The United States Sports Academy is committed to student success in all aspects of their graduate work, and because of that commitment the institution recently hosted its inaugural seminar to help doctoral degree students work through the dissertation writing process.
The Academy welcomed seven doctoral students from all over the United States for the three-day Dissertation Writing Intensive Workshop hosted by the Robert Block Library on 13-15 November, 2019, on the institution’s campus in Daphne, Ala. Several members of the Academy staff who are in the doctoral program also attended the seminar.
The workshop was delivered collaboratively by full time faculty and staff, with classroom based activities about writing, researching, formatting, the IRB process, and more, combined with hands-on sessions, round tables, and one-on-one sessions with faculty members.
Academy library director and archivist Dr. Vandy Pacetti-Donelson hailed the inaugural seminar as a success.
“We provided the opportunity to succeed for the students who attended,” Pacetti-Donelson said. “We learned valuable lessons about what we can accomplish and our capabilities as a staff to provide an intensive face-to-face learning experience. It also provided some insights on areas where we can improve our services. I look forward to many more exciting opportunities to provide on-site programming for our students.”
Doctoral student Lori Huckaby is the assistant athletic director and head women’s basketball coach at Clarks Summit University in Pennsylvania. She is seeking her Doctor of Education degree in sports management with a leadership specialization from the Academy.
“The intensive was an extremely helpful and very valuable experience for me,” Huckaby said. “I was able to spend time getting to know the Academy faculty members, talking about not only the dissertation but also getting professionally linked with them.
“The information itself has allowed me the confidence that I can write a dissertation and that my professors are supportive and want to see me succeed. From a practical perspective, it was above and beyond what I anticipated and I am excited to actually get started with it. It gave me the boost and motivation to finish my doctorate.”
