Research & Engagement

The School of Education and Human Development prepares students to be thought leaders through service, professional training and research opportunities. Learn more about research and community engagement activities and events below.

Saint Joseph’s University’s Summer Scholars Program is for students who are interested in conducting research alongside a faculty mentor. The program allows students currently enrolled in undergraduate and five-year programs (such as our 4+1 programs in education) to engage in summer research with our expert faculty whose scholarship is informed by the latest research and industry best practices. Recent research includes:

• Mentoring and literacy instruction for youth in the school-to-prison pipeline
• Diversity in the English Language Arts curriculum
• Social-emotional assistive technology for neurodiverse preschoolers
• The effects of virtual reality biking as an exercise option for individuals with autism

Faculty members in SEHD are scholar-practitioners who are eager to apply their knowledge and experience to the classroom and mentor students throughout their courses and field experiences. They are experts in their fields and have published in highly respected journals such as the Journal of Special Education Technology; Journal of Allied Health; Race, Ethnicity and Education; Journal of Family Diversity in Education; Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership and Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement.

Learn more about our faculty’s research and expertise:

• Department of Educational Leadership Faculty
• Department of Special Education Faculty
• Department of Teacher Education Faculty

Launched in 2014, this annual conference brings together scholars and practitioners to address urgent issues related to education, mental and behavioral health, and inclusion and belonging. The conference also features poster presentations by dissertation-stage students in the EdD program, and the awarding of the Raymond Horn Scholar Practitioner Award.

Past conference themes include:

• 2022: Disrupting Institutional Bias: Conversations About Leadership for Justice
• 2021: Cura Personalis: Leadership Strategies for Fostering Equitable Social and Emotional Well-Being
• 2020: What Now? Promising Strategies for Supporting Mental Health