Mary Alice Varga, Ph.D.

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

678-839-6092
maryalice@westga.eOuG3vG1PzdtJF9v5BLmllrShjGAdu

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Mary Alice Varga, Ph.D.

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. 

  • 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

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Spring 2022 Sections

Fall 2021 Sections

Summer 2021 Sections

Spring 2021 Sections

Fall 2020 Sections

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. https://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. https://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. https://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. https://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. https://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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