Alexa Darby
Professor of Psychology
Department: Psychology
Email: adarby@elon.edu
Phone number: (336) 278-6405
Professional Expertise
Brief Biography
Dr. Darby is an educational psychologist and research methodologist whose teaching and research focus on educating undergraduate and graduate students about underrepresented groups. Dr. Darby began her career as a Learning Specialist working with college students with learning disabilities, and subsequently worked as a Disability Resource Coordinator before entering her doctoral program at the University of Georgia. Her dissertation focused on school reform initiatives in high-poverty schools. She received extensive training in qualitative research while enrolled in her doctoral program.
Dr. Darby began her faculty career at Elon in 2005. In her teaching, Dr. Darby employs service-learning to provide authentic learning experiences that help students understand psychological theory and the complexity of experiences among administrators, teachers, students, and families in high-poverty schools. She uses an asset-based approach to explain the teaching and learning process. Dr. Darby has spent much of her career uncovering what it means for universities to develop and maintain reciprocal relationships with community partners.
In exploring issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion, Dr. Darby employs the concepts of motivation and emotions to illuminate the lived experiences of a range of individuals in education, from first-year public school teachers to university faculty and community partners engaged in service-learning. Dr. Darby’s current research focuses on the lived experiences of doctoral students, faculty and other neurodivergent individual regarind issues related to stigma, disclosure, and coping strategies. Her inaugural study in this area focuses on faculty with dyslexia.
News & Notes
Education
University of Georgia, Athens, GA
Ph.D., Educational Psychology: Qualitative Inquiry, 2005
Dissertation Title: Living in a Fishbowl: Teachers’ Emotions during a Comprehensive School Reform Initiative
University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
M.A., Educational Psychology: Postsecondary Learning Disabilities, 1996
Employment History
September 2017-present: Professor, Department of Psychology, Elon University.
September 2011-2017: Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Elon University.
August 2005-August 2011: Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Elon University.
May 2005-August 2005: Program Evaluation Consultant, Clayton State University, Office of Disability Services.
August 2003- May 2005: Teaching Assistant, University of Georgia, Department of Educational Psychology. Course: Learning and Development.
August 2002- June 2005: Graduate Assistant/Qualitative Evaluator, University of Georgia, Partners in Learning.
July 2002-June 2005: Coordinator for Consumer Advisory Council for Universal Design for Instruction Project, a federal grant at the University of Connecticut from the U.S. Office Of Postsecondary Education.
August 2000 – July 2002: Doctoral student and Graduate Assistant, University of Georgia, Learning Disabilities Center
July 1999 – August 2000: Assistant Director, The George Washington University, Disability Services
April 1997 – July 1999: Assistant Director, Santa Clara University, Student Resource Center (responsible for services for students with disabilities)
September 1995 – July 1996: Learning Specialist, University of Connecticut, University Program for College Students with Learning Disabilities.
Courses Taught
Advanced Psychological Theory in the Classroom,
Educational Psychology,
Elon College Fellows: Paths of Inquiry,
Empirical Senior Seminar,
Nonexperimental Research Methods,
Undergraduate Research Mentoring,
Civic Engagement Scholars Seminars
Leadership Positions
June 2016-May 2020, Academic Service-Learning Faculty Development Fellow, Elon University.
August 2015-2016: Director, Civic Engagement Scholars, Elon University.
January 2011-August 2015: Academic Coordinator, Civic Engagement Scholars, Elon University.
Current Projects
Faculty in higher education with dyslexia
Lawyers with dyslexia
Graduate students with learning disabilities
Midcareer faculty in service-learning
Publications
SELECTED PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS
* indicates undergraduate students
Darby, A., *Willingham, L., & Cobb, T. (Under review). Examining community
partners’ perspectives on reciprocity and co-education. Journal of Service-Learning in Higher Education.
*Willingham, L, Darby, A, & Cobb, T. (2022). Faculty and community partners’ teachable moments in service-learning. College Teaching. https://doi.org/10.1080/87567555.2021.2000924
Darby, A., & Willingham, L. (June 2022). Memorable events experienced by Community Partners in university collaborations. Journal of Service-Learning in Higher Education (15th edition).
Darby, A., & *Willingham, L. (2022). Faculty motivation in service-learning based on
the Expectancy x Value Theory. Journal of Experiential Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/10538259211058292
Darby, A., Cobb, T., & *Willingham, L. (2021). Faculty members’ perspectives on co-education and reciprocity. Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, 25(20), 23-34.
Knight-McKenna, M., Felten, P., & Darby, A. (2017). Student engagement with community. In J. E. Groccia & W. Buskitt (Eds.), Student engagement: New directions for teaching and learning, 45-54. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Darby, A., Ward-Johnson, F., & Cobb, T. (2016). The unrecognized co-educator in academic service-learning: Community partners’ perspectives on college students serving diverse client populations. Partnerships: A Journal of Service Learning and Civic Engagement, 7(1), 3-15.
