Mother. Teacher. PhD student. Megan Klein is all three—as well as a tireless advocate for social justice. Klein, who is working on her doctorate in sociology, is studying how school closings—and the subsequent redistribution of students into new schools—shape residents’ views on integration and diversity. Her work has been described as “pathbreaking” and “exceptionally rich,” and it truly exemplifies the Jesuit ideal of seeking justice for all.

What’s your favorite Loyola memory? I’d have to say my statistics group. We worked so hard to be successful in the class, meeting at coffee shops at 5 a.m. during the week and on weekends to complete our assignments. I came away with a deep understanding of quantitative methods and a sense of accomplishment— but more importantly, with two of my dearest friends.

Talk a little about a professor or mentor who inspired you. I feel fortunate to have had great relationships with many professors at Loyola who were generous and giving of their time and knowledge. My two advisors, professors Marilyn Krogh and Phil Nyden, have been instrumental in my success as a graduate student. They offer guidance and support, but they also understand and embrace my complicated situation as a parent of three, graduate student, and teacher.

Tell us about your volunteer work and/or involvement in student organizations and what it means to you. One of the most memorable service experiences I’ve had while at Loyola was taking part in the University’s Cuba program in 2012. We spent nine days in Santiago and Guantánamo teaching courses to Cubans who were starting nonprofit organizations. It was inspiring to spend time working with people so committed to creating opportunities for social justice.

Any advice you would give students about how to get the most out of their time at Loyola? I think one of the most important things is to collaborate with colleagues: create study groups, reading groups, and participate in social activities. Graduate school is intense, and I have seen friends and colleagues burn out. Cultivating relationships with peers is essential to maintaining social-emotional health. Also, the University has so much to offer. If you can, take a class in another discipline and get to know people with different perspectives and experiences.

And finally, what do you hope to be doing 10 years from now? Actually, I hope I am doing pretty much the same things as right now: working full time at Oakton Community College with wonderful people serving incredible students; being happily married and parenting my three fabulous children; and staying active in my community. The only thing I would add is a completed manuscript of the (non-academic) book I have been writing for a few years!

Volume 8, Issue 3 Winter 2017

THE GRADUATE SCHOOL QUARTERLY

PRESIDENT’S MEDALLION WINNER MEGAN KLEIN

Megan Klein, who teaches at Oakton Community College, uses her scholarship to work for social

change.

Student Spotlight 1

A Legacy of Transformation 2

School Psychology Profile 2

Dissertation Boot Camp 2

Key Dates & Deadlines 3

Three Minute Thesis Competition 4

2017 REM Fellows 4

Graduate Student Career Planning 4

LUC Victorian Society Conference 5

2017 Research Symposium 5

Personal Finance Seminar 5

Message from the Interim Dean 6

Inside this Issue

The Graduate School QuarterlyPage 2

Program Profile

SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGYGina Coffee, PhD, NCSPAssociate Professor of School Psychology and Graduate Program Director

“School psychologists are uniquely qualified members of school teams that support students’ ability to learn and teachers’ ability to teach. They apply expertise in mental health, learning, and behavior, to help children and youth succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally. School psychologists partner with families,

teachers, school administrators, and other professionals to create safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments that strengthen connections between home, school, and the community” (NASP, 2016).

The School Psychology program at Loyola University Chicago is composed of three, separate graduate degree programs: the Educational Specialist (EdS), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), and Doctor of Education (EdD) degree programs. Housing approximately 120 graduate students across the three programs, each program is grounded in the principles of social justice, framed around a scientist-practitioner model of training, and designed to prepare candidates for careers in school psychology. However, the focus of each degree program differs slightly. The EdS and PhD programs are both approved by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) and prepare candidates to be eligible to practice as school psychologists in PK-12 schools. The PhD program is also accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) and is further designed for candidates to be eligible to practice as licensed clinical psychologists and/or to seek careers in research and academia as trainers of school psychologists. In contrast, the EdD program offers advanced graduate training to practicing school psychologists who already hold an EdS degree and wish to complete an applied, doctoral training program.

(Continued on page 3)

The Graduate School community mourns the passing of former Graduate School Dean, Samuel A. Attoh. Between 2005 and 2015, Dean Attoh transformed the Graduate School. Rather than just a repository of information and a rule monitor, our Graduate School became student centered. Policies and procedures were brought in line with national best practices. The

Graduate School’s mission situated it squarely within the essence of Loyola University Chicago’s purpose as a Jesuit educational institution. Student support tripled, student services expanded, and our student body diversified. The Graduate School’s presence at state, regional, and national graduate school organizations served as well as a testimony to the creativity and foresight of Dean Attoh. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Attoh family.

