Living and Teaching Educational Leadership for Social Justice for Transformational Change: Dr. Karie Huchting
As the Associate Director of the Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership for Social Justice and an Associate Professor within the Department of Educational Leadership and Administration, Dr. Karen ("Karie") Huchting is deeply committed to promoting equity in education in all that she does. A recent Fulbright Specialist grant recipient, Dr. Huchting spent 23 days in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, working with faculty at Muhammadiyah University of Yogyakarta (UMY), an Islamic University, to develop their research skills and publication record. This experience truly changed her and from it, she feels better prepared to the meet the diverse needs of her students at LMU.
With a background in psychology and expertise in research methods and academic writing, Dr. Huchting's goal is to help students develop critical thinking skills so they can be informed consumers of information and independent researchers.
"As a professor, the greatest joy has been witnessing and walking alongside amazing students, who are doing the hard work every day to uplift and transform their school communities," Dr. Huchting said.
An alumna herself, Dr. Huchting returned to LMU as a faculty member after receiving her Ph.D. in Applied Psychology from Claremont Graduate University because of the emphasis LMU places on social justice advocacy. In particular, Dr. Huchting was drawn to teaching within and co-directing the Doctoral Program because she believes it is the perfect blend of theory and practice in how it supports the development of scholarly practitioners while placing an emphasis on independent research. In that way, students leave the program prepared to both transform their educational context and produce scholarship.
"The LMU Ed.D. offers students an opportunity to pursue their dreams, develop skills as leaders for social justice, and ultimately, transform their educational communities so that under their leadership no students are marginalized," Dr. Huchting said. "Our graduates have gone on to be teacher leaders, principals, superintendents, university faculty, higher education professionals, school board members, and so much more. Their stories showcase the real transformation of educational contexts—from changing school policies, to advocating for needed resources, to teaching others."
When she is not teaching and advising students within the Doctoral Program, Dr. Huchting focuses her academic research on the preparation of educational leaders for social justice and how educational leaders can support marginalized populations, including the LGBTQ community, language learners, students with special needs, and those living in poverty. Learn more about Dr. Huchting, read her faculty biography and view her list of publications.
When asked what advice she has for aspiring Doctoral Program candidates, Dr. Huchting said, "Be brave. Follow your heart."
Attend an Information Session to learn more about the Ed.D. Program or apply online now.