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Conference ProgramFriday, March 7, 2025: AM  : PM  USC HOTEL

CONFERENCE SCHEDULEMORNING SESSIONS: 9:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.All Day Virtual Research Showcase (TV Monitors 1 & 2) Pages 7-119:00 a.m. Welcome and Introductions9:25 a.m. –10:05 a.m.BALLROOMPlenary Panel #1Supporting Students’ Outcomes by Focusing on Autonomy and Agency• Supporting Student Autonomy and Transcending Passive Motivation with Agentic Engagement• Autonomy Support and Agentic Engagement in Culturally Diverse Classrooms• New Directions for Supporting Student Agency and AutonomyPage 1210:15 a.m. –10:45 a.m.Panel/Individual Presentations #1 Pages 13-17BALLROOM(Panel)From RQ to Impact: How a Decade-Long Study is Transforming Campus Culture–the PASS ProjectVICTORY A(Panel)Cultivating Critical Reflection Skills to Promote Transformative Learning Conditions with a Group of Doctoral Students: A Multi-Year Action Research StudyROOM 201(Panel)Poetic Positionality: A Black Feminist Prospectus on Positionality Statements in Qualitative ResearchROOM 203(Individual)• Investigating the Personal and Organizational Factors Influencing the Departure of Female Physicians from Healthcare Leadership Roles• Leading As Outsiders Within the C-suite: A Phenomenological Study of Black Women C-suite Executives’ Perspectives on White Allyship in Corporate America• Biomedical Education Self-Efficacy: Perceived Level of PreparationROOM 205(Individual)• Effective Teaching is Social, Emotional Work: Neural Correlates of Urban Secondary Teachers’ Feedback on Students’ Assignments• Curiosity or Anxiety: How Do Teachers Feel About Teaching Climate Change and Why?• Black Middle School Girls’ Self-Efficacy for Science

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE10:55 a.m. –11:25 a.m.Panel/Individual Presentations #2 Pages 18-22BALLROOM(Panel)Partnerships for Impact to Advance Educational Access as a Form of Human Rights• Collaborative Strategies for Recruiting Schools and Students in Program Evaluation• Institutional Support for Muslim College Students• STEM Identity Among Minoritized Middle School StudentsVICTORY A(Individual)• Housing (In)stability and K-12 Schooling: An Environmental Scan of the School-Housing Partnership Landscape• Rebuilding Black Boarding Schools within Black Townships: An Exploratory Study to Rebuild a Black Boarding School in the United States’ Oldest Incorporated All-Black Town of Eatonville, Florida• Critical Policy Implementation: Examining Equity and Voice in Detroit’s Choice Neighborhoods InitiativeROOM 201(Individual)• The Impact of Dual Enrollment Programs on College Persistence Among Black Students• The Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational Factors Influencing Administrators’ Implementation of Dual Enrollment• Iron Meets Equity: A Review and Framework for Technology Adoption in College AdmissionsROOM 203(Panel)Navigating the Racial Dynamics of Educator Preparation Programs: Insights from the National Assessment of Collegiate Campus Climate SurveyROOM 205(Individual)• Virtual Reality and Mixed-Reality Simulations in Teacher Training: A USC Study• Sustaining Excellence: Why Leadership Reform is Crucial for Retaining African American Female Principals in K-12 Bay Area Public Schools• From Parens Patrie to Liberation: Examining the Role that School Leaders’ Perceptions Play in Enacting More Inclusive Discipline Codes that Privilege Equal Opportunity for All Students Including the Neurodivergent

11:35 a.m. –12:15 p.m.BALLROOMPlenary #2Strengthening Democracy in Polarized Times: Research from the Democracy and Education CollectivePage 2312:15 p.m. –1:30 p.m.Presentation of the Inaugural Hentschke Family Early-Stage Research Award Lunch and Keynote Address with Dr. Asli Sezen-Barrie Beyond Awareness: Transformative Climate Change Education for a Just and Thriving FuturePage 24AFTERNOON SESSIONS: 1:40 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.1:40 p.m. –2:20 p.m.BALLROOMPlenary #3Building a Research-Practice Partnership for District-Initiated Research: A Study of Transitional Kindergarten in Hawthorne School DistrictPage 252:20 p.m. –3:30 p.m.BALLROOMCake, Coffee and Conversation: An opportunity for informal conversation and networkingCONFERENCE SCHEDULEPAGE 3

