by John Kirkland
February 5th 2018
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Molly Baustien Siuty, a new assistant professor in Portland State University’s Graduate School of Education, has won the 2018 outstanding dissertation award from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). She will receive the award at the AACTE’s 70th annual meeting in Baltimore, March 1 through 3.
Siuty’s Ph.D. dissertation, which she completed at the University of Kansas, investigates how teacher candidates trained in diversity and inclusion translate those concepts to the classroom as young teachers. Her focus was on urban school systems, which “are not necessarily conducive or designed for inclusive practice,” according to Elizabeth Kozleski, her doctoral advisor at the University of Kansas.
Siuty’s findings have implications for teacher training and the induction of novice teachers to the classroom. Reviewers of her award application praised her vision of teachers as “bridge makers who stand up in society.” Siuty has been an assistant professor of inclusive teacher education at Portland State since fall 2017. She was a special education teacher in New York City before pursuing her doctoral degree.
“I’m thrilled to congratulate Dr. Siuty for this award,” said PSU President Rahmat Shoureshi. “Her research is absolutely essential to the future health of our nation’s public education system.”
The dissertation award is given annually by AACTE to recognize excellence in doctoral dissertation research that contributes to the knowledge base of educator preparation.
Based in Washington, D.C., AACTE is a national alliance of 800 colleges and universities with high quality, evidence-based educator preparation programs. The AACTE awards program has been recognizing excellence since 1996 in both member institutions and individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of educator preparation.