Profile

Susan W. Parker, Ph.D.
Professor of Education (Education)
Director, Women's Leadership and Mentorship Program (Women's Leadership and Mentorship Program)
parkers@rmu.edu
412-397-6245
Patrick Henry 327


Educational Background

  • Ph.D., Special Education/Early Intervention, University of Pittsburgh, 2008
  • Master of Education, Special Education, Pennsylvania State University, 1992
  • Bachelor of Arts, Commmunication Studies, Pennsylvania State University, 1985
  • Certificate, Elementary Certification, Chatham University, 1988

Professional Background

  • Westminster College, New Wilmington, PA Assistant Professor of Special Education
  • Point Park University, Pittsburgh, PA, Visiting Professor of Special Education
  • Univeristy of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA Graduate Student Researcher & UCLID Fellow
  • Achieva, Pittsburgh, PA Developmental Therapist
  • Chester County Intermediate Unit, Exton, PA, Service Coordinator, Classroom Teacher, Home Visitor
  • Ken-Crest Services, Philadelphia, PA, Early Intervention Classroom Teacher
  • Allegheny County Intermediate Unit, Pittsburgh, PA Headstart Classroom Teacher & Home Visitor

Area of Expertise/Research

  • Teacher preparation in early childhood and early intervention
  • Trauma-informed classroom practices
  • Social issues related to young children with disabilities
  • Perceptions of hope for families of young children with disabilities

Publications

  • Tepe, J.H. & Parker, S.W. (Funded grant 2025-2026) Private Industry Council. Professional Development for Head Start administration, faculty and staff of Beaver County, PA. 
  • Tepe, J.H., Parker, S.W., & Grooms, S. (Funded grant 2024-2025). Private Industry Council.  Professional Development for Head Start administration, faculty and staff of Beaver County, PA.
  • Tepe, J.H., Parker, S.W. & Grooms, S. (Funded grant 2023-2024). Private Industry Council. Professional Development for Head Start administration, faculty and staff of Beaver County, PA. 
  • Parker, S.W., & Haser, S. (2022).  Unlikely Additions: One institute of higher education, plus two early childhood education and care centers equals investment in female adult learners. Journal of Child and Youth Care Work, 28.
  • Parker, S.W. & Nelson, S. (Funded grant 2022). Innovative Teacher Prep 2 Practice; Pennsylvania Department of Education. 
  • Parker, S.W. (2021). Complex trauma: A professional and personal account. In C.C. Bernadowski (Ed.) Strategies and methods for implementing trauma-informed pedagogy. (pp. 82-102). IGI Global. 
  • Parker, S.W., Hansen, M., & Bernadowski, C.C. (2021). Covid-19 campus closures in the United States: American student perceptions of forced transition to remote learning. Social Science, 10 (62). 
  • Donne, V., Parker, S.W., Lin, F.Y., Hansen, M. & Haser, S. (Funded grant 2019). Strengthening and aligning higher education systems for early care and education; Pennsylvania Department of Education. 
  • Del Greco, R.A., Bernadowski, C.C., Parker. S.W. (2018). Using illustrations to depict pre-service science teachers self-efficacy: A case study.  International Journal of Instruction. 11 (2), pp. 75-78.
  • Rafoth, M.A. & Parker, S.W. (2018). Preventing academic failure and promoting alternatives to retention. In Patti L. Harrison & Alex Thomas (Eds.), Best Practices in School Psychology, (143-156), Bethesda: MD. NASP.
  • Parker, S.W. (Funded grant 2017). Race to the Top: Pennsylvania Department of Education. 
  • Bernadowski, C.C., Perry, R., Del Greco, R.A., & Parker, S.W. (2014). START: A framework for service learning implementation for pre-service teachers. Journal of Education and Training, 1(2), 262-275.

