This year represents the 22nd year of doctoral programming in SPU’s School of Education.
While many aspects of the doctoral studies program remain the same since its inception — foundations and research coursework, colloquia seminars, dissertations, and even Professor of Education Art Ellis as a founding faculty member — there have also been numerous changes. Two new doctoral degree options now exist: in Education and in Counselor Education. Also, incoming cohorts across all degree options are increasing and now approach 20 to 22 new students each year.
The demographics of these cohorts reflect the increasing diversity of Puget Sound. But in addition to these American scholars, the past few years have brought doctoral students from countries all over the globe, including Tanzania, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, China, Taiwan, Japan, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Philippines.
Two recent outstanding doctoral candidates from the People’s Republic of China are Daihong Chen and Xu Bian. Daihong and Xu both possess extensive training and teaching experience from their homeland and are now actively engaged in research projects with faculty members at SPU. But beyond being an asset to faculty and students, their stories provide compelling motivation for us to continue recruiting students from around the world.
Their Stories
Doctoral student and graduate assistant Xu Bian is currently pursuing both a doctorate in Education and a master’s in Theology — degrees that allow her to pursue her joint passion for teaching and biblical studies.
Before arriving at SPU, Xu spent eight years teaching English literature and biblical studies at Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering in Guangzhou, China. In addition, she helped over 20 Christian leaders in her hometown of rural Dalian, China, graduate from an online theology program. Since 2010 she has run a Christian bookstore there that her family helps staff in her absence.
While working as a graduate assistant in the School of Education, Xu has joined Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction Kristine Gritter in her research on young adult literature, and co-presented this research with Dr. Gritter and Kristi Kanehen at the 2014 Day of Common Learning.
Xu is unsure whether she will remain in the U.S. after she graduates or rejoin her mother and three sisters in China. But wherever lives, she hopes to share her Christian faith with her community in China: not through proselytizing, but by educating those who may feel that Christianity benefits only those from Western cultures.
“I will go wherever I can do good work,” she says.
It was not an easy choice for Daihong Chen to transfer from the University of Georgia — a large public school with an international reputation — to the smaller community at SPU. But after spending two years here working toward a doctorate in Education, it is one she’s glad she made.
“The direction, care, help, and support I gained from SPU is even more customized and personalized here,” she says, “as it is a small group in which students can obtain more attention and assistance.”
Daihong earned both a BA and an MA from Beijing Normal University, taught moral and political education at the high school level for three years, and worked for the China National Curriculum Resources Center for two years before moving to the United States, where she completed one year of doctoral studies at UG.
Since joining the School of Education at SPU, Daihong has amassed an impressive list of achievements, including article publications, conference and symposium presentations, and seminar participation. Currently she is working with Dr. Andrew Lumpe on a project funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation — a program assessment aimed to investigate the effect that participating in authentic scientific inquiry has on undergraduate science learning.
“The journey of exploring and adventuring at SPU in the past two years has provided me sufficient insights and experience to give answers to my questions and concerns before I came here,” writes Chen. “I like the fact that SPU places a huge emphasis on students’ development and individual needs, and builds a harmonious and collaborative community.”