Northwest Missouri State University/University of Missouri Doctoral
Graduates (1997 -2007)
Summary of NW Doctoral Graduates by Name (Position Title and Location) and by Doctoral Dissertation Title (all caps), as directed by Drs. Frank
Grispino, Joyce Piveral and Phillip Messner Department of Educational
Leadership and numerous other doctoral adjunct faculty.
GRADUATES FROM COHORT #1
Dr. Paul Barger (Superintendent of Schools Brookfield R-III School District in Brookfield, MO)
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LOCAL STAFF DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMS IN SCHOOLS IMPLEMENTING THE A+ SCHOOLS
INITIATIVE
Dr. Carol Edmonds (Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership at
Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, MO)
THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE MSIP CURRICULUM STANDARD
EVALUATION PROCESS AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Dr. Regina Knott (Elementary Principal South Harrison R-II in Bethany,
MO)
THE PREDICTIVE POWER OF CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION
INTO THE MISSOURI STATEWIDE DOCTORAL COHORT PROGRAM
Dr. Joyce Piveral (Department Chair and Assistant Professor of Educational
Leadership at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, MO)
QUALITY AND IMPACT OF PERFORMANCE BASED
TEACHER EVALUATIONS AS PERCEIVED BY ADMINISTRATORS
AND TEACHERS PARTICIPATING IN A PILOT PROGRAM
Dr. Kent Porterfield (Vice President of Student Affairs St. Louis University in St. Louis, MO)
IMPACT OF RESIDENTIAL LIFE PROGRAM PARTICIPATION
ON THE TASK AND LIFESTYLE DEVELOPMENT OF TRADITIONAL
COLLEGE SENIORS
Dr. Dave Richards (Registrar Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in
North Kansas City, MO)

PREDICTORS OF FINANCIAL HEALTH IN RELIGIOUS
HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
Dr. Cherry Stucky (Associate Dean at Hillsboro College in Hillsboro KS)
DEVELOPMENT OF AN INSTRUMENT TO MEASURE
PERCEPTIONS OF PATH-GOAL LEADER BEHAVIORS IN ACSI
CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS
GRADUATES FROM COHORT #2
Dr. Kris Alexander (Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership at
Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, MO)
POWER FACTORS THAT DEFINE GENDER INEQUITY WITHIN
THE MISSOURI PUBLIC SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENCY
Dr. Shelly Hiatt (Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology at
Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, MO)
THE MEASUREMENT OF NEED FOR PRE-KINDERGARTEN
GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING IN MISSOURI: A PILOT STUDY
Dr. Bruce Johnson (Superintendent of Schools Stanberry R-III School
District in Stanberry, MO)
THE EFFECT OF LINE 14 (AT RISK) FUNDS ON FINANCIAL
EQUITY IN THE MISSOURI FOUNDATION FORMULA
Dr. Sharon Kosek (Educational Consultant)
NEW TEACHER INDUCTION PRACTICES WITHIN A
SELECTED MISSOURI PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
Dr. Dee Moore (Assistant Director Northland Career Center Platte City
Public School District in Platte City, MO)
THE IMPACT OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF CHARACTER EDUCATION PRINCIPLES
INTO MISSOURI CHARACTER PLUS PROJECT SCHOOLS
Dr. Linda Stenger (Mathematics Teacher North Kansas City School District in North Kansas City, MO)

AYP BUILDING LEVEL ACCOUNTABILITY PROFILES:
MISSOURI PUBLIC SCHOOLS 2004-2005
Dr. Bart Tatum (Head Football Coach Missouri Southern State University in
Joplin, MO)
THE IMPACT OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC
PARTICIPATION ON PERSONAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF
COLLEGE JUNIORS AND SENIORS
Dr. Andrea Taylor-Wood (Director of the MSIP Program at the Missouri
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in Jefferson City, MO)
CONSTRUCTION OF A PREDICTIVE MODEL BETWEEN
LOCAL AND STATE ACHIEVEMENT ASSESSMENTS
Dr. Gary Ury (Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership at Northwest
Missouri State University in Maryville, MO)
MISSOURI SCHOOL PRINCIPALS’ COMPUTER USAGE AND
THEIR CONFORMITY TO TECHNOLOGY STANDARDS
Dr. "Y" Victoria Wacek (Chair, Developmental Mathematics Department at
Ivy Tech Community College in Central, IN)
A STUDY OF POLICIES AND PRACTICES OF
DEVELOPMENTAL MATHEMATICS PROGRAMS IN THE PUBLIC
FOUR-YEAR INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN MISSOURI
Dr. Teresa Wasonga (Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership at
Northern Illinois State University in Chicago, IL)
EFFECTS OF THE STRUCTURE OF SOCIAL NETWORKS,
RESILIENCE AND BELIEFS ON INDIVIDUAL ACADEMIC
ACHIEVEMENT IN AN URBAN SCHOOL DISTRICT
Dr. Dorothy Winslow (Principal at Farmington Middle School in
Farmington, MO)
TEACHER PERCEPTIONS ABOUT WHAT TRANSPIRES
DURING MIDDLE SCHOOL ADVISORY DISCUSSIONS
GRADUATES FROM COHORT #3
Dr. Dorothy Benson (Superintendent at the Braymer C-4 School District in
Braymer, MO)

