Laila Sanguras, Ph.D.
Lecturer, Curriculum & Instruction, Director of Ed.D. in Learning and Organizational Change
Laila Y. Sanguras, Ph.D., is a lecturer in the department of Curriculum & Instruction and the Graduate Program Director of the EdD in Learning and Organizational Change. 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.