September 2020 Newsletter

Wheelhouse Research Provides Unique Insights into Community College Responses to COVID-19 and Racial Injustice

The School of Education’s Wheelhouse Center has released two research briefs that provide unique insights into how California community colleges have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and the nationwide movement against institutional racism. These briefs capture first-hand narratives and lived experiences from leaders of the nation’s largest and most diverse system of higher education.

A Wheelhouse-led research team conducted 20 in-depth interviews with community college CEOs statewide. In Turning on a Dime: California Community College Transformation in Response to COVID-19, they analyze the experiences of leaders as they navigated the first months of the pandemic and its academic and economic consequences. In Toward a More Perfect Institution, the authors draw from a high-response survey to document CEO experiences of how racism is felt across the community colleges—personally and institutionally—to explore both barriers and opportunities to address it. Learn more about Wheelhouse: The Center for Community College Leadership and Research here.

Margarita Jimenez-Silva Receives Inaugural Chancellor’s Fellowship for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Prof. Margarita Jimenez-Silva has been named an inaugural UC Davis Chancellor’s Fellow for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Only four fellows were chosen from the entire university, and they are recognized for their abiding commitment to reducing opportunity gaps for underrepresented students and/or students from underserved communities. Congratulations, Dr. Jimenez-Silva, on this well-deserved honor!

School of Education Featured in Virtual Innovation Spectacular

The School of Education is featured in a new UC Davis Innovation Spotlight video series highlighting exciting research from across the university. Watch the video about the School here or the entire series of videos here. For even more inspiration, join us for a magical event on October 10 that showcases the many ways UC Davis is building a great future. RSVP required. Learn more and RSVP.

RESEARCH

Marcela Cuellar Will Be Program Evaluator for First Federal HSI Grant Received by UC Davis

Prof. Marcela Cuellar will serve as the program evaluator for two National Science Foundation grants totaling over $1 million. The grants will support the expansion of research and undergraduate instruction at minority-serving institutions, focusing on computing fields identified as national priorities by the U.S. Office of Science and Technology Policy.  

One of these grants creates the HSI Strategic Innovation Summit for Advanced Research and Instruction in Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Information Sciences program. It is the first federally funded Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) grant that UC Davis has received, marking a crucial step toward receiving an official HSI designation.  Read the full story here. 

Cassandra Hart Receives Spencer Foundation Grant on COVID-19 Impacts on Community Colleges 

Prof. Cassandra Hart has received a $48,000 grant from the Spencer Foundation to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students in California Community Colleges. “California colleges went to unprecedented efforts to convert classes to remote instruction,” said Hart. “I hope this study will help us determine which approaches are most impactful in promoting successful online learning in challenging conditions.”

Tony Albano Receives Grant Addressing Equity Gap in Chemistry Learning

Prof. Tony Albano is a co-principal investigator on a $1 million grant from the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research titled “Rebalancing the Equity Gap in Chemistry Education with Individualized Adaptive Learning.” This project will improve student performance in gateway chemistry courses and promote their persistence in STEM fields, particularly for students from backgrounds underrepresented in STEM fields, by using technology-enabled adaptive learning to improve access to a quality general chemistry education. 

Faculty Receive 2020 Dean’s Research Excellence Awards

This spring, Dean Lauren Lindstrom awarded two School of Education Dean’s Research Excellence Awards. Prof. Jennifer Higgs received a grant for her project “Computing Education for the People: Broadening Participation through Sociotechnical Awareness in Secondary English and Social Studies Classrooms,” and Prof. Faheemah Mustafaa received a grant for “A Pilot Study of a Socio-Emotional Learning Intervention to Support Prosocial Peer Engagement and Wellness Among Preadolescent Black Girls.” Both proposals responded to the Dean’s call to design studies that will further educational knowledge or practice and advance our mission to confront and eliminate inequities in education.

WEBINARS AND VIDEOS

Transformative Justice in Education Center Leads Webinar for UC Davis

The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the Transformative Justice in Education Center (TJE) hosted an August webinar on restoring justice and transforming education at UC Davis. This campus-wide talk featured TJE co-directors Dr. Maisha T. Winn, Professor and Associate Dean of Academic Programs, and Dr. Lawrence “Torry” Winn, Assistant Professor of Teaching. View the webinar here.

School of Education Partners with Yolo County Office of Education

The School of Education’s REEd Center, UC Davis Graduate Group in Education and the Yolo County Office of Education partnered in August to present an online forum about the latest research into educational disparities for Black and Latinx students, systemic challenges to creating change, and ways that schools and community members can support each other to improve all student outcomes. Watch the recorded forum here.

Digital Learning Webinar

The School of Education partnered with Microsoft and PowerSchool to produce a webinar featuring four faculty members who presented on their research on equity and digital learning. Nearly 600 people attended on the day of the event. Read previews and find the video link here.

Nicole Sparapani Co-Moderates Far-Reaching MIND Institute Webinar on Women with Autism

Prof. Nicole Sparapani co-moderated the panel discussion “Life on the Spectrum: Women Sharing Their Unique Experiences” as part of a UC Davis MIND Institute webinar focused on women with autism. The event drew 13,000 viewers from 15 countries. Watch the recording here.

Maisha Winn Honored by Sacramento Kings

Prof. Maisha Winn has received the Sacramento Kings Dream All-Star Award as one of eight local Black leaders recognized for positively impacting the Sacramento region. The Dream All-Star awardees were chosen by Kings staff and community partners based on their accomplishments and commitment to championing initiatives that support platforms and opportunity for our Black community. Watch the video on Facebook or Twitter.

RECENT RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS

• Prof. Kevin Gee and Dr. Christina Murdoch co-authored “Policy Brief: Multi-Tiered System of Supports to Address Childhood Trauma: Evidence and Implications,” through Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE). Gee also co-authored the PACE research brief and report “Supporting Learning in the COVID-19 Context: Research to Guide Distance and Blended Instruction.”
• Prof. Jennifer Higgs published the research article “Digital Discourse in Classrooms: Language Arts Teachers’ Reported Perceptions and Implementation” in the journal Research in the Teaching of English.
• Prof. Marcela Cuellar co-authored the research article “Assessing Color-Neutral Racial Attitudes of Faculty at Hispanic-Serving Institutions,” published in AERA Open, and co-authored “Exploring Student Success Courses With a Latinx Perspective: A Focus on Students and Outcomes,” published in New Directions for Community Colleges.