A Legacy of Transformation Tuesday May 16 - Saturday May 20, 2017

Need some assistance in scheduling time for your writing? Need a little “kick” to get you going? Think about participating in the Graduate School’s Boot Camp– a week-long, all-day program designed to support you in completing your dissertation, run by Dr. Jessica Horowitz, Associate Dean for Student Services in the Graduate School and various colleagues from Loyola departments. This workshop will run from 9:00 am– 4:45 pm, Tuesday May 16 - Saturday May 20 on the Lake Shore campus in the Information Commons, 4th floor. Lunch is included for all five days. (Please note that, unlike previous years, this 5-day program will run Tuesday - Saturday.) Laptops are required. This Workshop is open to all doctoral students from every discipline.

You must be able to commit to the entire week, all-day with absolutely no excuses. Although there is no cost to participate in the workshop, we require a $75 down-payment which will be refunded at the successful completion of the week.

If interested, you must send to Dr. Jessica Horowitz (jhorow@luc.edu) no later than April 14th:

1. One to two paragraphs on your dissertation research (abstract would be fine)

2. Where you are currently in your program (time-line of projected completion would be helpful) and in your dissertation process; please include information about committee formation and proposal defense - if you are at that point. You must have completed your comprehensive exam(s) to participate.

3. Advisor’s letter of support

Asaf Bar-Tura (Philosophy; PhD ‘16) was recently appointed the Director of The Posse Foundation in Chicago. The Posse Foundation is one of the top college access and youth leadership development programs in the nation. Since 1989, Posse has identified, recruited and trained thou-sands of incredible young leaders from urban public high schools and sent them in Posses— supportive, multicultural teams of students—to top colleges and universities across the country. The Posse Founda-tion’s college and university partners each award Posse Scholars with four-year, full-tuition leadership scholarships. The Foundation continues to support Scholars on campus through graduation, and successfully transitions them from being leaders on campus to being leaders in the workforce.

Bar-Tura has published academic articles on topics ranging from economic policy to digital technology and democracy, and have given talks in universities across the country. Bar-Tura also serves as a Commis-sioner on the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, to which he was appointed by the Governor of Illinois. Prior to joining The Posse Foundation, Bar-Tura led various programs and initiatives at the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs (JCUA) for over six years, most recently serving as Director of Programs and Operations. Before joining JCUA, he served as a program director for an educational program in an under-resourced public school in New York City.

ALUMNIUPDATE

Volume 8, Issue 3 Page 3

KEY DATES AND DEADLINES FOR SPRING

March 27 Last day (5:00 p.m.) to withdraw with a grade of “W.” After this date, the penalty grade of “WF” is assigned

March 30 Fall Registration begins

March 31 Foreign language examination, 3 p.m.—5:00 p.m., Graduate School Office, Granada Center, 4th floor, LSC

April 1 - Latest approval date for thesis proposal defense ballots for participation (walking, not graduating) in May 2017 commencement and graduating in August 2017

- Last day to submit final approved copies of dissertation or thesis for May degree confer-ral (All other degree requirements MUST be met by this date, unless you are a master’s student completing your final classes. In that case, your final degree requirement date is the last date of finals.)

April 13-17 - Easter Holiday: No classes Thursday evening (classes that start 4:15 p.m. or later are can-celled) through Monday afternoon (classes beginning on or after 4:15 p.m. will be held)

- Offices closed on Good Friday

April 28 - Spring Semester Ends

- For August degree conferrals: Dissertation defense ballots are due to the Graduate School by noon to walk in May Commence-ment Ceremony

May 1-6 Final Exams, no exams on Sunday

May 9 Commencement Ceremony at 3:00 pm, Gen-tile Center, Lake Shore Campus

May 26 Incomplete grades from Fall semester due at the Graduate School

(School Psychology Profile - continued from page 2)

