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Department of Education
Student Perspectives
Brenda Arellano-Anguiano
Department of Education Ph.D. candidate, Educational Leadership and Organizations Emphasis, 7th year
Background: I am a native of New Mexico but after going to college on the east coast I moved to New York City to work as a grants writer for a non-profit group and later pursued a job in school administration at a Montessori school. I also served as a volunteer for a program aimed at helping minority students in the Harlem area get into college. I realized that I wanted to get into education to serve as a voice for Latino students like myself that deserved a quality public school education but weren't necessarily getting one.
Why did I choose UCSB? Some great advice I got from another friend pursuing a Ph.D. was to choose a school and advisor that supported my research which would be invaluable to my graduate school experience. Several professors at UCSB had the most similar research interests as mine and I was particularly impressed that the education professors were very receptive to answering my emails as a prospective student which wasn't necessarily the case with other schools.
What are my research projects like/what is a typical day like? My research examines the reasons for the achievement gap of minority students, particularly Latinos and language minority students, mostly in K-12 schools. My dissertation focuses on whether parent involvement in elementary school actually helps improve achievement outcomes for language minority students.
I am at the dissertation stage and I also work as a Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) for my advisor. A typical day for me usually consists of working from home running statistical models or typing up data results to go in a policy report for my work as a GSR. Later in the day I may run models for my dissertation, read some articles related to parent involvement or Latinos, and maybe write up some parts of chapters.
What advice do I have for incoming students to the Department? 1) Get as much experience as you can working on research projects so you can learn the process of research and how to present your work in academic journals and conferences. 2) Build close relationships with professors that can guide you through the dissertation process (ask lots of questions!) and later the job search. Also, find friends that you can exchange your writing with and get feedback. 3) For students in the ELO emphasis, start thinking pretty early on in your program where you want to establish your expertise (policy, leadership, teacher ed., assessment, etc.) so that your coursework and research experience complement each other when you go on the job search. 4) If you need funding/work to support you as a graduate student be aggressive about pursuing fellowship opportunities, teaching assistant or graduate research positions – they are there – you just have to look for them and keep applying.
John Jabagchourian
Department of Education Ph.D. candidate, Emphasis in Child and Adolescent Development, 7th year
Background: I am a first generation Armenian-American and earned my B.A. in psychology at CSU Fresno. I have had numerous experiences working with children in educational settings and have always been interested in learning more about cognitive development and learning. My emphasis is in Child and Adolescent Development and my research focuses on understanding the process of change in children's thinking, particularly in regards to their mathematical understanding and strategies. My dissertation investigates the link between children's mental representations of numbers and their arithmetic strategies.
Why did I choose UCSB? I decided to attend UCSB for graduate school because select faculty and my adviser in particular seemed to be a good fit for guiding my interests in the application of developmental concepts. Upon visiting the campus and department I appreciated the cooperative environment established among students and faculty as well as the beauty and atmosphere of the Santa Barbara area.
What are my research projects like/what is a typical day like? A typical day is hard to describe as each quarter, week, and day I am doing something different. Early on in the program when I was taking classes, days would be spent going to class, meeting with faculty for research every now and then, and some type of employment position as a teaching assistant or research assistant would take up the remainder of my day. I would spend time with friends during the evenings and read for classes at night. Currently I spend a couple hours doing some sort of writing for my dissertation or research papers, coordinate and prepare materials for meetings and data collection for my research team, spend a few hours during the week on other projects I'm involved with, and make various meetings with principals, school teachers, students, and faculty. I make time to relax, socialize, and travel.
What advice do I have for incoming students to the Department? I recommend that students get to know as many of the faculty as possible through meetings and projects. They open up many doors for you that will lead to great experiences but only if they know who you are. Find a few members to work with more closely on various projects. I also encourage students to enjoy themselves. Graduate student work seems to come in waves, be attuned to this rhythm and make best use of it.
Anne S. Wrigley
Department of Education Ph.D. candidate, Teaching and Learning (Science Education) Emphasis, 2nd year
Background: After my four years at Bates College, a small liberal arts institution in Maine, at which I studied physics and mathematics, I enrolled in a doctorate program in physics at the University of Connecticut. It did not take long for me to realize that, although my exposure to laboratory research was extensive, my true passion lay in teaching the subject and even in my role as a student. I made the difficult decision to leave the program in Connecticut with a M.S. in physics, and enrolled in the doctoral program here at UCSB, with my emphasis in Teaching and Learning. Although I have always been fascinated by the “science” of teaching physics, it was here in Santa Barbara that I was able to put my passion into words, engaging in conversations with dynamic individuals everyday.
Why did I choose UCSB? After twenty-three years amid snow or extreme humidity, the weather in Santa Barbara was certainly appealing. However, what is most appealing about UCSB are the opportunities available to me across departments. I secured a teaching assistantship with the Department of Physics during my first quarter. I continue to work in the department, now, as the program coordinator of the Physics Circus, an outreach program designed to promote science education in local K-12 schools.
Meanwhile, I am fortunate enough to work in another sector of the sciences, researching the Partnership for International Research and Education in Electron Chemistry and Catalysis at Interfaces (or – thank goodness for acronyms – PIRE-ECCI), which involves both faculty and graduate students from the U.S. and China. I have also been involved in teacher education, working with M.Ed. students at UCSB and teaching science methods for future elementary school teachers at Antioch University, Santa Barbara.
What is my research/what is a typical day like? My independent project will center on how the international collaboration established through the PIRE-ECCI program affects program participants’ views as to the nature of science. I am particularly fascinated by how science is “done” in the U.S. and China, and, in this sense, how crucial a current and future relationship between the two countries is and will prove to be.
What advice do I have for incoming students to the Department of Education? In my short time at UCSB, I've certainly managed to stay busy. This was easy to do given the number of appealing avenues for me – appealing avenues that balance my personality and my academic interests perfectly. If I had one piece of advice for an incoming graduate student, I might suggest that you consider all the opportunities presented, exposing yourself to as much as possible in order to sort out your true academic passions. However, too much involvement could also mean you are spreading yourself too thin. I am constantly reminding myself that I am a doctoral student – one who ought to remain sane! – and staying focused on that end result is crucial.