Marie Leahy, SSJ, Ed.D.

Marie Leahy, SSJ, Ed.D.

Marie Leahy, SSJ, Ed.D. is a Sister of Saint Joseph and Chair of Undergraduate Education. She received a B.A. in Economics and Philosophy and Religion from Ursinus College, an M.Ed. in Multicultural Education from Eastern University, and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership K-12: Curriculum, Instruction, and Staff Development from Widener University. Sister Marie spent 25 years as a classroom teacher and has taught all subjects and numerous grade levels. Her areas of expertise lie in classroom management, trauma-informed teaching, mathematics, language arts, and social studies. Throughout her teaching career, she served as a curriculum coordinator and a mentor teacher. Her scholarly achievements include published peer-reviewed articles on the effects of childhood trauma as it pertains to the school setting, diversity in children’s literature, and early readers and academic success. She currently serves on the Board of Limited Jurisdiction at Our Mother of Consolation School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Experiences

Professional Memberships

  • Kappa Delta Pi, International Honor Society in Education
  • Phi Kappa Phi, All-Discipline Academic Honor Society
  • Omicron Delta Kappa, National Leadership Honor Society

Educational Background

  • Ed.D., School Administration: K-12 Educational Leadership, Widener University, 2013; Concentration: Curriculum, Instruction, and Staff Development
  • M.Ed., Multicultural Education, Eastern University, 2002
  • Certificate of Theology, Certificate of Art, and Elementary Education Instructional II Certification, Immaculata University, 1996
  • B.A., Economics & Business Administration, Ursinus College, 1987
  • B.A., Philosophy & Religion, Ursinus College, 1987

Courses Taught

  • Student Teaching Seminar, Middle Level
  • Writing Methods/Assessment

Scholarly Interests

  • The effects of parental mental illness on students and student achievement, curriculum and instruction, classroom management, multicultural education, and literacy.

Presentations and Workshops

  • Dissertation: Reflections of Adults on Their School Experience Growing Up With a Severely Mentally Ill Parent, UMI Publishing, 2013.