Mary Alice Varga, Ph.D.

Department Chair & Professor
Department of Leadership, Research, and School Improvement College of Education

678-839-6092
maryalice@wssND9NUtHObTU7FzN0mSLxFyVgjtzDzKRestga.edu

Education Annex

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Mary Alice Varga, Ph.D.
Biography

Dr. Mary Alice Varga is the department chair for the Department of Leadership, Research, and School Improvement in the College of Education. She is also a Professor of Educational Research. Dr. Varga teaches graduate-level courses on quantitative, qualitative, and mixed research methodology; program evaluation; and school and classroom assessment. She also serves on doctoral dissertation committees throughout the College of Education. 

Education / Degrees
  • B.S., Biology, Shenandoah University, 2005
  • M.Ed., College Student Personnel, Western Carolina University, 2008
  • Graduate Certificate, Evaluation, Statistics, and Measurement, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2012
  • Graduate Certificate, Qualitative Research Methods in Education, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2012
  • Ph.D., Educational Psychology and Research, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2013
Courses Taught
Course Sections and Syllabi

Spring 2025 Sections

Fall 2024 Sections

Summer 2024 Sections

Fall 2023 Sections

Summer 2023 Sections

Spring 2023 Sections

Fall 2022 Sections

Summer 2022 Sections

Spring 2022 Sections

Fall 2021 Sections

Summer 2021 Sections

Spring 2021 Sections

Fall 2020 Sections

Publication List

Olaleye, C., & Varga, M. A. (Accepted for publication). The role of gender on holistic grief effects experienced by college students. Georgia Journal of College Student Affairs.

Varga, M. A., & Denniston, N. J. (2022). Engagement in recovery experiences from work among post-secondary full-time online faculty. Journal of Educators Online, 19(1).

Varga, M. A., Green, K. B., & Lindsey, J. G. (2022). Professional and practical considerations for the program evaluation dissertation. Impacting Education Journal on Transforming Professional Practice, 7(1), 16-19. http://doi.org/10.5195/ie.2022.226 [View Publication External Resource]

Green, K. B., Griffin, R. A., Morris, C. T., & Varga, M. A. (2021). Early childhood family education: Language and pre-academic skills for Latinx dual language learners. Journal of English Learner Education, 13(1), Article 3. http://stars.library.ucf.edu/

Varga, M. A., & Balk, D. E. (2021). Development and validation of the holistic grief effects instrument for bereaved college students. Journal of College Student Development, 62(5), 607-613. http://doi.org/10.1353/csd.2021.0056

Varga, M. A. (2021). Holistically identifying and supporting college student grief and trauma during a global pandemic and beyond. Developments. [View Publication External Resource]

Varga, M. A., Bordere, T. C., & Varga, M. D. (2020). The holistic grief effects of bereaved Black female college students. OMEGA Journal of Death and Dying. [View Publication External Resource]

Varga, M. A. (2020). The impact of loss characteristics on grief effects in bereaved college students. In S. Lee (Ed.), Exploring the opportunities and challenges of college students (pp. 321-337) Nova Science Publishers.

Varga, M. A., Lanier, B. A., Biber, D., & Stewart, B. (2021). Holistic grief effects, mental health, and counseling support in bereaved college students. College Student Affairs Journal, 39(1), 1-13. [View Publication External Resource]

Dilling, J. L., Varga, M. A., & Mandernach, B. J. (2020). Comparing teaching presence and social presence in traditional and online learning environments. Community College Journal of Research and Practice. http://doi.org/10.1080/10668926.2020.1752852 [View Publication External Resource]

Varga, M. A., Varga, M. D., Balentyne, P., & Lanier, B. A. (2020). Holistically understanding and supporting bereaved emerging adults. Mortality. doi: 10.1080/13576275.2020.1732315 [View Publication External Resource]

Kimbrel, L., & Varga, M. A. (2020). Predicting Ed.D. applicant potential using structured behavioral interviews during the application process. Impacting Education: Journal on Transforming Professional Practice. http://doi.org/10.5195/ie.2020.109 [View Publication External Resource]

Robbins, S.H., Bucholz, J., Varga, M.A., & Green, K. (2019). Promoting inclusion in preschool with program-wide positive behavior supports. International Journal of Inclusive Education. doi: 10.1080/13603116.2019.1666169 [View Publication External Resource]

