JMU awards record number of doctoral degrees

Twenty-seven Dukes representing seven programs of study were awarded doctoral degrees during The Graduate School’s Spring Commencement ceremony on May 9. Another 14 candidates are expected to complete their degree requirements this summer, capping an academic year in which JMU will have conferred a record 56 doctoral degrees.

The numbers reflect the university’s new designation as an R2 Doctoral University with high research activity.

The Clinical Audiology program produced the largest number of May doctoral graduates with seven, followed by Counseling and Supervision with six and Strategic Leadership Studies with five. The other programs were Music Performance, Pedagogy, and Literature (four), Assessment and Measurement (three), and Communication Sciences and Disorders and Nursing Practice (one each).

Preeti Pandey (’24Ph.D.)

Preeti Pandey (’24Ph.D.), a May graduate from India, was drawn to the Communication Sciences and Disorders doctoral program for its exceptional faculty and cutting-edge research opportunities. “Dr. Ayasakanta Rout’s research interests and goals aligned perfectly with my research aspirations,” she said.

Pandey’s research focuses on hearing-aid technology, and the affordability and accessibility of hearing health care worldwide. Her dissertation assessed the global applicability of advanced hearing-aid algorithms.

“My journey at JMU has been transformative, characterized by rigorous coursework, invaluable mentorship from faculty members, and various opportunities for both research and professional development,” she said. “I am grateful to my mentor and my department that has shaped me into a proficient researcher and a compassionate advisor.”

Pandey has accepted a post-doctoral researcher position at the University of Colorado’s Anschutz Medical Campus beginning this fall.

A licensed marriage and family therapist in Virginia, May graduate Jinok Lim (’24Ph.D.) appreciated the flexibility of JMU’s hybrid Counseling and Supervision doctoral program, which allowed her to manage her responsibilities as a counselor, spouse and mother.

Jinok Lim (’24Ph.D.)

Lim is a native of South Korea. Her scholarship centers on the lived experiences of Korean immigrant women in the U.S., specifically their post-traumatic growth following immigration. “Successfully defending my dissertation in March was a significant milestone in my academic journey,” she said.

Lim said the support of the Graduate Psychology faculty and staff, as well as her fellow cohort members, made her feel valued as an Asian immigrant woman in the program.

In addition to her coursework, Lim refined her skills as an educator and supervisor by advising and teaching master’s students in JMU’s counseling programs.

Lim presented at eight national and regional counseling conferences. She also received numerous awards and scholarships, including the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision’s 2022 Diversity Scholarship and the Jonathan D. Davis (’81, ’85M) Scholarship for 2022-23.

“Looking ahead, my goal with my Ph.D. is to contribute to the development of counselors-in-training with robust multicultural competencies, enabling them to effectively serve diverse populations in the U.S.,” she said. “Having worked in the field, I’ve observed a significant gap in culturally sensitive mental health services, underscoring the critical need for well-prepared counselors.”

Fifteen Dukes earned doctoral degrees in December, including Aisha Keplinger (’23DNP), a family nurse practitioner with Inova Health System in Northern Virginia.

“One of the most commendable aspects of Aisha’s work as a Doctor of Nursing Practice student was her ability to take a complex topic, such as implementing a social determinants of health screening tool in a vulnerable population, and creating a population-based approach to meeting community needs,” said her advisor, Dr. Andrea Knopp.

The number of doctoral candidates at JMU is expected to continue to rise in the coming years, in part due to the Counseling and Supervision program’s move from an in-person to a hybrid mode of delivery that includes both online classes and periodic, short residences. The new Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) program, which will enroll its first class in January 2025, will also feature this low-residency model catering to working professionals.