Rebecca Vasile

Why FSU?

I attended FSU for my undergraduate degree, and my experience was amazing. The campus is beautiful, and I always felt supported by the staff, advisors, and professors I worked with. Florida State has been investing in various services and programs to enhance the student experience, and it shows. There are always some professional development/networking events going on for students in every college. I am honored to have been admitted to the PhD program in Curriculum and Instruction.

Motivation to pursue a graduate degree

It was working at FSU's childcare center and completing research in a psychology lab that led me to my interest in language acquisition and reading development. I was applying to both reading education programs and communication science and disorders programs across the state. I wanted the opportunity to gain more specialized knowledge of child development, language acquisition, and education. Once decisions came out, the fellowship at FSU in the College of Education helped me make my decision. Pursuing a doctoral degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on reading education will allow me to hone my knowledge and pursue a career in research.

Importance and/or impact of research and work

Currently, the research I am broadly interested in is preventing reading difficulties with early intervention and enhancing practice in early childhood classrooms (i.e., preschool to second grade). More specifically, I am interested in examining aspects of vocabulary acquisition and the individual differences between children in how they acquire their vocabulary. This process can vary due to language status (i.e., English language learners), or broader developmental or contextual factors (i.e., language delay, family risk for learning disabilities, or school-related factors).

Career aspirations

Right now, I am interested in pursuing a tenure track position at an R1 university after graduation. I would like to be in a college of education working with preservice teachers and continuing my line of research. In addition to research and teaching, I would like to make sure that I take an active role in mentoring and supervising students at all levels.

Advice for anyone considering graduate school

I would suggest that you familiarize yourself with the school, the program, and it's required coursework. Contacting current students of the program to ask them about the overall environment, expectations, stress levels, and resources should help your decision.

Accomplishments during graduate career

I am a proud recipient of the Reading Disabilities Dyslexia Research (R2D2) OSEP Predoctoral Fellowship (2022). I am also proud to have made it to my second year, and I am working on my first, first-author manuscript.