Kate McPhee, a doctoral student in the School Psychology program, was selected to receive the Provost’s Dissertation Fellowship. The award supports doctoral students as they complete their dissertations and allows them the opportunity to minimize other obligations. Recipients may receive up to a year of funding. Her dissertation project is on cultural humility in the context of teacher-student relationships.
Prior to beginning graduate school, McPhee taught middle school science for two years in Atlanta Public Schools. She is passionate about increasing equity in urban education. She also works as a graduate research assistant in the Center for School Safety, Climate and Classroom Management.
Her research focus is on the relationship between teacher factors, such as personality, interpersonal skills and cultural competence, and their effects on school climate, particularly on student psychological well-being and achievement. She is also interested in the culturally-relevant implementation of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, particularly in schools that serve high populations of culturally and linguistically diverse students.