October 2024 Newsletter

Charles Wilkes Joins School of Education Faculty

The School of Education welcomed Dr. Charles E. Wilkes II to our faculty as an assistant professor in September. Wilkes’ research focuses on the teaching and learning of Black learners in K-16 contexts, including how mathematics instruction supports the learning of mathematical content and the nurturing of positive mathematics identities for Black learners. His research also supports pre-service and in-service teachers’ development of teaching equitable practices through interventions and professional development. Read more about Charles Wilkes.

Jennifer Higgs on Research Team to Examine the Impact of Asian American Studies

Professor Jennifer Higgs is among a group of researchers recently awarded a prestigious $3.5 million Transformative Research Grant from the Spencer Foundation. Their project aims to examine the implementation of Asian American Studies (AAS) in five states with divergent political contexts. They hope to uncover that educational reform toward AAS inclusion can lead to justice, solidarity and expansion of the curriculum. Read how Higgs and her collaborators will be carrying out this important work. 

Kevin Gee and Torry Winn Nominated to AERA Committees

Professors Kevin Gee and Torry Winn have been nominated to serve on the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting Policies and Procedures Committee and the Research Advisory Committee, respectively. They will both serve three-year terms. As a national research society, AERA strives to advance knowledge about education, encourage scholarly inquiry related to education, and promote the use of research to serve the public good.

Anne Jones Appointed to Committee on Accreditation

Dr. Anne Jones, the School of Education’s Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and Community Partnerships, was appointed to serve as a member of the Committee on Accreditation for the Commission on Teacher Credentialing for a four-year term starting July 1, 2024. This 12-member committee is responsible for accrediting institutions of higher education and local education agencies to prepare teachers and other professional educators for certificated service in the public schools of California. This is her third term on the committee since 2009, and she has also twice served as co-chair. Read more about Anne Jones.

UC Davis’ Historic Expect Greater Campaign Raises $2.25 Billion

Generous School of Education donors contributed $25.2 million to the School as part of the UC Davis fundraising campaign Expect Greater: From UC Davis, for the World. We deeply appreciate your investment in our mission of educational equity and your support of our students, faculty research, and community programs.

Expect Greater was a multi-year effort that raised over $2.25 billion for UC Davis student support, health research and care, sustainability, innovation and more. More than 93% of the 448,000 gifts made were $1,000 or less, demonstrating the collective power of community support. The UC Davis campus will celebrate the conclusion of the campaign on Oct. 18 with a family-friendly event open to all, featuring carnival games, interactive displays, and awe-inspiring discoveries. RSVP for the campaign celebration.

Join Us on Instagram

The School of Education is on Instagram! Follow along to keep up with our students and other members of our community.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

Expanding Equity in Educational Research Series

Join us on November 14 from 4:00–6:30 p.m. at the UC Davis International Center for the Expanding Equity in Educational Research series, featuring Prof. Marcela G. Cuellar, Prof. Jacob Hibel, and Ph.D. student Isabella Cantu presenting on their research related to Hispanic-Serving Institutions. Learn more about this free Expanding Equity in Educational Research event and RSVP.

CERA Annual Conference in November

The California Educational Research Association (CERA) will host its annual conference November 6-8 in Burlingame, CA. The School of Education will be represented by CERA President Sherrie Reed from the California Education Lab, keynote speaker Prof. Torry Winn and other faculty and students who are hosting breakout sessions. The conference is a great opportunity to connect with education practitioners and state agency personnel, as attendees are a mix of academic researchers, CDE personnel, and county office of education/school district personnel. Learn more about registration and lodgings at the CERA website. 

Learn How to Apply to the Credential/M.A. Program

Interested in becoming a teacher, and want to know more about the prerequisites for our program? Join us via Zoom on October 22 at 6 p.m. for a Credential/M.A. Program Admission presentation, followed by Q&A. On Tuesdays from 3:30-4:30 p.m. staff also host drop-in advising hours for prospective students via Zoom. 

 

RESEARCH

CANDEL Publishes Journal Issue on the Impact and Importance of Ed.D. Programs

Faculty and alumni of the UC Davis Capital Area North Doctorate in Educational Leadership (CANDEL) program have published a themed issue of Impacting Education: Journal on Transforming Professional Practice. This special August 2024 issue, Voices from CANDEL: Leading for Equity and the Scholar-Practitioner Journey, responds to a gap in research by scholar-practitioners informing the field of educational leadership, and underscores the critical importance of a doctorate in education (Ed.D.) for fostering equity-driven leadership. Read about the Voices of CANDEL journal issue.