The School Psychology EdS and PhD programs are full-time, on-campus programs, with the ultimate goals of graduating professional school psychologists who are broadly educated within the context of the scientific bases of general psychology and more specifically educated in the application and generation of knowledge in psychology and education. In addition to sequenced coursework, candidates directly engage in school-based field experiences from their first semester in the program, and each program culminates in a full-time, year-long internship. Throughout their training, candidates in the EdS and PhD programs also have the opportunity to join faculty members’ research teams to collaboratively study topics such as mental health programming in schools and communities, school reform, discipline policies and positive behavior supports, homelessness, adolescent risk-taking behaviors, and multicultural issues in school consultation. Candidates of the EdS program complete the program in 3 years and usually seek employment as practicing school psychologists, whereas candidates of the PhD program generally complete the program in 5 years and seek employment as practicing school psychologists, licensed clinical psychologists, or faculty members in school psychology graduate programs.The School Psychology EdD program is designed for practicing school psychologists seeking applied, doctoral training. The program is offered in a blended format (online and on-campus class sessions each semester) across 2 years of coursework to accommodate working professionals. Within the EdD program, candidates choose one of two tracks that focus on data-based decision making or mental health, respectively, and graduates often continue to practice as school psychologists, seek leadership positions within their schools/school districts, or transition to careers as faculty members in school psychology graduate programs.

One of our recent program initiatives is the development of a School Psychology Urban Fellows Program. The Urban Fellows Program is a partnership between the Loyola University Chicago School Psychology program and established partner schools within Chicago Public Schools. The program is designed to provide a small cohort of Urban Fellows drawn from the larger School Psychology program with opportunities to provide sup-ports for PK-12 students in urban school settings, within a struc-tured and organized sequence of supervised training experiences that are aligned with each fellow’s professional goals. Specifically, fellows are assigned to partner schools and complete applied, course assignments in these schools. Further, fellows attend professional development trainings specific to urban education and the provision of school psychology services in large urban school settings.

I was fortunate to join the School Psychology program faculty in 2008 and transitioned into the role of Graduate Program Director (GPD) in 2015. Prior to joining the faculty at Loyola University Chicago, I earned a PhD in School Psychology from the Univer-sity of Wisconsin-Madison, provided psychological services to children in grades K-12, and was a faculty member in the School Psychology program at Sam Houston State University. My teach-ing, scholarship, and practice are focused on the prevention of academic, behavioral, social, emotional, and health difficulties of children through collaboration with educators, families, and com-munity members. Together with my colleagues, I feel grateful to have the opportunity to train and support our talented students!

The Graduate School QuarterlyPage 4

THREE MINUTE THESIS COMPETITIONOn Thursday, February 16, The Graduate School hosted the Second Annual Three Minute Thesis competition. Started at University of Queensland in Australia, the competition challenges students to communicate their thesis or dissertation to a non-specialist audience in three minutes or less. Individual departments held their own competitions in the weeks leading up to the Graduate School’s competition and 9 departments nominated students to compete on February 16. David Ford from the Molecular Biology PhD program and Chelsea Denault from the History PhD program placed third and second, respectively. Audrey Torcaso, a doctoral candidate in Neuroscience, placed first, presenting on a portion of her research for her dissertation “Examining the effects of adolescent binge alcohol consumption on the negative feedback of the HPA axis and adult responses to psychological stress.” Audrey will be sponsored by the Graduate School when she continues on to compete in the regional Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools’ competition in Indianapolis on April 5, 2017.

The Graduate School is pleased to announce its REM Fellowship recipients for 2017: Daniel Snow and John Cote.

Daniel, a student in the Public History MA program, is examining Catholic literature and culture more broadly, by focusing on the book trade organized by the Society of Jesus in the Mississippi River Valley during the 1840s. You can follow along with Daniel’s research at The Jesuit Libraries Provenance Project.

John is a student in the Applied Statistics program, and is using spatial statistics to analyze relationships between crime location and quality of education in the Chicago public school system. John hopes to make the information gained from this study publicly accessible to allow policy makers to gain crucial funding for interventions and contribute to the success and future of the students in Chicago Public Schools.

Research Experience for Master’s

2017FELLOWS

Volume 8, Issue 3 Page 5

On Saturday, October 29th, 2016, the Loyola University Chicago Victorian Society hosted professors and graduate students from a variety of Chicago institutions such as UIC and University of Chicago, while others traveled to Lake Shore Campus from other states and countries. Generously sponsored by the Graduate School, the Department of English, and Dr. Paul Eggert, Martin J. Svaglic Chair of Textual Studies, LUCVS’s inaugural day conference “Past and Present: New Directions in Victorian Studies” focused firstly on new interpretations of Victorian investment in establishing the historical importance of the past and future significance of developments in their own time. Secondly, scholars grappled with how certain aspects of Victorian life and culture are historicized in the present day, specifically querying as to what directions the field of Victorian Studies is currently taking in a variety of focalizations. Thirdly, readings of the Victorian period provoked examination of the reasons behind the development of contemporary interpretative lenses. We look forward to announcing next year’s theme soon on our website: http://lucvictoriansociety.wixsite.com/lucvs/about-lucvs.

