Student Awards Presented at 2026 GSEHD Commencement Ceremony
- DEPARTMENT OF COUNSELING AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
- Chi Sigma Iota Outstanding Counseling Student Award is presented to a Chi Sigma Iota graduate student who has displayed excellence in academics, the field of counseling, and has shown leadership in both the classroom and experiential settings.
- Recipient: Taneshia Gray
- Chris Erickson Mental Health Service Advocacy Award was named in honor of Dr. Chris Erickson, a late faculty member who was deeply committed to the provision of quality care to all people with severe mental illnesses. This recognition is awarded to a graduate of the counseling program who shares her passion for working with these special clients.
- Recipient: Adebona Busari
- Clemmont E. Vontress Cross-Cultural Award recognizes a graduating counseling student who is best known for dedication to the promotion of cross-cultural understanding, social justice, and racial harmony.
- Recipient: Fisher S. Ilijasic
- Donald C. Linkowski Award for Outstanding Scholarship in Rehabilitation Counseling is presented to a rehabilitation counseling graduate who demonstrates a commitment to advancing the field through leadership, consumer advocacy, and promoting consumer welfare through vocational rehabilitation services. Recipient: Jordan R. Landsman Harry Grubb Detwiler Memorial Award recognizes the student who is best known for outstanding achievement, professionalism, and dedication in the field of counseling.
- Recipient: Adebona Busari
- Harry Grubb Detwiler Memorial Award recognizes the student who is best known for outstanding achievement, professionalism, and dedication in the field of counseling.
- Recipient: Gabrielle M. Holloway
- Chi Sigma Iota Outstanding Counseling Student Award is presented to a Chi Sigma Iota graduate student who has displayed excellence in academics, the field of counseling, and has shown leadership in both the classroom and experiential settings.
- DEPARTMENT OF CURRICULUM AND PEDAGOGY
- Elementary Education Program Award recognizes outstanding development as a graduate student in the field of elementary education.
- Recipient: Jane Brennan
- Hertz Sylven Seid Beck Elementary Education Prize recognizes an outstanding student who comes from an underrepresented population and is a leader in the field of elementary education.
- Recipient: Sanai E. Joyce
- Elementary Education Program Award recognizes outstanding development as a graduate student in the field of elementary education.
- DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
- Doris and Sam Buchalter Museum Education Prize recognizes a graduating student who exemplifies a love of learning and teaching.
- Recipient: Annabelle R. Paiva
- Dorothy A. Moore Award in International Education recognizes outstanding leadership in the field of international education.
- Recipient: Ainara Hidalgo Ferreras
- Henry Willett Scholarship Award recognizes academic achievement and leadership abilities. To receive this award, students must demonstrate a positive attitude in their leadership goals and maintain a record of academic excellence throughout their program.
- Recipient: Amanda Y. Deebrah
- Dr. James H. Williams International Education for Development Award recognizes a student who personifies international education as development - as an individual, community, national and international, and commitment to the marginalized among us.
- Recipients: Mu-Yen (MaryAnn) Chiu and Megan E. Ward
- Jere Trout Award in Educational Technology Leadership recognizes outstanding work in the field of educational technology leadership.
- Recipient: Pamela Reinders
- Marcella Brenner Museum Education Award recognizes merit, encompassing academic performance and leadership/service while in the museum education program, as well as potential for contributing to the field of museum education.
- Recipient: Tan Tran
- Nakyuin Shin International Education Award recognizes outstanding academic and professional contributions to the field of international education.
- Recipients: Megan M. Blackman and Mia T. Robinson
- Rossetta A. and Sadie B. Feldman Museum Education Award recognizes merit, encompassing cultural advocacy and academic performance while in the Museum Education Program, as well as promise for contributing to the field of museum education through leadership.
- Recipient: Jonathan L. Rosenblum
- Research Engagement Award recognizes extraordinary student commitment to research, innovation, and scholarly output of the Refugee Educational Advancement Laboratory and the Global Education Laboratory.
- Recipients: Isabelle F. Cooksey and Olivia E. Dunn
- Doris and Sam Buchalter Museum Education Prize recognizes a graduating student who exemplifies a love of learning and teaching.
- DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN AND ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING
- Leonard Nadler Leadership Award recognizes students in the organizational leadership and learning master’s program who have demonstrated academic excellence and leadership and have also contributed to the collaborative learning process both within and outside the classroom.
- Recipients: Jennifer H. Corsini and Zainab Zainy
- Leonard Nadler Leadership Award recognizes students in the organizational leadership and learning master’s program who have demonstrated academic excellence and leadership and have also contributed to the collaborative learning process both within and outside the classroom.
- DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND DISABILITY STUDIES
- Bertice Cornish Award in Early Childhood Special Education recognizes outstanding performance in the early childhood special education master’s degree program.
- Recipient: Jamal Berry
- The Culturally Responsive Special Education Award recognizes an outstanding student in the field of culturally and linguistically diverse special education.
- Recipient: Antonio Ellis
- Perry Botwin Award in Special Education recognizes outstanding development as a graduate student in the field of special education.
- Recipient: Hannah M. Simpson
- Rita Ives Award recognizes outstanding performance as a professional in the field of emotional and behavioral disabilities.
- Recipient: Dr. Karen Ihrig
- Bertice Cornish Award in Early Childhood Special Education recognizes outstanding performance in the early childhood special education master’s degree program.
Feature Stories
Additional Student News
June
- Doctoral student Vicky Lee (PhD in Education, Human-Technology Collaboration), along with Dr. Natalie Milman presented the paper, "Feminist theory, feminist pedagogy, and the ethics of care in online higher education teaching and learning," at the Open/Technology for Education, Society, and Scholarship Association Conference in Santa Fe, NM.
