News
PhD Student Antoinette Banks Wins $1 Million Black Ambition Prize
Award is for parent-facing app that uses predictive AI to optimize IEP plans
School of Education PhD student
Antoinette Banks, BS
’22, has won the Pharrell
Williams Black Ambition grand prize of $1 million for
Expert IEP, her
parent-facing app that uses predictive AI to optimize existing
individualized education plans for children diagnosed with
disabilities. Black Ambition is a nonprofit initiative dedicated
to closing the opportunity and wealth gap by empowering Black and
Hispanic entrepreneurs.
Nancy Tseng appointed Associate Professor of Teaching in Education
Dr. Nancy Tseng, formerly a
Lecturer/Supervisor in the School of Education’s Multiple Subject
Credential Program, has been appointed Associate Professor of
Teaching in Education as of July 2023. She will continue to serve
as the coordinator of the School’s Mandarin Bilingual
Authorization Program. “I’m excited that in this new role, I can
continue to focus centrally on the teaching and mentoring of
teaching credential candidates and MA students,” she said.
Cynthia Carter Ching Appointed Interim Dean
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Mary Croughan has appointed Cynthia Carter Ching to serve as interim dean for the School of Education, effective July 1, 2023. Ching will lead the school until the new dean begins.
“While the search is taking longer than we had hoped, we are steadfast in our commitment to find the right leader for our outstanding School of Education,” Croughan said. “I am very grateful to Cynthia for stepping into this vital leadership position. Her depth of experience and passion for education will keep the school moving in the right direction.”
Ching, associate dean for academic programs in the School of Education since 2016, joined UC Davis in 2007. She also served as interim vice provost and dean of Undergraduate Education from 2020 to 2022. An interim associate dean will be appointed in August to fulfill Ching’s current duties.
Ching holds two University of California degrees: a Bachelor of Arts in psychology (with an emphasis in cognitive science) from UC Irvine and a Ph.D. in education (Department of Psychological Studies in Education) from UCLA. She began her faculty career at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, as an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, College of Education, spending six years in that role before coming to UC Davis.
Ching’s research is in the area of educational technology. She examines the intersection of technology, learning, collaboration, and identity, investigating how children, youth, and adults represent and negotiate aspects of themselves via technology in classrooms, in online environments, and in games.
“The School of Education has greatly benefited from Dr. Ching’s steady leadership as associate dean, her research expertise in issues relating to the use of technology in learning, her deep commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, and her unfailing advocacy for students,” said Lindstrom. “I know she will serve the school very well in this time of transition.”
UC Davis Craft Center and Beta Lab Partner on Maker Space
New collaboration celebrated at open house
The School of Education’s Beta Lab and the UC Davis Craft Center showcased their new collaboration at a February 15, 2023, open house event. Chancellor Gary S. May spoke to visitors and gave a screenprinting demonstration.
Marcela Cuellar Named 2022-23 Chancellor’s Fellow
School of Education Associate Professor Marcela Cuellar has been named a UC Davis 2022-23 Chancellor’s Fellow, an honor given each year to a handful of associate professors or newly promoted full professors to support their groundbreaking scholarly work and service to the university as dedicated teachers and campus citizens. She will retain the title for five years.
Alicia Rusoja Joins School of Education Faculty
Dr. Alicia Rusoja joined the School of Education faculty as an assistant professor in July 2022. She studies the literacy, teaching and learning practices of Latinx immigrants organizing for their own and others’ human rights. Among other research projects, Rusoja is in the second year of a five-year study on the impact of COVID-19 on the educational, literacy and organizing practices of Latinx immigrants in South Philadelphia.
Yianella Blanco Joins School of Education Faculty
Dr. Yianella Blanco joined the faculty of the School of Education as an assistant professor in July 2022 in the language, literacy and culture emphasis area. Blanco earned her bachelor’s degree in History at University of Massachusetts–Amherst and her two master’s degrees at Long Island University–Brooklyn and Teachers College, Columbia University, before returning to Columbia for her PhD in social studies education.
Education Leader and Alumna Launches Teacher Education Fund
The fund will support investments in the School’s K-12 teacher education programing
In her 44-year career in K-12 and university education, Marsha Gurney-Speck, Ed.D. (Cred., ’69) has always believed that education is a key to success and citizenship.