Contributed by Lydia Craig, Doctoral candidate in English

Loyola University Victorian Society Conference Fall 2016

2020: Transformative Research for a Better TomorrowSaturday, April 22, 2017 | 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. | Quinlan Life Sciences Building, Lakeshore Campus

The 10th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Symposium invites research that contributes to the overall goals of Loyola University's 2020 plan of engaging with societal and environmental challenges to create "a more just, humane, and sustainable world," whether through

theoretical scrutiny or literal application.

April 25, 2017, 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 pm, room TBA

As you transition from student to graduate, managing your finances will enter into a new phase. Addressing daily needs will remain important, but you will face the integration of loans payments into your financial world. Additionally, you will want to plan for integrating saving and spending, budgeting in a different way, and planning for the future.

In this session, you will learn about how to think about these decisions from a financial point of view. You will learn two core concepts that drive most financial decisions:

COMPOUND GROWTHAssets and debts grow exponentially. The return or interest for this year is added to the total to form the basis for the return or interest for next year.

STORE & FLOWStore is the inventory of assets and money flows in and out of that store all the time.

During the session, we will apply these two concepts for simple financial decisions relating to the loan repayments schedule, budgeting, and basic financial planning.

About the InstructorDr. Gezinus J. Hidding is an Associate Professor in Loyola’s Quinlan School of Business. Dr. Hidding has taught Personal Investing at Loyola and managed investments for 30 years. He is the owner and manager of Hidding Investment Management, LLC, which manages investment portfolios in the US and in Europe.

Volume 8, Issue 3

The Graduate School Lake Shore Campus 1032 W. Sheridan Road Granada Center, Ste. 400 Chicago, IL 60626 773-508-3396 gradschool@luc.edu

The Graduate School Health Sciences Campus 2160 S. First Avenue SSOM, Room 400 Maywood, IL 60153 708-216-3531

Managing Editor: Michelle Cerullo

ContributorsDr. Patricia Mooney-Melvin, Dr. Gina Coffee, Lydia Craig

We invite you to contact us with any information that you wish to be shared with the entire Graduate School, such as information about our outstanding students, faculty members, research initiatives, or anything else that might help us improve how we spread the word about graduate education at Loyola University. Please send your thoughts and submissions for the Graduate School Quarterly to gradschool@luc.edu.

Stay connected with the Graduate School!

On the web: luc.edu/gradschool/

‘Like’ us on Facebook: facebook.com/LoyolaGradSchool

Follow us on Twitter:twitter.com/LUCGradSchool

Welcome to Spring after one of Chicago’s oddest winters – little snow, a range of temperatures, and a wide variety of weather false starts. Our students, however, have pursued their coursework, papers, internships, conferences, and clinical placements with great consistency.

April brings our Interdisciplinary Research Symposium during the Weekend of Excellence and we encourage you to come out and support our students. Presentations and posters will provide interesting glimpses into a range of scholarly activities that takes place across Loyola’s three campuses. The research symposium is also the venue for the presentation of a wide variety of awards, from those celebrating the best posters and papers to the Council of Graduate School Programs’ teaching and civic engagement awards.

Professional development workshops continue to provide useful information to our students and sharpen their skills. Some of these workshops have focused on research broadly defined, such as responsible conduct for research and scholarship, opportunities for research funding and grants, and navigating the Institutional Review Board process. As part of our National Endowment for the Humanities Next Generation PhD grant, we sponsored two humanities focused career pathways workshops in the fall and have two other pathways workshop with a broader focus this spring. We continue to provide a financial planning workshop for our students during Smart Money Week in April.

We are in the throes of a new admissions season and our programs are in exciting discussions with our applicants as they shape our Fall 2017 class. The mid-semester mark this year as always, represents the intersection of new possibilities at Loyola, anticipation about future opportunities for our soon to be graduates, and perseverance and intellectual delights for our continuing students.

Patricia Mooney-Melvin, Interim DeanThe Graduate School

Patricia Mooney-Melvin, PhD Interim Dean of the Graduate School

FROM THE DEAN’S OFFICE