September 2025 Newsletter

Key Attributes Shaping Success for Postsecondary Women with Disabilities

Postsecondary women with disabilities are achieving high levels of academic success. By leveraging a deep awareness of their disability and a commitment to excel in the classroom, they’re overcoming obstacles that have traditionally limited disabled students’ access to higher education. Read more about the five attributes driving the success of women with disabilities in higher education in a new study by Profs. Lauren Lindstrom and Rahul Ganguly and Ph.D. student Antoinette Banks.

5 Ways UC Davis Says AI Is Surprisingly Good

Are students relying on AI to avoid doing homework? Prof. Jennifer Higgs says not entirely. She and her colleague conducted a survey among high schoolers, and many expressed concern about being perceived as cheaters for using AI—a narrative that’s discouraging them from using it altogether. Learn what Higgs uncovered about high school students’ perceptions of AI in a new article from UC Davis Magazine.

Pushing Boundaries at the Intersection of Disability, Race, and Language

Join the School of Education and Graduate Group in Education at the UC Davis Alumni Center on Thursday, October 16 for our annual speaker series, “Expanding Equity in Education.” This event will convene Drs. Brittany Frieson (University of Texas at Austin), Jo R. King (Boston University), and Ebony Perouse-Harvey (Harvard University) to discuss pushing boundaries at the intersection of disability, race, and language. The panel discussion will start at 4:00 p.m., followed by a reception at 6:00 p.m. Learn more about the Emerging Scholars panel and RSVP for the event.

Untangling the Knot: How Students and Institutions Navigate the Complexities of Community College Financial Aid

A new School of Education webinar will spotlight UC Davis research on financial aid in California community colleges Tuesday, October 21 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Drawing on statewide high school surveys, student interviews, and administrative data, scholars from the California Education Lab and Wheelhouse: Center for Community College Leadership and Research will shed light on barriers limiting access to financial aid and share recommendations for policymakers and practitioners. Read more about the webinar and register to attend.

How STENT Advances Support for Teacher Supervisors in Educator Preparation

Teacher supervisors serve a pivotal function in the professional development of teacher candidates, providing observation, mentorship, and formative feedback during clinical practice. Despite their significant contributions to the preparation of novice educators, supervisors often receive limited institutional support or access to targeted professional development. In response to this disparity, Dr. Lisa Sullivan and colleagues established the Supervisors of Teacher Education Network Team (STENT), a California-based initiative aimed at advancing the professional learning of teacher supervisors. STENT is one of the first—and only—programs in the state to offer professional development explicitly designed by and for teacher supervisors. Each year, it convenes supervisors across the state to discuss how to best support student teachers using justice- and equity-focused approaches. These workshops are compiled into a resource library that supervisors can revisit at any time. Watch the 2025 STENT conference presentations to learn more.

Upward Bound Builds Independence Through College Exploration

Every year, the School of Education’s Upward Bound Siskiyou program takes over 30 high schoolers on a tour of Northern California universities—a road trip that not only encourages them to start planning for life after graduation, but strengthens their self-efficacy, curiosity, and a lasting sense of independence as well. “These students rarely get to leave Siskiyou County,” said program director Renee Johnson. “They’re finding a footing beyond their small towns.” Read more about Upward Bound Siskiyou’s college tour.

Take a Virtual Tour of the Teacher Education Lounge

Dr. Lola Muldrew offers an insider’s look at the teacher education lounge, where students can connect and collaborate between classes. Visit us on YouTube or Instagram for more school, student, and alumni stories.

Student and Alumni News

Read how Ph.D. student Rebecca VanArnam will use her fellowship to make science education more inclusive and accessible to emergent bilingual learners and students from historically underserved communities.

Juliet Michelsen Wahleithner, B.A. ’99, M.A. ’09, Ph.D. ’13, was appointed Director of Research, Evaluation, and Assessment at the Commission on Teacher Credentialing by Governor Gavin Newsom. Michelsen Wahleithner is an associate professor of literacy, early, bilingual, and special education at California State University, Fresno. She has served as a consultant for the Office of Policy and Continuous Improvement at the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, Director of Educator Preparation and Accreditation, and Director of San Joaquin Valley Writing Project.

Credential student Quinn Chapin, B.A. ’25, served on an interdisciplinary research team to uncover the little-known history of the Black community in Woodland, CA. She and her colleagues developed lesson plans and a digital presentation on the project findings—including a history of Mary Winrow, an enslaved woman who was brought to California in 1856—which they presented to fourth, fifth, and sixth graders in Yolo County.

The School of Education welcomed the 2025-26 teaching credential cohort on August 1. More than 100 students, faculty, and staff gathered at the UC Davis Alumni Center to discuss the year ahead, including degree requirements and navigating unplanned challenges. In between information sessions, the credential students connected over icebreaker games, took cohort photos, and enjoyed lunch together. View the kickoff photo gallery to learn more about the event.

Publications

Cooc, N., Bacon-Yates, A., and Gee, K.A. (2025). Obesity prevalence in two national cohorts of children with disabilities: Patterns over time and by disability subgroups. Disability and Health Journal.

Cuellar, M.G. and Acevedo, N. (2025). Centering Communities of Color in Community College Enrollment Practices: Recommendations from Black and Latine Students. Community College Journal of Research and Practice.

Guerrero, K. and Jimenez-Silva, M. (2025). Honoring Teachers as Professionals: The TEMPL Framework Rooted in National Professional Development Grants Serving Arizona’s Multilingual Students. TESOL Journal.

Kubarek, J., Lindell, A.*, Grow, S., and Ogden, J. (2025). Examining the Cultivation of a Conservation Culture Across Zoos and Aquariums. Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens.

Lindstrom, L.E., Ganguly, R., and Banks, A.R. (2025). Narratives of success: high-achieving women with disabilities navigating higher education in Australia. Higher Education Research & Development.

Mak, E.*, Lee, J.*, Zhou, Q., and Uchikoshi, Y. (2025). Home Literacy Practices and Oral Language Development of Young Immigrant Dual Language Learners: Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Child Language.

Miller, J.M., Kepler, C., Ma’a, S.A.W., Smith, K., Hoida, A., and Ballard, H.L. (2025). Weaving Knowledge Systems: Engaging High School Students in Social-Ecological Resilience in Response to the Lāhainā Wildfire. STEMS^2 Symposium 2025. 

Puente, M., Nuñez Martinez, M.*, Rios Arroyo, D., and Romero, M. (2025). A Critical Race Spatial Analysis of Rural Latinx Community College Students’ Academic and Career Opportunities in California’s San Joaquin Valley. New Directions for Community Colleges.

Vann, S.S., Henry, A.R.*, DeCoster, J., Dahl-Leonard, K., Conner, C.L., and Solari, E.J. (2025). Literacy Profiles of Kindergarten Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. Remedial and Special Education.

* School of Education alumni