Sapna Thapa, Assistant Professor at University of Wisconsin-Stout

I had always wanted to obtain a higher education degree, and early childhood was my passion; even before I completed my MA degree, I was certain that I wanted to continue with the EdD.

My doctoral thesis explored the elusiveness of equity and quality in Early Childhood Education policies, and compared polices of two diverse countries (Nepal and USA). The excellent support and encouragement I received from my thesis supervisor, Professor Elizabeth Wood, helped me overcome many constraints and barriers and led me to complete my thesis within four years, despite the devastation that followed after the massive earthquakes in my home country, Nepal.

The thesis was recently selected as the “Rhedding-Jones Outstanding Dissertation 2016” by the Re-conceptualizing Early Childhood Education (RECE) organization. The award was presented during the RECE conference in New Zealand. The EdD degree has opened many doors and I am currently working as a full-time tenure track faculty member at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. I am grateful to have had such an amazing group of people as my mentors. They continue to inspire me to question the status quo, to reflect, and to be passionate about research and teaching.