President, Data Analyst & Communications Committee Member: Sotheara Veng 

Sotheara Veng is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Education program with a specialization in Learning Sciences. He previously served as a lecturer in the Department of English at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. His work also includes consulting on national education technology and data system initiatives in Cambodia, where he collaborates with government and development partners to design data management systems and Generative AI-enabled learning supports.

His research focuses on motivation and self-regulated learning in technology-enhanced environments, including generative AI-supported academic reading and writing, computational thinking, GenAI literacy, and culturally responsive STEM education.

Vice President, Data Analyst Education Workshops Committee Member: Laurence Wang

Senran (Laurence) Wang is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Education and Social Policy program. She holds a Bachelor of Economics from Renmin University of China and an M.A. in Education and Social Policy from New York University. Previously, she worked with high school students in the Washington Metropolitan Area, supporting them in navigating the college application process. Her research interests center on transitions and pathways to postsecondary education and the academic and professional impacts of higher education policies, using quantitative methods.

Secretary & Social Event Committee: Amanda Man

Amanda On-Yee Man (she/her) is a third-year Ph.D. student in the School of Education at the University of Delaware, Newark, DE. She completed her B.A. in English Literature and Secondary Education at Washington University in St. Louis and holds a M.S.Ed. in Education, Culture, and Society from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. In the years between her studies, she taught secondary English language and literature in the U.S. and abroad. Her research interests focus on the interactions between and within schools, communities, and young people during and after crises and contention.
 

Treasurer, First/Second-Year Representative & Social Events Committee Member: Joy Polk

Joy Polk (she/her) is a first-year Ph.D. student in Educational Statistics and Research Methods at the University of Delaware’s School of Education. She earned her M.Ed. in Quantitative Methods from Vanderbilt University and her B.S. in Psychology, with minors in Mathematics and Cognitive Science, from Villanova University. Before starting her doctoral studies, Joy taught math and science to grades 6–12 in a one-to-one, mastery-based learning environment and contributed to research and evaluation projects with Assessment for Good, Reading Reimagined, and the Center for Rural School Health & Education. Her research explores how quantitative methods informed by critical theories can be used to uncover inequities and promote transformative, equity-centered change in education.

Treasurer, Data Analyst & Social Events Committee Member: Zhixian Zhuang

Zhixian Zhuang is a Ph.D. student in the School of Education with a specialization in Literacy. She earned her undergraduate degree in China and completed her master’s degree in the United Kingdom before beginning her doctoral studies at the University of Delaware.

Her research focuses on language and literacy development across cultural and linguistic contexts. She is especially interested in how language, culture, and institutional expectations intersect to shape students’ academic experiences.
 

CGSE Representative and Social Events Committee: Man Jiang

Man Jiang is a third-year Ph.D. student in Education at the University of Delaware with a specialization in Literacy. Her research focuses on writing development and argumentative writing through quantitative and computational approaches. She holds a master’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language and has over 10 years of experience teaching English to multilingual learners in U.S. K–12 and international school settings.

Educational Workshops Committee Chair: Bita Moradi

Bita is a fourth-year PhD student in Education, specializing in literacy. Her career as a school teacher in Iran drew her into researching language and literacy skills of K-12 students and educating K-12 teachers. Her primary goal is improving educational attainments of multilingual learners (i.e., English learners). Due to the fact that leveraging students’ gains is associated with teachers’ pedagogical practices, she is actively conducting research on teacher education programs. Currently, Bita’s research with her advisor Dr. Adrian Pasquarella pivots around educating Delaware K-12 teachers of English learners.

Communications Committee Member: Mina Sajjadi

Mina Sajjadi is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Education and Social Policy program at the School of Education and the Joseph R. Biden Jr. School of Public Policy & Administration. Her research focuses on teacher professional development and educational policies, with a particular interest in culturally responsive teaching and teacher efficacy.

Mina holds a B.A. in English Translation Studies from Bu-Ali Sina University and an M.A. in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) from Tarbiat Modares University in Iran. She has 15 years of experience teaching English as a second language to K-12 students, university students, and IELTS examinees. Additionally, she served as the head of an English teachers’ research community group for one year and as vice-principal and educational technology administrator at various high schools for three years.

Currently, Mina collaborates with Professor Dr. Laura Desimone on multiple studies examining teacher professional development and related educational policies.