First EdD Candidates Graduate

Marking a milestone for the School of Education and Human Development, the first-ever doctoral candidates in the Doctorate in Educational Leadership (EdD) program will graduate on May 17, 2025. Fourteen students successfully completed the program and defended their dissertations.

In 2021, the School of Education and Human Development (SEHD) launched a three-year, online, low-residency Doctor of Education (EdD) in Educational Leadership program.

Students in the program choose between two EdD track options: the teacher leader track, designed for experienced educators aiming to spark meaningful change in K–12 settings; or the higher education administration track, tailored for professionals advocating for equity and innovation in postsecondary environments. With unmatched faculty support and rigorous course content, Fairfield’s EdD in Educational Leadership program was listed among Forbes Advisor’s Best Online Doctorate in Educational Leadership Programs of 2024. 

Among the first students to graduate from the program is Rob Schnieders, EdD, who completed the higher education administration track. “Professional doctorate programs like the EdD at Fairfield University are about the application of knowledge to solve contemporary problems,” said Schnieders, who serves as the University's vice president for strategic initiatives. “My favorite aspect of the program experience was the opportunity to select a research topic, collaborate with students and practitioners, and produce findings that have real-world benefits to K-12 and higher education.”

Fairfield's EdD is designed to educate leaders who espouse the Jesuit values of walking with the marginalized and service to humanity, as evidenced by the graduates' dissertation topics.

Read Dissertations From the First EdD Graduates

Katie Byrnes, EdD, has been in the field of higher education for more than 25 years and is also a member of the first graduating class. Byrnes, who serves as a campus minister for community engagement at Fairfield, said that defending her dissertation on food insecurity among college students "feels both surreal and incredibly rewarding.” 

One of the key reasons Byrnes chose the SEHD doctoral program was its accelerated format, which allowed her to “stay focused and goal-oriented,” she said, noting that the program required a good deal of discipline and perseverance.

The EdD in Educational Leadership offers coursework that intentionally positions candidates to take on further leadership roles and advancement opportunities in their careers.

“Congratulations to the 14 EdD graduates," said Bob Hannafin, EdD, interim director of the program. "They defended dissertations that advance justice and equity, and they are making a difference.”

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