Leadership Academy 2016 at Washington State University.
  • CPED Writing Fellowship – Social Justice 2016 with Carnegie Project on the Educational Doctorate (CPED).
  • Imagine Tomorrow Scholar Award Recipient with Alaska Airlines
  • AESA Critics’ Choice Award 2011 for EcoJustice Education: Toward Diverse, Democratic, and Sustainable Communities

Simon Licen

Medium shot of Simon Licen over a generic sports/recreation background

Simon Licen

Associate Professor, Department of
Educational Leadership and Sport Management
Pullman campus
Cleveland Hall 261
Pullman, WA  99164-2136

+1-509-335-2154
simon.licen@wsu.edu

Curriculum Vitae

Research interests

Simon Ličen’s (LEE-chen) studies mediated communication and sport in changing societies. His primary research interests include mass communication and sport, the negotiation of identity through the media, and the media in international, post-socialist and post-colonial societies. Between 2012 and 2016, he was member of the Board of Directors of the International Association for Communication and Sport. He also has research and publishing experience in social media and public relations, as well as sociology, kinesiology, governance, politics, sustainability and event management as they pertain to sport..

Teaching and professional interests

At Washington State University, Dr. Ličen has taught undergraduate courses in Sport Communication and Sport in American Society, as well as a graduate course in Mass Communication in Sport Management. Since 2015, he has been a visiting lecturer at Beijing Sport University (China) where he teaches a course in Sports Journalism. In fall 2020, he was Visiting Associate Professor at the Faculty of Tourism Studies of the University of Primorska in Slovenia. In 2022, he was named Senior Research Fellow of the Center for International Sport Communication and Diplomacy Studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University in China. Before joining Washington State University, he taught at the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia). He held guest lectures at the University of Alabama, University of Memphis, Lewis & Clark State College, Beijing Sport University (China), University of Ljubljana (Slovenia), and University of Primorska (Slovenia). Among other, he also served as the Director of Media and Communications of a WTA Tour (women’s professional tennis) event, was a member of the UNESCO Slovenian National Commission, and contributed to the organization of several editions of the Ljubljana Marathon and the U20 European Basketball Championship for Men. In 2019, he sat on the program committee for the 2019 Play the Game conference.

Research Presentations
  • “Sports reporting in the East and West: ISPS 2021 in China and the US,” presented at the Play the Game conference in Odense, Denmark, in June 2022. Watch (22:39 onward).
  • “Impact and Legacy of Major Sports Events: Findings From the 2013 EuroBasket,” presented at the Sport Management Research Meetings at Washington State University, October 25, 2017. Watch.
Media Appearances

Dr. Ličen is frequently interviewed, quoted, cited, and referenced by media all across the globe. Here is just a sampling of some places you can find his name:

  • Guest correspondent for Večer newspaper. Read more (in Slovenian).
  • Interviewed by Radio Slovenia on sport, racism and politics in the United States. Listen (in Slovenian).
  • Interviewed by Radio Capodistria on sport, racism and politics in the United States. Listen (in Italian).
  • Interviewed by Radio Capodistria on soccer, the United States, and the FIFA World Cup. Listen (in Italian).
  • Interviewed by Radio Capodistria on American perceptions of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang. Listen (in Italian).
  • Op-Ed in Huffington Post. Read more.
  • Interviewed by Radio Slovenija on media coverage of sports. Listen (in Slovenian).
  • Quoted by Radio Capodistria, an Italian-Slovenian radio station, on expectations from the Rio 2016 Olympics. Read more.
  • Interviewed by Radio Slovenija on sport, media, and capital ahead of the Rio Olympics. Listen (in Slovenian).
  • Interviewed by WalletHub ahead of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. Read more.
  • Quoted by RTVSLO.si in connection to an international study on the Olympics. Read more.
  • Interviewed by TV Koper-Capodistria, a Slovenian TV station. Watch (31:54 onward).
  • Interviewed in Jalka, an Estonian football (soccer) monthly. Read more.
  • Quoted by The Guardian. Read more.
  • Interviewed by Pacific Standard Magazine. Read more.
  • Quoted by Washington State Magazine. Read more.
Selected recent publications

Ličen, S. & Mir, M. (2024). King of the flying hill: TV broadcasts of ski jumping events in Planica, Slovenia. In Solberg, H.A., Swart-Arries, K., & Storm, R. (Eds.), Research Handbook on Major Sporting Events (pp. 285-299). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. Read it!

Ličen, S. (2023). Sport, media and business in Southeast Europe in the 21st century: Recommendations for professionals and scholars. In Dašić, D. (Ed.), Sporticopedia (pp. 23-35). Belgrade: Faculty of Sport. Read it!

