September 2018 Newsletter

New Issue of Catalyst Magazine

The Summer 2018 issue of Catalyst magazine highlights how three School of Education researchers are changing lifetime outcomes for students with disabilities. This issue also includes a glimpse at how the School’s Transformative Justice in Education Center is bringing restorative justice to the classroom, the interwoven story of two couples supporting students through their philanthropy, a conversation with two first-generation PhD students and other School news.

Download a copy or drop us an email if you’d like to receive a copy in the mail or give us feedback about an article.

Kevin Gee Joins CANDEL Leadership

We are excited to announce that School of Education Professor Kevin Gee will serve as Co-Director of the CANDEL program effective October 1, 2018 through June 30, 2020. He joins current Co-Director Dr. Cassandra Hart and CANDEL Associate Director Dr. Rosa Rodriguez.

Gee recently earned tenure to become an Associate Professor in the School of Education. He also holds a Faculty Research Affiliate with the Center for Poverty Research. His work investigates how school policies and programs can help promote the well-being and educational outcomes of children who face a broad array of adverse conditions and experiences. Gee, who has been teaching and advising CANDEL students for years, brings to his new position some exciting ideas for the future of the CANDEL program.

REEd Receives National Science Foundation Award to Help Teachers and English Learner Students

Resourcing Excellence in Education (REEd) Executive Director Susan O’Hara, Principal Investigator, and Jamal Abedi and Joanne Bookmyer, Co-Principal Investigators, have received a $4.9 million National Science Foundation Award for their project “Testing the Efficacy of the SOAR for Math Professional Learning Program.” The overarching goal of the SOAR for Math project is to develop, implement and test a professional learning model for teachers that will help English learner students improve their academic language development and mathematical content understanding. The project will be conducted in 60 elementary schools in Southern California.

Paco Martorell Awarded $3.2 Dollar Grant to Study Financial Aid Impact on California Community College Students

Principal Investigator Paco Martorell has received a $3.2 million Institute of Education Sciences grant for his project “Evaluating Incentives for Full-time Enrollment at California Community Colleges.” Drawing on data and student surveys from California’s community college system, this project will evaluate the causal impact of financial incentives on students’ short-term and longer-term education outcomes.

The results of this study will be an important contribution to the field, as relatively little is known about the role that financial aid can play in facilitating degree completion. The research team will share its findings with California policymakers through Wheelhouse, a center for California community college leaders housed at the School of Education, and Policy Analysis for California Education, an independent research center.

Number of Education Minor Students Continues to Rise

Open to undergraduate students from any and all majors on campus, the Minor in Education is the largest minor on campus, and we are proud to say that it continues to keep growing. The School of Education had more than 300 students graduate with a Minor in Education during the 2017-18 academic year, an increase of 33 percent since the 2013-14 academic year.

Learn more about the Minor in Education program by downloading our new fact sheet.

Alumni Spotlights

Lyndon Huling (‘07, EdD ‘18)

“I’m passionate about making UC Davis a welcoming and inclusive community for everyone,” said Lyndon Huling (’07, EdD ’18). “This is vital to the mission of UC Davis and to me personally.”

Huling, a recent graduate of the CANDEL program at the School of Education, has dedicated his career to ensuring that UC Davis is a place where diversity, equity and inclusion are at the forefront of every decision. He is now the Senior Talent Acquisition Partner for Sourcing, Diversity and Outreach in Human Resources at UC Davis and UC Davis Health, a position where he says his doctorate in educational leadership is serving him well. Learn more about Huling in this alumni spotlight.

Lina Mendez (PhD ‘10)

In 2003, as a PhD student in the newly established UC Davis School of Education, Lina Mendez (PhD ‘10) researched how a high school was preparing Chicanx/Latinx English learner students for college. Now the associate director at the UC Davis Center for Chicanx and Latinx Academic Student Success, Mendez is working with some of the 7,000 Chicanx/Latinx students at UC Davis.

“Watching my students become the scholars and professionals they are meant to be has been life changing,” she said. Mendez explains how her PhD informs the work she does today in her recent alumni spotlight.

Join Us for the School of Education Fall Welcome Event

Join us Tuesday, September 25, 2018, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., on the School of Education East Lawn, for food and fun as we kick off the academic year with our new students. All alumni, students, faculty, staff and family members can attend this free event that will include a casual dinner, lawn games for kids and a raffle. Space is limited. Please RSVP by September 19 on our registration page.

New Video Showcases PhD Program

The UC Davis Graduate Group in Education PhD Program critically engages students in contemporary issues that impact education research, policy and practice. Hear directly from current PhD students and alumni about why they chose to complete their doctorate degrees at the School of Education in our new video.