Ph.D. Students & Candidates

Involvements

See Research for some of the projects our students are currently working on.
See SSLS on the Road for conferences and events our students are participating in.
See our Facebook page for photos and ongoing updates.

Our Students

  Kofi Adimado, Nonprofit & Community Leadership, 2nd year
  Research interests: Social media and opportunities for nonprofits, accountability frameworks in the nonprofit space and social entrepreneurship
  Additional degrees: B.S. in Development Planning; M.B.A., Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana
  Current employment: Full-time student. Recent employment: Corporate Manager, Barclays Bank; Country Risk Advisor, Ghana 

  Allen, Roxy, Nonprofit & Community Leadership
  Research interests:  The role of nonprofit workplace cultures on impact and project outcomes, social entrepreneurship, and leadership development
  Additional degrees:  B.A., English and history, Eastern Mennonite University; M.A., conflict transformation with focus in organizational development, Center for Justice & Peacebuilding, Eastern Mennonite University
  Current employment:  Project Manager for the Connected Learning Cooperative project at the New Venture Fund

  Eric Bendfeldt, Nonprofit & Community Leadership
  Additional degrees: M.S. in Forestry, Virginia Tech; Undergraduate degrees, JMU and Virginia Tech.
  Current employment: Extension Specialist, Virginia Cooperative Extension (an educational partnership with Virginia Tech and Virginia State University)

  Donovan Branche, Nonprofit & Community Leadership, 4th year
  Research interests: Cultural differences in leadership styles
  Additional degrees: B.A. in Health Care Administration, Mary Baldwin College; M.P.A., JMU
  Current employment: City Traffic Engineer, City of Charlottesville



  Geary Cox, II, Nonprofit & Community Leadership, 3rd year
  Research interests: capacity development for indigenous (non-US) civil-society organizations and the role of international nongovernmental organizations in post-conflict recovery 
  Additional degrees: M.A. in English, JMU; B.A. in Political Science, JMU; B.A. in English, JMU
  Current employment: Program Coordinator for the Center of International Stabilization and Recovery, JMU. (He has facilitated management training, research and assessment, and victim assistance programs at JMU as well as in Colombia, Jordan, and South Sudan.  In 2012, Geary received the All Together One award, which recognizes leaders' unique contributions to the JMU community.)

  Natasha DuMerville, Postsecondary Leadership, 1st year
  Research interests: diversity management in higher education, the impact of being a nontraditional student
  on development, receipt of student services, etc.
  Additional degrees: B.A.s in Political Science and Philosophy and Religion, JMU; M.A. in Public Administration
  (concentrations: public/nonprofit management, higher education)
Current employment:  Doctoral Assistant, School of Strategic Leadership Studies, JMU

  Jody Fagan, Postsecondary Leadership, 3rd year
  Research interests: Academic library leadership, using web analytics to measure digital library services
  Additional degrees: M.A. in History, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale; Master of Library Science, University of Maryland; B.S. in Drafting and Design, Missouri State University
  Current employment: Director of Scholarly Content Systems, Libraries & Educational Technologies, JMU

  Dara Hall, Educational (K-12) Leadership, 1st year
  Research interests: PK-12 pre-service teacher preparation including: cooperating teacher mentorship and clinical faculty development; best practices in student teaching supervision; and experiential learning in field placements  
  Additional degrees: post-Master’s Certificate in College Student Personnel Administration, JMU; M.A. in Education, Antioch University Seattle, B.S. in Biology, State University of NY at Binghamton
  Current employment: Coordinator of Field Experiences for teacher education programs, College of Education Faculty, JMU

  India Harris, Educational (K-12) Leadership, 1st year
  Research interests: School Culture, Leadership Styles, Personality Theory, Student Learning and Engagement, Physiological Psychology, & Ethical Leadership
  Additional degrees: B.A. in Sociology, Mary Baldwin College, M.Ed. in Special Education, The College of William and Mary, & Post Master's Certificate in School Administration, Virginia Commonwealth University
  Current employment: Coordinator of Secondary Instruction and K-12 Testing, Waynesboro City Schools

  Kimberlee Hartzler-Weakley, Nonprofit & Community Leadership, 2nd year
  Research interests: Nonprofit organizational culture and climate, organizational change, evaluating the effectiveness of nonprofit organizations, outcome assessment and program evaluations (specifically public health and adolescent health programs), women and philanthropy, and youth leadership development
  Additional degrees: B.S. in Health Science (concentration: International Health), JMU; M.S. in Health Science (concentration: Public Health Education), JMU; Certificate in Nonprofit Management, JMU
  Current employment: Currently serves in several roles at the Institute for Innovation in Health and Human Services at JMU: Director, Office on Children and Youth; Grant Administrator/PI, Blue Ridge AHEC; Program Director/PI, Shenandoah Valley Child Development Clinic

