Seton Hall’s CHDCM Faculty and Graduate Students Advance National and International Visibility Through Conference Scholarship

Faculty and graduate students from Seton Hall University’s College of Human Development, Culture and Media strengthened the University’s national and international academic presence this spring through participation in five major higher education and education research conferences, advancing scholarship aligned with Seton Hall’s mission of academic excellence, leadership and public service. 

Across national and international forums, CHDCM faculty members, doctoral candidates and master’s students from programs including the Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership, Management and Policy presented research on student affairs, higher education finance, international education and leadership development. 

Among the highlights, Saint Rachel Ustanny, Ph.D. presented her dissertation research at the NASPA, a premier national convening for student affairs professionals. At the CIES Conference in San Francisco, Kendra Sherman, Ph.D. shared her dissertation findings, while doctoral student Andrew Misura presented a poster examining higher education in Ukraine, contributing to global conversations on education systems in times of disruption. 

Faculty scholarship was also featured at the AEFPWEB Annual Conference in Chicago, where Rong Chen, Ph.D., presented research on student debt and higher education affordability. 

“Presenting our scholarship at national conferences allows us to contribute to conversations that shape policy and practice in higher education,” said Dr. Chen, CHDCM faculty member. “It is also an important way to mentor graduate students as emerging scholars.” 

Graduate students further engaged as emerging leaders through participation in the NJACENET, gaining mentorship and professional development alongside higher education leaders from across the state. 

At the AERA 2026 Annual Meeting, one of the largest education research conferences globally, Jennifer Timmer, Ph. D. presented faculty research, while doctoral candidate, Xiaogang "Andre" Liu attended as a selected participant in the prestigious David L. Clark National Graduate Student Research Seminar in Educational Administration and Policy. 

“Attending and presenting at conferences like CIES and AERA has strengthened my identity as a scholar and expanded my professional network,” said Andrew Misura, doctoral student. “These opportunities are invaluable as we prepare for academic and leadership careers.” 

Collectively, these engagements reflect CHDCM’s continued investment in faculty scholarship, graduate student professional development and sustained national and international research visibility. Faculty and students will continue to represent Seton Hall University at upcoming conferences throughout the academic year, further advancing research, leadership and impact in higher education. 

Categories: Education, Nation and World