Welcome to the second USC Rossier Research Conference! The conference showcases current research at USC Rossier across centers and programs. This year’s theme is Research for Impact. Rossier researchers are making significant contributions to advancing equity and improving learning opportunities in communities, K-12 schools, and higher education through partnerships and collaboration in Los Angeles and beyond.2025 USC Rossier Research Conference Planning CommitteeNasser Cortez, USC Rossier FacultySteve Gratwick, USC Rossier Doctoral StudentDeborah Karpman, USC Rossier StaffMonica Lopez, USC Rossier StaffAlvin Makori, USC Rossier Doctoral StudentLaura Mulfinger, USC Rossier StaffMorgan Polikoff, USC Rossier FacultyGale Sinatra, USC Rossier FacultyABOUT THE 2025 RESEARCH CONFERENCEPAGE 4

Gale Sinatra is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Education and the Stephen H. Crocker Chair at the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California where she serves as the Associate Dean for Research. She received her BS, MS, and PhD in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She heads the Motivated Change Research Lab, the mission of which is understanding the cognitive, motivational, and emotional processes that lead to attitude change, conceptual change, STEM learning, and public understanding of science. She is a Fellow of AERA and APA and a member of the National Academy of Education. She is the co-author (with Barbara Hofer) of Science Denial: Why It Happens and What to Do About It https://www.sciencedenialbook.com/.PAGE 5

Pedro A. Noguera is one of the nation’s leading scholars on issues related to racial inequality and policy aimed at improving education for all. Prior to coming to USC to serve as the Emery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean of the Rossier School of Education, he served as a Professor of Education and holder of endowed chairs at UCLA, NYU, Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of 15 books. His most recent book A Search for Common Ground: Conversations About the Tough Questions and Complex Issues Confronting K-12 Education in the United States Today with Rick Hess was the winner of the American Association of Publishers Prose Award in 2021. Noguera has served as an advisor to several states, school districts, foundations and nonprofits. In 2022 he was appointed to the President’s National Commission on Equity and Excellence in Education for Hispanics. In 2014 he was elected to the National Academy of Education and Phi Delta Kappa honor society, and in 2020 Noguera was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Noguera has received eight honorary doctorates from American universities, and received awards from the Center for the Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, and from the McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research at NYU for his research and advocacy efforts aimed at fighting poverty. In 2023 he was ranked 1st in the nation for influence and impact in the field of education, by Education Week.PAGE 6

VIRTUAL RESEARCH SHOWCASEALL DAY (TV Monitors 1 & 2)Equity Enhancing Techniques for African American College StudentsJacqueline Baly, USC Rossier AlumBridging the Divide: Breaking Down Barriers for Women in Social EntrepreneurshipMisha Kouzeh, USC Rossier Alum, USC Annenberg FacultyStudent Perspectives on What They Need to Thrive in Higher EducationRalitsa Todorova, USC Rossier Postdoctoral ScholarChristine Rocha, USC Rossier StaffYou Won’t Break My Soul: Voices of Black Women Leaders at Predominantly White Institutions and the Impact of Weathering on Well-BeingC. Rose Williams, USC Rossier Doctoral StudentPAGE 7

Historias de Resistencia: The Factors Contributing to First-Generation Latino Students’ Persistence to Achieve to Higher Education SuccessJacquelyn Trejo Torres, USC Rossier Doctoral ScholarCarrot or Stick? How Outcomes Funding Impacts Tennessee Public SchoolsAmanda Holloway, USC Rossier Doctoral StudentHomeless in America: Review of Metacognitive Treatment Approaches for SSD and Clinical Implications for People Experiencing HomelessnessAuthors: Crystal Oliva (USC Rossier) and Rudy Roman (USC Rossier)Crystal Oliva, USC Rossier Masters StudentInequity Among ELL Student PopulationsHopi Tocher, USC Rossier Masters StudentVIRTUAL RESEARCH SHOWCASEALL DAY (TV Monitors 1 & 2)PAGE 8

Community College Leaders, Racial Noticing, and the Influence of Both on Campus Racial Equity Change EffortsAuthors: Esmeralda Hernandez-Hamed (USC Rossier), Debbie Hanson (USC Rossier) and Jade Agua (USC Rossier) Esmeralda Hernandez-Hamed, USC Rossier StaffBridging the Divide: Exploring Barriers to DEI Engagement in White, Rural, Conservative CommunitiesDwinita Mosby Tyler, USC Rossier Doctoral StudentRepresentation of Gay Asian Men in the MediaIsaac Takeuchi, USC Rossier AlumBridging the Gender Pay Gap: Negotiation Strategies for Women to Impact the Earnings Gap at MidlifeMonique M. Rogers, USC Rossier AlumPAGE 9VIRTUAL RESEARCH SHOWCASEALL DAY (TV Monitors 1 & 2)

