CIED Students Present at National Conference

by Pamela Batson

Students in Penn State’s Comparative & International Education (CIED) program were selected to present papers at the 53rd annual Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) Conference in Charleston, SC, March 23-26. The conference was hosted by the Teachers College at Columbia University.

The theme of this year’s conference was “The Politics of Comparison.” Highlights of the conference included three keynote speakers and tributes to two former members who were killed in Afghanistan and Pakistan while pursuing their work interests.

“We take pride in supporting our CIED students to attend the CIES Annual Conference because it allows many students to present their scholarly work after rigorous peer review of their proposals,” said Ladislaus Semali, associate professor of education and professor-in-charge of CIED.

CIED is a joint graduate degree program at Penn State. The program allows students to earn dual degrees in CIED as well as in another field, such as education, health and human development, and agricultural sciences. This inter-departmental approach to education aims to train scholars who advance our basic knowledge about schooling and education around the globe.

According to its Web site, the U.S. Comparative and International Education Society is comprised of over 3,000 members. It has grown exponentially over the past few years. More than half of its members live outside the United States.

Presenters:

Jessica Marie Bagdonis, graduate student in Agriculture Education and Extension
The consideration of agriculture in comparative and international education: A content analysis

John Collins, graduate student in Educational Policy and Theory
Dissecting Knowledge and Approaches to HIV/AIDS Education: The Cases of Ghana, Peru and Ethiopia

Khansaa Diab, Hubert Humphrey Fellow
Strategic and Growth Contexts of Higher Education in the Middle East

Mehnaz Jehan, Ruxana Parvin, and Natasha Djuricic, Hubert Humphrey Fellows
NGOs and Education: Case Studies from Bangladesh, Nicaragua, Pakistan, and Serbia

Samira Halabi, graduate student in Educational Theory and Policy
Dissecting HIV/AIDS curricula: Limitations and critical weaknesses

Sue Bin Jeon, graduate student in Educational Leadership
Tracking the effect of NCLB on the achievement gap

Kristen Ahyoung Lee, graduate student in Educational Theory and Policy
Effects of language policies to promote English proficiency in Asian countries

Juan Leon, graduate student in Educational Theory and Policy
Gender gaps in Arabic countries: The role of teacher and school variables narrowing the gap

Kadian McIntosh, graduate student in Higher Education
International students in engineering programs: Examining curricular and co-curricular experiences and learning outcomes

Izumi Mori, graduate student in Educational Theory and Policy
Backgrounds of private tutoring in the United States

Maya E. Nehme, graduate student in Entomology
Environmental sciences literacy across the world: Differences and similarities

Valerie Payen, Hubert Humphrey Fellow
Educational Challenges Facing Adolescents and At-Risk Youth: Cross-National Perspectives

Hyun Kyoung Ro, graduate student in Higher Education
Societal and global awareness of non-U.S. citizen students in engineering majors

Mary Chandy Vayaliparampil, graduate student in Educational Theory and Policy
An inclusion perspective of SWASTHH Plus: A UNICEF health and sanitation intervention in India

Yu-Wei Wu, graduate student in Educational Theory and Policy
Toward a global teaching system: Transnational mobility in the teacher workforce

Min-Jong Youn, graduate student in Educational Theory and Policy
Effects of schools' testing policy on students' academic achievements and engagements