Darby, A., & Knight-McKenna, M. (2016). The role of self-efficacy in sustaining faculty motivation in academic service-learning. Journal of Excellence in College Teaching, 27(1), 179-193.
Darby, A., *Perry, S., & *Dinnie, M. (2015). Students’ emotional experiences in direct
vs. indirect academic service-learning courses. International Journal of Research on Service Learning and Community Engagement, 3(1), 1-9.
*Noyes, E., Darby, A., & Leupold, C. (2015). Students’ emotions in academic service-learning. The Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, 19(4), 63-84.
Darby, A., & *Newman, G. (2014). Exploring faculty members motivation and persistence in academic service-learning pedagogy. The Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, 18(2), 91-120.
Darby, A., Ward-Johnson, F., *Newman, G., *Haglund, M., & Cobb, T. (2013). Motivation to collaborate: Applying motivation theory to community organizations and universities working together. Partnerships: A Journal of Service-Learning and Civic Engagement, 4(2), 119-136.
Darby, A., Longmire-Avital, B., *Chenault, J., & *Haglund, M. (2013). Students’ motivation in academic service-learning over the course of the semester. College Student Journal, 47(1), 185-191.
Darby, A., Mihans, R., *Gonzalez, K., *Lyons, M., *Goldstein, J., & *Anderson, K. (2011). The influence of school socioeconomic status and professional relationships on first-year teachers’ emotions. Research in Education, 85, 69-80.
Knight-McKenna, M., Darby, A., *Spingler, M., & *Schafer, W. (2011). Educative outcomes for academic service-learning: Explicit illustrations of reflection exercises. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 23(2), 208-214.
Presentations
Darby, A., Cobb, T., Morrison, M., & *Willingham, M. (2019, October). Why faculty stop using service-learning. Paper presented at the International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement Conference, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
*Darby, A., & Oldham, M. (2018, July). Faculty emotions in service-learning. Paper presented at the International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Darby, A., & Cobb, T. (2018, July). Mid-career professional development needs of academic service-learning faculty. Paper presented at the International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Ward-Johnson, F, Darby, A., Fernandez, K, & Cobb, T. (2016, September). Community impact of curricular and co-curricular student services. Poster presented at the 16th International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement Conference, New Orleans, LA.
Knight-McKenna, M. & Darby, A. (2015, October). Introducing and adapting mindfulness practices for the college classroom. Paper presented at the 45th Annual Conference of the International Society for Exploring Teaching and Learning, Savannah, Georgia.
Darby, A., *Perry, A., & *Dinnie, M. (2014, March). Student emotions in academic service-learning. Paper presented at the 2014 Gulf-South Summit, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama.
Darby, A., & *Noyes, E. (2013, April). Student emotions in academic service-learning. Paper presented at the 2013 Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, CA.
Darby, A., Ward-Johnson, F., *Newman, G., *Haglund, M., & Cobb, T. (2012, September). Motivation to collaborate: Applying motivation theory to community organizations and universities working together. Poster presented at the 12th International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement Conference, Baltimore, MD.
Darby, A., Ward-Johnson, F., & Cobb, T. (2012, September). Community partners’ perspectives on the challenges of diversity in academic service-learning. Paper presented at the 12th International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement Conference, Baltimore, MD.
Darby, A., & *Noyes, E. (2012, September). Student emotions in academic service- learning. Poster presented at the 12th International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement Conference, Baltimore, MD.
Darby, A., & Knight-McKenna, M. (2012, April). Sustaining faculty motivation in AS-L. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, Vancouver, British Columbia.
Darby, A., & Knight-McKenna, M. (2012). Sustaining faculty motivation in AS-L. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, Vancouver, British Columbia
Darby, A., *Newman, G., & Knight-McKenna. (2011, November). Faculty motivation in academic service-learning. Poster presented at the 11th International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement Conference, Chicago, IL.
Darby, A., *Chenault, J., & Longmire-Avital, B. (2011, November). Student motivation in academic service-learning. Poster presented at the 11th International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement Conference, Chicago, IL.
Knight-McKenna, M., & Darby, A. (2010, October). Moving beyond initial perspectives: Academic service-learning in high poverty schools. Paper presented at the 40th Annual Conference of the International Society for Exploring Teaching and Learning, Nashville, TN.
Awards
Periclean Award for Civic Engagement & Social Responsibility, Elon University, 2014
Dr. Gerald Francis Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year, Elon University, 2014
Academic Service-Learning Research Scholar, Elon University, 2010-2011
Service-Learning Scholar, Elon University, 2006-2007
Vivienne Dean Litt Memorial Award Fund, University of Connecticut, 2005. Presented to University of Connecticut alumni who have positively impacted the lives of individuals with learning disabilities.