In Search of the Black SuperintendentJerome Rucker, USC Rossier FacultyDisclosure of Abuse to Empowerment: Exploring Psychological Safety as a Leadership Tool to Support Women Struggling with Workplace PerformanceDiane Dye, USC Rossier AlumUnderrepresentation of Women of Color in Railroad EngineeringJacqueline L. Patterson, USC Rossier Doctoral StudentIdentifying Diversity Solutions for the Cybersecurity Workforce Shortage: A Phenomenological Qualitative StudyRosielle Vengua, USC Rossier AlumBehind the CDA Barrier: Global Team Integration OCL Strategies that Impact Global Medicines AccessShanna McGovern, USC Rossier Doctoral StudentVIRTUAL RESEARCH SHOWCASEALL DAY (TV Monitors 1 & 2)PAGE 10

Reimagining Community Outreach and Interventions in Under-Resourced Rural Communities: A Case for Complementary Evidence-Based Decision-Making in Preventive Healthcare in GhanaAuthors: Eric Obeng Edmonds (USC Rossier), Mansa Memorial HospitalEric Obeng Edmonds, USC Rossier AlumVIRTUAL RESEARCH SHOWCASEALL DAY (TV Monitors 1 & 2)

9:25 a.m. – 10:05 a.m. | BALLROOMSupporting Students’ Outcomes by Focusing on Autonomy and Agency1. Supporting Student Autonomy and Transcending Passive Motivation with Agentic EngagementAuthors: Erika A. Patall (USC Rossier), Diane Lee (USC Rossier), Diane Lee (USC Rossier), Amanda Vite (USC Rossier), Jeanette Zambrano (CSU San Bernardino), Alana A. U. Kennedy (Northern Arizona University), Nicole Yates (Keen Independent Research)2. Autonomy Support and Agentic Engagement in Culturally Diverse Classrooms Authors: Jeanette Zambrano (CSU San Bernardino), Erika A. Patall (USC Rossier), Amanda Vite (USC Rossier), Diane Lee (USC Rossier), Alana A. U. Kennedy (Northern Arizona University), Nicole Yates (Keen Independent Research), Crystal Aguilera (American Institutes for Research)3. New Directions for Supporting Student Agency and AutonomyAuthors: Yanyan Zong (USC Rossier), Erika A. Patall (USC Rossier), Amanda Vite (USC Rossier), Carlton Fong (Texas State University), Germine Awad (University of Michigan), Keenan Pituch (Arizona State University), Christa Bancroft (USC Rossier), Kristy Daniel (Texas State University), Stephen Aguilar (USC Rosier, Kevin Cokley (University of Michigan), Timothy McKay (University of Michigan), Lillian Nguyen (University of Michigan), Pedram Zarei (Texas State University), Diane Lee (USC Rossier), Carolyn Jess (Texas State University)MODERATORStephen Aguilar, USC Rossier FacultyPRESENTERSErika PatallUSC RossierFacultyJeanette ZambranoCSU San BernardinoUSC Rossier AlumYanyan ZongUSC Rossier DoctoralStudentPLENARY PANEL #1PAGE 12

PAGE 13From RQ to Impact: How a Decade-Long Study is Transforming Campus Culture–the PASS Project PANEL PRESENTATIONS #1PRESENTERSRonald Hallett, USC Rossier FacultyJoseph Kitchen, USC Rossier FacultyZoë Corwin, USC Rossier FacultyPANEL/INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATIONS #110:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. BALLROOM | PANEL

PAGE 14Cultivating Critical Reflection Skills to Promote Transformative Learning Conditions with a Group of Doctoral Students: A Multi-Year Action Research Study PANEL PRESENTATIONS #1MODERATORJohn Pascarella, USC Rossier FacultyPRESENTERSArtineh Samkian, USC Rossier FacultyJulie Slayton, USC Rossier FacultyPANEL/INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATIONS #1 PANEL/INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATIONS #110:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. VICTORY A | PANEL

PAGE 15Poetic Positionality: A Black Feminist Prospectus on Positionality Statements in Qualitative ResearchPRESENTERSDwuana Bradley, USC Rossier FacultyLaShawn Faith Washington, University of Oklahoma FacultyPANEL/INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATIONS #110:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. ROOM 201 | PANEL

