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ASU Doctoral Candidate in Education receives (ASHE)/Lumina Fellowship for her research on low-income students
Home >> About Us >> Outstanding Graduate Students >> ASU Doctoral Candidate in Education receives (ASHE)/Lumina Fellowship for her research on low-income students
Janelle Kappes, an ABD (All but Dissertation) doctoral candidate has received the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE)/Lumina Foundation Fellowship award for her research on low-income students. The Fellowship promotes innovative scholarship by funding research that addresses barriers to opportunity and student success, particularly among underrepresented student groups.
Kappes is writing her dissertation for her Ph.D. in higher education at the ASU Division of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies (ELPS). She is studying extremely low-income students whose family income is below $18,000 per year and who are currently enrolled in the ASU Advantage program. "I'm interviewing them to examine the essence of low-income student experiences-how we treat need-based students, their barriers to success at the institution, as well as their personal and academic triumphs. While there are a lot of quantitative studies about needs-based students, there is not a lot of qualitative data about how it affects their persistence at ASU."
She hopes her research will eventually affect the way low-income student aid is dispersed, as well as recognizing the means to support more of low-income students'needs, including mentoring and preparation for grad school and a competitive workforce.
In addition to her graduate work, Kappes works full-time in the Memorial Union in Student Engagement in the department of Transition and Parent programs. "I love working in and around the University, and wanted to obtain my Ph.D. here at ASU. The ELPS (Educational Leadership and Policy Studies) program has a great reputation, and well-known faculty. My advisor has certainly motivated me to keep focused on my dissertation and to write as much as possible."
Janelle also has a new baby and husband who just graduated from law school. It can be very challenging to balance full-time work and family with getting a Ph.D., she says, "but it's easier now that I've finished my course work and am just writing my dissertation."
In addition to receiving the ASHE/Lumina Fellowship award for her dissertation research, she will be attending a pre-conference seminar in Kentucky, the Education Policy Colloquium in the summer of 2008, and will be assigned a mentor. After obtaining her Ph.D., her goal is to work in student affairs administration.