Advancing the Work by Advancing Ourselves: Celebrating Doctoral Milestones at SHSU Online
At SHSU Online, we often speak about innovation, quality, and scale in online education. What is less frequently highlighted— but equally critical— is the depth of expertise and commitment to continuous learning within the team driving that work forward.
Recently, we have had numerous team members earn their doctorates — three of those within this past academic year. This accomplishment reflects more than individual perseverance. It represents a collective investment in strengthening our capacity to serve faculty, students, and the institution at large.
Pursuing a doctorate while working full-time is no small undertaking (as many of you know firsthand). It requires sustained discipline, intellectual rigor, and the ability to translate theory into practice in real time. These are the same qualities required to design, support, and scale high-quality online learning environments. As a result, this achievement is not separate from our work— it is deeply integrated into it.
Each of these individuals has engaged in advanced research that directly informs the evolving landscape of digital learning, faculty development, and student success. Their work contributes to a stronger foundation for evidence-based decision-making, more refined support strategies for instructors, and a deeper understanding of how to build effective learning experiences.
As SHSU continues to expand its online footprint and respond to shifting enrollment dynamics, the importance of this kind of internal expertise becomes even more pronounced. Scaling online education is not simply a matter of increasing course offerings— it requires intentional design, informed leadership, and a workforce that understands both the theory and practice of teaching and learning in digital environments.
The recent doctoral achievements within our team are a clear reflection of a broader culture at SHSU Online— one that values curiosity, professional growth, and the pursuit of excellence. This culture not only enhances individual development but also strengthens our collective ability to deliver meaningful, high-quality learning experiences at scale.
In the coming sections, we highlight each of these scholars and the focus of their research, offering a closer look at the work that continues to shape and elevate our practice.
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Dr. Rachel Scherer, Ph.D., Senior Instructional Designer and Adjunct for College of Science & Engineering Technologies |
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Rachel earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Learning Technologies from the University of North Texas in 2025. Her dissertation explored simulation-based training (SBT) within commercial trucking, a sector where SBT is less applied than in aviation or medicine. Using Gilbert’s Behavior Engineering Model (BEM) and "Best Fleets to Drive For" data (2009–2025), she analyzed 33 training practices. Her mixed-methods study found that fleets investing in SBT consistently outperformed peers across all six BEM areas. These organizations reported stronger driver knowledge, better tool access, and higher award frequency. Overall, Rachel’s work establishes SBT as a strategic advantage, strengthening safety, retention, and operations in high-risk fields where individual performance directly impacts public and personal safety. |
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Cailyn Dougherty, Ed.D., Instructional Designer |
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Cailyn earned her Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from Sam Houston State University, with a focus in Literacy, specifically digital literacy in 2025. Her dissertation explored TikTok—particularly “BookTok” communities where graphic novels are discussed—to examine how these digital spaces foster conversations around identity, representation, character development, diverse populations, and book banning. Through an in-depth analysis of user-generated content, her research highlights the intersection of social media and graphic literature, demonstrating how online platforms can serve as powerful catalysts for meaningful dialogue and identity exploration. |
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Alfonso Almeida, Ed.D., Instructional Designer |
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Alfonso earned his Doctor of Education in Instructional Technology from Texas Tech University in 2026. His dissertation investigated how chess visualization instruction affects chess ability and mathematics performance among adolescents in Northern Mexico. Using a quasi-experimental design grounded in Mayer’s Multimedia Learning Theory, the study utilized a fully online intervention with on-site facilitators. By integrating game-based principles and multimedia design, the research demonstrated how online chess platforms enhance cognitive skill development. This work provides a scalable, transferable model for technology-mediated instruction across various disciplines. Requiring minimal infrastructure, the design is particularly effective for under-resourced communities, offering a highly accessible and replicable framework for modern, digitally supported educational environments found throughout the world. |
Congratulations to them!
These accomplishments signal something important about SHSU Online’s trajectory. We are not only scaling our operations— we are deepening our expertise.
In an environment where institutions are being asked to grow online offerings rapidly, the differentiator is no longer access to technology, but access to informed, research-driven practice. The investment our team continues to make in advanced scholarship directly strengthens our ability to design, support, and sustain high-quality online learning at scale.
While my own doctoral journey concluded eight years ago, its impact continues to shape the work we do today. My research focused on developing evidence-based models for faculty development in online learning environments— specifically how structured training, applied practice, and ongoing support influence instructor readiness and course quality. That work has directly informed the scalable faculty development programs we now deliver at SHSU, across the Texas State University System, and through broader statewide initiatives. It serves as a reminder that doctoral work is not simply an academic exercise; when applied intentionally, it becomes operational infrastructure— quietly shaping how we design systems, support faculty, and ensure quality at scale.
As we look ahead, the demands on online education will only continue to grow, requiring greater scale, stronger quality assurance, and more intentional support for faculty and students. Meeting those demands will not come from tools or technologies alone, but from the expertise, curiosity, and commitment of the people behind them.
This is how we build for the future— by ensuring that the people leading the work are not only experienced practitioners, but contributors to the field itself.