PAGE 16Investigating the Personal and Organizational Factors Influencing the Departure of Female Physicians from Healthcare Leadership RolesLeading As Outsiders Within the C-suite: A Phenomenological Study of Black Women C-suite Executives’ Perspectives on White Allyship in Corporate AmericaAuthors: Jalaima Nichols (USC Rossier), Patricia Tobey (USC Rossier), Briana Hinga (USC Rossier), Erika Taylor Page (USC Rossier)PRESENTERNatalie Whitlock, USC Rossier AlumPRESENTERJalaima Nichols, USC Rossier AlumBiomedical Education Self-Efficacy: Perceived Level of PreparationPRESENTERMelanie Brady, USC Rossier FacultyPANEL/INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATIONS #1 PANEL/INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATIONS #110:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. ROOM 203 | INDIVIDUAL

Effective Teaching is Social, Emotional work: Neural Correlates of Urban Secondary Teachers’ Feedback on Students’ AssignmentsAuthors: Xiao-Fei Yang (USC Rossier), Christina Kundrak (USC Rossier), Emily Gonzalez (USC Rossier), Mary Helen Immordino-Yang (USC Rossier)Curiosity or Anxiety: How Do Teachers Feel About Teaching Climate Change and Why?PRESENTERLaurel Kruke, USC Rossier Doctoral StudentPRESENTERXiao-Fei Yang, USC Rossier FacultyPAGE 17Black Middle School Girls’ Self-Efficacy for SciencePRESENTERRaleen Ann Miller, USC Rossier AlumPANEL/INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATIONS #110:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. ROOM 205 | INDIVIDUAL

PAGE 18Partnerships for Impact to Advance Educational Access as a Form of Human Rights1. Collaborative Strategies for Recruiting Schools and Students in Program Evaluation2. Institutional Support for Muslim College Students3. STEM Identity Among Minoritized Middle School StudentsMODERATORDarnell Cole, USC Rossier FacultyPRESENTERSMabel Hernandez, USC Rossier FacultyTr’Vel Lyons, USC Rossier StaffMilie Majumder, USC Rossier Postdoctoral ScholarPANEL/INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATIONS #110:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. ROOM 205 | INDIVIDUALPANEL/INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATIONS #210:55 a.m. – 11:25 a.m. BALLROOM | PANEL

Housing (In)stability and K-12 Schooling: An Environmental Scan of the School-Housing Partnership LandscapeAuthors: Huriya Jabbar (USC Rossier), Ann Owens (USC Rossier), Jennifer Holme (UT Austin), Tara Blagg (USC Rossier), Daniel Dawer (UT Austin), Trae Madrigal (UT Austin), Tyra Timm (UT Austin), Daniel Espinoza (USC Rossier)PRESENTERDaniel Espinoza, USC Rossier Doctoral StudentRebuilding Black Boarding Schools within Black Townships: An Exploratory Study to Rebuild a Black Boarding School in the United States’ Oldest Incorporated All-Black Town of Eatonville, FloridaPRESENTERCymone Davis, USC Rossier AlumCritical Policy Implementation: Examining Equity and Voice in Detroit’s Choice Neighborhoods InitiativeAuthors: Tara Blagg (USC Rossier), Huriya Jabbar (USC Rossier), Daniel Espinoza (USC Rossier)PRESENTERTara Blagg, USC Rossier Postdoctoral StudentPANEL/INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATIONS #210:55 a.m. – 11:25 a.m. VICTORY A | INDIVIDUAL

PAGE 20The Impact of Dual Enrollment Programs on College Persistence Among Black StudentsPRESENTERNorma Spencer, USC Rossier Doctoral StudentThe Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational Factors Influencing Administrators’ Implementation of Dual EnrollmentPRESENTERParisa Mazandarani, USC Rossier Doctoral StudentIron Meets Equity: A Review and Framework for Technology Adoption in College AdmissionsPRESENTERJimmy Aguilar, USC Rossier Doctoral StudentPANEL/INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATIONS #210:55 a.m. – 11:25 a.m. ROOM 201 | INDIVIDUALPANEL/INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATIONS #210:55 a.m. – 11:25 a.m. VICTORY A | INDIVIDUAL

Navigating the Racial Dynamics of Educator Preparation Programs: Insights from the National Assessment of Collegiate Campus Climate SurveyPRESENTERSJihye Kwon, USC Rossier StaffJohn Pascarella, USC Rossier FacultyPAGE 21PANEL/INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATIONS #210:55 a.m. – 11:25 a.m. ROOM 203 | PANEL

