Doctoral student named outstanding scholar by Council for Exceptional Children

Christina Novelli (Ph.D. ’26), a doctoral student in the Department of Communication Sciences and Special Education, was recently named an outstanding scholar by the Council for Exceptional Children’s (CEC) Division for Research Doctoral Student Scholars (DRDSS).

The CEC is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving the success of children with disabilities and/or gifts and talents.

As a doctoral student scholar, Novelli will have the opportunity to engage with experienced researchers in three virtual seminars about the challenges facing new scholars while cultivating her own research goals.

“My selection as a doctoral student scholar with the Division of Research is an honor as I was selected from an international pool of doctoral students,” said Novelli. “This program is a way to not only learn from top researchers in the field, but also to extend my collaborative circle for future research endeavors.”

Novelli’s primary research interests include quality reading as well as spelling assessments, instruction, and intervention. Specifically, she is interested in spelling as a mechanism for learning to improve reading outcomes for students with or at risk for disabilities.

In 2021, Novelli was selected as a scholar by the National Center for Leadership in Intensive Intervention, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs. This three-year program taught her the importance of participating in collaborative research experiences.

“I know that adding scholars and researchers to my collaborative circle will bring nothing but opportunity and lead to future research projects with the hopes of adding to the field and ultimately improving outcomes for students with disabilities,” she said. “I hope to develop relationships with other scholars and the faculty involved to promote future research endeavors and writing collaborations.”

After participating in the CEC seminars, Novelli hopes to gain a better understanding of how to navigate her research as a new member of the scholarly community, while simultaneously developing relationships with other doctoral student scholars for future professional collaborations.