Penn GSE Alum Honored for Work on Doctoral Students and Racism

February 10, 2011 - Dr. Kimberly A. Truong, Penn GSE alumnus and now senior project manager at Jobs for the Future in Boston, has received Recognition of Merit in the 2010-2011 PDK International Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award program. Her dissertation, “Racism and Racial Trauma in Doctoral Study: How Students of Color Experience and Negotiate the Political Complexities of Racist Encounters,” examined the experiences of students of color who have dealt with racism and suffered racial trauma in U.S. doctoral programs. Her research also offers insights into how these students navigated, negotiated, and resolved the political complexities associated with racist encounters.

“PDK received more than 40 outstanding entries this year, but Dr. Truong’s research stood out to the review committee,” said Dr. William Bushaw, PDK International’s executive director. “Research such as this is important because it continues to advance the field of education.”

Truong earned her doctoral degree at the University of Pennsylvania. In her dissertation, she analyzed data gathered through interviews with 26 doctoral students and recent graduates. Eleven themes emerged that were related to how doctoral students of color experienced racism and racial trauma. She found that students’ responses in ensuring their well-being and mediating relationships fell into three categories: internal responses, controlled responses, and external responses. Truong offers prospective and current doctoral students of color some politically effective strategies that helped others resolve the racism encountered during their doctoral journeys, promote self- preservation, and keep working toward their doctoral degrees when confronted with racism and racial trauma.

“The findings from this investigation may inform institutional policymakers and the practices of postsecondary educators and administrators who endeavor to create inclusive and safe environments to support, retain, and graduate doctoral students of color,” Truong said. “This study illuminates our understanding of the racialized experiences of doctoral students of color.”

The PDK Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award is sponsored by the PDK Educational Foundation, which provides support for the projects of PDK International, a global association for educators. This award, which is designed to further research in education, is given to the PDK member whose dissertation best meets the criteria of sound scholarship and shows the most promise for improving education. In addition to the Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award, three members received Recognition of Merit for their dissertations. PDK received more than 40 submissions for the award, which was selected by a panel of education researchers.

Media contact: Jill DiSanto-Haines / jdisanto@upenn.edu / 215-898-4820