SMALL RURAL MISSOURI PUBLIC SCHOOL FEMALE
SUPERINTENDENT CAREER STORIES: AN EXPLORATION OF
GUIDING COMPASSES
Dr. Carol Cowles (Dean of Students at Elgin Community College in
Chicago, IL)
CONVERSATIONS WITH UNDER-PREPARED UNIVERSITY
STUDENTS: A CASE STUDY WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR IMPROVED
ADMISSION, RETENTION, AND GRADUATION
Dr. Donald Ehlers (Co-Director and Minister at the Wesley Foundation in
Maryville, MO)
THE IMPACT OF A CAMPUS MINISTRY BASED INTERNSHIP
PROGRAM ON VOCATIONAL CHOICE: A CASE STUDY
Dr. Marjean Ehlers (Co-Director and Minister at the Wesley Foundation in
Maryville, MO)
PROTESTANT CLERGY LEADER CONVERSATIONS TO
IDENTIFY EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP TRAITS
Dr. Douglas Hawley (Assistant Professor of Computer Science at William
Jewel College in Liberty MO)
THE INFLUENCE OF DEVELOPING A WEB-BASED COURSE
ON UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR CLASSROOM INSTRUCTIONAL
TECHNIQUES AS MEASURED BY THE MTQ
Dr. Bill Hedge (Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership at Northwest
Missouri State University in Maryville, MO)
A SURVEY OF ELEMENTARY TEACHER ATTITUDES,
PERCEPTIONS AND KNOWLEDGE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE
LANGUAGE USAGE IN FOURTH GRADE SCHOOL CLASSROOMS
Dr. Sandra Pettit (Executive Director of SuccessLink in Kansas City, MO)
THE INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICE SELECTION PROCESS AS
PERCEIVED BY COMMUNICATION ARTS TEACHERS IN MISSOURI
PUBLIC MIDDLE SCHOOLS
GRADUATES FROM COHORT #4

Dr. Leslie Galbreath (Director of the Talent Center, Northwest Missouri
State University, Maryville, MO)
TRACKING PUBLIC POST-SECONDARY ENROLLMENT PATTERNS
OF MISSOURI A+ PROGRAM-ELIGIBLE GRADUATES
Dr. Jay Jones (Director of Bands at the Wilson Center for the Performing
Arts in Platte County R-III Public School District in Platte City, MO)
ASSESSING UNIVERSITY STUDENT TEACHER
PREPAREDNESS USING AN INTERVENTION FOCUSED DIALOGIC
EVALUATION MODEL: A QUALITATIVE APPROACH TO
ENHANCING TEACHER EDUCATION
Dr. Melody Smith (Superintendent of Schools, St. Joseph, MO)
PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES OF THE SLPS TO DETERMINE
MO SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT PERCEPTIONS ABOUT ISLLC
STANDARDS PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
Dr. Matt Symonds (Assistant Professor of Health, Physical Education,
Recreation and Dance at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville,
MO)
INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS PARTICIPATION IMPACT
ON ENGAGEMENT IN EDUCATIONALLY PURPOSEFUL
ACTIVITIES
Dr. Sharon Weiser (Psychology Instructor and Accreditation Officer at
Highland Community College in Highland, KS)
COMMUNITY COLLEGE FULL-TIME OR PART-TIME
FACULTY CHARACTERISTICS: A CASE STUDY OF QUALITY
INDICATORS
COHORT #5 IS TAKING THEIR COMPREHENSIVE EXAMS AND
WILL BEGIN DISSERTATION WORK FALL 2007
COHORT #6 IS GOING THROUGH THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS
AND WILL BEGIN COURSEWORK SUMMER 2007