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School Psychology and Educational Leadership

As a graduate student in School Psychology or Educational Leadership, you will participate in a program designed to advance your professional goals and career opportunities. Individualized support from department faculty ensures classroom learning is relevant to your current position while building knowledge and skill for future job opportunities. In schools, colleges, and universities everywhere our graduates with advanced degrees are making a positive difference! 
 
Complete your program from any location! All programs are delivered to students using distance and virtual technologies.

Welcome our new SPEL Faculty & GTA

Jennifer Blaney

Jennifer M. Blaney, Ph.D.

Jennifer is joining Idaho State University as an Assistant Professor of Higher Education. Before joining the faculty at Idaho State, she worked as a postdoctoral scholar at Utah State University and as the Senior Data Manager on the BRAID Research Project, a study of equity in undergraduate computing. She earned her Ph.D. in Higher Education and Organizational Change with a concentration in Gender Studies from UCLA, where her dissertation explored how gender shapes undergraduate student leadership development in computing and technology.

More broadly, her research interests relate to gender equity and college student development in male-dominated STEM fields with a focus on feminist research methodologies. Her research has been published in leading higher education and computing education journals including The Review of Higher Education, Computer Science Education, and the Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering. 


Website URL: https://www.jenniferblaney.com/

Yanchen

Yanchen "Chad" Zhang, Ph.D.

Yanchen is from China where he majored in Clinical Psychology with a minor in Computer Science. Yanchen's current research interests include Implementation Science, Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs) for social/emotional/behavioral needs, innovative technologies to facilitate the translation of EBPs into routine practices in schools, advanced statistics/methodology (proficient in SPSS, AMOS, R, LISREL, Mplus, HLM, VB, Stata, Tableau, etc.), and international school psychology (cross-cultural translation of EBPs).

He is motivated to conduct applied research employing rigorous methods and advanced statistics to develop, evaluate, and study the implementation of practical and effective tools and interventions to inform efforts to promote the social, emotional and behavioral well-being of students, parents, and educators. He has numerous peer-reviewed publications and national/international presentations.

Yanchen is fluent in English & Chinese, with basic proficiency in Japanese. With a strong belief in interdisciplinary research, he sincerely welcomes & appreciates any collaboration opportunities from any fields.

Kurt Schiess

Kurt Schiess

I'm a seeking my Ed.D in Educational Leadership with and an emphasis in Higher Education Administration.  I have a Masters of Science in Athletic Training and a BA in Sport Management.  I enjoy doing various indoor and outdoor activities with my wife and three children.