EdD Dissertation in Practice Defense: Sarah Greenwald

Dissertation in Practice Defense for Sarah Greenwald Date: Wednesday, July 1, 2026 Time: 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. ET Zoom Link: Available upon request. Contact Sarah Greenwald at sjg114@pitt.edu Dissertation Title: "‘Fickle Attention’: Exploring Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Violations Education in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania" Dissertation Description: Anti-hate education efforts in Pennsylvania, operationalized as Holocaust, genocide, and human rights violations education, remain understudied. It is difficult for those working in the system to know what improvement areas Holocaust, genocide, and human rights violations education organizations should prioritize without more data. This study used an analysis of the field’s historical development, from its origins in memorial culture to current debates within the field as a foundation. The study aimed to fill the gap in information for a local system through a case study, which focused on three organizations’ perspectives and practices from three academic years (2023-2025) operating in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Findings suggest that the system experienced a variety of transformations unique to each organization, that the system would benefit from more consistency in data collection and/or integration of scholarship from relevant academic fields; and that the local system faced many of the same challenges present in the broader field. Dissertation Committee: Dissertation Director: Keith Trahan, PhD, Assistant Professor of Practice, Department of Educational Foundations, Organization, and Policy Mariko Yoshisato Cavey, PhD, Assistant Professor of Practice, Department of Educational Foundations, Organizations, and Policy Lauren Apter Bairnsfather, PhD, Chief Executive Officer, Anne Frank Center USA Everett Herman, PhD, Manager Research, Impact & Data Analysis, Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh