CPED Challenge Friday

Building Dissertation Research Communities in an Online EdD Program with Focus on Equity, Scaffolding, and Connection

Date: Friday, March 13, 2026

Time: 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET 

The LMU Ed.D. program introduced Dissertation Research Communities (DRCs), a group advising structure for individual dissertation projects, in 2021 to promote equity and quality in advising amid program expansion and the shift to online instruction. In this session, we will share information about how this structure has evolved over five years of implementation and raise questions for discussion, including: - How can doctoral programs ensure equitable access to high-quality dissertation advising as they expand or move online? - How can programs sustain rigor in the dissertation process while scaling to serve a larger number of students? - What structures or incentives can help balance faculty workload and support faculty development in dissertation advising? - How can programs cultivate a genuine sense of community and belonging among online doctoral students and faculty?

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Presenters:

Rebecca Herr Stephenson

Professor Rebecca Herr Stephenson earned her Ph.D. and M.A. in Communication from USC and her M.A. in Teaching from LMU. She returned to LMU in 2013 to serve as the Managing Editor for the Journal of Catholic Education. In addition to working with the Journal, Professor Stephenson teaches qualitative research methods and writing courses in the doctoral program, and since August 2021 she has been serving as interim director of the doctoral program.
Her research focuses broadly on teaching and learning with media and technology. She has published and presented on topics ranging from children’s educational television and video games to strategies for incorporating blended learning into the K-12 curriculum. 
She is co-author of two books, Teaching Harry Potter: The Power of Imagination in Multicultural Classrooms (2011, Palgrave MacMillan) and Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out: Kids Living and Learning with Digital Media (2009, MIT Press).

Dolores Delgado Bernal

Delgado Bernal was a first-generation college student and an elementary school teacher in Pasadena Unified who earned her Ph.D. from UCLA. She was faculty at the University of Utah for 17 years, and then at Cal State LA she served as chair for the Department of Chicana(o) and Latina(o) Studies and afterwards as Associate Dean for the College of Ethnic Studies. She’s a scholar-activist whose scholarship bridges the fields of education and Chicanx studies and whose passion is in mentoring students. Her scholarship draws from Chicana feminist studies and critical race studies to investigate educational (in)equity, Latinx educational pathways, feminista pedagogies, and different forms of student resistance. She has published over 40 articles/chapters, and has co-authored or co-edited four books. She has received numerous awards for her scholarship, teaching, and/or mentoring, including, the American Educational Research Association Distinguished Scholar Award, Mujeres Activas en Letras y Cambio Social Tortuga Award, and Critical Race Studies in Education Association Derrick Bell Legacy Award. Her biggest award is being mamá to three wonderful sons.

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