This academic year marks the ten-year anniversary of the LMU Ed.D. in Educational Leadership for Social Justice program: a milestone the School of Education is highlighting with a year-long celebration of the program and its impact. From special events and publications to an in-depth compilation of the outstanding achievements of 16 alumni, the SOE has invited both the LMU and the local educational community to join them in commemorating the doctoral program’s decade-long success. Guided by its central vision of creating a more socially just future for all students, the program has served as an embodiment of LMU’s Jesuit and Marymount traditions in developing leaders who have gone on to inspire change across all areas of education.
A keystone to the celebration – fittingly called 10 Years of Impact – has been a comprehensive look at the work and accomplishments of its more than 100 alumni. From superintendents to district-level and school administrators to classroom teachers and leaders of non-profit community organizations, these alumni have taken on major roles in shaping education both in Los Angeles and around the world. The SOE has shared the ways in which its graduates have changed education within their communities as well as the specific lessons, values and takeaways from the program that have had the biggest impact on alumni successes. Several examples of these stories can be found in the doctoral program’s special 10th anniversary publication. Additionally, a number of alumni were invited to share their reflections on the program and its impact in a series of videos.
Beyond the achievements of its alumni, the anniversary celebration also spotlights the ongoing success of the doctoral program itself. Since its inception in 2004, the program has brought together a diversity of minds to foster authentic dialogue, cross-pollinate ideas and drive solutions to today’s problems of educational inequity. The Ed.D. program’s overall impact was featured in both the SOE 2014 Impact Report as well as Dean Shane P. Martin’s 11th Annual Convocation Address.
The doctoral program recently introduced the Outstanding Doctoral Alumni Educational Leader for Social Justice Award, which is bestowed by the Doctoral Alumni Council and recognizes alumni based on their impact, inclusiveness and innovation in the field of education. The inaugural recipient of the award was Tommy Chang, Ed.D ’13, who was recently named the superintendent of Boston Public Schools. In addition, the program established the Doctoral Alumni Scholarship fund, which will provide scholarship support every year to assist LMU doctoral students in completing their studies.
