Five VCU School of Education faculty members were among the 2025 recipients of Virginia Commonwealth University’s National/International Recognition Awards (NIRA). Five additional School of Education faculty were honored as part of VCU’s inaugural group of the Excellence in Pedagogical Innovation Awards (EPIA). This year’s honorees were publicly recognized at the Faculty Recognition Gala held on Oct. 21, 2025. The NIRA and EPIA awards recognize faculty members who embody the university’s commitment to excellence and bring vision, rigor and heart to their work, shaping lives and advancing knowledge in ways that reach far beyond VCU. The School of Education was well represented among these university awards.

"It’s a true pleasure to recognize this year’s recipients of the National/International Recognition Awards and the Excellence in Pedagogical Innovation Awards,” said Kelli Feldman, dean of the VCU School of Education. “These honors celebrate the exceptional scholarship and teaching that define the VCU School of Education. Our awardees exemplify the impact, innovation, and dedication that advance both our mission and the broader field of education. We congratulate and thank each of our award recipients for elevating our community through their outstanding contributions."
 

2025 NIRA Award Recipients

The National/International Recognition Awards honor faculty whose scholarship has earned acclaim across borders and disciplines through groundbreaking research, global partnerships and leadership in their fields, elevating both their own profile and VCU’s reputation on the global stage.

Andrene Castro, Ph.D., associate professor, Educational Leadership  |  Andrene Castro made significant contributions to building her national profile and scholarly trajectory in 2024. Castro published five peer-reviewed journal articles and two additional publications. She submitted a proposal for external funding and finalized two research grants. Castro assumed the role of program coordinator for Educational Leadership, Policy and Justice and made progress towards increasing enrollment. Castro’s service contributions demonstrated high-impact service initiatives that showcased excellence in her academic discipline and enhanced the standing of VCU.

Daniel Gutierrez, Ph.D., LPC, CSAC, professor, Counseling and Special Education  |  Daniel Gutierrez achieved national/international recognition in 2024 through an exceptional scholarly record, including 12 publications addressing spiritual competence, competitive practice, and culturally responsive counseling. Gutierrez served as principal investigator on major grants, presented at high-profile conferences of counseling theory, and was associate editor for multiple journals. Gutierrez’ leadership and impact continue to shape mental health scholarship.

Jennifer LoCasale-Crouch, Ph.D., associate professor, Foundations of Education  |  Jennifer LoCasale-Crouch’s applied research on the supports and systems that influence children’s early home, community and school experiences helped to elevate VCU’s profile. During the past year, she led multi-disciplinary and multi-university collaborations, directly leading to 12 publications in 2024 and new external funding. LoCasale-Crouch’s work engages and trains the next generation of researchers and educators, and demonstrates a commitment to institutional and broader scientific advancement, contributing to VCU’s standing in the academic community.

Kamden Strunk, Ph.D., professor, Foundations of Education  |  Kamden Strunk is a leader in advancing innovative and advanced quantitative methodologies in education research. In 2024, he produced 13 publications, and secured seven funded grants. He is editor-in-chief of a peer-reviewed journal, sits on five editorial boards, serves as editor for a scholarly book series, and chairs a national research organization. His work is internationally recognized for its innovation, rigor, and impact, placing him among the most accomplished education researchers in the country.

Yaoying Xu, Ph.D., professor, Counseling and Special Education  |  Yaoying Xu exemplifies national/international recognition through her research, scholarship productivity, innovative teaching and mentoring, and the service she provides within VCU and in the profession. In 2024, Xu published seven refereed journal articles and two book chapters, conducted eight presentations at prestigious conferences, and delivered an international keynote. In addition, Xu received multiple new grants and served in significant editorial and grant review roles at the national/international level.

2025 EPIA Award Recipients

The Excellence in Pedagogical Innovation Awards (EPIA) affirm our belief that innovation in the classroom is foundational to academic excellence and celebrate faculty who are transforming the learning experience — those who bring bold, student-centered approaches to teaching, curriculum design and accessible pedagogy. These honorees are shaping the future of education at VCU, often leading with creativity, compassion and a deep understanding of how students learn.

T’Airra Belcher, Ph.D., associate professor, Counseling and Special Education  |  T’Airra Belcher led various teaching experiences in and outside the classroom in 2024. Utilizing a qualitative research design, Belcher began collecting data focused on contemplative practices to increase counselor competency, and cultivating vertically integrated research projects with master's and doctoral students. This initiative supported IRB, grant, and publishing opportunities for all research team members. Belcher initiated a mock counseling assignment that employed scaffolding across the undergraduate, master's, and doctoral tracks within the counselor education program.

Kim Bridges, Ed.L.D., associate professor, Educational Leadership  |  Kim Bridges’ teaching is driven by three core principles about instructional innovation: Continual improvement - innovation is change, but change is not necessarily improvement; Learning-centered - innovation is not an end goal, it’s a mechanism for creating a better learning experience and moves students from understanding to application of knowledge to real challenges; Collaborative - the best ideas come from the collective intelligence of diverse learners and partners. Bridges has embedded these principles in applied capstone projects for the Ed.D. program that support partner organizations and help students develop applied skills.

Lisa Cipolletti, Ed.D., associate professor, Teaching and Learning  |  Lisa Cipolletti demonstrates excellence in pedagogical innovation through her student-centered approach and iterative course design. In 2024, she developed a fully asynchronous online version of TEDU 386: Children's Literature I, using real-time student feedback to revise navigation, pacing, and workload. In TEDU 466: Literacy Assessment and Intervention in the Early/Elementary Classroom, she co-developed peer observation tools and infused structured, research-based phonics methods into tutoring plans. Her work extends beyond the classroom through high-impact workshops and mentoring, and advancing literacy practices among pre-service teachers and their school-based partners.

Meera Mehtaji, Ph.D., associate professor, Counseling and Special Education  |  Meera Mehtaji's exceptional pedagogical innovation is evident from her transformative teaching methods and curriculum development. Mehtaji’s shift from traditional presentations-based instruction to hands-on workshop methodology emphasizing practical application over theoretical review, emerged in direct response to student feedback. Her implementation of flexible assignment formats that accommodate diverse learning preferences, enhanced discussion requirements for online engagement, and the application of Universal Design for Learning principals across all coursework showcased her commitment to inclusive, student centered innovation that directly improves learning outcomes.

David Saavedra, Ph.D., assistant professor, Foundations of Education  |  David Saavedra creates learning experiences designed to get students thinking about education. For developing scholars, he encourages intellectual rigor and offers the necessary support to get there. Saavedra brings his knowledge of relational pedagogy into practice with his students, a likely reason their nominations led to him being awarded the Charles P. Ruch Award for Excellence in Teaching in his very first semester at the VCU School of Education.