Dissertation Defense: Brenda Palmer Chase

Brenda Palmer-Chase successfully defended her dissertation on April 3, 2020, in partial fulfillment for her PhD in Educational Administration & Leadership.

She presented her study: PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE OF WHOLISTIC AND PHYSICAL STUDENT DEVELOPMENT AT SELECT SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST INSTITUTIONS AND WORK COLLEGES CONSORTIUM MEMBERS.

Her qualitative multiple-case study research collected data from four colleges to understand how they thought about and supported the physical development of students. She also examined how they connected and integrated this to wholistic development. Her data was collected from campus visits, extensive student and staff interviews and university documents and internet information about each college. She wove together a complex portrait of each campus that included issues like work study programs, nutrition and campus health practices, athletics and related physical education. Her cross case analysis and concluding chapter provide a rich comparison of the four colleges and extensive recommendations for practice, policy and further research.

Her chair was John V.G. Mathews, PhD, professor of Educational Foundations & Religious Education and director of the PhD in Religious Education at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary here at Andrews University.

Her methodologist was Shirley Freed, PhD, chair and professor of Education at Burman University in Canada and also professor emerita in the Department of Leadership at Andrews University.

Duane Covrig, PhD, professor of Leadership and Ethics, was her content expert.

Her external reviewer was Jane Thayer, PhD, professor of Religious Education, emerita, Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University.

Congratulations, Dr. Brenda Palmer Chase!