Jay Plasman

Headshot of Jay Plasman

Academic Director Titles, unknown
Associate Professor, Department of Educational Studies
Academic Director-9M, Walter E. Dennis Learning Center

Program Area: Workforce Development and Education

plasman.2@osu.edu

Biography

Jay Plasman is an associate professor in the Workforce Development and Education program in the Department of Educational Studies within the College of Education and Human Ecology. He is also the Director of Research for EHE’s Dennis Learning Center. Prior to joining the Ohio State faculty, he spent a year as a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute of Education Policy at Johns Hopkins University. He earned his Ph.D. in Education Policy, Leadership, and Methodology at the University of California Santa Barbara. He is an editor of the International Journal of Training and Development. In recognition of his work, Dr. Plasman has earned awards from the Council for Learning Disabilities (Early Career Research Award), the Association for Career and Technical Education Research (Outstanding Beginning Scholar Award), and the University Council for Workforce and Human Resource Education (Outstanding Assistant Professor Award). His research has been funded by a number of agencies, including the Institute of Education Sciences and the National Science Foundation.

Education

  • PhD, Education, University of California Santa Barbara, 2019
  • MA, Education Research Methods, University of California Santa Barbara, 2016
  • MA, International Service, Roehampton University, 2009
  • BA, American Studies, Carleton College, 2003
    • Teaching certification in broad field social studies 5-12

Research Interests

Research Summary

Jay Plasman is an associate professor in the Workforce Development and Education program in the Department of Educational Studies within the College of Education and Human Ecology. He is also the Director of Research for EHE’s Dennis Learning Center. Prior to joining the Ohio State faculty, he spent a year as a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute of Education Policy at Johns Hopkins University. He earned his Ph.D. in Education Policy, Leadership, and Methodology at the University of California Santa Barbara. He is an editor of the International Journal of Training and Development. In recognition of his work, Dr. Plasman has earned awards from the Council for Learning Disabilities (Early Career Research Award), the Association for Career and Technical Education Research (Outstanding Beginning Scholar Award), and the University Council for Workforce and Human Resource Education (Outstanding Assistant Professor Award). His research has been funded by a number of agencies, including the Institute of Education Sciences and the National Science Foundation.

Selected Grants

Dr. Plasman has received over $8,000,000 in funding for his research, including an award from the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences to student the implementation, impacts, and costs of career development opportunities in the city of Baltimore. His grants include:

  • Ohio State University Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning. $3,000. Principal Investigator, “Willpower Isn’t Enough: Evaluating Self-Control Interventions for Students Facing Burnout.” Funded 8/15/2025-8/14/2026
  • American Institutes for Research. $150,003. Principal Investigator, “Career Development Opportunities Network Activities.” Funded 1/1/2025-8/31/2028
  • Institute of Education Sciences. $3,198,719. Principal Investigator, “Career Development Opportunities for High School Student in Baltimore City Public Schools.” Funded 9/1/2024-8/31/2028
  • Institute of Education Sciences. $3,885,905. Co-Principal Investigator (principal investigator at RTI International), “High School Technical Skill Attainment and Postsecondary Outcomes in Pennsylvania: Implementation, Impact, and Cost.” Funded 7/1/2024-6/30/2029
  • National Science Foundation. $349,998. Principal Investigator, “The Path to College and Career: Exploring the Role of High School Engineering Courses for Students with Learning Disabilities.” Funded 1/1/2022-6/30/2025
  • Institute of Education Sciences. $498,528. Co-Principal Investigator (principal investigator at Johns Hopkins University), “Postsecondary and labor market effects of career and technical education in Baltimore City Public Schools.” Funded 8/1/2021-7/31/2023.
  • National Science Foundation. $699,669. Co-Principal Investigator (principal investigator at University of Pennsylvania), “Education and Experience: Do Teacher Qualifications in Career-Focused STEM Courses Make a Difference?” Funded 8/1/2021-7/31/2026

