2015: School increases scholarship support, faculty secure major grants

The School of Education continues to increase scholarship support to our students, offering more this year than in any other. The School also pursues such contemporary topics as the efficacy of online learning in higher education, and gaming and its connection to health and nutrition.

Milestones & Achievements

• A new focus for the School’s one-year master’s degree in Education – Educational Assessment and Measurement – launches. Students will develop skills in quantitative research methods and the interpretation, design and evaluation of educational and psychological assessments. 
• In February, Chancellor Linda Katehi recognizes 22 UC Davis staff members for going the extra mile in support of the campus’s core values with the Chancellor’s STAR Awards. Among the award winners are three from the School of Education: Sheri Atkinson (EdD ’14), student affairs officer in the Cross Cultural Center; Emily Prieto (BS ’02, MA ’05, PhD ’07), chief of staff in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs; and Paul Cody, associate director of the Center for Student Involvement and current student in the CANDEL program. 
• The School of Education sees an upswing in its rankings this year from U.S. News & World Report, reaching No. 38 after ranking No. 45 last year.
• In March, the School of Education’s 2013 Annual Fund Report receives a 2015 gold award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), District VII. This is the sixth CASE award for the School since 2012. In all, UC Davis garners 18 awards this year for its work in marketing and communications, alumni relations, and development.
• The School is pleased to offer the greatest number of scholarships in its history. In all, 23 students received more than $134,000 in scholarship funds for the current academic year.
• “Whisper,” a story written by PhD candidate Michele Zugnoni about a young girl who finds personal redemption through the magic of creation, is published by the Independent Bookworm in “The Adventure of Creation” anthology
• Building on research into the potential connection between gaming and youth health, Associate Professor Cynthia Carter Ching embarks on a one-year effort to develop a behavioral change model for physical activity-monitor gaming that is thus far unique in the existing literatures on games and learning, games for health, and health education/intervention
• Dean Harold G. Levine, who has served on the WestEd Board of Directors for seven years, is elected Chair of the Board.
• Sherrie Reed, education doctoral candidate and director of research at New Tech Network, won Best Paper by a junior researcher at the International Conference on School Choice in January for “Charter School Spending and Saving in California.” Co-written by Associate Professor Heather Rose, the paper examines how charter schools allocate spending to better understand their financial viability and sustainability.
• Assistant Professor Kevin Gee receives a 2015-16 National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship, a Young Scholars Program (YSP) award from the Foundation for Child Development (FCD), and a 2015-16 UC Davis Hellman Fellowship.
• Associate Professor Michal Kurlaender secures a $5 million U.S. Department of Education grant to find out how well the State of California prepares K-12 students for college and careers and to understand how efforts to improve both high school rigor and information about college and career readiness can impact schools and students.
• Associate Professor of Education Emily Solari is awarded a $3.5 million U.S. Department of Education grant to bring reading instruction to 100 first-grade classrooms in Sacramento, Yolo and other counties in the region, as well as in Houston, Texas, over the next four years. The grant focuses on students who are struggling with early reading.

“Restorative justice goes to the heart of the School of Education’s vision, which is to eliminate inequities in the schooling opportunities for diverse learners. All of us - educators, teachers, students and community members – should be deeply concerned about the disproportionate ways that students of color are disciplined in classrooms and campuses across the country.”
           - Dean Harold G. Levine