By Chris Bournea and Marcie Kamb, March 10, 2025
Students and faculty at The Ohio State University showcased work across various disciplines during the College of Education and Human Ecology’s (EHE) annual Research Forum at the Ohio Union.
Among the distinguished presenters were scholars from Ohio State’s Center on Education and Training for Employment (CETE), whose work aligns with the college’s vision to solve problems with bold solutions and informed resolve.
Workforce Development
Traci Lepicki, associate director of operations and strategic initiatives at Ohio State’s Center on Education and Training for Employment (CETE), and Elizabeth Kazemi, a graduate research associate. Lepicki and Kazemi reviewed CETE’s Developing a Curriculum (DACUM) International Training Institute.
DACUM assists organizations in developing performance assessments for job duties in various industries. In their research, Lepicki and Kazemi survey industry representatives on how to keep DACUM’s tools up to date.
Traci Lepicki and Elizabeth Kazemi present on workforce development.
“Working with subject matter experts helps to ensure that DACUM is job-relevant, rather than a model that relies on some conceptual understanding or maybe an out-of-date approach,” Lepicki said. “DACUM is pulling from the people who are doing the work today so that they can provide [insight into], ‘This is how I learned it, but this is how I do it.’ We want to make sure training programs are built around the ‘this is how I do it’ approach.”
Kazemi said she approached CETE about working with DACUM because the research aligns with her professional background in human resources. She said the research offers insight into how higher education and industry experts can collaborate on workforce development.
“I’ve gotten two master’s [degrees] here and now my PhD” in workforce development at Ohio State, she said. “I recognize that Ohio State is at the forefront of bridging that gap and CETE is a cornerstone of that when it comes to workforce development and blending academia.”
Leadership in education was another focal point, with Brenda Rojas, presenting Navigating Multifaceted Leadership: Principals’ Role in Supporting English Learners. This study explored how school leaders play a crucial role in fostering inclusive environments for English learners.
Advancing Accessibility and Inclusion
As part of a dedicated accessibility panel, Fan Xu, Greg Nagy, Zack Batsaikhan, and Alicia Willis presented From Research to Reality: Creating Accessibility Online Products for English Learners. Their work highlighted the importance of digital accessibility in education and the need to develop online learning tools that support diverse learners.
Zack Batsaikhan, Greg Nagy, Alicia Willis and Fan Xu participate in a panel on accessibility.
Additionally, Julie Planke showcased a poster titled Tools for Supporting Children with Disabilities and Their Families through the Kindergarten Transition. Her research emphasized strategies to ease the transition process for children with disabilities and ensure that families have the necessary resources to support their children’s educational journey.
Julie Planke showcases a poster highlighting Tools for Supporting Children with Disabilities through the Kindergarten Transition.
Higher Education and Professional Development
Exploring self-directed learning, Jiarui Xie presented College Students’ Self-Regulated Learning Skills in Asynchronous Online Discussion, shedding light on how students engage in independent learning in virtual settings.
David Julian contributed to discussions on professional identity and career growth with his research, Professionalizing the Role of the Translational Professional in the Social and Behavioral Sciences. His work emphasized the need to formalize and recognize professionals who bridge research and real-world application in social sciences.
A Forum for Innovation and Impact
These CETE scholars’ contributions complemented the broader themes of the forum, which encouraged research that directly impacts communities. As keynote speaker Penny Pasque emphasized, engaging with the communities Ohio State serves is vital for meaningful research.
By addressing translational research, accessibility, leadership, workforce development, and higher education strategies, the CETE scholars’ work exemplifies the college’s commitment to fostering inclusive and impactful research.