  Abbott Keesee, Educational (K-12) Leadership
  Research interests: Teacher improvement/professional development
  Additional degrees: B.A. in English, Virginia Military Institute; M.Ed. Educational Leadership, JMU
  Current employment: Coordinator of Student Services, Rockbridge County High School    


  Eric Korn, Nonfprofit & Community Leadership, 1st year
  Research interests: marketing for small and medium sized non-profits, both to donors and end users
  Additional degrees: B.S. in Economics, JMU, M.B.A, JMU
  Current employment: President and CEO, American Firearms Training Corporation


  Stephen Lambert, Nonprofit & Community Leadership, 3rd year
  Research interests: Volunteer motives, predictors of social change leadership involvement, ethics in nonprofit
  management, nonprofit taxation
  Additional degrees: B.A. in Spanish; M.A. in Language Teaching Methods; Graduate Certificate in School
  Administration
  Current employment: Lead Teacher, Career Development Academy, JMU

 

  Nick Langridge, Postsecondary Leadership, 4th year
  Research interests: Meaning in Life and the Collegiate Experience, Purpose in Life, Meaning and Philanthropy, Higher Education Funding Models
  Additional degrees: B.S. Speech Communication, JMU; MBA, JMU
  Current employment: Acting Vice President for University Advancement, JMU



  Paul Leaman, Educational (K-12) Leadership, 3rd year
  Research interests: individual student assessment or market segment analysis for Mennonite Education
  Additional degrees: B.S., EMU; M.Ed. in Secondary Administration, JMU
  Current employment: Head of School, Eastern Mennonite School 



  Michael Maurice, Nonprofit & Community Leadership
  Research Interests: Program evaluation in the nonprofit and government sectors, community collaborations and community-level change, social entrepreneurship and public/private partnerships, public policy analysis (educational and social policy), youth leadership development
  Additional degrees: B.A. in Justice Studies, JMU; M.P.A. (concentration: Public & Nonprofit Management), JMU; Certificate in Nonprofit Management, JMU
  Current employment: Director of Programs, Office on Children and Youth, Institute for Innovation in Health and Human Services, JMU


  Tyrell McElroy, Nonprofit & Community Leadership

  

  Kevin Meaney, Postsecondary Leadership, 3rd year
  Research interests: Motivation to lead; The impact of co-curricular experiences on future academic/professional  success
  Additional degrees: B.A. in American History, State University of New York at Albany; M.S. in Higher Education Administration, State University of New York at Albany
  Current employment: Associate Director, Office of Residence Life, JMU



  Daisha Merritt, Nonprofit & Community Leadership, 1st year
  Research interests: Leadership Ethics in Healthcare
  Additional degrees: B.A. in Political Science/ International Relations, Mars Hill College; M.B.A., Florida Gulf Coast University
  Current employment: Doctoral Assistant, School of Strategic Leadership Studies, JMU; Owner Popo and Itza (Mexican import business)

  Lindsay Miller, Postsecondary Leadership, 1st year
  Research interests: Leadership styles and the relationship to both the leader’s and employees’ personal health/well-being, as well as the impact on organizational effectiveness
  Additional degrees: M.B.A., JMU; M.S. Career & Technical Education, Virginia Tech; B.S. Finance, Virginia Tech
  Current employment: Financial Systems Analyst, JMU

  Paul Morgan, Postsecondary Leadership, 3rd year
  Research interests: Ethics and leadership development in higher education
  Additional degrees: B.S. Psychology, U of Utah; M.Ed. Educational Psychology, UVA
  Current employment: Consultant, MMTS

  Ken Newbold, Postsecondary Leadership, 3rd year 
 Research interests: Impacts of postsecondary education on workforce and economic development, including aspects of leadership, public policy, and curriculum development
  Additional degrees: B.S., Bridgetwater College; M.P.A., JMU
  Current employment: Director of Research and Innovation, JMU


  Sam Nickels, Nonprofit & Community Leadership, 3rd year
  Research interests: global mental health, specifically family and consumer community programs; and international NGOs (INGOs), specifically improvement in the nonprofit sector in low and middle income countries
  Additional degrees: B.A. in Liberal Arts; M.A. in music theory and pedagogy; B.A. in Secondary Education
  Current employment: Administrative Director for the Center for Health and Human Development; Member, Association of Fundraising Professionals

  Heather Patterson, Postsecondary Leadership, 1st year
  Research interests: Spaces of a university environment where the boundaries of leadership are more permeable between academic and student affairs responsibilities, such as academic advising, learning communities, and student transitional times
  Additional degrees: M.S. in Higher Education Administration, Syracuse University; B.A. in Psychology, Ohio State University
  Current employment: Academic & Career Advisor, JMU

