College of Education and Professional Studies Research
Our faculty are advancing knowledge and practice across disciplines through a wide spectrum of scholarly activity. Their work bridges theoretical research, applied studies, funded projects, and public scholarship, demonstrating our commitment to impact at local, national, and global levels.
Research Articles:
Scholars publish in leading journals to advance knowledge.
Dr. Shelly Bates in Recreation Therapy - “Melodies of Memory: Daily Familiar Music to Decrease Apathy” in Activities, Adaptation & Aging
Dr. Danny McCarty in Mental Health Counseling - “Promoting social emotional learning through adventure therapy groups: A pilot study” in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Counseling
Dr. Kelly Byrd in Mathematics Education - "Using asynchronous training and emailed performance feedback to change a teaching behavior of preservice teachers. " in Remedial and Special Education
Dr. Neil Schwarz and Dr. Ryan Colquhoun in Exercise Science - "Salidroside and exercise performance in healthy active young adults." Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
Dr. Shenghua Zha in Instructional Design & Development and STEM Education - "A Case
Study of Integrating AI Literacy Education in a Biology Class" International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education
Dr. Thomas Adams in Interdisciplinary Studies and History - "Aestheticizing History,
Erasing Labor: Looking for Work on the Redeveloped New Orleans Waterfront." Studies in History and Theory of Architecture
Dr. Abbie Baxter & Dr. Linda Reeves in Special Education - "Qualitative Analysis of Peer Mentoring in an Inclusive Postsecondary Education Program for Students with Intellectual Disabilities." Journal of Inclusive Post Secondary Education
Dr. Yvette Getch in Rehabilitation Counseling - "Teachers’ comfort in managing asthma: A two-state study." Allergies https://doi.org/10.3390/allergies4040013
Books & Chapters: Faculty shape broader disciplinary conversations.
Example: Dr. Tres Stefurak co-authored a chapter on “Mixed methods research and pluralism
in social and psychological sciences” in A Quarter Century of Psychological Methodology
(Guilford Press), demonstrating leadership in methodological scholarship
Example: Chris Keshock’s book chapter “Mobile, Alabama the (S)Port City?” in Governance
in Sport (2nd ed.) illustrates applied research in sport tourism and city branding.
Funded Research: Competitive grants drive innovation and outreach.
Example: PASSAGE USA Expansion grant is a $2.3M federal grant for inclusive education for college students with intellectual disabilities spearheaded by Dr. Abigail Baxter and Dr. Linda Reeves
Example: Shenghua Zha’s NSF-supported project “Preparing Elementary Pre-Service Teachers to Integrate Computing Across the Curriculum” ($299K) integrates AI and literacy into teacher education .
Together, these contributions highlight a vibrant culture of inquiry and innovation that defines our college.