NC State Education Names 2019 ECMC Foundation Fellows for Postsecondary Career and Technical Education Research

Sixteen research fellows from institutions across the nation have been selected to participate in the CTE Research Program at North Carolina State University–Sponsored by ECMC Foundation. Known as ECMC Foundation Fellows, the researchers selected for this program will participate in two training institutes, webinars on research methods, and a convening focusing on postsecondary CTE.

The 2019 ECMC Foundation Postsecondary CTE Research Fellows and their sponsors are listed below:

• Monique Corral, sponsored by Dr. Tyrone Howard at the University of California, Los Angeles
• Jeffrey D. Holmes, Ed.D., sponsored by Dr. Mary Gallagher at Los Angeles City College
• Shirley “Sam” Mabini, Ph.D., sponsored by Dr. Frankie S. Laanan at the University of Alabama
• Lisa M. Martino, Ph.D., sponsored by Dr. RoSusan Bartee at the University of Central Florida
• Paul-Arthur Pierre-Louis, Ph.D., sponsored by Dr. James E. Bartlett II at NC State University
• Jodi Coffee Adams, sponsored by Dr. Jeffrey C. Sun at the University of Louisville
• Adam K. Atwell, sponsored by Dr. Mark D’Amico at the University of North Carolina – Charlotte
• Maggie P. Fay, sponsored by Dr. Paul Attewell at the City University of New York
• Chris S. Lemon, sponsored by Dr. Eugene Theodore Parker III at the University of Kansas
• Sara A. Shaw, sponsored by Dr. Howard R. D. Gordon at the University of Nevada – Las Vegas
• Linda Van Doren, sponsored by Dr. Scott Bauer at the University of Colorado- Denver
• Walt Ecton, sponsored by Dr. Shaun Dougherty at Vanderbilt University
• Adriane D. Graham, sponsored by Dr. Mickey Kosloski at Old Dominion University
• Laura G. Maldonado, sponsored by Dr. Audrey J. Jaeger at NC State University
• Sabrina A. Miller, sponsored by Dr. Patricia McDonough at the University of California, Los Angeles
• David E. Wilson, sponsored by Dr. James Bartlett at NC State University

For bios, photos and project descriptions for the ECMC Foundation Fellows, visit go.ncsu.edu/2019fellows.

All fellows will complete a research project focusing on postsecondary CTE and address topics including student success, labor market outcomes, business and industry partnerships, work-based learning, apprenticeships, transfer success, completion, and equity. Fellows will also explore other larger societal problems such as how it is less likely for some groups to participate in CTE and have economic mobility. Each research fellow will be paired with a leading CTE researcher to serve as a mentor to support their research during this year-long experience. At the end of the program, fellows will submit the work from their projects for presentation and publication.

“With more and more jobs requiring postsecondary education, it is critical that there is a pipeline of researchers that are prepared to study CTE at the postsecondary level,” said Dr. James Bartlett, an associate professor of adult, workforce and continuing professional education at NC State who is leading this project. “The focus of CTE research in the United States has been at the secondary level; and with this investment from ECMC Foundation, we are able to create a community of scholars that will focus their efforts on improving postsecondary CTE.”

Employers need employees with the skills developed in postsecondary CTE programs. “It is exciting to see such a diverse group of emerging scholars/fellows that are dedicated to improving the outcomes of CTE at two-year institutions,” said Michelle Bartlett, project co-principal investigator, editor of Career and Technical Education Research (CTER) and teaching assistant professor at NC State. “These individuals are the future researchers in postsecondary CTE.”

The program will kick off April 2-3 with a training institute in Toronto, Ontario, prior to the American Education Research Association (AERA) conference. Speakers for this institute include a number of experts including:

• Dr. Gary Moore, professor emeritus, NC State; former president, ACTE
• Dr. Jay Rojewski, professor, University of Georgia; former editor, CTER journal
• Dr. Frankie S. Laanan, professor, University of Alabama; former president, ACTER
• Dr. Jamie Lester, professor, George Mason University; editor, Community College Review
• Dr. Cameron Sublett, associate professor, Pepperdine University

The goal of the CTE Research Program at North Carolina State University–Sponsored by ECMC Foundation is to enhance and strengthen postsecondary CTE research. Fellows receive up to $60,000 and additional funding to support travel to the training institutes, meet with mentors, and attend ECMC Foundation’s CTE Leadership Collaborative convening. The ECMC Foundation is providing support for this project from a $2 million, three-year grant awarded to NC State.

Applications for the 2020 fellows will open this summer, with an application deadline of Dec. 1, 2019. More information is available at go.ncsu.edu/ctefellows.

About the NC State College of Education: The NC State College of Education leads the way in preparing professionals, conducting research and engaging communities to improve educational outcomes for all learners across North Carolina and beyond. As a research-driven college of education grounded in its land-grant mission that enrolls over 1,700 undergraduate and graduate students, the college is North Carolina’s largest producer of STEM educators and master’s-level literacy specialists, graduates teachers who rate among the best on statewide performance measures, and has created a pipeline of leaders for schools, community colleges and higher education. In addition, with two-thirds of its faculty engaged in active sponsored research, the college ranks No. 1 in education research productivity in North Carolina and in active grants. U.S. News & World Report ranks the college in the Top 12 percent nationally among 392 graduate colleges of education.

About ECMC Foundation: Based in Los Angeles, ECMC Foundation is a national foundation that makes investments in postsecondary programs and initiatives. It is one of several affiliates under the ECMC Group enterprise based in Minneapolis, which together work to help students succeed. The Foundation makes investments in two focus areas: College Success and Career Readiness; and uses a spectrum of funding structures, including strategic grantmaking and program-related investments, to fund both nonprofit and for-profit ventures. Working with its grantees, partners and peers, ECMC Foundation’s vision is for all learners to unlock their fullest potential.