Virtual Reality and Mixed-Reality Simulations in Teacher Training: A USC StudyPRESENTERNooshan Ashtari, USC Rossier FacultySustaining Excellence: Why Leadership Reform is Crucial for Retaining African American Female Principals in K-12 Bay Area Public SchoolsPRESENTERSamatra Downing, USC Rossier Doctoral StudentFrom Parens Patrie to Liberation: Examining the Role that School Leaders’ Perceptions Play in Enacting More Inclusive Discipline Codes that Privilege Equal Opportunity for All Students Including the NeurodivergentsPRESENTERAmber Koetsier Singh, USC Rossier Doctoral StudentPAGE 22PANEL/INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATIONS #210:55 a.m. – 11:25 a.m. ROOM 203 | PANELPANEL/INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATIONS #210:55 a.m. – 11:25 a.m. ROOM 205 | INDIVIDUAL

11:35 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. | BALLROOMStrengthening Democracy in Polarized Times: Research from the Democracy and Education CollectiveAuthors: Julie Marsh (USC Rossier), James Bridgeforth (University of Delaware), Miguel Casar Rodriguez (University of Alabama), Akuna Uka (USC Rossier), Jacob Alonso (USC Rossier), Laura Mulfinger (USC Rossier), Robert A. Filback (USC Rossier), Jenifer A. Crawford (USC Rossier), Laura Duarte (USC Rossier), Huriya Jabbar (USC Rossier), Michael Grigsby (USC Rossier), Danfeng Soto-Vigil Koon (University of San Francisco)PLENARY PANEL SESSION #2MODERATORPedro Noguera, USC Rossier DeanPRESENTERSPAGE 23Robert A. Filback USC Rossier FacultyHuriya JabbarUSC Rossier FacultyLaura Duarte Citrus High School, Fontana USD TeacherMichael GrigsbyUSC Rossier DoctoralStudentJulie Marsh USC Rossier FacultyAkunna UkaUSC Rossier DoctoralStudent

KEYNOTEDr. Asli Sezen-Barrie is the Stacey Nicholas Endowed Chair of Environmental and Climate Change Education and an Associate Professor at the School of Education, University of California, Irvine. She also serves as the faculty advisor for the Environmental and Climate Change Literacy Projects (ECCLPs), which aim to design and implement innovative, justice-oriented partnerships across the UC-CSU systems. Recently, Dr. Sezen-Barrie was a program director at the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Division of Research on Learning, where she co-led the Discovery Research preK-12 program. In this capacity, she contributed to initiatives in science teacher education and justice-oriented climate change education and represented her division in interagency and cross-directorate programs, including the Wildland Fire Initiative and Critical Aspects of Sustainability. Dr. Sezen-Barrie is the Chief Editor of the forthcoming Handbook of Climate Change Research for Transdisciplinary Education (SpringerNature) and the lead author of Data Stories of Climate Change Impacts: Towards Justice-Oriented Education and Action (Harvard Education Press).Asli Sezen-Barrie’s research contributes to the development of equitable and meaningful science learning environments that recognize and integrate diverse ways of knowing and practicing science. Her work, published in top-tier science and environmental education journals, focuses on advancing epistemic justice by promoting inclusive transdisciplinary practices in science and engineering education. She addresses how these practices can help students and educators comprehend complex environmental challenges, including extreme weather events, wildfires, and ocean acidification. Additionally, her research extends to exploring justice-oriented, evidence-based approaches to climate change mitigation and adaptation, emphasizing the role of youth and educators in driving these actions.PAGE 24Beyond Awareness: Transformative Climate Change Education for a Just and Thriving Future

PAGE 25PLENARY PANEL SESSION #31:40 p.m. – 2:20 p.m. | BALLROOMBuilding a Research-Practice Partnership for District-Initiated Research: A Study of Transitional Kindergarten in Hawthorne School DistrictAuthors: Jon Fullerton (USC Rossier), Daniel Silver (USC CARE), Jacob Scollan-Rowley (USC Rossier)MODERATORJon Fullerton, USC Rossier FacultyPRESENTERSBrian Markarian, Hawthorne School District SuperintendentErika Ayala, Hawthorne School District Assistant SuperintendentAraceli Rodriguez, Hawthorne School District TK TeacherDaniel Silver, USC Center for Applied Research in Education Staff, USC Rossier Alum

rossier.usc.edu/faculty-research