Selected Publications

  • Plasman, J. S., & Linares-Ramirez, N. (in press). Work-Based Learning for All: Changes in Internship and Cooperative Education Participation Over Time. Journal of Career and Technical Education.
  • Blazar, D., Song, D., Goings, R., Plasman, J. S., & Gottfied, M. (2025). Pathways into the CTE Teaching Profession: A Descriptive Analysis of Degrees, Licenses, and Race in Maryland. AERA Open. Online First. https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584251361382
  • Sublett, C., & Plasman, J. S. (2025). Changes in Sub-baccalaureate Career and Technical Education Attainment Over Time and Across ‘Special Populations’. Journal of Postsecondary Student Success, 4(2), 110-140. https://doi.org/10.33009/fsop_jpss135138
  • Plasman, J. S., & Gottfried, M. A. (2025). Need a More Robust Healthcare Workforce? Support High School Career Education in the Sciences. Teachers College Record. Online First. https://doi.org/10.1177/01614681251359532
  • Plasman, J. S., Harrison, M., & Zhou, X.* (2024). Exclusive STEM-CTE Teaching:   Teacher Typologies and Student Outcomes. Career and Technical Education Research, 49(3), 20-38.
  • Plasman, J. S., & Myles, D.* (2024). STEM Pathway and College Progression: The Link Between Engineering CTE and Postsecondary Outcomes for Students with Learning Disabilities. Exceptional Children, 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1177/00144029241247034
  • Plasman, J. S., Stein, M., Durham, R, & Smith, Z. (2024). CTE Mechanisms: The Effects of CTE Center Admissions Offers in Baltimore. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 47(3), 682-703. https://doi.org/10.3102/01623737241239299
  • Sublett, C. & Plasman, J. S. (2024). Here and there: An examination of community college CTE and student mobility across rural locales. Review of Higher Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/ 10.1353/rhe.0.a922662.
  • Plasman, J. S., Gottfried, M., & Oskay, F.* (2024). Transitioning to Success: The Link between E-CTE and College Preparation for Students with Learning Disabilities. Education Sciences, 14(2), 116. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14020116

Selected Presentations

  • Plasman, J. S. (2025). Research and Publishing in Academia: An in-depth look behind the scenes. Invited Lecture at the University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
  • Plasman, J. S. (2025). Workforce Development and Education in the United States: A short(ish) introduction. Invited lecture at the University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
  • Plasman, J. S. (2025). Supporting Students through CTE and Work-Based Learning. Member of expert panel for Education Writers’ Association National Seminar Conference, St. Louis, MO.
  • Saephan, K. C., Bowling, A., & Plasman, J. S. (2025). Shifting Investment, Shifting Demand: Trends in Credential Reimbursement and Labor Market Alignment under Ohio’s IWIP Program. Paper presentation at the APPAM annual meeting, Seattle, WA.
  • Gottfried, M., Plasman, J. S., & Lavallee, P. (2025). Do Civic-Focused Career Courses Promote Civic Engagement? Poster presentation at the SREE annual meeting, Chicago, IL. 
  • Plasman, J. S. (2025). Pennsylvania Career & Technical Education Credentials Study: Overview and preliminary results from phase 1 of the PACTE Credentials Study. Paper presentation at the PACTA annual convening, Pittsburgh, PA.
  • Ansari, A., Kadir, L., Plasman, J. S., & Purtell, K. (2025). Rebuilding Connections Post-COVID: The role of belonging in absenteeism. Paper presentation at the Society for Research in Child Development annual meeting, Minneapolis, MN.
  • Myles, D., & Plasman, J. S. (2025). Enhancing STEM Outcomes: The Link Between Self-Efficacy, Advanced Course-taking, and Credit Accumulation. Paper presentation at AERA Annual Meeting, Denver, CO.
  • Plasman, J. S., Stein, M., Durham, R. E., & Smith-Onyewu, Z. (2024). The Effect of Career and Technical Education on High School Completion Baltimore City. Paper presentation at APPAM annual conference, Washington, DC.
  • Plasman, J. S. (2024). Unlocking Opportunities: The Impact of Career and Technical Education on On-Time Graduation in Baltimore City. Paper presentation at Postsecondary CTE & Workforce Development Research Forum, Virtual.
  • Plasman, J. S., & Linares-Ramirez, N. (2024). Work-Based Learning for All: Changes in Internship and Cooperative Education Participation Post-Perkins IV. Paper presentation at AERA Annual Meeting 2024, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Myles, D., & Plasman, J. S. (2024). Linking Math and Science Self-Efficacy to STEM Achievement for Students with Learning Disabilities. Paper presentation at AERA Annual Meeting 2024, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Plasman, J. S. (2024). Behind the Scenes: What Can We Learn from Journal Publishers? Member of expert panel for European Emerging Researchers Network (EERN-VETNET) and the Journal of Vocational Education and Training Research Community.