  Lori Pyle, Postsecondary Leadership, 4th year 
  Research interests: student development, moral and ethical development, authentic leadership, organizational change
  Additional degrees: B.S. in Psychology, and an M.B.A., with a concentration in Health Care Administration
Current employment: Information Systems Business Analyst, JMU

  Jennifer Rau, Postsecondary Leadership, 2nd year
  Research interests: Student leadership, integration of academic coursework and co-curricular activities surrounding leadership, long-term assessment of student learning
  Additional degrees: B.S. in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism, University of Florida; Master of Education (concentration in College Student Affairs), University of South Florida
  Current employment: Doctoral Assistant, School of Strategic Leadership Studies, JMU

  Nick Rau, Postsecondary Leadership, 2nd year
  Research interests: business management of post-secondary education, with a specific interest on government funding and alumni engagement.
  Additional degrees: B.A. in Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro; Master of Education (concentration in College Student Affairs), University of South Florida
  Current employment: Doctoral Assistant, Office of the Vice Provost of Research and Public Service, JMU

  Chris Rehm, Educational (K-12) Leadership, 3rd year
  Research interests: Training adolescent student leaders
  Additional degrees: B.A. in History, B.B.A. in Business: Operations and Information Technology, William and Mary; M.Ed., Curry School of Education at UVA
  Current employment: Associate Head of School, Middleburg Academy in Middleburg, VA

  Theresa Reimbold, Nonprofit & Community Leadership, 1st year
  Research Interests: Philanthropy in corporations, nonprofit organizational development
  Additional degrees: Masters in Public Administration (concentration: NonProfit Management) & Masters in Public Policy, George Mason University; Masters in Business Administration, JMU; B.S. in Criminal Justice & Legal Studies, University of Central Florida
Current employment: Capture Manager, Lockheed Martin

  Kelly Rooney, Educational (K-12) Leadership
  Research interests:  university laboratory schools, pre-service teacher preparation, integrated curriculum, early childhood inclusion models, classroom management through relationship building and guidance
  Additional degrees: B.S. in Psychology and Early Childhood Education, M.Ed. in Educational Leadership (K-12)
  Current employment: Master Teacher, JMU Young Children’s Program.  Teach or have taught the following classes in the College of Education- ELED 641: Families, Schools & Communities and ECED 372: Introduction to Early Childhood Education

  Grant Rosen, Nonprofit & Community Leadership, 3rd year
  Research interests: Governance, board development, nonprofit leadership development and management
  Additional degrees: BBA-Management, Dalton State College, Dalton GA; M.B.A. Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw
  Current employment:  Doctoral Assistant, School of Strategic Leadership Studies, JMU; Adjunct Faculty, JMU (Nonprofit Management)

  Cathy Snyder, Postsecondary Leadership, 2nd year
  Research Interests: First generation college student readiness, retention, and leadership; financial aid/student debt management; freshman advising and its impact on the above
  Additional degrees: MBA, JMU; B.S. Business Administration, Liberty University; Post-Master's Certificate, CSPA, JMU
  Current employment: JMU College of Business; Lecturer, Marketing Dep't/General Education

 

  Michael Thelk, Nonprofit & Community Leadership, 1st year
  Research Interests: Private-public partnerships, international nonprofit organizations
  Additional degrees: M.S. in Rehabilitation Counseling, West Virginia University; B.A. in Psychology, California University of Pennsylvania
  Current employment: Rehabilitation Counseling, VA Dept. for Aging and Rehabilitation Services

  Laura Trull, Nonprofit & Community Leadership, 3rd year
  Research interests: Nonprofit governance and community engagement with a secondary interest in early childhood and anti-poverty programs
  Additional degrees: Bachelor's in Social Work, JMU; Master's in Social Work, University of Minnesota.  
  Current employment: Training and Technical Assistance Provider to Head Start Grantees in VA, WV, DC, MD, DE and PA on the government contract with ICF International

 

  Kera Ware, Nonprofit & Community Leadership





  Sue Wright, Educational (K-12) Leadership, 1st year
  Research Interests: The success of charter schools; the business of public education; are the more successful superintendents educators or CEOs?   
  Additional Degrees: BA in Music, Bridgewater College, M.Ed. in Supervision and Administration, UVA
  Current employment: Director of Instruction, Waynesboro Public Schools

  Julie Zook, Educational (K-12) Leadership, 1st year
  Research interests:  Student-Teacher Relationships and Student success; Assistant Principal and Principal leadership development
  Degrees:  B.A in Spanish and Secondary Education, JMU; Master Degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, UVa. 
  Current Employment:  Principal, William Perry Elementary School in Waynesboro, Virginia