Ed.D. Maria Paradiso-Testa
The doctoral journey in education is both demanding and transformative, requiring scholars to navigate complex research processes while developing their identities as leaders, innovators, and agents of change. Traditionally, the dissertation has been viewed as the culminating achievement of a doctoral program, often serving primarily as an academic requirement rather than a catalyst for broader impact. Yet the challenges facing educational institutions and communities today call for research that extends beyond degree completion and contributes to meaningful change. Increasingly, educational leadership requires scholarship that is practical, relevant, and capable of informing policy, practice, and innovation. As a result, there is growing interest in reimagining doctoral research as a vehicle for lasting influence, professional growth, and entrepreneurial thinking. Transforming Traditional Dissertation Research Into Entrepreneurial Impact: The Doctoral Journey in Education positions dissertation research not as an endpoint, but as a catalyst for innovation, leadership, professional advancement, policy influence, and entrepreneurial endeavors within education and related fields. This book highlights how doctoral work can be reimagined to advance education to the next level, bridging theory to practice and transforming research into meaningful, sustainable impact. Covering topics such as advancing participatory research methods, faculty allyship, and intersectional persistence among black doctoral students, this book is an excellent academic resource for graduate and doctoral students, faculty members, dissertation chairs, research supervisors, educational leaders, administrators, entrepreneurs, consultants, policymakers, and more.
