Meet Jessica: Recent Educational Psychology & Counseling 2021 Graduate.

Dr. Osborne earned her PhD in Educational Psychology and Research, with a Concentration in Evaluation, Statistics, and Methodology, in the summer of 2021. She also holds a BA in English and MFA in Creative Writing.

Currently serving in the role of Director of First Year Programs at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Jessica’s passion and research pursuits are in the area of student success: “I have worked in the field of student success for over a decade, and this has continued to be my research focus as well. My dissertation focused on graduate student needs and success, and I hope to continue in that line of research.”

Her valuable research contributions have most recently been published in the peer-reviewed International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, (33)2, and she is the winner of the 2019 Tennessee Association of Student Success and Retention Graduate Student Research Award, among many other publications and accolades.

We asked Jessica what made her choose the ESM PhD program at UTK, and she was kind enough to share with us: “The people sold me on the ESM program. I considered several options in terms of a PhD, and ultimately, I chose ESM because the faculty and staff were open, welcoming, and flexible in terms of my needs as a working mother. I am incredibly grateful for the ESM faculty and friends I made through the PhD process.”

In her spare time, Jessica enjoys reading, yoga, getting outdoors, and spending time with her family.

For anyone new to the Knoxville area, Jessica has plenty of great suggestions for things to do — and eat! “Downtown Knoxville and The Old City are full of wonderful restaurants: JC Holdway, Amelia, and Kefi are a few of my favorites. In the spring, there are also so many excellent festivals and music events; we always attend Big Ears, The Rossini Festival, and the Dogwood Arts Festival. The Downtown Farmer’s Market is also one of my favorite weekend events.”

For more news and updates, connect with us on social media!

Spring Registration 2022 is in full swing. Have you considered these Online courses in Adult Education?

This spring, we are offering convenient online evening courses that cover topics in adult learning pertinent to many fields, such as medical training, social work and social sciences, workplace training, professional development, management, and business. Contact the course instructor to reserve your seat.

EDPY 520 – Survey of Adult Education – Wednesdays, 5:05pm – 7:45pm. Taught online, synchronously. Contact mary-hammon@utk.edu to be added.

• Covers the historical development and philosophies of adult ed programs, adult ed agencies & associations, etc.
• Explores the literature and issues surrounding the processes of adult education, and diversity of continuing education.

EDPY 521 – Program Planning in Adult Education – Mondays, 5:05pm – 7:45pm. Taught online, synchronously. Contact mmisawa@utk.edu to be added.

• Theories and methods in planning and operating educational programs.
• Useful in many career contexts such as medical training, workplace training, professional development, management, etc.

EDPY 625 – Advanced Seminar in Adult Learning – Tuesdays, 5:05pm – 7:05pm. Taught online, synchronously. Contact qsun8@utk.edu to be added.

• Advanced adult learning concepts, theories, research trends, and methodologies.

Interested in a career in teaching adults? For more information on the PhD program in Adult Learning, click here.

For more news, events, and happenings, follow the Department of Educational Psychology & Counseling on social media!

Spring Registration has begun. Have you considered these Online EDPY courses?

These Educational Psychology courses make excellent electives in a variety of career paths, such as business, social sciences, medical training, and psychology — and, they are conveniently online!

For more information on the full Ed Psych Online Masters program offered by the Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, click here.

EDPY 506 – Intro to Educational Research (2 sections) – Wednesdays, 5:05pm – 7:45pm OR Thursdays, 5:05pm – 7:45pm. Taught online, synchronously. Contact mary-hammon@utk.edu to be added.

• Quantitative & Qualitative Research Skills.
• Analyzing scholarly research.
• Developing research plans

EDPY 524 – Learning in the Workplace – Tuesdays, 5:05pm – 7:45pm. Taught online, synchronously. Contact mary-hammon@utk.edu to be added.

• Theories on formal and informal learning in the workplace.
• Major trends in facilitating workplace learning.

EDPY 537 – Assessment in Applied Ed Psych – Mondays, 5:05pm – 7:05pm. Taught online, synchronously. Contact mary-hammon@utk.edu to be added.

• Survey of standardized tests of intelligence, achievement, aptitude, vocational interest, attitudes, and personality.
• Principles of test construction and analysis.

For more news, events, and EPC happenings, follow the Department of Educational Psychology & Counseling on social media!

The Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling wants to congratulate the graduates from seven of our programs who earned their degrees and recipients from two of our graduate certificate programs who completed necessary requirements during the spring 2019 semester.

To see photos of our recent graduates, please go to the “EPC Graduates” album on our EPC Facebook page.

Madeline Birch Auge
MS in Educational Psychology – Applied Educational Psychology

Jillian Mei-Li Blueford
PhD in Counselor Education

Rita Bourbon Gray
MS in Education – Instructional Technology
Graduate Certificate in Online Teaching & Learning

Brenda Katz Murphy
PhD in Education – Learning Environments & Educational Studies

Christine Kay Patti
PhD in Education – Learning, Design & Technology

Ashley Kennedy Scheyder
MS in Counseling – School Counseling

Amanda Carol Sexton
MS in Educational Psychology – Adult Education

Nancy Elaine Thacker
PhD in Counselor Education
Graduate Certificate in Qualitative Research Methods in Education

*If you are one of the graduates listed above and would like to have your photo added to our EPC Graduates Facebook album, then please email your picture to Synthia Clark sclark41@utk.edu.

**If you were an Educational Psychology and Counseling student who graduated during this time frame, yet have unintentionally been omitted from this list, please send your name, degree, and major/concentration to Synthia Clark sclark41@utk.edu. We will add you to the list after receiving this information from you and confirming your graduation status.

Louis Rocconi, assistant professor, won an AccessLex Institute/Association for Institutional Research (AIR) grant in the amount of $50,000.

“I am honored to receive this grant and grateful to AccessLex and the Association for Institutional Research for supporting my research.”

The project being funded by this grant is titled “Measuring quality in legal education: Examining the relationship between law school rank and student engagement.”

The purpose of Rocconi’s study is to examine how law school rankings, such as US News and World Report, relate with other indicators of law school quality, especially student engagement. Student engagement more accurately describes what students experience while enrolled and has been linked to desirable outcomes such as high academic performance, diverse interactions, and satisfaction. Rankings play an integral role in students deciding which school to attend and what job placements they receive after graduating. So, it’s important to understand if, and how, rankings measure this experience.

​The AccessLex Institute/AIR Research and Dissertation Fellows Program is a grant competition promoting scholarship on issues related to access, affordability and value of legal education specifically, and graduate and professional education more broadly.