Varga, M. A. (2019). Reflections on grief research interview participation. Death Studies. doi: 10.1080/07481187.2019.1648334 [View Publication External Resource]

Green, K. B., Robbins, S. H., Varga, M. A., Head, C. N., Davis, E., & Houze, W. (2019). Individualized professional development using the Pyramid Model with Head Start teachers. International Journal of Disability, Development, and Education. doi: 10.1080. [View Publication External Resource]

Varga M.A. & Varga, M.D. (2019). Grieving college students use of social media. Illness, Crisis, & Loss. doi: 10.1177/1054137319827426 [View Publication External Resource]

Balk, D. E. & Varga, M. A. (2018). Attachment bonds and social media in the lives of bereaved college students. In D. Klass & E. Steffen (Eds.), Continuing Bonds (2nd ed.) New York, NY: Routledge.

Varga, M. A. (2017). Grief interactions among emerging adults on college campuses. In A. Copone & V. Parvaresh (Eds.), The pragmeme of accommodation in connection with interaction around the event of death ˆ(pp. 83-94). Springer Publications. [View Publication External Resource]

Pollard, B. L., Varga, M. A., Wheat, L. S., Balentyne, P., & McClam, T. (2017). A quantitative study of graduate counseling student grief experiences. Illness, Crisis, and Loss. Available online at http://journals.sagepub.com/eprint/TaybSGsenVHVek4QAfxc/fu

Balentyne, P. & Varga, M. A. (2017). Attitudes and achievement in a self-paced blended learning mathematics course. Journal of Online Learning Research, ) 3(1), 55-72. [View Publication External Resource]

Whisenhunt, J. L. & Varga, M. A. (2017). Methodological issues. In C. J. Sheperis, J. S. Young, & M. H. Daniels (Eds.), Counseling Research: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Methods (2nd Ed., pp. 58-75). Boston, Ma: Pearson.

Balentyne, P. & Varga, M. A. (2016). The effects of self-paced blended learning of mathematics. Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 35(3), 201-223.

Varga, M. A. (2015). A quantitative study of graduate student grief experiences. Illness, Crisis, & Loss. doi: 10.1177/1054137315589700 [View Publication External Resource]

Varga, M. D. & Varga, M. A. (2015). Prescription stimulant use by graduate students. Journal of College Student Affairs, 33(1), 124-145. [View Publication External Resource]

Paulus, T. M. & Varga, M. A. (2015). Please know that you are not alone with your pain: Responses to newcomer posts in an online grief support forum. Death Studies, 39(10), 633-640. doi: 10.1080/07481187.2015.1047060 [View Publication External Resource]

Varga, M. A. (2015). Death and dying, Psychology of. In: James D. Wright (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 2nd edition, Vol 5. Oxford: Elsevier. pp. 860-864. [View Publication External Resource]

Varga, M. A., McClam, T. M., & Hassane, S. H. (2015). Grief experiences among female American and Arab college students. OMEGA Journal of Death and Dying. doi: 10.1177/0030222815574834 [View Publication External Resource]

McClam, T. & Varga, M.A. (2014). Grieving students in helping professions. Journal of Human Services, 34(1), 94-99. [View Publication External Resource]

Davis, C. A. & Varga, M. A. (2014). Performing professor. Polymath: Special Issue, On Being a Professor, 1(14). [View Publication External Resource]

Varga, M. A. & Paulus, T. P. (2014). Grieving online: Newcomers' constructions of grief in an online support group. Death Studies, 38(7), 443-449.. doi: 10.1080/07481187.2013.780112 [View Publication External Resource]

Varga, M. A. & Paletti, R. (2013). Life span issues and dying. In D. K. Meagher & D. E. Balk (Eds.), Handbook of Thanatology: The essential body of knowledge for the study of death, dying, and bereavement (2nd Ed, pp. 25-31). New York, NY: Routledge. [View Publication External Resource]

Paulus, T., Phipps, G., Harrison, J., & Varga, M. A. (2012). Re-envisioning instructional technology research in higher education environments: A content analysis of a grant program. Journal of Computing in Higher Education 24(3), 164-181. doi: 10.1007/s1 [View Publication External Resource]

Woodside, M., McClam, T., Diambra, J., & Varga, M. A. (2012). The meaning of time for human service professionals. Human Service Education, 32(1), 4-20. [View Publication (PDF)]

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