Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Health & Society
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Health & Society

CFE Doctoral Student Receives Prestigious Fellowship

Thursday, May 17, 2018, By Jennifer Russo
Share
FellowshipsSchool of EducationStudents
Kelsey Dayle John

Kelsey Dayle John (Diné)

Kelsey Dayle John (Diné), a doctoral candidate in the Department of Cultural Foundations of Education (CFE) in the School of Education, has been selected by the National Academy of Education to receive a 2018 Spencer Dissertation Fellowship. According to the NAEd website, the $27,500 Spencer fellowships support “individuals whose dissertations show potential for bringing fresh and constructive perspectives to the history, theory, analysis or practice of formal or informal education anywhere in the world.” John was one of 35 fellows chosen from a highly competitive pool of applicants.

“The NAE/Spencer fellowships are among the most prestigious awards supporting education-focused doctoral research in the U.S.,” says Kelly Chandler-Olcott, associate dean for research in the School of Education. “This is a singular recognition for Kelsey as a scholar, and it brings important visibility to the CFE department and the School.”

“My dissertation is about centering Diné (Navajo) people and knowledges by collecting Diné knowledge about horses to strengthen Navajo Tribal College and Universities systems,” says John. “I center the horse because it represents connection, healing and decolonizing education for Diné.”

In 2014, John received a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. She completed a CAS in women’s and gender dtudies in May 2016, and an M.S. in cultural foundations of education in May 2017. She earned a B.S. in educational studies from Colgate University.

 John grew up in Oklahoma, and says that horses were her “first friends and first teachers,” and therefore influenced her research interests. She chose to pursue her studies in CFE at  Syracuse because of the program’s interdisciplinary scholarship and pedagogy.

Interdisciplinary study is, “really important for my work with my community because in the Navajo way everything is connected,” she says. “Just like the horse, it connects to all parts of life and has to be taken holistically.”

  • Author

Jennifer Russo

  • Recent
  • Doctoral Candidate Wins Grant for Research on Infrastructure, Violence and Resistance in Pakistan
    Friday, August 1, 2025, By News Staff
  • Co-President of Disability Law Society Eyes Career in National Security Law in Washington
    Thursday, July 31, 2025, By Jordan Bruenger
  • Lender Center New York Event Gathers Wealth Gap Experts
    Wednesday, July 30, 2025, By Diane Stirling
  • After Tragedy, Newhouse Grad Rediscovers Her Voice Through Podcasting
    Wednesday, July 30, 2025, By Chris Velardi
  • Back-to-School Shopping: More Expensive and Less Variety of Back-to-School Items
    Tuesday, July 29, 2025, By Daryl Lovell

More In Health & Society

Bringing History to Life: How Larry Swiader ’89, G’93 Blends Storytelling With Emerging Technology

Instructional design program alumnus Lawrence “Larry” Swiader ’89, G’93 has built a career at the intersection of storytelling, education and technology—a path that’s taken him from the early days of analog editing as a student in the S.I. Newhouse School…

4 Maxwell Professors Named O’Hanley Faculty Scholars

The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs announced the appointment of four new O’Hanley Faculty Scholars: Brian Brege, Sarah Hamersma, Yüksel Sezgin and Ying Shi. Selected in recognition of their exceptional teaching, scholarly achievements and service to the institution,…

The Racket About Padel: Newhouse Students Partner With Global Media Firm to Track Rise of Sport

Why all the racket about Padel? Students and faculty in the Newhouse School of Public Communications collaborated with a global communications consulting firm to release a report about the emerging sport’s rapid rise in popularity. The report, “Celebrities, Community, Content,…

Fact or Fiction? The ADHD Info Dilemma

TikTok is one of the fastest-growing and most popular social media platforms in the world—especially among college-age individuals. In the United States alone, there are over 136 million TikTok users aged 18 and older, with approximately 45 million falling within…

Lab THRIVE: Advancing Student Mental Health and Resilience

Lab THRIVE, short for The Health and Resilience Interdisciplinary collaboratiVE, is making significant strides in collegiate mental health research. Launched by an interdisciplinary Syracuse University team in 2023, the lab focuses on understanding the complex factors affecting college students’ adjustment…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • X
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2025 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.