Ličen, S., Frandsen, K., Horky, T., Onwumechili, C., & Wei, W. (2022). Rediscovering mediatizaton of sport. Communication & Sport, 10(5), 795-810. Read it!

Ličen, S., Antunovic, D., & Bartoluci, S. (2022). A Public Service? Mediatization of the Olympic Games in Croatia and Slovenia. Published online before print at Communication & Sport, 10(5), 931-950. Read it!

Ličen, S. & Jedlicka, S. (2022). Sustainable development principles in U.S. sport management graduate programs. Sport, Education & Society, 27(1), 99-112. Read it!

Ličen, S. (2021). More than fun and games: How the world will look at American sports—and America—after Covid-19. In Billings, A.C., Wenner, L., & Hardin, M. (Eds.), American Sport in the Shadow of a Pandemic: Communicative Insights (pp. 31-46). Pieterlen and Bern, Switzerland: Peter Lang. Click here.

Ličen, S. & Jedlicka, S. (2021). Governance of Professional Sport Beyond the U.S. In Ruihley, B.J. & Li, B. (Eds.), Administration and Governance in a Global Sport Economy (pp. 229-246). Dubuque, IA: Kendall-Hunt. Click here.

Ličen, S. (2020). Bailouts and tax breaks: Slovenian Olympic Committee’s communication during Covid-19. In P. M. Pedersen, B. J. Ruihley, & B. Li (Eds.), Sport and the pandemic: Perspectives on Covid-19’s impact on the sport industry (pp. 137-145). London: Routledge. Click here.

Kustec, S. & Ličen, S. (2020). Sport and welfare in Central and Eastern European countries. In Martelli, S., Testa, A., & Porro, N. (Eds.). Sport, Welfare and Social Policy in the European Union (pp. 132-142). London: Routledge. Read it!

Ličen, S. & Bejek, B. (2019). Slovenian Daily Newspaper Coverage of Women’s Sports in 2015. Družboslovne Razprave, 92, 7-33. Read it!

Ličen, S. (2019). Influence of hosting a major sports event on patriotic attitudes: The EuroBasket 2013 competition in Slovenia. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 54(3), 361-383. Read it!

Jakubowska, H. & Ličen, S. (2019). The role of mass media in the reproduction of gendered national identity: Polish coverage of women’s and men’s basketball championships. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 54(3), 302-324. Read it!

Brown, K., Ličen, S., Billings, A.C., & Devlin, M. B. (2017). Envisioning Slovenia, Telecast from Brazil: Relationships Between National Identity and Slovenian Viewership of the 2016 Rio Summer Olympic Games. International Journal of Sport Communication, 10(4), 487-507. Read it!

Ličen, S., Lončar, M., Delorme, N., Horky, T., & Jakubowska, H. (2017). International newspaper coverage of the 2013 EuroBasket for men. Communication & Sport, 5(4), 448-470. Read it!

Ličen, S. (2017). Sport as international communication. In Billings, A. C. (Ed.), Defining Sport Communication (pp. 209-222). London: Routledge.

Ličen, S. & Cole, A. N. (2017). Public perception of social impacts of the 2013 EuroBasket for men. International Journal of Sport Management, 18(1), 89-115. Read the abstract!

Educational background

Ph.D., University of Ljubljana, Journalism/Social Sciences, 2011

B.A., University of Ljubljana, Journalism, 2005

Chris Lebens

Chris Lebens at Martin Stadium.

Chris Lebens

Assistant Professor (Career Track)
Sport Management
Pullman campus
Cleveland Hall 268

509-335-2157
chris.lebens@wsu.edu

Curriculum Vitae

Chris Lebens is a clinical assistant professor assigned to teach SpMgt 377- Legal Aspects of Sport, SpMgt 489- Sport Event Management, as well as SpMgt 577- Law and Risk Management in Sport for the graduate program.

Mr. Lebens received his bachelor’s degree in radio/TV/digital media production, and his juris doctor from the University of Idaho. He has a master’s degree in Sport Management from WSU and more than eight years experience in sport management, working with Division 1 college athletics. He also has more than 10 years experience in large event planning and management and is an extremely active volunteer in the community. His research areas are legal in nature, focusing on risk management in sport, constitutional law, and contract law.

Faculty


These faculty are our Agents of Change!

They’re Instructors. They’re Researchers. They’re Innovators.
They’re cultivating the world of tomorrow.

Tariq Akmal

Tariq Akmal

Akmal, Tariq

Department Chair – Teaching & Learning
Professor
WSU Pullman
Cleveland Hall 337

(509) 335-7296
takmal@wsu.edu

Curriculum Vitae

Research interests

When not spending his time in meetings and administration of the department, Dr. Akmal continues research related to improving schools and teachers. More specifically, he studies (1) how to prepare and develop pre- and in-service teachers, particularly at the middle level; and (2) the effects of educational reform and accountability movement on middle schools. He is especially interested in the practices of middle schools in relation to the issues surrounding grade level retention of students, teacher attrition, and other effects of educational accountability.

