Kudos: First fully online doctoral degree to launch in LDT; Students, faculty recognized at 2025 APA Convention; Mativo receives awards
UGA’s first fully online doctoral degree to launch in learning, design, and technology
The University of Georgia’s Mary Frances Early College of Education is introducing the online doctor of education (Ed.D.) in learning, design, and technology, the University’s first fully online doctoral program. Starting fall 2026 but accepting applications now, this 51-credit program is designed for experienced administrators, educators, and instructional design professionals looking to lead technology-enhanced learning initiatives in P-12 schools, higher education, healthcare, and other industries.
Combining design thinking with applied research, the degree program equips graduates to create, evaluate, and improve instructional systems in diverse settings. Students choose from two areas of emphasis: instructional technology in P-12 education, with an upgrade option for certified educators, or instructional design and development, geared toward higher education, healthcare, and corporate training.
Students, faculty recognized at 2025 APA Convention
Students and faculty in the College’s Department of Counseling and Human Development Services received awards and were appointed to leadership positions at the 2025 American Psychological Association (APA) Convention.
- Edward Delgado-Romero, professor and associate dean for faculty and staff services, received the Section on Ethnic and Racial Diversity (SERD) Outstanding Service to Diverse/Underserved Communities Award from the Society of Counseling Psychology (SCP, Division 17); the Distinguished Career Contributions to Service from the Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity, and Race (Division 45); and is president-elect of SCP
- Ammy Sena, doctoral candidate in counseling psychology, received the Latina Student Scholar Award from Division 35’s Section III-Society of Latinx Womxn in Psychology/Sociedad de Mujerx en Psicología and the Toy Caldwell-Colbert Student Contributions to Service Award from Division 45
- Collette Chapman-Hilliard, associate professor, gave the SCP fellows address
- Yinan Liang, doctoral candidate in counseling psychology, received the Student Affiliates Award for Demonstration of Clinical Excellence in Counseling Psychology from SCP and is the chair of convention programming for the International Section and International Mentoring and Orientation Committee of SCP
- Natalie Kanga, doctoral student in counseling psychology; Haley Davis, doctoral student in counseling psychology; Stephanie Doblack-Mellum, master’s student in mental health counseling; and Chapman-Hilliard were poster winners for the Section on Supervision and Training of SCP for the poster “Improving Treatment for Persons with Disabilities: Incorporating the Social Model of Disability in Clinical Training”
Mativo receives awards from GACTE
John Mativo, Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Department of Workforce Education and Instructional Technology, recently received two awards: the 2024-25 Georgia Association of Career and Technical Education Teacher Educator of the Year Award and the 2024-25 Georgia Engineering and Technology Education Teacher of the Year Award.
The awards recognize teacher educators, secondary or post secondary, who are committed to preparing teachers to deliver high-quality career and technical education (CTE) programs, demonstrated innovation in teacher education, and leadership in improving CTE.