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Starting Points and Sticking Points: Critical Conversations About Incorporating Generative Artificial Intelligence in the Dissertation Process
Wednesday, March 04, 2026, 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM EDT
Category: Events

CPED Wednesday Webinar

Starting Points and Sticking Points: Critical Conversations About Incorporating Generative Artificial Intelligence in the Dissertation Process

Date: Wednesday, March 4, 2026
Time: 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET 

Generative AI is one tool that can support doctoral student writing development by providing real-time feedback and resources while also offering accessible, low-stakes opportunities to refine academic writing. In the dissertation writing process, generative artificial intelligence (AI) can help students navigate starting points (e.g., generating ideas, choosing the best ideas) and sticking points (e.g., clarity, organization). However, it is critical to have clear guidelines and expectations for the ethical use of generative AI tools. In this webinar, we will discuss common starting points and sticking points students encounter in the dissertation writing process and explore strategies for ethically incorporating generative AI tools into doctoral coursework.

 

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Presenters:

Melanie Meyer

Dr. Melanie S. Meyer is a lecturer in the Learning and Organizational Change Ed.D. program in the Baylor School of Education. Dr. Meyer earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Texas at Austin. She received her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of North Texas and was awarded the Outstanding Graduate Student in Educational Psychology. She also completed a two-year postdoctoral research fellowship at Johns Hopkins University where she studied interventions to close opportunity and excellence gaps for students with advanced learning needs.

Dr. Meyer’s research focuses on adolescent identity development, equitable education policy, school-based creativity and talent development, and the postsecondary choice process. In addition, she studies the use of open science practices, methodology for systematic reviews of literature, and qualitative inquiry methods.

Dr. Meyer has published in Review of Educational ResearchGifted Child QuarterlyJournal of Advanced AcademicsJournal for the Education of the GiftedPsychology in the Schools, and other scholarly publications. She regularly presents at the Texas Association of the Gifted and Talented (TAGT) annual conference and serves as the Editor of their peer-reviewed online journal, TEMPO+. Dr. Meyer is also active in the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), regularly presents at their annual conference, and won the 2021 NAGC Carolyn Callahan Doctoral Student of the Year Award. She was selected for the Emerging Education Policy Scholar 2024 cohort by the Fordham Institute and the American Enterprise Institute.

Dr. Meyer was a classroom teacher in Texas public schools for over 20 years and taught middle school English, Language Arts, and Reading and high school Advanced Placement Language and Composition. She has also instructed graduate courses in research methods and qualitative research at the University of North Texas, creativity in education at Johns Hopkins University, and the psychology of exceptionality at Baylor University. Dr. Meyer currently advises students in Cohorts 11 and 13 and teaches Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research in the online EdD program. She is proud to be a Baylor bear.

Laila Sanguras

Laila Y. Sanguras, Ph.D., is a lecturer in the School of Education and Senior Director of Academics for Online Learning. Dr. Sanguras earned a B.S. in education from Western Oregon University, followed by a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Portland State University and Ph.D. in educational research from the University of North Texas.

Dr. Sanguras’ areas of teaching include psychology of learning, educational evaluation, and educational research. She works on a team with colleagues from Northwestern University and the College of William and Mary as part of a Jack Kent Cooke Foundation grant, developing accelerated online language arts curriculum for urban middle school students. She is a member of the American Educational Research Association, the National Association for Gifted Children, and the Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted organization.

Dr. Sanguras’ primary scholarly interest is the development of psychosocial skills, particularly grit and coping, and how teachers and parents can support their children to succeed academically and personally. She works closely with school districts and parent organizations to bring research to practice. Dr. Sanguras also presents at numerous professional conferences and enjoys mentoring students on their personal research projects.

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