Teaching/professional interests

Dr. Akmal teaches general instructional methods courses for middle and high school pre-service teachers—sharing his passion for engaging K-12 students in meaningful learning experiences with teacher candidates. At the graduate level, he teaches curriculum, instruction, and middle level courses for students in the Ed.M, M.A., and M.I.T programs. Akmal has experience teaching middle and high school but his research interests and favorite grades are at the middle level.  He has been active at the national level, serving on the AMLE Board of Trustees from 2010-2015 and continues to serve the organization.

Current leadership roles

  • Chair, Department of Teaching & Learning (2016-Present)
  • Director of Teacher Education (2010-Present)
  • President-Elect 2019-2020, Washington Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (WACTE)
  • Member, Finance & Audit Committee, Association for Middle Level Education.

Recent accomplishments

Recent Publications

Lamb, R., Annetta, L., Firestone, J. B., Vallett, D.B., Shapiro, M., Matthews, B., Akmal, T. & McManus, C. (In press).  Psychosocial factors impacting STEM career selection in Computer Science and Engineering. Social Science Research (2016).

Slavit, D., deVincenzi, A., Akmal, T., & Lesseig, K. (in press). Promoting community and core practices in a multi-site middle level mathematics program. In P. B. Howell, S. A. Faulkner, J. P. Jones, & J. Carpenter (Eds.) Preparing Middle Level Educators for 21st Century Schools: Enduring Beliefs, Changing Times, Evolving Practices. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

Akmal, T. & Husain, R.  (2017).  Pakistan.  In Egbert, J. & Ernst-Slavit, G.  Understanding our ELLS:  Integrating language and culture into every classroom.

Himmer, P., Anderson, R. & Akmal, T.  (2017, June) Fluidic channels in the classroom:  Fabrication and Integration in Fluid Mechanics.  Proceedings of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference June 25-28, Columbus, OH.

Recent grant work

  • Highfill, M. (Principal Investigator), Akmal, T. (Co-Principal Investigator), Ehrlinger, J. (Co-Principal Investigator) Teacher Preparation Student Support Services proposal to US Department of Education. Submitted January 2015, funded August 2015. ($1,100,000).

Recent conference presentations

Akmal, T., Larsen, D.E. & Bruce, T. (2017).  Rural Middle Grades Principals:  Unique Students, Unique Settings, Unique Skills.  Presentation at the annual meeting of the Association for Middle Level Education Conference, Philadelphia, PA.

Himmer, P., Anderson, R. & Akmal, T.  (2017, June) Fluidic channels in the classroom:  Fabrication and Integration in Fluid Mechanics. Presentation at the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference, Columbus, OH.

Lamb, R., Vallett, D., Akmal, T., Schmitter-Edgecomb, M., & Cunningham, R. (2016).  A computational modeling of student cognitive processes while solving critical thinking problems in science.  Poster presented at the International Conference of National Association for Research in Science Teaching (JRST). Baltimore MD.

Educational background

A Cougar through and through:

  • Ph.D. Curriculum and Instruction, Washington State University, 1997
  • M.A. Curriculum and Instruction, Washington State University, 1996
  • B.A. English/Social Studies Education, Washington State University, 1988

Go Cougs!

Coeur d’Alene Partnership Program


Longstanding, successful collaboration helps tribal students

Together, Washington State University and the Coeur d’Alene Tribe agreed to work cooperatively to establish programs that reflect the priorities established by the Tribe. While many of the current projects focus on work with K-12 schools, the Partnership Program is designed to serve educational needs of Coeur d’Alene Tribe members of all ages.

Leadership development camp

The Leadership Development Camp, designed for youth ages 13-17 years old from the Coeur d’Alene Reservation, aims to develop leadership skills, resiliency, and strengthen academic skills.  Through participation in team building and sports activities and Culturally responsive specialized academic seminars, this one-week residential camp offers students a chance to develop new skills, experience college life, and reflect upon and prepare to meet their goals for the future. The camp,, which brings tribal students to the WSU Pullman campus, continues under the direction of Paula Groves Price and Cedric Price.

Scholarship program

Each year money is made available to members of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe for scholarships. First priority for these funds will be as scholarship money available to Coeur d’Alene Tribal members enrolled at Washington State University in any field leading toward a four-year degree, master’s degree, or doctoral degree. The second priority will be funding requests for tribal members to attend special interest workshops or camps. Contact Barbara Aston for further information about scholarships.