Sarah Ayala, MEd, Named Associate Editor of NASET e-Journal

BATON ROUGE, LA – Sarah Shell Ayala, MEd, a second-year doctoral student in the Lutrill and Pearl Payne School of Education (SOE), has been named Associate Editor of the National Association of Special Education Teachers’ (NASET) Special Educator e-Journal. 

Ayala is pursuing her doctorate in curriculum and instruction with a specialization in special education. She serves as a graduate assistant in SOE, dedicating her work to preparing the next generation of special educators and teaching in LSU’s Integrative Community Studies (ICS) program, supporting students with intellectual disabilities in their academic and life skills development.

Before beginning her doctoral journey at LSU, Ayala’s career spanned over a decade in special education across Florida and California. Her experience ranges from serving as an inclusion teacher to working as a program specialist, where she oversaw multiple special education teams across a family of charter schools.

“I am thrilled to join NASET as Associate Editor of the Special Educator e-Journal,” Ayala said. “This role is a meaningful opportunity to contribute to a resource that supports, informs, and inspires special educators nationwide. I look forward to collaborating with NASET to highlight best practices, share research, and amplify the voices of professionals dedicated to this important work.”

The National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) is a national professional organization dedicated to supporting current, future, and former special education teachers. Founded to provide a professional home for educators in the field, NASET promotes the highest standards of practice, advances professional excellence, and champions high-quality education for children and adolescents with disabilities. Its monthly e-journal, The Special Educator, delivers timely, practice-focused articles offering strategies, IEP best practices, technology tools, and field updates written by and for special education professionals.

"We are thrilled to welcome Sarah as an associate editor for our partner e-journal. Her appointment reflects both their academic promise and their dedication to advancing scholarly dialogue," Allie Boquet, PhD, assistant professor of professional practice in SOE and co-editor of Journal of Ameerican Academy of Special Education Professionals (JAASEP), the partner research journal to NASET's practitioner e-journal. "This collaboration strengthens the bridge between emerging scholars and the broader research community, ensuring that fresh perspectives continue to shape the field."

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About the LSU Lutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education
A school of the LSU College of Human Sciences & Education, the Lutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education (SOE) offers undergraduate programs for students who want to pursue a career as a pre-kindergarten through 12th grade teacher or acquire dual certification in both traditional elementary and special education classrooms. In addition, SOE offers 3 graduate certificates, 17 master’s degree program areas, 9 EdS certificate programs, and 2 PhD degrees in 11 areas of focus. SOE’s focus is not only on preparing highly qualified teachers but also in preparing educational leaders, curriculum studies scholars, educational technology experts, applied researchers, higher education professionals, school counselors, and clinical mental health counselors. SOE specializes scholarly expertise regarding pressing educational and wellness issues across the entire lifespan. 

Visit the LSU Lutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education.

 

About the College of Human Sciences & Education 
The College of Human Sciences & Education (CHSE) is a nationally accredited division of Louisiana State University. The college is comprised of the School of Education, the School of Information Studies, the School of Kinesiology, the School of Leadership & Human Resource Development, and the School of Social Work. CHSE has two model demonstration schools, the Early Childhood Education Laboratory Preschool, enrolling birth to age four and the University Laboratory School enrolling Kindergarten through grade 12. The college also has four centers and institutes: the Early Childhood Education Institute, the Healthy Aging Research Center, the Leadership Development Institute, and Social Research & Evaluation Center. The college is committed to achieving the highest standards in teaching, research, and service and aims to improve quality of life across the lifespan.

Visit the College of Human Sciences & Education website.