Thomas Koballa to Present Keynote at GERA Conference

October 5, 2016

Thomas Koballa, Ph.D., dean of the College of Education

Thomas R. Koballa Jr., Ph.D., dean of the College of Education at Georgia Southern, will be the keynote speaker at the Georgia Educational Research Association (GERA) 2016 Annual Conference, which will take place Oct. 7 at the Marriott at the Convention Center in Augusta, Georgia.

Koballa believes the structure of a modern college of education is determined by the quality and impact of its research in concert with the exceptionality of its students.

Using the strategic plan as a guide, Koballa has worked with the faculty to reorient the College toward one in which a culture of inquiry, anchored in the synergistic relationship between research and practice, permeates more and more aspects of faculty and student activity.

“I look forward to discussing with conference participants characteristics of education research that lead to it having less impact than is desired, as well as strategies they believe can serve to increase the impact of their research,” said Koballa. “In addition, the conference will allow me to renew friendships and learn firsthand about the work of other educational researchers from around the state.”

GERA has approximately 150 members from universities and colleges, public and private schools, and state, local, public and private educational agencies and institutions, covering disciplines in education, psychology, statistics, sociology, history, economics, philosophy, anthropology and political science.

In concurrence with the American Educational Research Association (AERA), the theme of the conference is Public Scholarship to Educate Diverse Democracies.

Register for the conference today.