Written by: Tiffany Westry
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Robin Ennis, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Curriculum and InstructionRobin Parks Ennis, Ph.D., has been awarded the 2016 Division for Research Distinguished Early Career Publication Award by the Council for Exceptional Children Division of Research. Ennis is an assistant professor in the UAB School of Education Department of Curriculum and Instruction.
The Council for Exceptional Children is devoted to the advancement of research related to the education of individuals with disabilities and/or who are gifted. The Early Career Publication Award recognizes outstanding research publications by individuals who completed their doctorate within the last five years. Ennis received her doctorate at Georgia State University in 2013 and joined UAB in 2015.
Ennis was selected for the award for a study based on her dissertation, in which she helped train teachers at a residential facility for students with emotional and behavioral disorders to implement an intervention called self-regulated strategy development. The goal of the intervention was to help teach the students how to write persuasively.
“We received multiple worthy nominees,” said Timothy Landrum, Ph.D., chair of the Division of Research Early Career Publication Award Committee. “And the committee was impressed with the weight, substance and sophistication of Dr. Ennis’ study on self-regulated strategy development in residential settings with teachers as implementers, and with how this effort contributed systematically to the line of inquiry she has been instrumental in furthering.”
Ennis says the intervention in the residential facility setting was novel because oftentimes in alternative education settings it is difficult to implement academic interventions because of the behavior needs that the teachers have to address. Data from the study revealed the students made significant gains in engagement and writing outcomes during the intervention as compared to their performance before the intervention.
Much of Ennis’ research addresses behavioral and instructional strategies for children with emotional and behavioral disorders. She has published more than 40 peer-reviewed articles and made more than 100 conference presentations in this area.
All awardees will be honored in April at an awards ceremony and reception of the Division for Research at the Annual CEC Convention in Boston.