June 2026 Newsletter

Top Stories

New Study Calls for a More Critical Approach to AI Education

As artificial intelligence becomes a larger part of classroom learning, educators are rethinking what AI literacy should actually look like. A new study co-authored by Prof. Jennifer Higgs argues that technical fluency alone is not enough. Her team found that students developed a richer understanding of AI when they explored its social, ethical, and political influences alongside its practical uses. The study also highlights English language arts classrooms as powerful spaces for these conversations, and offers three recommendations for teachers looking to analyze artificial intelligence with their students.

School of Education Faculty and Leadership Transitions

In June, we celebrated the outstanding accomplishments and service of Profs. Kerry Enright and Lauren Lindstrom, who are transitioning to emeriti status after many years of contributions to the field of education. We also celebrated incoming associate deans and returning chair Profs. Cynthia Passmore, Kevin Gee, and Torry Winn. Read more about Enright, Lindstrom, and our recent leadership transitions.

Congratulations to Our 2026 Graduates

On June 10, the School of Education celebrated the accomplishments of our graduating teaching credential, M.A., Ed.D., and Ph.D. students at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts. Speaking to his fellow graduates, Ph.D. candidate and student speaker Jaime Ramirez-Mendoza said, “Whether we leave here as teachers, school leaders, administrators, professors, or researchers, we are entering positions where our words, decisions, classrooms, policies—and silences—will profoundly impact other people’s lives. We are the next wave of architects who will shape our education ecosystem. That is an immense power and responsibility.”

This year’s recipients of the Faculty Service Award were Profs. Lee Martin and Nancy Tseng, who were recognized for their guidance, mentorship, and advocacy for their students. Visit our graduation page to view an album of our graduation celebration photos and a recording of the event livestream.

Annual STENT Conference Addresses a Critical Gap in Professional Development for Teacher Supervisors

Teacher education supervisors from across California will virtually gather on July 30 and 31 for the annual STENT Conference. This workshop-based professional learning event, led by Dr. Lisa Sullivan and her colleagues, focuses on strengthening supervision in teacher preparation. Designed to address the need for practical tools, collaboration, and shared approaches, the conference supports supervisors as they coach credential candidates, uphold program requirements, and implement equity-centered teaching practices. Read more about the STENT Conference and register to attend.

Meet the 2026 Mentorship Award Recipients

The teacher education program honored resident teachers Matthew Tealdi and Sarah Ronayne with the 2026 Mentorship Awards for their exceptional support and guidance of credential candidates. Learn more about their experiences as mentors and what they believe is important for new educators to learn during their first year of teaching.

Graduation is a Family Affair

Proud parents, excited children, enthusiastic students: every facet of students’ communities came out to show their support at our 2026 graduation celebration. Visit us on YouTube or Instagram for more student and alumni stories.

Faculty and Staff News

$20,000 Grant Expands Tanzania Teacher Education Partnership

Center for Community and Citizen Science Youth Education Program Manager Peggy Harte and Prof. Heidi Ballard received $20,000 from the UC Davis Green Initiative Fund to expand their partnership with Tanzanian educators. The funding builds on support from UC Davis Global Affairs and will help train secondary school teachers to investigate local issues connected to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Using school gardens as outdoor science classrooms, program participants and their students will explore topics such as biodiversity loss, food security, and climate change.

Credential Candidates Deepen Inclusive Teaching Practices Through UDL Workshop

Fourteen credential candidates participated in the School of Education’s second annual Universal Design for Learning (UDL) workshop this spring. Organized by Profs. Nicole Sparapani and Nancy Tseng, the workshop featured UDL expert Andratesha Fritzgerald and provided hands-on opportunities for candidates to explore how classroom design shapes student learning and resources to implement UDL in their own work.

Alumni and Student News

Joyce Fernandez, Ed.D. ’25, examined how prison education programs can better support incarcerated students pursuing college degrees, highlighting the opportunities and barriers shaping their learning.

Ed.D. student Arra Jane Soriano was among the Sacramento Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 for 2026.

Ph.D. candidate Becca VanArnam co-published “From Showing Up to Stepping Up: Students’ Journeys Through the Spinning Salmon Showcase.”

Ph.D. student Ana Castellon was accepted to the CSU Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive Program.

Kanwardeep Singh, Cred. ’19, M.A. ’20, received the Davis Joint Unified School District Values in Action Award.

Featured Conferences

Robbie Linden co-paneled “Evaluating the Impact of Shortened Courses on Student Success,” a webinar hosted by the organization Achieving the Dream.

Other recent conference highlights include: Darnel Degand presented at Howard University in Washington, D.C. and De Montfort University in Leicester, UK, and Alicia Rusoja was an invited speaker at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. Visit our conference page for a complete roundup of recent research presentations.

Publications

Caires-Hurley, J., Jimenez-Silva, M., & Harrington, R. (2026). Toward a Critical-PBL: Centering a Critical Consciousness in the Middle Grades. UVM ScholarWorks.

Gadd, R., Wilkes II, C.E., & Ball, D.L. (2026). Doing Differently: Towards Practice-Based Teacher Education to Promote Justice. Midwest Journal of Education, 3(1).

Kolluri, S., Smith, T.M., Li, Y., Ream, R.K., & Guarino, C. (2026). Outliers for equity: Choosing (and not choosing) college preparation in California’s Riverside County. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 34.

Marks, R.A., Bouhali, F., Sun, X., Caballero, J.F., Kepinska, O., Uchikoshi, Y., Beltz, A., Kovelman, I., & Hoeft, F. (2026). Functional Connectivity Fingerprints of Emerging Reading Skill in the First Months of Schooling. Developmental Science, 29(2).