For working professionals who want to lead meaningful, system-level change, Kent State University’s online Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Interprofessional Leadership offers a powerful pathway to transform experience into impact. Jason Hale, a Juvenile Justice System Programs Consultant in Ohio, exemplifies what’s possible when scholarship, leadership, and purpose intersect.
Jason’s journey through the online Ed.D. program reflects the program’s core mission: preparing scholarly practitioners to address complex problems of practice through justice-driven, research-informed leadership.
Meet Jason Hale
“Hello, my name is Jason Hale. I am a Juvenile Justice System Programs Consultant in Ohio, where I design and evaluate interventions for justice involved youth with complex educational, behavioral, and disability related needs. I’m proud to have successfully defended my dissertation in Fall 2025 and will officially graduate from Kent State University’s online Ed.D. in Interprofessional Leadership program in Spring 2026.”
Jason entered the program with extensive professional experience and a clear commitment to improving outcomes for justice-involved youth. Through Kent State’s fully online Ed.D. program, he found a learning environment that matched his ambition while supporting his professional and personal responsibilities.
A Connected, Cohort-Based Online Experience
Despite being 100% online, the Ed.D. in Interprofessional Leadership is intentionally designed to foster deep collaboration, connection, and community. Jason describes an experience that exceeded his expectations for virtual learning.
“As a student in Interprofessional Leadership program, I was genuinely amazed by how connected and supported I felt from day one. Even though the program is fully online, the virtual cohort model created a learning environment that felt incredibly personal, collaborative, and energizing.”
He credits the cohort-based structure with creating continuity, accountability, and lasting professional relationships.
“It never felt like ‘online school’—it felt like joining a team of passionate professionals who were all working toward similar goals.” Faculty engagement also played a critical role in shaping the experience.
“Even in an online format, faculty engagement was exceptional. Professors were responsive, approachable, and genuinely invested in our success…”
Balancing Doctoral Study With Professional Life
Like many Kent State Online students, Jason balanced doctoral coursework alongside a demanding career and personal commitments. He found that the program’s structure made that balance achievable.
“For me, the biggest challenge…was managing consistent time and energy across all three… What helped most was the program’s intentional, cohort based structure and predictable online format, which made it possible to plan ahead and stay organized.”
The flexibility of the online format, combined with strong peer and faculty support, allowed Jason to grow as a leader without stepping away from his professional responsibilities.
Leadership Through Fairness, Ethics, and Social Justice
A defining feature of Kent State’s Ed.D. program is its emphasis on integrity-driven leadership. For Jason, this focus reshaped how he understands and practices leadership.
“One of the most meaningful parts of Kent State’s online Ed.D. in Interprofessional Leadership was the way the program pushes you to examine leadership through the lens of equity, ethics, and social justice.” Through dialogue with peers across disciplines, Jason developed a broader, more intentional view of leadership.
“Instead of viewing leadership as position based or problem solving alone, I began to understand it as a responsibility to uplift communities, confront inequities, and approach every decision with intentionality and integrity.”
Interprofessional Collaboration in Action
The program’s interprofessional framework prepares students to lead across systems, disciplines, and organizations. Jason experienced this firsthand through national collaboration.
“One of the most meaningful examples of interprofessional leadership in my Ed.D. journey has been my involvement with a National CPED Initiative…” This work reflects the program’s emphasis on collective problem-solving and shared leadership.
“This experience demonstrated exactly what Kent State teaches, when diverse perspectives come together with a shared purpose, the solutions become stronger, more inclusive, and more impactful than anything one organization could achieve alone.”
Applying Systems Thinking to Complex Challenges
Systems thinking is a cornerstone of the Ed.D. curriculum, and Jason describes it as a transformational shift in how he approaches organizational challenges.
“One of the biggest shifts for me…was learning to think in systems rather than in isolated issues.” This mindset allows him to move beyond quick fixes toward sustainable, equitable solutions.
“It’s changed how I lead—making me slower to jump to quick fixes and more intentionally about understanding the entire system before acting.”
Becoming a Scholarly Practitioner
Kent State’s Ed.D. program emphasizes the integration of research, theory, and practice. Jason now applies scholarly inquiry directly to his daily work.
“Kent State’s online Ed.D. in Interprofessional Leadership transformed the way I approach my work by turning research, theory, and literature into the starting point for every decision I make.” His dissertation and consulting work demonstrate how academic frameworks translate into real-world impact.
“It’s a daily cycle of inquiry, reflection, and improvement—scholarship translated directly into action.”
A Dissertation With Real-World Impact
Jason’s dissertation addressed a critical gap in juvenile justice reentry systems for youth with disabilities.
“For my culminating project… I focused on a critical real world problem in my organization: the lack of a coherent, evidence based framework to guide juvenile court probation specialists…” The result was a systems-informed, actionable framework already generating interest from courts.
“Seeing organizations use my dissertation findings to make real world improvements…has been incredibly rewarding.”
A Course That Changed Everything
When reflecting on the program, one course stood out as especially impactful.
“Looking back on the entire Ed.D. program, the most surprisingly valuable course for my career…was Systems Thinking in Personal and Professional Leadership.” That course reshaped how Jason leads, consults, and partners with justice systems.
“That class didn’t just change how I think, it changed how I lead, consult, and partner with justice systems to create real, equitable change for youth.”
Advice for Future Ed.D. Students
For professionals considering Kent State’s online Ed.D. in Interprofessional Leadership, Jason offers clear advice:
“Lean in fully, because this program will stretch you in the best possible ways.” He emphasizes that the program meets students where they are—and takes them further.
“If you are ready to grow, ready to lead, and ready to turn your expertise into meaningful, research backed change, this program will meet you exactly where you are and take you further than you expect.”
Ready to Lead Change?
Kent State University’s online Doctor of Education in Interprofessional Leadership is designed for professionals who want to drive meaningful, system-level impact without putting their careers on hold. Through a fully online, cohort-based experience, students gain the tools to lead with fairness, apply research to practice, and solve complex problems across organizations.
