Three recent NC State College of Education alumni were recognized for their scholarship when they were presented with Outstanding Dissertation Awards during the college’s May 2026 graduation ceremony.

Victoria Newton ‘25PHD won for the Department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences; Michelle Murphy Pace won for the Department of STEM Education; and Joy Tongsri ’26PHD won for the Department of Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development.

Victoria Newton

Degree: Ph.D. in Teacher Education and Learning Sciences social studies education concentration

Dissertation title: Critical Pedagogy in Social Studies: Educating for Civil Discourse and Civic Engagement

Victoria Newton ’25PHD has always believed that social studies is the way in which educators can help children understand the world. However, she recognized that it’s often difficult for teachers to feel adequately equipped to prepare students with the skills, knowledge and critical thinking required to participate in a democratic society. 

To address this issue, Newton comprised her dissertation of three papers that addressed issues facing social studies education. The work examined professional development for teachers to facilitate political discussions, a critical historical inquiry curriculum to teach redlining in social studies classes and a model for teachers to conduct social studies inquiries using critical literacy.

The use of three papers, she said, allowed Newton to explore the topic from multiple facets with a focus on how teachers can be trained and supported, how critical inquiry curricula can impact students and how a model can be provided to enable teachers to develop their own critical inquiries. 

As Newton prepares to continue her research while pursuing a full-time academic position, she is thankful for the experiences she had in the College of Education that have prepared her to embark on this next step. 

“I am grateful that I had so many opportunities to get involved in research and teach classes while at NC State. The varied experiences really help me see the issues facing educators from all sides,” she said. 

Michelle Murphy Pace

Degree: Ph.D. in Learning and Teaching in STEM mathematics and statistics education concentration

Dissertation title: Elevating Novice Teacher Voices: An Action Research Approach to Novice Mathematics Teacher Turnover Prevention

Early on in her K-12 classroom teaching career, Michelle Murphy Pace ’26PHD experienced burnout. But, years later, she came across a journal entry she had written during her student teaching experience, realizing that version of herself was filled with an excitement and passion she no longer felt. 

It was that realization that motivated her to take action and find a way to better support teachers so that they don’t lose their initial sense of purpose. 

“My dissertation grew out of that moment. It reflects both my personal experiences and my commitment to helping create more supportive, connected pathways for teachers as they enter and remain in the profession,” Pace said. 

Wanting to stay connected with mathematics education while also broadening her impact in education, Pace’s dissertation focused on how novice math teachers can be better supported as they transition from teacher preparation programs into their first few years as classroom teachers. 

She designed and studied a professional development initiative that brought student teachers and early-career teachers together to collaborate on solutions to real challenges faced in their classrooms. The study centers teachers’ voices, experiences and needs as well as the ways in which they make sense of their experiences with the goal of understanding how more connected systems of support between teacher preparation and induction programs can be built. 

“What stood out most were the moments when participants realized they weren’t alone in what they were experiencing,” Pace said. “Seeing them open up, support one another and begin to problem-solve together was incredibly meaningful and really reinforced the kind of work I want to continue doing.”

As she graduates from the College of Education, Pace plans to take on a role as an assistant professor of mathematics at Western Carolina University, where she will teach calculus while working closely with NOYCE scholars and Math Teacher Circles programs. 

Her opportunities to teach courses during her time in the College of Education, as well as supervising student teachers and engaging in research and outreach, she said, have helped prepare her to take this next step. 

“Just as importantly, I’ve been surrounded by faculty who model thoughtful, student-centered practice and who genuinely care about the impact of their work—namely, Drs. Robin Anderson and Cyndi Edgington,” Pace said. “That environment has pushed me to think critically, stay grounded in practice and pursue work that is meaningful.” 

Joy Tongsri

Degree: Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development higher education opportunity, equity, and justice concentration

Dissertation title: Estimating the Effect of Leadership Training on Social Change Behaviors Among College Students: A Propensity Score Weighted Analysis

As the senior associate director of NC State’s Park Scholarships program, Joy Tongsri loves witnessing the ways in which NC State students create positive change in the world. However, while she knows that most universities across the country offer development programs for students, she realized that there is little existing empirical evidence on the effectiveness of such programs in producing civic outcomes. 

To address that gap, Tongsri focused her dissertation research on the ways in which leadership training promotes real-world action such as community service and advocacy. Using a quasi-experimental approach to accurately reflect the effect of leadership development programs on social change behaviors, she examined national data and found that leadership training has a consistent, statistically significant positive effect. 

“I hope that my dissertation helps, in some small way, bring attention to the need for higher education to develop students into leaders who will create positive change in their communities,” Tongsri said. 

Tongsri credits faculty within the College of Education with helping to make her award-winning dissertation possible, specifically her advisor, Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development Department Head Joy Gaston Gayles, as well as the members of her dissertation committee: Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor of Higher Education Alyssa Rockenbach, Associate Professor of Educational Psychology Christy Byrd, Assistant Teaching Professor of Mathematics Education Cyndi Edgington, and the late Crystal Cen Lee.    

“They each helped shape my research, pushing me to question various assumptions and consider new perspectives,” she said. “The College of Education professors foster a culture of challenge and support. They are invested in us, and they push us to become more skilled and critical scholars.”

As she continues in her current role with the Park Scholarships program, Tongsri believes that her time in the College of Education has helped her to grow her professional knowledge in a way that will enable her to apply her research in her day-to-day work. 

“I began my doctoral journey with a desire to strengthen my professional knowledge, become a better practitioner, learn research methodology and, ultimately, contribute to higher education research. The extraordinary faculty in the College of Education absolutely helped me achieve these goals,” she said.