Cynthia Savage, Ph.D.

Cynthia Lyn Savage is a Professor of Professional Practice in the College of Education at Texas Christian University (TCU) and serves as Senior Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Academic Innovation, and Accreditation. Since joining TCU in 2006, she has held a wide range of faculty and administrative roles, including program coordinator for Youth Advocacy & Educational Studies, Interdisciplinary Inquiry, and Professional Aviation. Dr. Savage’s work centers on undergraduate student success, assessment and accreditation, educator preparation, and the development of innovative academic programs, including TCU’s BS in Professional Aviation, the BS in Youth Advocacy & Educational Studies, and the minor Aviation Studies. She is also deeply committed to supporting global exchanges for students and faculty, and has had long-standing involvement with the European Teacher Education Network (ETEN).

Dr. Savage holds a Ph.D. in Educational Research from the University of North Texas (’07). Her dissertation employed multivariate quantitative modeling to examine how high school experiences, pre-service teacher preparation, teacher certification, and early classroom practice intersect. She earned a Master of Jurisprudence in Children’s Law and Policy from Loyola University Chicago’s School of Law (’25), completing a thesis focused on Indigenous children’s language rights and the Choctaw constitutional preservation of Chahta Anumpa. She also holds an M.Ed. in Elementary Education with a specialization in early childhood education and an additional concentration in school counseling from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (’92), and a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Business Administration from Oklahoma State University (’90). Her teaching at TCU spans research methodology, program evaluation, child and adolescent development, teacher education, interdisciplinary inquiry, youth advocacy, and international education; and she has developed numerous undergraduate and graduate courses, including faculty-led international programs.

An accomplished evaluator and scholar, Dr. Savage’s professional work emphasizes quantitative and mixed methodologies, program evaluation, teacher preparation, early childhood education, and community-engaged scholarship. She has authored peer-reviewed journal articles, white papers, and extensive evaluation reports for school districts, nonprofits, and foundations, including long-term projects with United Way of Tarrant County and federally funded initiatives supported by the National Science Foundation. Her work has been presented widely at state, national and international conferences. A recipient of multiple teaching, innovation, and leadership recognitions at TCU, Dr. Savage remains actively involved in university, state, and national service, including engagement with the Texas Education Agency on a variety of K-12 and educator preparation matters.

 

 

Education

Ph.D., Educational Research
Primary Emphasis: Quantitative Methodology and Applied Statistics
Minor: Human Development and Family Studies
University of North Texas
2007

Master of Jurisprudence in Children’s Law & Policy
Loyola University of Chicago, School of Law
‘25

M.Ed., Elementary Education
Additional Emphasis: School Counseling
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
1992

B.S., Psychology
Minor: Business Administration
Oklahoma State University
1990

Academic Areas

• Youth Advocacy and Educational Studies
• Early Childhood and Elementary Education
• Teacher Certification
• Educational Research, Quantitative Methodology, and Evaluation
• School Counseling

Research Areas

• Educational Research
• Program Evaluation
• Educational Programs
• Youth Advocacy
• Teacher Certification