April 2023 Newsletter

FEATURED NEWS

Give Day Raises Funds for Scholarships, Research and More

Generous donors gave $165,412 through 107 gifts for School of Education research centers, scholarship funds and education equity initiatives on Give Day 2023. We had 13 challenge gifts, which were crucial to our success. Our thanks to every donor, and to everyone who helped spread the word! Across UC Davis, the university raised more than $3.3 million from 4,816 gifts. If you weren’t able to participate on Give Day, you can still make a contribution to the School of Education fund of your choice.

From Young Scholars Program to UC Davis Researcher

As a high-schooler, Majken Horton, BS ’22 participated in the School of Education’s Young Scholars Program, where she spent a summer conducting research and living on the UC Davis campus—an experience she’s called “the best thing that ever happened to me.” Thanks to generous donors, Horton received a scholarship fee-waiver.

When she applied to and was accepted at UC Davis, Horton felt she had a leg up because of her YSP experience. “The sooner you get into research, the better,” she said, “and the same goes for building relationships on campus.” Horton majored in genetics and genomics, and is now back on campus as an academic researcher. Read Horton’s story.

Piloting Citizen Science in Prison Gardens

The School of Education’s Center for Community and Citizen Science has been working with partner agency Insight Garden Project since 2019, exploring ways that incarcerated people can do science in prisons. Funding from the UC Davis Public Impact Research Initiative helped lay the groundwork for incorporating citizen science into IGP’s existing garden-based educational programming in regional prisons. The collaboration’s long-term goal is to establish a first-of-its-kind California program in which a statewide network of people in prisons advances science that has real meaning and impact for the participants themselves, and beyond prison walls for communities and the environment. Read about piloting citizen science in prison gardens.

Two New Scholarships Established

Thanks to the generous support of School of Education alumnae Deborah Raasch, Cred. ’74 and Sue Hansen, Cred. ’74, there are two new scholarship opportunities to help prepare qualified teaching credential students to be knowledgeable, thoughtful teacher leaders of tomorrow. The Raasch Family Scholarship will help support students pursuing their Multiple Subject Teaching Credential who have a demonstrated financial need, and the Barbara J. Hansen Guardian Teacher Award will provide financial support to former foster youth continuing their post-undergraduate education and careers in teaching.

FACULTY NEWS

Jennifer Higgs Promoted to Associate Professor

We are pleased to announce that Prof. Jennifer Higgs has been promoted with tenure to associate professor, effective July 1. Higgs is a professor of Learning and Mind Sciences and Language, Literacy, and Culture. She investigates young people’s and teachers’ sense-making of digital tools and ecologies that invite new forms of reading, writing, and participation, support structures that help teachers facilitate equitable uses and understandings of digital technologies, and the spread and scale of educational innovations in our advanced digital age.

School of Education at AERA Annual Meeting

More than 40 UC Davis School of Education/Graduate Group in Education faculty, students and alumni presented at the 2023 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) in Chicago, April 13–16, with others scheduled to present in virtual sessions May 4–5. Read the full list of School of Education presenters and topics.

ALUMNI AND STUDENT NEWS

Vacaville School Named for Shelley Dally

Alumna and former teacher education supervisor Shelley Dally, BA ’76, Cred. ’77 is the namesake for a new school in Vacaville. The Shelley Dally Early Learning Village opened in March, and Vacaville Unified School District recognized Dally’s 40-plus years of service to the district as teacher and trustee with the dedication.

“This school being named after me is not only a tribute to me as an educator,” Dally said, “it is a tribute to all those whose shoulders I stood on, those I was lucky enough to work with, who colored outside the lines with me and worked to create a place where all students could learn.” Read the story about Shelley Dally.

Rebecca Andersen a Grad Slam Finalist

Congratulations to EdD candidate Rebecca Andersen, who represented the School of Education as a contestant in the 2023 UC Davis Grad Slam. This annual University of California public speaking competition challenges graduate students to present their research and its impact to a broad audience. Andersen’s presentation, “Dismantling the STEM Career Search Labyrinth,” earned her a spot among UC Davis finalists. Watch Andersen’s Grad Slam presentation.

