Welcome to the 6th Annual DSA Conference hosted by the Doctoral Student Association! Presenters include Faculty, Staff, Alumni, Candidates, and Students from every doctoral program. Come and explore the research of Franklin University’s Doctoral Studies Programs. Enjoy time with like-minded people. Discover the fun and connect with colleagues. The theme for this year's conference is "Research in Action: From Literature to Life — Where Will Your Research Take You?"

Thank you to the 2026 Conference Committee for making this event possible.

To view a presentation: During the conference - open the presentation's page and click on the zoom link. After the conference - videos will be posted and you will be able to view the video from the presentation page.

Zoom links for poster presentations will be added closer to the event.

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Schedule
2026
Friday, March 6th
5:00 PM

Meet and Greet with the Keynote Speaker

Kasi M. Guillot, Franklin University

event

5:00 PM - 5:30 PM

5:30 PM

Welcome, Navigating the Agenda, and Keynote Introduction

Wendell Seaborne, Franklin University
Amiee Wagner, Franklin University

event

5:30 PM - 5:45 PM

5:45 PM

Keynote Presentation + Q&A

Kasi M. Guillot, Franklin University

keynote

5:45 PM - 6:50 PM

6:50 PM

Closing Remarks

DSA Leadership

event

6:50 PM - 7:00 PM

Saturday, March 7th
10:00 AM

Welcome and Navigating the Agenda

Wendell Seaborne, Franklin University
Amiee Wagner, Franklin University

event

10:00 AM - 10:15 AM

10:30 AM

Hospital mergers & EHR data governance

Hugh Bowie, Franklin University

Track 1: Technology, Data & Institutional Transformation

presentation

10:30 AM - 11:00 AM

10:30 AM

Librarian–teacher collaboration study

Beth Kiernan Ferrigno, Franklin University

Track 2: Leadership, Organizational Culture & Systems Change

presentation

10:30 AM - 11:00 AM

11:00 AM

Critical Friends Groups (organizational intervention angle)

Valerie A. Storey, Franklin University
Amiee Wagner, Franklin University

Track 2: Leadership, Organizational Culture & Systems Change

presentation

11:00 AM - 11:30 AM

11:00 AM

Mexican gray wolf reintroduction: Community impact & policy tension

Jennifer Boer Vis, Franklin University

Track 3: Identity, Equity & Professional Navigation

presentation

11:00 AM - 11:30 AM

11:00 AM

POSTER: Dementia staff training in memory care

CJ Gerndt, Franklin University

Track 2: Leadership, Organizational Culture & Systems Change

poster

11:00 AM - 11:30 AM

11:30 AM

LIGHTNING TALKS: (1) AI adoption in the workplace (UTAUT model) and (2) Beliefs about “good education”

Arnetta Knight, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Kaolin Boardman, Franklin University

Track 1: Technology, Data & Institutional Transformation / Track 2: Leadership, Organizational Culture & Systems Change

presentation

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM

11:30 AM

LIGHTNING TALKS: (1) Autism care & parental burnout (equity-of-support lens) and (2) Exploring the connection between learning/training opportunities and employee retention

Shayla De La Rose, Franklin University
Annemarie Kuhn, Franklin University

Track 3: Identity, Equity & Professional Navigation / Track 2: Leadership, Organizational Culture & Systems Change

presentation

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM

11:30 AM

POSTER: Experiential learning for at-risk students

Alaina Desjardin, Franklin University

Track 2: Leadership, Organizational Culture & Systems Change

poster

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM

12:15 PM

First-Generation Doctoral Student book

Stacey Horn, Franklin University

Track 4: Doctoral Journey, Academic Persistence & Scholarly Development

presentation

12:15 PM - 12:45 PM

12:15 PM

Leadership theory-to-practice panel

Rachel Althof, Franklin University
David Brazer, Franklin University
Morgan McDermott, Franklin University
Kaitlin Wyckoff, Franklin University

Track 2: Leadership, Organizational Culture & Systems Change

panel_discussion

12:15 PM - 1:00 PM

12:15 PM

POSTER: Poster on statistics/data analytics workforce pipeline

Julie Webb, Franklin University

Track 1: Technology, Data & Institutional Transformation

poster

12:15 PM - 12:45 PM

1:15 PM

Code-switching among Black businesswomen

Latrice R. Small, Franklin University

Track 3: Identity, Equity & Professional Navigation

presentation

1:15 PM - 1:45 PM

1:15 PM

Gen AI and academic integrity

Valerie A. Storey, Franklin University
Tracy Greene, Franklin University
Lori Salgado, Franklin University

Track 4: Doctoral Journey, Academic Persistence & Scholarly Development

presentation

1:15 PM - 1:45 PM

1:15 PM

POSTER: Reserve & National Guard student transitions

James Crotty, Franklin University

Track 3: Identity, Equity & Professional Navigation

poster

1:15 PM - 1:45 PM

1:45 PM

AI and qualitative data analysis

Cecily Jackson, Franklin University

Track 4: Doctoral Journey, Academic Persistence & Scholarly Development

presentation

1:45 PM - 2:15 PM

1:45 PM

POSTER: HRRP & hospital readmissions

Afrah Mohamed, Franklin University

Track 1: Technology, Data & Institutional Transformation

poster

1:45 PM - 2:15 PM

1:45 PM

Secondary trauma & trauma-informed leadership

Angelic Dean, Franklin University

Track 2: Leadership, Organizational Culture & Systems Change

presentation

1:45 PM - 2:15 PM

2:15 PM

AI in government accounting & fraud detection

Amy Hernandez Paz, Franklin University

Track 1: Technology, Data & Institutional Transformation

presentation

2:15 PM - 2:45 PM

2:15 PM

Hospice ownership & quality metrics (analytics & policy link)

Craig Rijkaard, Franklin University

Track 1: Technology, Data & Institutional Transformation

presentation

2:15 PM - 2:45 PM

2:45 PM

Closing Remarks

DSA Leadership

event

2:45 PM - 3:00 PM