Seven higher education Ph.D. candidates successfully defended dissertations in September and October. Among the group was Marie E. Gioiosa, candidate, who defended her dissertation on October 12.
Gioiosa performed a panel regression analysis to find several positive significant relationships with average net price, including: instructional expenses for income levels four and five at four-year public institutions; administrative expenses with average net price at income levels four and five with respect to academic support services at four-year public institutions; and income level four with average net price where for every $1 increase in federal students loans, there was an increase of average net price of 15 cents at four-year public institutions.
She credits her dissertation committee, including her mentor Dr. Robert Kelchen and committee members Dr. Joseph Stetar and Dr. Rong Chen, for inspiring her success. “Dr. Kelchen was the first professor I had the pleasure of meeting in the higher education program,” said Gioiosa. “From that first day, he has been instrumental in my success. I have also had the good fortune of taking classes with all of the higher education professors and have learned from each and every one of them.”
Gioiosa, who was a former graduate assistant at the University before taking on the role of assistant professor of accounting at Iona College in August, encouraged current students to stay focused. “It is very easy to get distracted,” she said. “Life and work can get in the way, but it is important to set time aside to work on your dissertation in order to complete it.”
“I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to earn a Ph.D. from Seton Hall University,” said Gioiosa. “My knowledge base has grown as well as my network of colleagues. I am fortunate to have met so many wonderful people along the way.”
Congratulations to all higher education doctoral candidates for their recent dissertation defenses!
| Tara Abbott | Ph.D. | Evaluating the Impact of State Funding Vehicles on Appropriations and Financial Aid on Graduation Rates at Public Institutions: A Multilevel Analysis | Dr. Kelchen |
| Katherine C. Aquino | Ph.D. | The Disability-Diversity Disconnect: Redefining the Role of Student Disability within the Postsecondary Environment | Dr. Kim |
| Andrew Brackett | Ph.D. | Public College Lobbying and Institutional Appropriations: The Role of Lobbying in State Higher Education Budgets | Dr. Chen |
| Judith A. Egan | Ph.D. | The Relationship Between Utilization of the Elsevier Online Remediation Tool and the HESI Exit Exam for Student Nurses Preparing for the NCLEX-RN | Dr. Kelchen |
| Marie E. Gioiosa | Ph.D. | Do Factors Associated with the Increases in Higher Education Costs Affect Average Net Price at Four-Year Public and Private Not-for-Profit Institutions? | Dr. Kelchen |
| Joseph M. Hearl | Ph.D. | Doctoral scholarship examined: A study of strategy research in education settings as conducted by students seeking degrees from doctoral programs in education in the U.S. | Dr. Kim |
| Ryan P. Hudes | Ph.D. | Student-College Match and Bachelor’s Degree Completion | Dr. Chen |