ISU College of Education Faculty and Students Lead and Inspire at the 42nd Annual NRMERA Conference

Faculty and students represented ISU’s College of Education as leaders in educational research and practice at the 42nd annual Northern Rocky Mountain Education Research Association (NRMERA) conference, held at the beginning of October in Salt Lake City.

The Teaching and Educational Studies department was well-represented with Suzanne Beasterfield, clinical assistant professor, serving as president of NRMERA and Amanda Eller, Ph.D, clinical professor and chair, serving as program chair and communications manager for NRMERA. Corey Bartle, Ph.D, clinical assistant professor, and Kaywin Cottle, clinical instructor, assisted on-site as part of the Program Committee, keeping things running behind the scenes. Other faculty and students also attended and presented throughout the conference.

Founded in 1984, NRMERA is based in the Rocky Mountain West, but is welcoming to all researchers and educators who wish to be a part. They are hosts to a yearly conference and publish a peer-reviewed journal, Educational Research: Theory and Practice. They provide an environment where graduate and undergraduate student researchers and distinguished faculty members can support each other, present research, and learn from one another.

Not only does this conference provide an opportunity for faculty and students to showcase their research, but it also brings them together to network and learn from other institutions.

“It’s a great place to hear important and interesting educational research in an environment that is kind and inviting,” Beasterfield said.

This year, there were over 80 presentations on a wide range of subjects in educational research, including several aligned to the conference’s theme of “Education = Hope.” Among these were topics covering indigenous education, exploring how collaborating across disciplines enhances effectiveness, AI in education, social and emotional learning, and supporting graduate researchers. 

They also took the opportunity to honor the Shoshone Native American tribes.

“One thing I’m proud of this year was that, instead of a simple land acknowledgement, I asked a member of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone to come and talk to us about the history of the land where we were having our conference,” Beasterfield said. “I felt like this was an important addition to the conference presentations.”

ISU faculty have been involved with the NRMERA for more than two decades and have been serving in various capacities on the Executive Board for the last 11 years. This year, ISU was represented by 13 College of Education faculty and students.

“To have four faculty members directly involved in planning and implementing the conference, to the additional faculty members presenting with students, NRMERA is an amazing organization of professional educators seeking to make a difference in the lives of students,” said Emma Wood, Ph.D, assistant dean for Educator Preparation. 

For more information on NRMERA, please visit www.nrmera.org.