e-Newsletter

May 2025 Newsletter

A woman wearing blue jeans, a green shirt, and a lanyard walks down an aisle between two rows of desks.

What Teachers Say They Need to Stay

How can teachers avoid burnout? In a study co-led by Prof. Margarita Jimenez-Silva, researchers uncovered that physical and mental well-being play a key role in teachers’ resilience, including opportunities to build professional networks and deepen their connections with parents and students. Regardless of a teacher’s specific needs, solving for rising attrition rates requires listening to instructors first and leveraging their stories and expertise to create meaningful change. Read more about what teachers say they need to stay in the classroom.

UC Davis Voices Help Shape the Conversation at AERA 2025

Two women pose for a photo while standing against a full-sized AERA conference banner.Over 50 UC Davis School of Education faculty, students, and alumni attended this year’s American Educational Research Association annual meeting, addressing topics that included Hispanic-Serving Research Institutions, foster youth, and the use of artificial intelligence in English language learning. View a photo gallery of the five-day event and learn more about the UC Davis presentations.

Join us for the School of Education Graduation

Watch the School of Education Graduation Livestream

A faculty member wearing graduation regalia leans over a graduating PhD student to place a stoll on their shoulders.Congratulations to the class of 2025! The School of Education graduation ceremony will be held on Wednesday, June 11, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. in the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts at UC Davis. Registration for the in-person event is closed, but you can still watch the celebration via livestream. Learn more about the 2025 School of Education graduation ceremony.

Meet the Graduation Speaker

Portrait of Eileen Forbes-HillDr. Eileen Forbes-Hill is graduating from the CANDEL program with her doctorate in educational leadership. Her dissertation research investigated the benefits of experiential learning to increase elementary school students’ self-efficacy, engagement, and community connection. Forbes-Hill plans to continue applying experiential learning in her role as Vice President of Grants for a California nonprofit, where she will fundraise for workforce development initiatives. Read more about Forbes-Hill’s professional background and plans for the future.

School of Education Explores Inclusivity at Undergraduate Research Conference

Four women pose for a photo in front of a conference poster that reads "A Day in the Life of Dual Language Learners: Language Input-Output, Interactions, and Activities"Eleven undergraduate researchers from Comunidad de Ciencia, the CARE Lab, and the Language and Literacy Development Lab presented at the UC Davis 2025 Undergraduate Research Conference. Their presentations explored diverse topics on inclusivity and representation, including the daily life of a dual-language learner, scientist identities in higher education, and student-teacher relationships between learners with and without autism. Learn more about the undergraduate researchers’ experiences conducting independent studies and sharing their findings.

Tell Us What You Think

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Watch a Day in the Life of a Ph.D. Student

A screenshot of a Youtube thumbnail image that includes images of a woman wearing a bike helmet, a whiteboard in a classroom, and a laptop screen.

Second-year Science and Agricultural Education Ph.D. student Becca Van Arnam shares a day in her life. Visit us on YouTube or Instagram for more student and alumni stories.

FACULTY EVENTS

Examining Black Representation in Comics and Cartoons

Portrait of Darnel DegandJoin Prof. Darnel Degand on Friday, June 6, from 12:00-1:30 p.m. for “Black Stereotypes & Black Reality: Comic Producers’ Reflections on Stereotypes.” The event is hosted by the UC Davis African American and African Studies Department and will take place in Hart Hall, room 3201. Registration is required. Lunch will be served at the event. RSVP for Degand’s presentation. 

Tseng Serves as UC Davis Delegate to Fulbright Taiwan

A woman wearing a white blouse and green pants stands at a podium and speaks into a microphone. Attached to the podium is a sign that reads "2025 Fulbright Taiwan International & Bilingual Education Forum."Prof. Nancy Tseng served as one of three UC Davis representatives to the 2025 Fulbright Taiwan Higher Education English as a Medium of Instruction Consortium Delegation, which convened to gain deeper insights into English instruction in Taiwan and collaborate with education officials, K-9 teachers, and university faculty on bilingual education implementation.

During the eight-day trip, Tseng visited the Ministry of Education and observed instruction at a bilingual elementary school and several universities using English in the classroom. She also served as the keynote speaker for the 2025 Fulbright Taiwan International & Bilingual Education Forum and as an invited panelist for the “Good Teacher, Good Teaching” session.

STUDENT AND ALUMNI NEWS

Portrait of Elizabeth Castro. On the right of the image is a title that reads "Impact Spotlight: Ph.D. Candidate's Research Elevates the Role of Paraeducators."

How do paraeducators play a central role in classroom success? Ph.D. candidate Elizabeth Castro’s dissertation research examines the unique expertise and opportunities that paraeducators bring to learning environments. Learn more about Elizabeth Castro’s findings.

Portrait of Yulianna OrtegaEd.D. student Yulianna Ortega, Director of STEM Diversity Research Programs at UC Santa Cruz, was selected from a national pool of applicants for the prestigious Linton-Poodry Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) Leadership Institute in Washington, D.C.

Ed.D. student Samir Noor received the American School Counselor Association Region 6 Delta Charter Co-Administrator of the Year award. A man wearing a suit and tie stands in front of a tree and poses for a photo while holding a plaque in his hands.He also published “Bridging College Readiness: Advanced Placement and dual enrollment can set students up for college success,” which examines how to strengthen high school students’ college readiness.

Education minor Walid Jailani joined Chancellor Gary S. May on the podcast Face to Face with Chancellor May to discuss the School of Freedom nonprofit that he launched to combat educational inequality in Afghanistan.Two men wearing suits sit at a table and face each other. Listen to the podcast episode to learn more about Jailani’s work.

FEATURED CONFERENCES

Stefano Cantos, Cindy Parks, Nicole Sparapani, and Johanna Vega Garcia presented four projects at the International Society for Autism Research.Four people wearing professional clothing and lanyards pose for a selfie in front of a background screen that reads "INSAR."

Other recent conference highlights include: Heidi Ballard, Peggy Harte, and Ryan Meyer presented at the 2025 Conference for Advancing Participatory Sciences…Kramer Dykeman, Elizabeth Friedmann, Alexandria Hurtt, Michal Kurlaender, Faheemah Mustafaa, and Sherrie Reed presented at the College Access and Preparation Forum…Kevin Gee and Peter Yu presented at the American Enterprise Institute. Visit our conference page for a complete roundup of recent research presentations.

PUBLICATIONS

Choppin, J., Al, S., Li, J., Wilkes II, C.E., and Calleros, E.D. (2025). Developing a visual model to represent the implementation of an ambitious mathematics program. Frontiers in Education.

Higgs, J., Vakil, S., and Logan, C. (2025). Literacy as a Framework for Computing Education: Affordances, Constraints, and New Directions. In T. Philip Nichols and A. Garcia (Eds.), Literacies in the Platform Society: Histories, Pedagogies, and Possibilities. Routledge.

Short-Meyerson, K., Jiménez-Silva, M., and Rillero, P. (2025). Engaging Parents and Their Fifth- and Sixth-Grade Latina Daughters in a Family Science Program. Education Sciences.

Smith, T. M. (2025). Validity and Technical Quality of Practical Measures. In P. G. LeMahieu and P. Cobb (Eds.), Practical Measurement for Improvement. Harvard Education Press.

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