Introducing COE’s 2024 Student Difference Makers

Supported by the generosity of the San Diego State University College of Education (COE) community, seven graduate students have received funding to advance research projects, develop themselves as investigators and make a difference in their respective fields.

It’s all part of COE’s Student Difference Makers Research Support Program, which was funded by gifts made by alumni, faculty, staff and friends during SDSU Day of Giving on March 12. 

“The Dean’s Office and the faculty of the college are immensely grateful to the generous donors who have supported this program so far,” said Professor Rachel Haine-Schlagel, Associate Dean for Research in COE. “Providing students with resources to engage in hands-on research opportunities greatly enhances their learning and sets them up for even greater success and impact in their chosen field after leaving SDSU — which, after all, is our primary goal.

The program, which accepted applications for requests of up to $500 for activities directly related to research and scholarship, was open to COE students at all levels. 

This year’s recipients are:

Lucyann Atkins

Program:  M.S. in Early Childhood and Family Clinical Counseling
Project Title: “Executive Functioning in Young Children in Foster Care: The Influence of Race/Ethnicity, Income, and Parenting”
Research Mentor: Assistant Professor Teresa Lind

Atkins is examining how factors such as income, race, ethnicity and parenting influence executive functioning in children exposed to early adversity. Her research particularly focuses on toddler-aged children in foster care and aims to deepen the understanding of the long-term impact of early interventions and inform the development of more effective practices. Through the support of the Student Difference Makers Research Support Program, she will be able to travel to conferences focused on mental health and child development to present her findings and share insights with graduate students and professionals in the mental health field.

Nikki Lane

Program:  M.S. in Early Childhood and Family Clinical Counseling
Project Title: “Impact of Early Childhood Sleep Difficulties on Mental Health Symptoms Among Preschool-Aged Children in Foster Care”
Research Mentor: Assistant Professor Teresa Lind

Lane’s research aims to examine the association between childhood sleep problems during early childhood and later mental health symptoms experienced by children in foster care. She hopes the study will help guide future targeted sleep interventions that may promote emotional regulation and improve outcomes. As a clinical provider, she has seen the impact that sleep disturbances have on young children and their families. Through the support of the Student Difference Makers Research Support Program, she will be able to travel to a research conference and present on her project.

Ben Mendoza

Program: M.A. in Postsecondary Educational Leadership and Student Affairs (PELSA)
Project Title: “Who is invited to the party? The inequitable awarding of academic fellowships”
Research Mentor: Associate Professor Eric Felix

Mendoza’s project explores the transfer, maintenance and hoarding of social, cultural and economic capital embedded in the awarding of dissertation and postdoctoral fellowships from a major education-focused foundation. Using data from the past decade, he has found that, at the dissertation award level, nine institutions comprised over half of all 376 fellowships awarded in the past 10 years. For postdoctoral awards, 26 institutions received the majority of the 303 fellowships awarded. Through the support of the Student Difference Makers Research Support Program, he will attend the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting — where he is applying to present — to further his development as a researcher and potential doctoral student.

Griselda Paredes-Chavez

Program: Joint Ph.D. Program in Education with Claremont Graduate University
Project Title: “The Transformational Impact of Students at Hispanic Serving Institutions”
Research Mentor: Professor Felisha Herrera Villarreal

Paredes-Chavez seeks to address a gap in literature on the important labor of student leaders in advancing college and system-wide equity and social justice-oriented changes, particularly at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). Her study aims to highlight the often invisible contributions of Latine/x college students who often work in parallel with institutional agents advancing their HSI’s mission to actively serve Latine/x college student communities through programs and advocacy. Through the support of the Student Difference Makers Research Support Program, she will be able to provide compensation for student research participants, who often come from low-income backgrounds and face financial barriers.

Stephen Phan

Program: Ed.D. Program in Educational Leadership (PK-12, Science and Math Focus)
Project Title: “Launching Challenging Math Tasks in Elementary”
Research Mentor: Associate Professor Nicholas Johnson

Phan investigates how elementary teachers trained in Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) launch challenging math tasks. CGI is a student-centered approach to teaching that uncovers and builds on children’s innate mathematical thinking. Through the support of the Student Difference Makers Research Support Program, he will be able to travel to school sites across San Diego County, compensate participating teachers and purchase a wireless microphone for classroom video-recordings.

Madison Salmina

Program: Ed.S. in School Psychology
Project Title: “Family Advocacy for Children with ASD: Through a Cultural Lens”
Research Mentor: Professor Samuel Song

Salmina is working to address a gap in the research regarding family advocacy, especially those with children identified with autism. It’s a population she knows well, as she has been a behavior therapist for four years, working directly with parents and caregivers of children with autism. Through the support of the Student Difference Makers Research Support Program, she will be able to travel to Seattle to attend the National Association of School Psychologists Annual Convention and present her findings — an experience she hopes will be a key step in her journey to becoming a school psychologist who drives meaningful, equitable change.

Stephanie Carolina Vásquez

Program: Ed.D. in Community College Leadership program (CCLEAD)
Project Title: “Empowering Tomorrow's Leaders: Unveiling the Pathways from Latina Community College Students to Women in Leadership Positions”
Research Mentor: Associate Professor Eric Felix

Vásquez explores how programs, extracurricular activities and mentorship experiences in community colleges contribute to the leadership development of Latina students. Her research seeks to identify transformative ruptures — pivotal moments or experiences during their community college journey — that inspire Latinas to pursue leadership roles. Through the support of Student Difference Makers Research Support Program, she will be able to cover the cost of transcription services and provide compensation to up to seven collaborators who are helping further the study.

You can support future Difference Makers by making a gift to the Student Research Support Fund.