Presentations

  • 2024 - Tepe, J.H., Kardambikis, P., Parker, S.W. Social-Emotional Learning Practices. Presented at the PAC-TE conference, Harrisburg, PA.
  • 2024 - Parker, S.W. & Tepe, J.H. Keynote Speakers. Atoms, Stories and the Universe. Presented at the Unconference, Trying Together, Carnegie Science Center, Pittsburgh, PA.
  • 2024 - Kardambikis, P., Tepe, J.H., Parker, S.W., Arlotta-Guerro, A., Wanless, S. From Acorn to Oak. Presented at the National Social-Emotional Learning Conference, King of Prussia, PA.
  • 2023 - Tepe, J.H., Parker, S.W., Grooms. Teaching and Learning Together in our Neighborhood. Presented at the national NAEYC conference, Portland, OR.
  • 2023 - Tepe, J.H.,& Parker, S.W. Using Literature to Build SEL for Preschoolers. Invited virtual presentation for the Western Galilee College Literacy Education Center, Israel.
  • 2020 - Parker, S.W., Haser, S.H., Thralls, J., Ciminel, D., Albenze, J., & Weiss, S. New Professional Standards: Early Educators and the University Credential Program. Presented virtually at the Early Childhood Education Summit.
  • 2019 - Miller, S. & Parker, S.W. The Power of Partnerships: Unleashing the PreK to K Transition Process. Presented at the Early Childhood Education Summit, Penn State University, State College, PA.
  • 2017 - Parker, S.W. Sensory Integration. Presented at Igalo Institute, Igalo, Montenegro.
  • 2016 - Parker, S.W. Family Centered Practices in Special Education. Presented for COCI, Herceg Novi, Montenegro.
  • 2015 - Del Greco, R.A., Perry, R., Bernadowski, C.C., Miller, S., & Parker, S.W. Course Managed Service Learning. Presented at the Eastern/Mid-Atlantic Professional Development School Regional Conference, Penn State University, State College, PA.
  • 2013 - Haser, S., & Parker, S.W. Using the Teacher Work Sample to Remediate Student-Teacher Data Driven Instruction Skills. Presented at the National Student Teaching and Supervision Conference, Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, PA.
  • 2012 - Parker, S.W. Recognizing Developmental Red Flags- Workshop for the Early Childhood Initiative in conjunction with the Laughlin Center, NAEYC accredited preschool in Sewickley, PA.
  • 2012 - Tepe, J.H., & Parker, S.W. Collaboration, Teaming and Role Release. Presented to Head Start administration, faculty of Staff, Parkersburg, WV.
  • 2011 - Parker, S.W. Linking PA Standards to Lesson Planning. Presented at the Early Childhood Initiative.
  • 2010 - Parker, S.W., Wolf, T., Brletic,C., Seiger, L., Tittinger, R., Fedon, K. Gracious Space Presented at the PA-CEC conference in State College, PA.
  • 2009 - Domanski, L., Parker, S.W., Gettemy, C. Cunningham, J., Shiner, R., Kushner, K., Byers, J. Accommodating a split Student-Teaching Placement. Presented at the Slippery Rock University Student Teacher Supervision Conference.
  • 2008 - Parker, S.W. Keynote Speaker. Identifying Developmental Red Flags. Presented at Project ECHO Conference
  • 2001 - Kaczmarek, L.A., Paker, S.W., Brown, M., Tepe, J.H. Home-School Communication Books: A discussion of Strategies. Presented at the state-wide early intervention annual conference, Hershey, PA.
  • 2001 - Tepe, J.H., Kaczmarek, L.A., Parker, S.W., Knoll, D. Strategies for Developing/Using Video in Personnel Preparation. Presented at the Council for Exceptional Children Division of Early Childhood Annual Conference, Boston, MA.
  • 2000 - Kaczmarek, L.A., Parker, S.W., Shair, E., Laughlin, J., Tepe, J.H., Brown, M. Communication Notebooks: A Content Analysis. Presented at the Council for Exceptional Children?s Division of Early Childhood Annual Conference, Albuquerque, NM.