 

INTERNATIONAL PRESENTATIONS

Lauren Lindstrom Speaks at International Symposium on Fatherhood and Neurodiversity

Professor Lauren Lindstrom recently presented at the international symposium, “Reimagining Support for Fathers of Children with Neurodiversity,” hosted by the University of Johannesburg (UJ) Centre for Neurodiversity. Her presentation addressed career transition pathways for neurodiverse youth and provided tools that fathers can use to help their children navigate the shift from education to employment. Lindstrom is a Distinguished Visiting Professor to the UJ Department of Educational Psychology at UJ and assisted with the development of a strategic plan for the Centre for Neurodiversity while on sabbatical. Read more about Lindstrom’s recent work.

Alicia Rusoja Is an Invited Speaker at Education Conference in Colombia 

Professor Alicia Rusoja spoke at Expo Educación Medellín 2024 in Medellín, Colombia on the panel “Education, Migration and Transformation: Inclusive and Equitable Schools.” She addressed existing knowledges and the power of (im)migrant communities in and out of schools. Rusoja also discussed the challenges and opportunities that migration poses to education in Colombia and the U.S. After the panel discussion, Rusoja was interviewed about migrant education by UdeA’s radio station InnovaVoz. Read the full article and listen to Rusoja’s interview with InnovaVoz.

iELD/Math Project Team Presents in New Zealand and Australia

Representatives from the research project Building Students’ Academic Language in Math Through Integrated English Language Development (iELD/math) presented at conferences in New Zealand and Australia this summer. Robin Martin, Rachel Restani, Margarita Jimenez-Silva, Tony Albano, and Suzanne Abdelrahim (Martin, Restani, and Jimenez-Silva pictured) presented at the International Group of Psychology of Mathematics Education research conference in Auckland, New Zealand and the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia research conference in Gold Coast, Australia. The team also met with Massey University faculty and visited a STEM camp for primary school children. Learn more about iELD/math.

 

ALUMNI AND STUDENT NEWS

Ph.D. student Antoinette Banks has launched Expert IEP, a new platform that uses machine learning and artificial intelligence. The app provides parents and guardians with personalized individualized education programs (IEPs) for K-12 students, setting them on a path to academic success in higher education and enabling them to thrive in their communities. By working directly with families to better support learners, Expert IEP aims to empower parents and guardians to advocate for personalized instruction and foster collaborative environments that honor their children’s learning styles. Banks was interviewed by Bakersfield Now on how school district budget shortfalls affect special education services and how Expert IEP can assist parents. Read more about Antoinette Banks.

Ph.D. candidate Valeria C. Zunino Edelsberg presented at the 2024 National Council on Measurement in Education Special Conference on Classroom Assessment in Chicago. Her paper “Constructing a Measure of Preservice Teacher Justice-Oriented Classroom Assessment Literacy” described the development of a scenario-based survey of Chilean pre-service teachers and their approaches to classroom assessment. Zunino’s work was supported by Professors Megan Welsh, Tony Albano, and Margarita Jimenez-Silva, as well as Professor Veronica Santelices of Catholic University of Chile. By involving teachers in the survey development process, they gained insights into how Chilean pre-service teachers address issues of equity and justice in classroom assessment, which led to the generation of a rich set of items based on these insights. Read more about Valeria Zunino Edelsberg.

 

EVENT RECAPS

Marcela Cuellar and Lizette Navarette Present at State of Hispanics Conference

Professor Marcela Cuellar and Woodland Community College President Lizette Navarette, Ed.D. ’21 spoke on the panel “What Does It Mean to Be a Hispanic-Serving Institution” during the State of Hispanics conference at Cosumnes River College. The conference examined how HSIs inform workforce development, innovation and community engagement, and how these efforts can create a more robust and inclusive economy — on a local and national scale. Learn more about the State of Hispanics conference.

Darnel Degand Gives Keynote Address at Graphic Novel and Comics Conference

Professor Darnel Degand served as a keynote speaker at the Fifteenth Annual International Graphic Novel and Comics Conference in Norwich, England. His presentation “From Golden Legacies to Afrofutures: The Common Themes in how Black Cartoonists use Communications Technologies” offered a sociocultural and historical overview of the media technologies Black Cartoonists have used to inform the public about African American contributions to society and comics culture.

School of Education Fall Welcome [PHOTOS]

School of Education faculty, staff, students, alumni, friends, and family came together in person to kick off the 2024–25 academic year with food trucks, games and fun. Congratulations to all our raffle winners! View photos from Fall Welcome.

STENT Annual Conference [VIDEOS]

This summer the Supervisors of Teacher Education Network Team (STENT) hosted their annual conference on preparing future educators. The digital conference, titled “Building a Community of Supervisors for Equity and Justice,” convened educators from across California for diverse topics, including reframing teachers’ mistakes as learning opportunities, confronting implicit biases on ableism, and leveraging empathy interviews to improve equitable classroom instruction. Read more about STENT and watch this year’s workshops.

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.