Smith awarded Purdue’s highest undergraduate teaching honor
Purdue chose Jennifer Smith, associate clinical professor of special education, as one of the five 2024 Charles B. Murphy Award winners.
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College of Education
Department of Educational Studies
Discovering and Developing Human Potential in Diverse Learning Environments
Our nationally known faculty are engaged in the discovery, application, and dissemination of new knowledge centered on three key themes: Educating Diverse Learners, STEM Learning, and Effective Teaching.
We pride ourselves in preparing students for positions as university professors, researchers, special education professionals, counseling psychologists, and testing, measurement and evaluation specialists. Our graduates work in schools, higher education, and private industry.
Featured News
EDST Citizen Award
This Department of Educational Studies recognition is for those who have gone above and beyond their roles or shown support and/or positive attitudes even in difficult situations. The nominations need to include concrete examples of such behaviors (e.g., random acts of kindness).
Dr. Jennifer Smith
This recognition is particularly triggered after I learned that she agreed to serve on two additional search committees this past week in our department. Jennifer served/is serving in total on 6 searches: 2 for Special Education (co-chaired one of them with Denise Whitford), 2 for CPSY and 2 for Ed Psych. She agreed to these commitments in addition to the 5 courses she’s teaching (had to take two overloads), serving as an undergraduate coordinator for SPED and participating in I2 leadership and additional tasks. While I know many of us go beyond the call of duty while at the same time being buried with work, I want to recognize Jennifer for modeling a spirit of collegiality, teamwork, and willingness to ensure that the needs of students, our programs and our department are met, and doing it all with a big smile, positive attitude, and happy decorations on her door J.
Jennifer, congratulations for receiving EDST Citizen Award – February 2022!
Message from the Head
Welcome to Educational Studies (EDST)!
The Department of Educational Studies (EDST) is home to six program areas: Counseling and Development; Gifted, Creative, and Talented Studies; Educational Leadership and Policy Studies; Educational Psychology and Research Methodology; Special Education; and Online Special Education. EDST is also home to the Purdue Counseling and Guidance Center (PCGC), the Gifted Education Research and Resource Institute (GER2I), and the Purdue University Psychometric Investigation Lab (PUPIL).
Our mission is to discover and develop human potential in diverse learning environments through excellence in research, teaching, and engagement. We pride ourselves in preparing students for positions as university professors, researchers, special education professionals, educational administrators and leaders, counseling psychologists, and testing, measurement, and evaluation specialists. Our graduates work in schools, higher education, and private industry.
Welcome to Purdue and the Department of Educational Studies! My door is always open if you have questions or concerns. The main EDST office is on the fifth floor of Beering Hall, Room 5108.
Christine Kiracofe
Department Head
Featured Faculty
Dr. Qi Huang
Dr. Qi Huang is an Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology and Research Methodology in the Department of Educational Studies.
Read more about Dr. Qi Huang
Why did you choose a career at Purdue’s College of Education?
Purdue’s COE is reputable, collegial, and provides generous support to junior faculty. In addition, West Lafayette is a great place to raise a family.
Describe a research project you have completed.
A research project I have been working on focuses on the Unipolar Item Response Model, which offers a new perspective on scoring metrics. I find it to be a better model representation than traditional IRT for certain educational constructs in reading and vocabulary.
Are there any recent or forthcoming publications you are excited about?
Yes, I’m excited about a paper currently under revision, which is the second in a series of publications from the above-mentioned unipolar IRT project. Additionally, I’m thrilled about my recent publication in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, which highlights the value of psychometric techniques in Alzheimer’s disease and dementia research.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not conducting research?
During my leisure time, I love spending time with my cats. I also enjoy cooking, baking, and trying my hand at being a barista (my latte art is still more ‘abstract’ than ‘art’).
Featured Graduate Student
Brenda C. Matos
Brenda C. Matos is fourth year PhD student studying Gifted Education and her major professor is Dr. Nielsen Pereira.
Read more about Brenda C. Matos
Where are you from, and what did you do prior to your PhD program?
I am from Brazil. Before coming to Purdue, I graduated from college in Biological Sciences with a license to teach. I taught gifted students for a couple of years until I got a graduate certificate in Special Education and a master’s degree in Science Teaching. I started to work in higher education as a lecturer on a few teacher preparation courses.
Why did you choose Purdue and your area of concentration?
Purdue has one of the best graduate programs in United States with a focus on Gifted Education. In addition to that, the Gifted Research and Resource Institute (GER2I) that offers enrichment programs for gifted students is world renowned. I met my current advisor in an international gifted conference in Brazil and was amazed to learn about all the great things that GER2I programs offer to students who are gifted and talented. That solidified my decision to apply for a PhD at Purdue.
What are your areas of research interests? What led to your interest in these areas?
My research interests are gifted underachievers and the socioemotional needs of gifted students. These interests started when I was a gifted teacher and witnessed many of my most brilliant students been held back in their performance because of social or emotional reasons, and I felt that I had to do something to help.
What is your prior research experience?
My first research experience was as an undergraduate Fulbright scholar at Arizona State University. I researched teachers’ level of readiness to teach gifted students in university-based summer programs as well as students’ career interests after program participation. Since then, I have done qualitative research in gifted and special education, mostly analyzing the effectiveness of curriculum strategies for gifted students and also for visually impaired students.
Where do you hope to be in five years?
In five years I hope to be a clinical assistant professor to prepare future teachers to develop the best practices to teach all students, respecting their individual needs and helping them to excel in their academic and social performance. I would also like to keep involved with enrichment programs for gifted students in academic or management positions.
What advice do you have for other new fellow graduate student researchers?
Graduate school is a place to learn, so don’t hold too tightly your previous experiences, but make sure you give yourself space to keep learning and moving forward in your career facing new challenges and experiences. Make sure you explore the opportunities that appear to you and make the best use of them to diversify your possibilities.