The PhD program in Education and Leadership (PhDEL) is Pacific University’s first inter-professional graduate program, offering a joint-degree creatively designed by the College of Education and the College of Health Professions for the 21st century working professional. With a strong emphasis on evidence-based practice, this program explores themes and issues about the meaning of leadership and learning, and strategies to lead in a time of dynamic global change.
The curriculum encourages students to explore the role of technology in forming and supporting leaders and creating new distributed communities where leaders can gather and learn from each other across temporal and geographic environments.
The program has a contemporary approach to building an inter-professional virtual community of inquiry, offering students a collaborative, applied design to research, which has demonstrated success among adult learners who bring expertise from the field.
This scholarship-based program will produce leaders in their respective fields who are academically prepared to make future innovative contributions to the body of knowledge and pedagogy to influence practice and effect change within their own settings. Courses are offered online two nights weekly over fall, spring, and summer.
Students fulfill the low residency program requirement by coming to campus for one week each January to attend a formative applied, evidence-based research conference, which provides a rich opportunity to collaborate, showcase their current research, and learn about innovative inter-professional practices across diverse contexts.
Explore the role of technology in forming and supporting leaders, and engaging in new distributed community of inquiry where leaders, scholars, and educators gather and learn from each other across temporal and geographic environments. Students participate in weekly online synchronous sessions.
Matt Ellis is the current Superintendent of Prosser School District. Ellis received his Bachelor’s of Science from Oregon State University (OSU) in 2005. While attending OSU, he was also a Pac-10 Champion in Wrestling. After receiving his Bachelor’s, Ellis attended the University of the Cumberlands, where he earned his Master’s in Arts of Teaching in […]
My name is Eric. I work as a clinical instructor and audiologist for the Head & Neck Surgery department at the University of Washington Medical Center. I have been in this role since 2011. I function as a clinical teacher for audiology students and medical residents and also provide direct patient care. I also lecture […]
Greetings! My name is Kate Chester, and I am the director of public relations and community engagement for Portland Community College. I’ve worked at the college for 11 years; prior to PCC, I managed public affairs for Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, and before that worked as a television publicist with The Lippin Group, based […]
Hello, my name is Alyssa Nestler. I am very excited about joining this learning community. I started in education about twelve years ago. I began as an early childhood education home visitor, giving parents and families in crisis resources and support. I moved into K-12 public education as a classroom educator with the Springfield School […]
I am a high school associate principal and athletic director in Vancouver, WA. Before moving into administration, I was a math teacher and football and track coach. I attended Oregon State University for undergrad, Lewis & Clark College for my master’s, and the University of Portland to earn my administrator’s license. I am interested in […]
Erin Edwards received her Bachelor’s in Speech-Language Pathology/Audiology from Loyola University Maryland, and her Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) from Towson University. She is a clinical audiologist specializing in cochlear implants, and an adjunct faculty member at Towson University. She enjoys cooking, teaching group exercise classes, and spending time in Baltimore with her husband and dog, […]
Hello, my name is Emmanuel Luvert. I am currently a lead teacher at two correctional facilities in Oregon, where I am tasked with managing and implementing the education program for two correctional facilities. I attended the University of Oregon for my undergrad and Pacific University for my masters. Before going into education, I was a […]
Hello! My name is Cristina Trejo. I live in Mission Texas. I currently serve as the Associate VP for Community Engagement and Economic Development at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. I did my undergraduate studies at the University of Texas at El Paso and my graduate studies at the University of Houston. I […]
Hello! My name is Dani Depuy-Grobbel and I am excited to be a part of the PhDEL cohort. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area (and will forever love my Niners)! I also love my two fur-babies (my dogs, Buster and Higgins) who I know will emotionally support my educational journey by helping […]