April
- Doctoral student Vicky Lee (Ph.D. in Education, Human-Technology Collaboration concentration) published a book review of Learning Analytics Enhanced Online Learning Support, in Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning. She thanked Dr. Natalie Milman and Dr. Jonathan Eakle for their support and guidance, saying, "I am so grateful for the feedback you have given me to make this article publishable. I learned a lot throughout the process, and am excited to keep up with the momentum as I continue to work on current and future projects."
- Doctoral student Doo Rhee Lee (PhD in Education, Comparative and International Education concentration) has received a Summer 2026 Research grant from the GW Sigur Center for Asian Studies for his project, “Assets or Obstacles? Inclusion Policy and Realities for Migrant-Background Students in South Korea.” The research examines how national education policies and school-level practices shape the experiences of migrant-background students, with a focus on understanding both the opportunities and challenges they encounter.
- Doctoral student Lester Wu (Counseling), master’s student Eleanore Yarbrough (Rehabilitation Counseling), and doctoral student DJ Ralston (Human and Organizational Learning) along with Dr. Ken Hergenrather, Dr. Nichole Tichy, and Dr. Maureen McGuire-Kuletz, co-authored the article entitled, "Persons With Disabilities and Social Equity in the Research Process: A Systematic Review of Community-Based Participatory Research Within Disability Communities," in Rehabilitation Counselors and Educators Journal.
- Doctoral candidate InJung Cho (Ph.D. in Education, Comparative and International Education concentration) received the 2026 East Asia SIG Graduate Student Travel Award at the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) 2026 Conference.
- Doctoral student Haley Lowe (Curriculum and Instruction) has been selected to participate in the Alexandria (VA) Chamber of Commerce's Leadership Alexandria program. The nine-month program connects, educates, and inspires community leaders through exclusive access to Alexandria’s most influential institutions, professional development opportunities, and peer collaboration. Ms. Lowe is the program coordinator for Virginia Tech's K-12 Initiatives in the greater Washington, D.C., area.
March
- Master's student Nanako Tojo (Higher Education Administration) was a featured Storyteller at the OneGW Community Summit. She spoke during the Lunch Community Session: Imagining Otherwise: Choosing Love and Connection in Uncertain Times. After her talk, she said, "The audience who are mostly student affairs professionals and some students at GW attentively listened to me. Some listeners told me that they got a perspective that they never thought of before, and they wanted to use the learning in their advising and teaching. I am glad about the comments and my achievement." Ms. Tojo is an international student from Japan.
- Master's student Nanako Tojo (Higher Education Administration) published a post titled, "The Weight of Silence: Revealing the Inner Conversation of an International Graduate Student," for ACPA-College Student Educators International. Ms. Tojo, who is Japanese, reflects on her personal struggles with academic participation in the U.S. to highlight the "weight of silence" felt by international students and to advocate for the implementation of culturally relevant support by higher education practitioners.
- Master's student Ali Schalop (Education Policy) published an article in NEA Today titled, "The Discipline Gap That No One is Tracking."
February
- Ph.D. candidate InJung Cho (Comparative and International Education) published an article titled, “From Streets to Classrooms: Exploring Urban Slum Children’s Identity Development in Jakarta’s Non-formal Education Spaces,” in the International Journal of Educational Development. Adopting photovoice as a participatory visual methodology, the article examines how slum-dwelling children in Jakarta make sense of their experiences in non-formal education spaces through interactions with social actors and material objects that mediate children’s identity development.
- Josie Pemberton (master's, Rehabilitation Counseling) received the Pennsylvania Rehabilitation Association's Graduate Student Award for Leadership. The award honors a graduate student who has made a substantial contribution to the field of rehabilitation in the area of direct service. Ms. Pemberton is a Behavioral Health Technician at Pennsylvania Comprehensive Behavioral Health Services in York, PA. Dr. Robert Froehlich nominated her for this student award.
- Master's student Ali Schalop (Education Policy) published an article in NEA Today. Her piece, "Americans Want Scientific Research. The Government Cut It Anyway," cites recent polling from Pew that suggests all Americans, regardless of political party, want the federal government to invest in scientific research at the higher education level.
January
- Aljawharah Aljunaydil (Special Education and Disability Studies doctoral candidate), Tiombe Ewing (SEDS doctoral student), alumna Dr. Karly Ball Isaacson (Ph.D. in Education, Education and Inequality concentration), together with Dr. Elisabeth Kutscher and Dr. Maxine Freund published the article,"How Universities Prepare Disabled College Students for Employment: Disability Service Professionals’ Perspectives," in the Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability.
- Doctoral student Mindy Galván (Higher Education Administration) is the new President of the GW Staff Council. Ms. Galván is the Associate Director of Admissions and Recruitment at the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration.
- Dr. Mina Attia and counseling doctoral students Shiyu Tang and Lester Wu published an article titled, “Vicarious Trauma and Secondary Traumatic Stress Experiences of Helping Professionals,” in the International Journal of Migration, Health, and Social Care.
- GSEHD master's student Tan Tran (Museum Education) was selected to receive the 2025-2026 Marcella Brenner Endowment for Museum Education Award. This award was given as a reflection of his academic performance and leadership/service, and honors the legacy of Dr. Marcella Brenner, a pioneering museum education expert who founded GW's Museum Education Program.
- PhD candidate InJung Cho (Comparative and International Education) received the 2026 Comparative & International Education Society (CIES) East Asia SIG Graduate Student Travel Award for her presentation proposal, "Exploring Public Perceptions and Media Representations of People with Displaced and Refugee Backgrounds and Their Education in South Korea." The award recognizes outstanding proposals and supports graduate students presenting at the annual CIES conference. The award ceremony will take place during the 2026 CIES Annual Conference in San Francisco.