EVENTS

Upcoming Emerging Scholars Event

Join us on May 11 at 4:30 pm at 10 College Park (International House) for the Emerging Scholars panel, “Expanding Equity in Research on Language, Race & Culture, and Intersectionality & Policy.” This special panel will showcase critical, diverse disciplinary perspectives in education from four exceptional pre-tenure scholars across the nation: Drs. Sofía E. Chaparro (University of Colorado Denver), Lauren Leigh Kelly (Rutgers), Manali Sheth (University of Illinois Chicago) and Krystal L. Williams (University of Georgia). No registration is required for this free, public event, but space is limited. Learn more about our speakers and event.

GGE Research Seminar Series

The Graduate Group in Education’s Monday Research Seminar Series continues, with upcoming presentations by our PhD students. Presentations are held at the School of Education Building and available simultaneously via Zoom.

May 8: Elizabeth Castro and Silvia Tovar discuss “Generative Tensions amongst Pre-Service Teachers Discussing Academic Language”

May 22: Jade Lee presents on “Who or What Do You Trust: The Boundary Between Interpersonal Trust and Technology Trust”

Visit our GGE Research Seminars page for further details.

Kyle Holmes in Theatre and Dance Panel Talk

Education alumnus Kyle Holmes, ’10, Cred. ’11, MA ’12 is returning to UC Davis on May 4 at 5 pm to participate in the Department of Theatre and Dance panel discussion “New Voices in Musical Theater,” featuring theatre professionals discussing the changing landscape of the American musical as it evolves and pushes the envelope of artistic expression. Holmes also was profiled in the most recent issue of UC Davis Magazine.

Job Fair Launches Careers

On March 18th, the School of Education held our annual Teacher Job Fair at the UC Davis Activities and Recreation Center. More than 30 school districts were represented at the event, which was co-sponsored by the UC Davis Internship and Career Center. This event is held each spring for UC Davis teaching credential candidates and credential alumni as part of our Job Search Assistance for Teachers program. View the photo gallery.

CANDEL Alumni Networking Event

Our CANDEL alumni networking events are fantastic opportunities for current and past EdD students to gather and discuss the latest in their careers and the field of educational leadership. At this year’s event, attendees also heard presentations from alumni Andrea Rodriguez, EdD ’22, Ebony Lewis, EdD ’21, Lizette Navarette, EdD ’21 and Joseph Wood, EdD ’20. View the CANDEL networking event photo gallery.

MA Symposium

For the first time since 2020, School of Education MA students gathered in person to present their teacher inquiry projects. This year, the event was open to the public, so students shared their research with not only faculty but alumni and local educators and administrators. View the photo gallery.

Show Off with School of Education Gear

Looking for a way to show off your School of Education pride? You’ll find shirts of all styles, as well as mugs, hats and more with the School of Education logo at the online UC Davis Store. Proceeds from all store sales benefit UC Davis Athletics.

PUBLICATIONS

Dean Lauren E. Lindstrom co-authored “Still Stuck: An Examination of the Early Paid Employment Experiences of Young Women With Disabilities,” published in Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals.

Prof. Michal Kurlaender and California Education Lab Executive Director Sherrie Reed co-wrote the policy paper “Innovating High School Math Through K–12 and Higher Education Partnerships,” published by PACE.

Prof. Alicia Rusoja co-authored “In Dialogue: Mapping Our Truths—Envisioning the Future of Multimodal Research for Racial Justice,” published in Research in the Teaching of English.

Postdoctoral researcher Sergio L. Sanchez and Prof. Steven Athanases co-authored “Dialogic teacher inquiry: The case of a preservice teacher learning to facilitate class discussion,” published in Dialogic Pedagogy: An International Online Journal.

Prof. Yuuko Uchikoshi co-authored “Longitudinal relations between self-regulatory skills and mathematics achievement in early elementary school children from Chinese American immigrant families,” published in Journal of Experimental Child Psychology.