Passionate about learning and quality education, she served as a teacher, assistant principal, and high school principal. As an assistant superintendent of schools and later professor of educational leadership at San Jose State, she valued teacher development, as well as leadership reviewing and assessing programs to ensure they were serving each child.
UC Davis Upward Bound Awarded Five Grants
Program is administered by the School’s REEd Center
The School of Education’s REEd Center has received five federal Upward Bound grants totaling more than $8.7 million to continue serving 348 high school students in Sacramento, Solano, Shasta and Siskiyou counties over the next five years.
“The students in our Upward Bound programs have so much promise and untapped potential, but their opportunities might have been limited by their socioeconomic status,” said Car Mun Kok, PhD, Director of College Opportunity Programs for the UC Davis School of Education.
School of Education Ranks 32nd in Nation
U.S. News & World Report ranks the School in top 12%
The UC Davis School of Education is ranked 32nd in the nation for 2023 out of 274 education schools, according to rankings released by U.S. News & World Report.
This year’s ranking is up five from last year’s placement, and puts the School of Education into the top 12% of all schools and among the top 22 public schools of education in the country.
EDU 100 Students Team with Students in Mexico for Expanded Learning Experience
In one of the most popular classes
on campus, undergraduates spend most of their time learning and
thinking about learning. EDU 100 is the foundational class for
the education minor, the largest minor at UC Davis. In it,
students explore access and the experiences of learners, and many
go on to careers in education and education policy.
Danny C. Martinez Named Chancellor’s Fellow
Associate professor and noted scholar of Black and Latinx language and literacy practices Danny C. Martinez joined a select cohort of faculty as a 2021-22 Chancellor’s Fellow.
The Chancellor’s Fellow program awards $25,000 in funding to outstanding faculty who are helping to solve complex and pressing problems.
Educational Talent Search Receives $4.8 Million in New Grants
The School of Education’s REEd Center has received five federal Educational Talent Search (ETS) grants totaling $4.8 million over the next five years to support the continued and expanded work of ETS programs in Sacramento, Solano, Yolo and Shasta counties. The programs collectively serve 2,700 students in grades 6–12 who have academic potential, want to continue their education beyond high school, and need extra support and information to reach their goals.
Dedication of the PowerSchool and Microsoft Digital Learning Lab
On October 6, 2021, the School of Education hosted Chancellor Gary S. May, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Mary Croughan, Vice Chancellor for Development and Alumni Relations Shaun Keister, our Board of Advisors and guests from PowerSchool at a reception to dedicate the new PowerSchool and Microsoft Digital Learning Lab.
UC Davis School of Education Unveils New PowerSchool and Microsoft Digital Learning Lab
Lab to Equip Tomorrow’s Teachers with Digital Teaching and Learning Skills
The School of Education announced today the unveiling of the PowerSchool and Microsoft Digital Learning Lab, giving its students access to the training and tools they need, including state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment and leading education software solutions.
School of Education Researchers Bridge Gap between Autism Research and General Education Practices
A team of School of Education researchers has received a $1.69 million Institute of Education Sciences grant to explore how general education teachers can use inclusive math and literacy instructional practices to support learners with autism in their kindergarten to third grade classrooms.
Undergraduate Student Research Assistants Participate in 2021 UC Davis Undergraduate Research Conference
At the School of Education’s Language and Literacy Development Lab, undergraduate research assistants get valuable, hands-on research experience in data collection, analysis and collaboration through preparing and presenting research projects for the annual UC Davis Undergraduate Research Conference held each April.
Transformative Justice in Education Center Publishes Evaluation of Sacramento’s Black Child Legacy Campaign
The School of Education’s Transformative Justice in Education Center has released “Transformative Justice Community,” a report detailing two years of research conducted in collaboration with Sacramento State and the UC Davis Office of Research and Policy for Equity.
Kevin Gee Named 2020-21 Chancellor’s Fellow
School of Education Associate Professor Kevin Gee has been named a UC Davis 2020-21 Chancellor’s Fellow, an honor given each year to a handful of associate professors or newly promoted full professors to support their groundbreaking scholarly work and service to the university as dedicated teachers and campus citizens.
